The American Medical Informatics Association defines medical informatics as follows:

“Medical informatics has to do with all aspects of understanding and promoting the effective organization, analysis, management, and use of information in health care.”

-source: American Medical Informatics Association website

This type of informatics is also focused on the use of information to provide better feedback on the quality of patient care; it can be seen as an extension of health outcomes, in the sense that a holistic approach to record maintenance and analysis can be used to give a better sense of how the quality of life of a patient has been affected, for better or worse, by treatment options.

Informatic Medicine can allow more personalized medicine, because responses to specific treatments can be noted, histories can be more accurately recalled and collated, and a more tailored approach to medical treatment can be derived through the use of information technology. Informatic Medicine can provide a bridge to translational research, where breakthroughs that might work well for a specific person or group of people can be delivered as quickly as possible to a set of people identified by a thorough analysis of health care data.

At its best, Informatic Medicine can use technology to provide a better patient experience, provide access to data crucial for cutting edge health sciences research while maintaining patient privacy, and lighten the load on health care providers attempting to treat large numbers of patients in a tailored and individual way.

Question: I’ve read a faculty member’s work and am doing similar research. How do I get in touch with her?
Answer: Two ways – you can search for her on this life sciences website and see if she has submitted her information to be listed on the faculty research profiles. The other way is to search for her name on the UMKC homepage using the faculty and staff search mechanism, which will provide you with contact information.

Question: What kind of doctoral degrees do you offer?
Answer: You can learn about our graduate program in two ways. The School of Graduate Studies has information on its website about UMKC’s unique Interdisciplinary Ph.D. and other graduate programs as well as information you’ll need to apply. In addition, you can look at the academic unit websites to learn more about the programs in a specific school (Pharmacy or Nursing, for example. Those schools are listed on this site under the “Life Sciences Schools” tab on this life sciences website.

Question: I’m interested in what research positions are available at UMKC in my field. How do I find out what is available?
Answer: The UMKC Human Resources website is updated regularly with new employment opportunities. Please visit the website to learn more about vacancies and how to apply.