Medical Informatics and Information Science

Biometrics represents the science dealing with measurement and statistical analysis of people's physical and behavioural characteristics. It offers various methods and algorithms that are integrated into the biometric technologies and systems in order to identify or verify individuals that are under surveillance and/or to manage access control.

The database tools allow collecting, storage, handling and evaluation of different types of information. Using a database one can store data about persons, goods, services etc. In contrast to spreadsheet programs the databases usually uses several separate and interconnected tables to minimize duplicate records. The data can be easily accessed, managed and updated; regardless the database content is bibliographic, text, numeric or even graphical.

Medical informatics represents a science where the data, information and knowledge from the area of medicine and health care are systematically processed. Therefore, informatics itself is an essential part of medicine affecting health care system as well as education of its employees. Presentations here are intended to be used as introduction to the study of this area.

This study material is intended to provide a summary of basic statistical measures, methods and tests used to describe and to evaluate various sets of medical data. The theory offered here should help students of General Medicine, who selected an elective course Biostatistics, to learn terms and concepts they will work with during practical lessons. Presentations create only the foundation necessary for understanding the role of statistics in clinical scientific research and recommended resources should be also used to study particular topics in more details.

This work was supported by the national grant KEGA 011UPJŠ-4/2019 "Increasing of competences and critical thinking level in students of medical study programs using simulation tools of Problem-Based Learning and Evidence-Based Medicine".

Evidence Based Medicine is an elective course for General and Dental medicine students and its purpose is to provide them information how to systematically search a wide range of international medical journals applying strict criteria for the validity of research. The students will understand how the experts critically appraise the validity of the most clinically relevant articles and how their summaries can be utilized in clinical practice.

This work was supported by the national grant KEGA 011UPJŠ-4/2019 "Increasing of competences and critical thinking level in students of medical study programs using simulation tools of Problem-Based Learning and Evidence-Based Medicine".

Hospital information systems are designed with the aim to manage various clinical and patient health care related activities in more efficient way. In contrast to the paper based forms the administration tasks are realized in fully electronic way. This provides easy and fast access to the patient data, patient’s history of illness and treatment, allows monitoring of drug distribution, improves communication between physicians, reduces duplication of information entries, better financial management etc. Hospital Information systems also help in decision making procedures oriented on selection of proper treatment as well as on creation of health care policy.

Biostatistics represents a collection of methods for planning biological experiments, obtaining various medical data, and then organizing, summarizing, presenting, analyzing, interpreting, and drawing conclusions. Our primary goal is to provide the students the basic information needed to be able to interpret the types of studies, as well as to perform basic analyses.

This work was supported by the national grant KEGA 011UPJŠ-4/2019 "Increasing of competences and critical thinking level in students of medical study programs using simulation tools of Problem-Based Learning and Evidence-Based Medicine".

It becomes increasingly important for medical professionals to have an understanding of informatics and its background. The information systems and information technologies are widely used in today’s health care systems, and therefore it is necessary to support education in this area for both medical students and for physicians who graduated before informatics was applied in the field of medicine. The aims of Informatics should be oriented on improving knowledge about computers’ terms, methods and tools. The student should acquire the knowledge that allows them to reach the appropriate computer skills. These have to be sufficient to use Informatics elements in processing of given tasks and/or scientific works in an effective way.