Introduction to special issue

摘要

Advances in biomedical science and technology are rapidly increasing the breadth and depth of data, information and knowledge about systemic problems in the world's health care systems, including acute and chronic disease, disability, access to care and cost of care. In addition, information systems that support health-care related decision making and business processes are being widely demanded and used by diverse individuals and organizations, including consumers, patients, physicians, insurance firms, pharmaceutical companies, and hospitals. As a consequence of these changes, it is fundamentally important to develop and analyze innovative techniques that structure, organize and disseminate information in ways that improve health-care related decisions. As these innovations are developed and implemented, they may both solve and introduce new theoretical and applied problems related to information security, technology adoption, information search, and operational efficiency and quality.