Health care informatics is an evolving field of study. There are a variety of information types we encounter as health care professionals; knowledge based resources, clinical reports, patient medical records, diagnostic and therapeutic data, communications among caregivers and patients, just to name a few. The study of informatics is an investigation of how all these diverse information elements function, combine and interact to facilitate an informed provision of health care. Although computer technology is currently the primary means of information delivery, the study of informatics is more than the mere study of technology. It is the discipline which looks at information and how it impacts of healthcare. The links included in this list should help you get started. Good luck!

 

 

HISTORY OF TECHNOLOGY IN HEALTHCARE

These sites provide information related to the history of technology in healthcare, including informatics related developments.

 

British Museum Medical Collection

http://www.britishmuseum.org/

 

Museum of Healthcare

http://www.museumofhealthcare.ca/exhibits/splash.html

 

Nobel Laureates in Medicine

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates 

 

Smithsonian Science Service 

http://scienceservice.si.edu

 

University of Iowa Medical Museum

http://www.uihealthcare.com/depts/medmuseum/index.html  

 

 

 

HISTORY OF THE INTERNET

These sites relate to historical events in the development of the Internet

 

"Birth of the Internet" from the National Science Foundation

http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/nsf-net/

 

The WEB site for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

http://www.darpa.mil

 

Internet2 WEB site

http://www.internet2.org/     

 

CAIDA, the Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis

http://www.caida.org/home/

 

The "Living Internet", a great resource providing historical Internet information

http://www.livinginternet.com/

 

The Center for Information and Study, Washington University

http://www.cis.washington.edu/

 

This link takes you to Arthur C. Clark's fascinating study of the feasibility of using satellite technology as a communications medium

http://lakdiva.org/clarke/1945ww/

 

International Technology Association

http://www.iteaconnect.org/