Pub Health Informatics: What is it?

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Public health informatics is a branch of bioinformatics that applies technology to public health problems. It is often practiced at the government level by various government agencies dealing with public health issues, from public health departments that offer services to the public to government facilities where emerging diseases are studied. Public health informatics is also a tool used by private organizations. Several universities offer training in this branch of bioinformatics, usually as part of a public health school.

Bioinformatics, also known as biomedical informatics or health informatics, is a blend of computer science and biomedical sciences. It involves using technology to collect data related to health topics, ranging from surgery success rates to clinical trial results, storing that data, and performing data analysis. Computing includes topics such as statistics, used for data analysis, as well as branches of computer science concerned with the security and longevity of stored data, and has made medical practice and research much easier.

In public health informatics, people use computer systems as a tool to assist in the practice of public health. Data systems are used to monitor and track communities, with analytics providing tools to spot patterns, identify success rates of various public health interventions, and look for early signs of emerging public health problems. Using computer systems is much easier than poring over handwritten documents, providing opportunities for early intervention.

In one example of how public health informatics might be used, a public health agency might monitor sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates in a community. The data could be used to compare and contrast rates across different age and ethnic groups and to look for emerging patterns such as an increased incidence of a particular STI or a growing number of antibiotic resistant infections. The data could also be used to see how infection rates respond to public awareness efforts such as educational programs, free testing for members of the public, or providing barriers that can be used during sexual contact to reduce the risk of infection.

Public health professionals rely heavily on public health informatics to do their jobs. The ability to analyze and organize data on computers is very valuable and can shorten the time it takes to draw important conclusions or discoveries. Public health informatics can also inform public health policy, with public health professionals using information processed with public health informatics to support policy recommendations.

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