Introduction
Health informatics is a field that has been growing significantly in recent years. It encompasses the collection, analysis, and management of health information. Health informatics has the potential to improve the quality of care and promote health equity. Health equity has been defined as the absence of avoidable, unfair, or systematic differences in health among groups of people, according to the World Health Organization. It is largely the result of social, economic, and environmental factors that lead to health disparities. Lack of access to healthcare, poverty, and racism are some examples of these disparities.
In fact, health informatics has the potential to reduce disparities in health care by providing access to information that can help individuals make informed decisions about their health. In the United States, health disparities exist in various communities, precipitated by various factors such as income, geography, and language contribute to these disparities. Consequently, numerous health informatics interventions have been implemented to address these disparities and promote health equity. However, the effect of these interventions is still not fully understood. Notwithstanding, the existing literature suggests that the application of health informatics can help to promote health equity. However, this is an area that has received limited attention in the field of public health informatics. This paper aims to examine the effect of EHRs on health equity in healthcare organizations.
Research Questions
- How will equitable access to information through health informatics promote health equity?
- How will improving the quality of health information via health informatics promote health equity?
- How will health informatics systems supporting population health management promote health equity?
Discussion
Promoting Health Equity Via Equitable Access to Information
Health informatics is a field of study that encompasses the ethical, legal, and social implications of information and communication technologies in health care. It is also concerned with applying these technologies to promote health and health equity. Health informatics has the potential to contribute to health equity by providing equitable access to information. Researchers have established that equitable access to information is essential for promoting health equity (Brewer et al., 2020). As demonstrated by the World Health Organization, when individuals have the ability to access accurate and timely health information, they are better able to make informed decisions about their health and well-being. In fact, when people have access to the right information, they are more likely to seek out health care and take preventive measures.
This is because they understand their health situation better and can act on the information to improve their health. This means that, through health informatics, we can provide equitable access to information and promote health equity. This significance was also illustrated by the World Health Assembly’s Declaration of Beirut in 2005, “Access to basic health information, including health information technology, is a fundamental human right, essential for the full realization of the health of all people.” The declaration affirmed that health equity requires all people to access essential health information, regardless of social, economic, or other barriers (Veinot et al., 2019). Health informatics has the potential to play a significant role in achieving equitable health care for all people. Access to health information is a critical first step toward ensuring all individuals have access to quality health services.
Elsewhere, Nundy et al. (2022) conducted a study in the United Kingdom, which found that less than half of the population had easy access to health information, and those who do not have equitable access to health information are at a disadvantage when trying to make informed decisions about their health. This is because they are more likely to lack knowledge about the risks and benefits of different health interventions and to be misinformed about their health. Additionally, those who do not have equitable access to health information are more likely to rely on traditional forms of medicine, such as herbalism and traditional healing, rather than seek medical assistance when they are ill (Fujioka et al., 2020). The fact is that health informatics has the potential to play an essential role in the promotion of health equity.
Notably, in a study published in the Journal of Health Information Management, health informatics can play a significant role in ensuring that all members of society have access to the necessary information to make informed health decisions. In this study, researchers compared the healthcare outcomes of patients who received health information electronically and those who did not (Brown et al., 2022). They found that patients who received health information electronically had significantly better outcomes than those who did not. While the benefits of health information technology are clear, ensuring equitable access to this technology is essential if we want to achieve true health equity.
Notwithstanding, the World Health Organization (WHO)’s 2006 report, Health Information for All: A Global Perspective, found that “information and communication technologies (ICTs) can play a critical role in promoting equity in health and health care” (Valdez et al., 2021), providing equitable access to information is crucial for improving health outcomes for all individuals, regardless of socio-economic status. In other words, health informatics can help to close the health disparities gap. However, as is often the case in health care, individuals who are least able to afford expensive technology or do not have easy access to computers or the internet are at a greater disadvantage (Khairat et al., 2019). Health informatics can help to address this by making information more available and, as a result promoting health equity.
Promoting Health Equity by Promoting the Quality of Health Information
Ensuring all people have access to quality health information is important for their health and health equity. Quality health information is essential for making informed decisions about their health and their families, and it can help prevent and reduce health disparities (Daniel et al., 2018). Improving the quality of health information can be done through a variety of means, but some of the most effective ways to achieve this goal are through the promotion of Healthy People 2020, the development of interoperable health information technologies, and the enhancement of public health education (Antonio et al., 2019). Health information is essential to promoting healthy lives. It helps patients, providers, and researchers make better decisions, and it can help identify and prevent illness. Improving the quality of health information will benefit everyone, and it is one way to promote health equity.
Furthermore, enhancing the quality of health information can promote health equity by allowing for more accurate, timely, and accessible information for everyone (Sensmeier, 2020). This can help to identify and prevent health disparities, promote early diagnosis and treatment, and improve the quality of care for patients. Additionally, by using health information technology (IT) tools and best practices, health information organizations (HIOs) can improve the quality, timeliness, and accuracy of health information for their communities. However, many HIOs lack the resources to implement best practices and improve the quality of their health information.
Health informatics promote quality health information, ultimately promoting health equity. Various researchers have demonstrated this relationship. For instance, a study completed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) found that poor communication and coordination among providers were a leading cause of preventable adverse events (Guan et al., 2021). Furthermore, the IOM found that a lack of timely and accurate information can lead to delays in diagnosis and treatment and can result in care errors. In another study, it was found that when patients received information that was tailored to their needs, they were more likely to make informed decisions about their care and were more likely to adhere to their treatment plan. These studies demonstrate that when quality health information is available, it can promote health equity by providing patients with the tools they need to make informed decisions about their care. Also, in a study of the effects of an HIV/AIDS education intervention on equity in access to care, it was found that the intervention improved the quality of information about HIV/AIDS and increased the use of condoms (Nundy et al., 2022). In another study, which looked at the effect of a community-based participatory research project on health equity, it was found that the project improved access to care and the quality of care for participants (Wang et al., 2019). These studies suggest that improving the quality of health information can have a positive effect on health equity.
Also, Wang et al. (2019) found that cancer patients who used the Internet for health information had better health outcomes than those who did not. Furthermore, the research found that patients who used the Internet for health information were more likely to take an active role in their health care. These studies suggest that when patients have access to quality health information, they are more likely to make better decisions about their health, which can lead to improved health outcomes. In addition, when patients are more engaged in their health care, they are more likely to comply with treatment plans and experience better health outcomes. Besides, Wintermark et al. (2019) established that health information technology could help improve the quality of care and reduce disparities. The research showed that when HIOs adopted and implemented best practices, they saw an improvement in the quality of care.
In a study of the effects of the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on health equity, it was found that using ICTs can help reduce health disparities. The study found that ICTs can help to improve access to information and services and can also help to empower individuals and communities. In another investigation, it was found that using health information technologies can help improve the quality of care and reduce healthcare costs (Betancourt et al., 2019). The study showed that the use of health IT could help to improve communication between providers and patients and can also help to improve the coordination of care.
Promoting Health Equity Via Health Informatics System Supporting Population Health Management
Population health management (PHM) has been widely recognized as an important strategy for promoting health equity. While health informatics systems play a central role in achieving PHM, little is known about how such systems might promote health equity. However, several research studies have shown the tremendous benefits that health informatics system support population health management to advance health equity (Nundy et al., 2022). For example, a study by the World Health Organization showed that the use of electronic health records (EHRs) in general hospitals could lead to lower mortality rates for patients with conditions such as asthma, heart disease, and diabetes, while another study found that patients who had electronic health records accessed more health care services and had better outcomes (Daniel et al., 2018). These studies provide evidence that health informatics systems can play an important role in promoting health equity.
Nevertheless, much more research needs to be done in this area to fully understand how health informatics systems support population health management and how they can be used to promote health equity. Elsewhere, a study conducted in Australia found that using a population-based electronic health record (EHR) resulted in significant reductions in disparities in care for patients with chronic diseases (Guan et al., 2021). However, more research is needed to determine how health informatics systems supporting population health management can be tailored to support specific populations and geographic regions.
Additionally, Brewer et al. (2020) in Massachusetts demonstrated that adopting a population health management system significantly improved health equity across race and socio-economic groups. These studies suggest that while health informatics systems supporting population health management may benefit certain populations, more research must be done to determine the best way to tailor these systems to support specific groups of people. In the United States, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been a driver of initiatives to promote health equity (Veinot et al., 2019). The ACA’s focus on prevention and population health management has led to the development of healthcare delivery and payment models that incentivize the use of health information technology (HIT). These changes in healthcare delivery increase access to care, provide more opportunities for disease prevention and promote health equity. However, to date, there has been little evaluation of how these changes in healthcare delivery will impact health equity.
Conclusion
Finally, from the above information, health informatics systems can play an important role in promoting health equity; however, more research is needed to determine how these systems can be tailored to support specific groups of people. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has also been a driver of initiatives to promote health equity. The ACA’s focus on prevention and population health management has led to the development of healthcare delivery and payment models that incentivize the use of health information technology (HIT) (Veinot et al., 2019). These changes in healthcare delivery increase access to care, provide more opportunities for disease prevention and promote health equity.
In the future, with the aid of artificial intelligence, health informatics systems will play a critical role in advancing health equity by using the immense data it has collected over time. Therefore, machine learning and health informatics systems will play an essential role in promoting health equity in the future. In fact, artificial intelligence has the potential to identify social determinants of health that contribute to health disparities (Rajkomar et al., 2018). For example, suppose a health system wanted to reduce healthcare disparities for patients with chronic diseases. In that case, AI could analyze data from EHRs to identify factors contributing to poor outcomes for these patients. AI could then be used to develop interventions that address these factors. In this way, AI has the potential to improve health equity by identifying and addressing social determinants of health that contribute to health disparities.
Notably, machine learning is a subset of artificial intelligence that deals with constructing and studying algorithms that can learn from and make predictions on data. Machine learning is mainly used in the field of predictive analytics. However, it can be used to make decisions in various areas, such as medicine, finance, and manufacturing. Machine learning is mainly used to automate decision-making processes (Ibrahim et al., 2021). Still, machine learning has the potential to improve the equitable distribution of resources and opportunities by providing decision support that is tailored to the specific needs of individuals and groups.
Additionally, machine learning can help identify social and economic factors contributing to health disparities. For example, a study that used machine learning to predict individual health outcomes found that social factors, such as income and education, were strong predictors of health (Brown et al., 2022). These findings suggest that machine learning has the potential to help identify social determinants of health and to develop targeted interventions to address health disparities.
Furthermore, machine learning has been used to help researchers identify patterns in data that can be used to improve the accuracy of predictions. For example, a study conducted in 2016 used machine learning to predict which patients were at risk of developing diabetes (Rajkomar et al., 2018). The study found that the machine learning algorithm could accurately predict which patients were at risk of developing diabetes. This suggests that machine learning can be used to identify patterns in data that can be used to improve the accuracy of predictions.
Lessons Learned
Lastly, from this research, I learned that machine learning could help us identify patterns in data that can be used to improve the accuracy of predictions. Additionally, I found that social factors, such as income and education, are strong predictors of health. Therefore, artificial intelligence, in tandem with health informatics systems, has the potential to help identify social determinants of health and to develop targeted interventions to address health disparities. Also, the research has aided me in comprehending the numerous benefits that health informatics systems have in promoting health equity.
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