• 096258 - MEDICAL INFORMATICS [2]

Goals

The goal of the course is to enable students to acquire expertise in the engineering methodologies and processes required for management of medical and clinical data for clinical, research, design and development purposes. The basic processes of health care data management are described in order to make the student able to work in clinical environment, inside the health care system, and in companies developing medical devices and services.

In the course Medical Informatics [2], the basic processes of health-care environment and the process modelling methodology are described for both the clinical and the bio-medical research settings. 

Expected learning outcomes

Lectures and exercise sessions will allow students to:

• Analyze and understand the goals, assumptions and requirements associated to a data-base system for health applications
• Model formally the data-base, define its architecture and design using proper tools
• Model heath care processes through proper tools
• Be familiar with the main standards for medical data
• Be familiar with the main health-care applications related to Medical Informatics

The project laboratory will allow students to:

• Use the basic tools for data base design and management
• Define requirement specifications for a given application
• Write design specification documents
• Develop the applications

Principles of Medical Informatics Definition of the theoretical basic concepts of Medical Informatics: the model, the information, the systems and the information systems.

The definition of “process” Definition of the general concept “process” and in particular the basic processes of the healthcare environment. An overview to the clinical and organizational processes to support the clinical pathway of the patient. Scenarios of health organization and the needs of information and communication. International Guidelines and Clinical pathways.

Process modeling The importance of process modeling to monitor, control and continuously improve e-health processes. The object oriented modeling is presented together with its basic elements and concepts. A comprehensive methodology to model e-health processes by means of domain analysis, conceptual and logical modeling.

The modeling language Unified Modeling Language (UML) The UML is introduced with its diagrams and their use. The UML use is presented in the modeling of a system software architecture and in the visualization, specification and implementation of healthcare processes.

Modeling of simple and complex healthcare processes in UML Simple modeling examples are presented such as the Italian CUP process used to book medical examinations, the process of reception in the emergency department (triage).
The process of the rehabilitation of stroke patients is chosen as a complex process to be modelled. The modeling includes the identification of the different process phases; the taxonomy of the actors involved and definition of their roles and responsibilities; the modeling of each model phase; the modeling of process exceptions.

Evidence based Health Informatics Introduction to evidence-based medicine and clinical protocols; the decision making process supported by information systems; randomized controlled clinical trials and meta-analysis as facilitators towards the progress in the field. Health Technology Assessment.

Pre-requisites

The contents of the course Informatica e Elememnti di Informatica Medica (or equivalent) are pre-requisites for the course

Assessment

A  written exam and project presentation