Summary
Objective: To summarize the recent literature and research and present a selection of the best
papers published in 2017 in the field of Health Information Management (HIM) and Health
Informatics.
Methods: A systematic review of the literature was performed by the two HIM section editors
of the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) Yearbook with the help
of a medical librarian. We searched bibliographic databases for HIM-related papers
using both MeSH descriptors and keywords in titles and abstracts. A shortlist of 15
candidate best papers was first selected by section editors before being peer-reviewed
by independent external reviewers.
Results: Health Information Exchange was a major theme within candidate best papers. The four
papers ultimately selected as ‘Best Papers’ represent themes that include health information
exchange, governance and policy issues, results of health information exchange, and
methods of integrating information from multiple sources. Other articles within the
candidate best papers include these themes as well as those focusing on authentication
and de-identification and usability of information systems.
Conclusions: The papers discussed in the HIM section of IMIA Yearbook reflect the overall theme
of the 2018 edition of the Yearbook, i.e., the tension between privacy and access
to information. While most of the papers focused on health information exchange, which
reflects the “access” side of the equation, most of the others addressed privacy issues.
This synopsis discusses these key issues at the intersection of HIM and informatics.
Keywords
Health information management - health information exchange - personal health records
- data privacy, patient - data security - electronic health records
