Medical Informatics: Computer Applications in Health Care and Biomedicine (Health Informatics) [Hardcover]

Edward H. Shortliffe (Editor), Leslie E. Perreault (Editor), Gio Wiederhold (Editor), Lawrence M. Fagan (Editor), Lawrence M. Fagan (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0387984720 | ISBN-13: 978-0387984728 | Publication Date: April 30, 2003 | Edition: 2nd

The practice of modern medicine and biomedical research requires sophisticated information technologies with which to manage patient information, plan diagnostic procedures, interpret laboratory results, and carry out investigations. Medical Informatics provides both a conceptual framework and a practical inspiration for this swiftly emerging scientific discipline at the intersection of computer science, decision science, information science, cognitive science, and biomedicine. Now revised and in its second edition, this text meets the growing demand by practitioners, researchers, and students for a comprehensive introduction to key topics in the field. Authored by leaders in medical informatics and extensively tested in their courses, the chapters in this volume constitute an effective textbook for students of medical informatics and its areas of application. The book is also a useful reference work for individual readers needing to understand the role that computer can play in the provision of clinical services and the pursuit of biological questions. The volume is organized so as first to explain basic concepts and the to illustrate them with specific systems and technologies. The book has been extensively revised and updated for this second edition, and new topics include: ¿ Standards in Medical Informatics ¿ Ethics of Health Informatics: Users, Standards, and Outcomes ¿ Evaluation and Technology Assessment ¿ Public Health and Consumer uses of Health Information: Education, Research, Policy, Prevention, and Quality Assurance ¿ Bioinformatics Edward H. Shortliffe, M.D., Ph.D., is professor and chair of the department of Medical Informatics at Columbia University¿s College of Physicians and Surgeons. A member of the Institute of Medicine and a regent to the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, he is also a fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics and serves on the President¿s Information Technology advisory Committee. Leslie E. Perreault, M.S., is a director at the First Consulting Group in New York City. A graduate of Stanford University¿s training program in medical informatics, she has extensive experience as a consultant to healthcare organizations, especially regarding clinical systems and their integration to the enterprise. Gio Wiederhold, Ph.D., is professor of computer science at Stanford University, with courtesy appointments in Medicine and Electrical Engineering . He is a fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics, the IEEE, and the ACM.

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the reviews of the third edition:

"The third edition, renamed Biomedical Informatics in recognition of the converging course of clinical systems with systems that support molecular biology and genetics … shows substantial growth in both pages and breadth of coverage relative to earlier editions. … overall the book is commendably readable … . In addition to its primary audience of students … the text’s accumulated wisdom and lessons learned can help educate any health professional responsible for selecting information systems to be acquired and used in office and institutional settings." (Daniel Masys, JAMA, Vol. 296 (21), December, 2006)

"An introduction to an important area in biomedical informatics with suggested additional reading and highlighted concepts. The book is intended to be used in formal courses by health professions students and by biomedical computing students. In addition, it is designed to serve as a reference for established practitioners, conveying concepts in biomedical informatics while providing illustrative examples. … is an essential contribution to enhancing education in biomedical informatics. The update is timely and relevant and it compares especially favorably in breadth as an introductory text." (David M. Liebovitz, Doody’s Review Service, July, 2008)

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University Medical Center. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 854 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 2nd edition (April 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0387984720
• ISBN-13: 978-0387984728
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.3 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #401,726 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #47 in Books > Medical Books > Medical Informatics

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent overview, December 2, 2001

By 

Keith F. Woeltje (St. Louis, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Medical Informatics: Computer Applications in Health Care and Biomedicine (Health Informatics) (Hardcover)

This second edition of Shortliffe's textbook is an excellent overview of the field. Although I used it as a course text, it is extremely readable. The chapters are not overly technical, as befits an introductory text, but by no means is this a "Dummmies" book either.

There are now a variety of introductory/overview books on medical informatics. However, of the ones I've read (including van Bemmel's Handbook of Medical Informatics and Coiera's Guide to Medical Informatics), this book is by far the best.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gold Standard w/ Limitations of Edited Volume, January 3, 2011

By 

MedIT - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Biomedical Informatics: Computer Applications in Health Care and Biomedicine (Health Informatics) (Hardcover)

This seems to be the gold standard in the field, and deservedly so. I've seen it selected as the book for almost every intro Informatics course I've been exposed to. I've read all but three chapters (13,15, and 21) of it and found that in general the chapters are quite strong. Because it is an edited volume the quality and style of the chapters are mixed. The chapters are, without exception, meticulously sourced making the references section a real gem. The questions at the end of the chapter wouldn't be close to adequate for a self study book (I'd say they are only slightly more than perfunctory).

I think this book has two limitations:
- Lacks any substantive cross chapter continuity (on the upside this means it can really be read in almost any order).
- The chapter length to depth ratio is unfavorable. At an average of 40ish pages the chapters should really be able to get into real technical depth; instead, it seems to gloss over the technical details with repetitions of "gee whiz" platitudes.

I think this book has one annoyance:
- A lot of the contents (particularly in the first few chapters of the book) have an "in the future we'll all drive flying cars" feel that makes them more dated than the publication date would suggest.

Bottom line: best-of-breed, recommended.

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Strong on subject matter, October 17, 2007

By 

reader "who_is_this" (USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Biomedical Informatics: Computer Applications in Health Care and Biomedicine (Health Informatics) (Hardcover)

I didn't think I'd like this book very much when I found I had to order it for a class I'm taking (Introduction to Medical Informatics). It's fairly dense, but I found that it is dense in a good kind of way. Each chapter reads like a good overview of the subject. As I've progressed through the book I find very little lacking. It offers nearly complete information on every aspect of the subject matter. Someone who didn't know something ever existed before reading this book could come away with a good grasp of the subject and have references to follow up for a more complete view. It doesn't read like literature, but thankfully it is broken up into small easily digestible sections.

There are probably other texts that are easier to read because of style. This one is very strong on content and won't leave gaps. It might have you asking the right kind of question when finished, but that is the whole point, isn't it?