Clinical Informatics encompasses all applications of information technology to clinical practice. Many changes demand effective use of information technology in health care. An ever expanding array of diagnostic tests and therapeutic options creates large quantities of clinical data that must be managed and a need for clinical guidelines to ensure that new technology is used appropriately and cost-effectively. Care is increasingly fragmented among different providers and locations, creating a need to transmit data from where it is collected to where it is needed. Recently, information technology has been recognized as a major part of the solution to reducing medical errors and improving the quality of care.

The field of clinical informatics includes a wide range of activities including

• Electronic order entry systems to prevent prescribing errors Imaging technology
• Clinical decision support including computer assisted diagnosis, automated error detection and presentation of clinical guidelines
• Telemedicine and communications including electronic communication between patients and providers
• Simulations and virtual reality for training Modeling of diseases and decisions Clinical genomics which holds the promise of identifying genetic differences in patients that would permit more precisely tailoring therapy to individuals
• Clinical applications of robotics including pharmacy operations, robotic surgical tools and smart prosthetic devices.