Open AccessThe Case for the Anesthesiologist-Informaticist
Author(s) -
Robert Lee,
James Hitt,
Geoffrey Grant Hobika,
Nader D. Nader
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
jmir perioperative medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2561-9128
DOI - 10.2196/32738
Subject(s) - health informatics , subspecialty , informatics , perioperative , medicine , health care , health information technology , anesthesiology , health administration informatics , information technology , information management , information system , clinical decision support system , specialty , health informatics tools , nursing , knowledge management , decision support system , computer science , anesthesia , engineering , family medicine , data mining , economic growth , electrical engineering , economics , operating system , public health
Health care has been transformed by computerization, and the use of electronic health record systems has become widespread. Anesthesia information management systems are commonly used in the operating room to maintain records of anesthetic care delivery. The perioperative environment and the practice of anesthesia generate a large volume of data that may be reused to support clinical decision-making, research, and process improvement. Anesthesiologists trained in clinical informatics, referred to as informaticists or informaticians, may help implement and optimize anesthesia information management systems. They may also participate in clinical research, management of information systems, and quality improvement in the operating room or throughout a health care system. Here, we describe the specialty of clinical informatics, how anesthesiologists may obtain training in clinical informatics, and the considerations particular to the subspecialty of anesthesia informatics. Management of perioperative information systems, implementation of computerized clinical decision support systems in the perioperative environment, the role of virtual visits and remote monitoring, perioperative informatics research, perioperative process improvement, leadership, and change management are described from the perspective of the anesthesiologist-informaticist.