Construction of an Ideal Info-Structure in a Pediatric Emergency Setting & “What is Health Informatics?” Definition Video

Abstract

This report was written as part of an internship towards the completion of a Masters of Health Informatics Degree. Two separate projects were worked on over the course of the internship. The first of which dealt with the lack of an agreed upon optimal information structure in an emergency department setting. In order for a clinical department to make the most of funding opportunities it is wise to formulate an optimal vision of what improvements are more deserving than others of implementation if the funding is available. Through a series of surveys of administrative and clinical staff as well as patients and parents, the construction of a vision for an optimal information infrastructure was undertaken at the IWK Emergency Department. The project started off with a “Strawman” vision which was further shaped and morphed through the input of the major stakeholders to create a collective blueprint of what the optimal information needs are for the department. The second project dealt with the clarification of the ambiguity surrounding the concept of health informatics. The definition of “Health Informatics” has proven to be an elusive concept. Through the interview of health informatics faculty members and alumni at Dalhousie University, a short video was produced that will contain testimonies from leaders in the field. This video will be disseminated through online portals such as the faculty website and YouTube to reach a larger audience and hopefully clear the opacity of the concept of health informatics.