LibGuides: NUR 320: Introduction to Healthcare Informatics: Web Resources

Web Resources

The following free online resources are relevant to students studying Healthcare Informatics.

Human Genomics Resources

ELSI @ UNC (Opens in New Tab) Collection of resources from the Center for Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications of Biotechnology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.
Ethical, Legal and Social Implications Research Program - NHGRI (Opens in New Tab) The ELSI Research Program fosters basic and applied research on the ethical, legal and social implications of genetic and genomic research for individuals, families and communities.
Ethical Issues in Human Genetics & Genomics (Opens in New Tab) This fact sheet talks about some of the ethical issues to think about when we have a DNA test.
Genetics - MedlinePlus (Opens in New Tab) Find consumer-friendly information about the effects of genetic variation on human health.
National Human Genome Research Institute (Opens in New Tab) Established in 1989, NHGRI collaborates with the scientific and medical communities to catalyze genomic breakthroughs and supports the robust study and treatment of specific diseases with our colleagues at NIH. In this uniquely collaborative organization, everyone is focused on contributing to high-impact research and helping to apply new discoveries to the study of human health.

Nursing Organizations

American Nurses Association (Opens in New Tab) “The Nursing Insider… tracks news items that will be of general interest, including those that deal with the changing landscape of health care policy and service-provisioning across the United States.” In addition to the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, “the Publications section contains a number of free publications, including several that address the possibility of pursuing a career in nursing and some general fact sheets about the organization.” (ISP)
International Council of Nurses (Opens in New Tab) The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is a federation of over 130 national nurses associations (NNAs), representing the over 28 million nurses worldwide. Founded in 1899, ICN is the world’s first and widest reaching international organisation for health professionals.
Joint Commission (Opens in New Tab) The mission of The Joint Commission is to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value.

Health Informatics Organizations

The following organizations are specifically devoted to healthcare information and informatics. Visit these sites to learn more about current initiatives, as well as to access information of value to researchers and practitioners in the healthcare fields.

Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality - AHRQ (Opens in New Tab) AHRQ's National Guideline Clearinghouse is a public resource for summaries of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines.
American Health Information Management Association - AHIMA (Opens in New Tab) At the American Health Information Management Association, we’re all about supporting the people who keep health information human. We work at the heart of healthcare, technology, and business to make sure patient stories are accurately told, protected, and always accessible.
American Medical Informatics Association - AMIA (Opens in New Tab) AMIA ® (American Medical Informatics Association ®) is a community committed to the vision of a world where informatics transforms people’s care. Over the last 35 years, the use of informatics has grown exponentially to improve health and to make better healthcare decisions. Today, informatics is the key to accelerating the current goals of healthcare reform.
American Nursing Informatics Association - ANIA (Opens in New Tab) The American Nursing Informatics Association (ANIA) is the association of professional nurses and associates who are guided by integrity and committed to delivering high quality, and cost-effective health care.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Opens in New Tab) The "lead federal agency for protecting the health and safety of people," an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. Information includes a directory of the CDC's component centers, institutes, and offices; training programs; publications and statistics; conferences and health campaigns; and sections on many health topics. (LII)
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (Opens in New Tab) CMS is the federal agency that provides health coverage to more than 160 million through Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, and the Health Insurance Marketplace. CMS works in partnership with the entire health care community to improve quality, equity and outcomes in the health care system.
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society - HIMSS (Opens in New Tab) At HIMSS, we’re committed to reforming the global health ecosystem through the power of information and technology. By connecting people across the health ecosystem, we create a community where collaboration and innovation thrive. Our commitment to advancing health for everyone drives us.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (Opens in New Tab) The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was founded in 1901 and is now part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. NIST is one of the nation's oldest physical science laboratories. Congress established the agency to remove a major challenge to U.S. industrial competitiveness at the time — a second-rate measurement infrastructure that lagged behind the capabilities of the United Kingdom, Germany and other economic rivals.
National Institutes of Health (Opens in New Tab) General health information, publications, news, and events; grants and funding opportunities; health resources; and an annotated directory of the more than twenty-five individual medical and research organizations that make up the US National Institutes of Health. (LII)
Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information - ONC (Opens in New Tab) The Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (hereafter ASTP) is at the forefront of the administration’s health IT efforts and is a resource to the entire health system to support the adoption of health information technology and the promotion of nationwide, standards-based health information exchange to improve health care. ASTP is organizationally located within the Office of the Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (Opens in New Tab) The mission of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is to enhance the health and well-being of all Americans, by providing for effective health and human services and by fostering sound, sustained advances in the sciences underlying medicine, public health, and social services.

Patient Safety Resources

Center for Patient Safety (Opens in New Tab) The Center for Patient Safety (CPS), established in 2005, is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to its mission of reducing preventable harm.
Institute for Healthcare Improvement - Patient Safety (Opens in New Tab) IHI aims to advance a total systems approach to safety, grounded in evidence and the science and methods of improvement, to ensure that every person receives safe, reliable, effective, and equitable care.
Quality and Safety Education for Nurses - QSEN (Opens in New Tab) The QSEN Institute is a collaborative of healthcare professionals focused on education, practice, and scholarship to improve the quality and safety of healthcare systems.
VHA National Center for Patient Safety (Opens in New Tab) The National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS) promotes best practices for safe patient care and optimal patient care utilization throughout the organization. Accordingly, NCPS guides the VHA and external stakeholders on policies and strategies to do the following: