Health Care Informatics: A Skills-Based Resource.
With the advent of the Health Information Technology initiative by the US Department of Health and Human Services, there will be a greater need for health care practitioners to understand and integrate computer technology into everyday practice. Health Care Informatics: A Skills-Based Resource is an excellent resource to help in addressing this need. The book is a melange of information on computer technology-related issues, divided into 16 chapters, brought together into one cohesive reading. The subjects range from “Computer and Network Basics” to “Information Systems in Health Care,” from the “Internet to Telehealth,” and from “Evaluating the Literature” to “e-Commerce.” However, if there is one theme tying this array of topics together, it is best expressed in the section of chapter 16: “Match Problems with Solutions,” where it is stated: “Technology can potentially enhance any work process or replace work done by humans and perform it more efficiently and effectively.”(p377) Health care informatics should be viewed as an integral part of health care delivery and essential to understanding the future of health care. 
 
Many books exist on health information management, technology in health care, and computer applications in health care. Although written for a broad healthcare audience, this book addresses issues relevant for practicing pharmacists in a variety of professional settings. Some parts are for the computer aficionado, such as chapter 2, which provides overview of computer and network workings, and chapter 5, which describes the workings of the Internet. Other parts, such as chapter 15, have little to do with computer technology per se, but focus on relevant topics such as privacy and security issues and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), as they relate to technology. 
 
Areas of informatics such as cognitive processes, computer interface design and interaction, and bioinformatics are not covered; nor are the theoretical underpinnings of the discipline. Research discussion is kept to a minimum, but the reader is provided with numerous bibliographic references for further reading. Readers would benefit from illustrations of practical applications of technology relevant to the health care professions. For instance, in chapter 7, “Point of Care Technology,” the authors explore types of technological innovations that have the potential to greatly improve patient care. Practitioners need to rethink current processes in existing health care environments as “patients and providers benefit from powerful information systems and appliances in ways not imagined decades ago” (p. 166.) In another example in chapter 4, “Information Systems in Health Care,” the authors' propose that the recently developed innovations in information technology can provide a useful model for understanding the causes of delays in treatment and other hindrances to positive patient outcomes. The authors call their information systems approach to patient care delivery the model of information integration, which views information transfer as mainly dependent on devices and processes, which then must be implemented and used by health care professionals to be effective. A valuable component of the book is an “Activity” section within each chapter that allows the reader to take on a hands-on activity to reinforce facts and concepts. Practitioners from all settings could apply many of these activities to their work environments. 
 
The book should appeal to several different professional audiences. Health care administrators, particularly pharmacy directors or managers, would benefit from the suggestions made for technology implementation and to determine appropriate strategies. For practitioners, it can be a valuable reference for integration of technology into everyday practice. Faculty members could use this book in didactic courses involving health care informatics and therapeutics, as well as active-learning courses. 
 
As with any book dealing with technology, the continued development of new innovations will no doubt make some of the content outdated over time. However at this time, this book can be a valuable resource for health care professionals who participate in service, research, or education endeavors involving the identification, evaluation, and implementation of technology in health care systems. Overall, Health Care Informatics: A Skills-Based Resource is a worthy addition to any healthcare practitioner's library.