Evaluation Methods In Biomedical Informatics

Heavily updated and revised from the successful first edition Appeals to a wide range of informatics professionals, from students to on-site medical information system administrators Includes case studies and real world system evaluations References and self-tests for feedback and motivation after each chapter Great for teaching purposes, the book is recommended for courses offered at universities such as Columbia University Precise definition and use of terms

Heavily updated and revised from the successful first edition Appeals to a wide range of informatics professionals, from students to on-site medical information system administrators Includes case studies and real world system evaluations References and self-tests for feedback and motivation after each chapter Great for teaching purposes, the book is recommended for courses offered at universities such as Columbia University Precise definition and use of terms

As director of a training program in medical informatics, I have found that one of the most frequent inquiries from graduate students is, "Although I am happy with my research focus and the work I have done, how can I design and carry out a practical evaluation that proves the value of my contribution?" Informatics is a multifaceted, interdisciplinary field with research that ranges from theoretical developments to projects that are highly applied and intended for near-term use in clinical settings. The implications of "proving" a research claim accordingly vary greatly depending on the details of an individual student's goals and thesis state ment. Furthermore, the dissertation work leading up to an evaluation plan is often so time-consuming and arduous that attempting the "perfect" evaluation is fre quently seen as impractical or as diverting students from central programming or implementation issues that are their primary areas of interest. They often ask what compromises are possible so they can provide persuasive data in support of their claims without adding another two to three years to their graduate student life. Our students clearly needed help in dealing more effectively with such dilem mas, and it was therefore fortuitous when, in the autumn of 1991, we welcomed two superb visiting professors to our laboratories.

The Handbook of Evaluation Methods for Health Informatics provides a complete compendium of methods for evaluation of IT-based systems and solutions within healthcare. Emphasis is entirely on assessment of the IT-system within its organizational environment. The author provides a coherent and complete assessment of methods addressing interactions with and effects of technology at the organizational, psychological, and social levels. It offers an explanation of the terminology and theoretical foundations underlying the methodological analysis presented here. The author carefully guides the reader through the process of identifying relevant methods corresponding to specific information needs and conditions for carrying out the evaluation study. The Handbook takes a critical view by focusing on assumptions for application, tacit built-in perspectives of the methods as well as their perils and pitfalls. Collects a number of evaluation methods of medical informatics Addresses metrics and measures Includes an extensive list of anotated references, case studies, and a list of useful Web sites

10.2 The Role and Contents of the URD in an Assessment Perspective -- 10.3 The Enterprise Model -- 10.4 The Normative Model -- 10.5 Assessment of the User Requirements Document -- 10.6 Discussion -- 11 Dynamic Aspects of the Assessment Methodology -- 11.1 Dynamic Aspects of IT-Development and Application -- 11.2 Adaptation of Frames of Reference for Assessment Activities -- 11.3 Feed-forward Loops -- 11.4 Support of Context Dependent Assessment -- 11.5 Conclusion -- 12 The Dynamic Assessment Methodology -- 12.1 Philosophy -- 12.2 Application Area -- 12.3 Operationalisation of the Methodology -- 12.4 Applicable Methods -- 12.5 Summary -- 13 Discussion -- 13.1 Discussion of Fulfilment of Objective for the 4th Goal -- 13.2 Conclusion of the Study -- References -- Appendix 1: Vocabulary -- Appendix 2: Abbreviations & Acronyms -- Appendix 3: KAVAS's & ISAR's Evaluation Methodology -- Appendix 4: Methodology for Assessment of Functionality -- Appendix 5: Experimental Observations: Functionality Assessment -- Appendix 6: Experimental Observations: LFA -- Appendix 7: Causal Analysis of Experimental Observations -- Appendix 8: Method for Elicitation of a Strategy -- Appendix 9: Selected References regarding Assessment Methods

Beginning with a survey of fundamental concepts associated with data integration, knowledge representation, and hypothesis generation from heterogeneous data sets, Methods in Biomedical Informatics provides a practical survey of methodologies used in biological, clinical, and public health contexts. These concepts provide the foundation for more advanced topics like information retrieval, natural language processing, Bayesian modeling, and learning classifier systems. The survey of topics then concludes with an exposition of essential methods associated with engineering, personalized medicine, and linking of genomic and clinical data. Within an overall context of the scientific method, Methods in Biomedical Informatics provides a practical coverage of topics that is specifically designed for: (1) domain experts seeking an understanding of biomedical informatics approaches for addressing specific methodological needs; or (2) biomedical informaticians seeking an approachable overview of methodologies that can be used in scenarios germane to biomedical research. Contributors represent leading biomedical informatics experts: individuals who have demonstrated effective use of biomedical informatics methodologies in the real-world, high-quality biomedical applications Material is presented as a balance between foundational coverage of core topics in biomedical informatics with practical "in-the-trenches" scenarios. Contains appendices that function as primers on: (1) Unix; (2) Ruby; (3) Databases; and (4) Web Services.

This book focuses on the role of computers in the provision of medical services. It provides both a conceptual framework and a practical approach for the implementation and management of IT used to improve the delivery of health care. Inspired by a Stanford University training program, it fills the need for a high quality text in computers and medicine. It meets the growing demand by practitioners, researchers, and students for a comprehensive introduction to key topics in the field. Completely revised and expanded, this work includes several new chapters filled with brand new material.