Centre for Health Informatics

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Research - General Introduction

The Centre for Health Informatics carries out a programme of interdisciplinary research involving the application of advanced information and communications science and technology (ICT), within a systems framework, to problems in medical and health-related research and clinical decision making. In terms of clinical applications, the three major areas of activity are eHealth and telecare; high dependency medicine; and public health

A common theme across all these areas of activity is to develop and apply methods and techniques that, in a range of ways, can bring about more effective ways of organising and delivering healthcare. A particular focus is to support the decision-making processes which are central to healthcare provision. This includes enhancing the provision of information to clinician, patient and health manager; and enabling medical knowledge to be made available and managed more effectively. All of these issues take on greater importance in the UK setting with the government's evolving National Programme for IT, recently re-badged as Communicating for Health; a programme leading to a health service that is increasingly underpinned by ICT.

A wide range of methods and techniques is employed, spanning measurement, modelling, statistics, artificial intelligence and computational science more widely. In terms of measurement, good quality data are needed for effective decision making, whether at the clinical or policy level; a need that is still far from being met.

Modelling is a tool that is widely used in the research programme of the Centre. Appropriate modalities of modelling can at the clinical level enhance understanding in changes in circulatory flow in the patient undergoing cardiac surgery. At the policy level modelling can help to inform public health need.

A range of methods from computational science help to support more informative interpretation of patient data and help in the processes of acquiring and managing medical knowledge, particularly that which is increasingly available from the web.

The Centre acts as a focus for health informatics research across the University. So co-operation with other Schools and Departments, whether clinically, allied health or technologically focused, is important. This helps to ensure that all the relevant resources of the University are used effectively in taking forward research in the increasingly important domain of health informatics.

In summary, the research undertaken within the Centre focuses on advancing the discipline of health informatics, applying information and communication science and technology to the acquisition, processing, interpreting, storage, transmission and retrieval of health-related and health care data, and using the derived information and knowledge in health care delivery, education, management and research.