Information Systems (IS) or Information Technology (IT), as it is sometimes called, are playing a critical role in all our healthcare organizations today. They are permeating our hospitals, our clinics, our homes, our pharmacies and every aspect of our lives. If implemented correctly they have the potential of making healthcare processes more efficient and maximizing patient and user experience. If implemented incorrectly, they can wreak havoc.

The topics covered in this "What are Healthcare Information Systems? " course are:

• Why Study Healthcare Information Systems? (Guest lecture by leading consultant in healthcare)

• What are Healthcare Information Systems?

• Potential Benefits

• Different Perspectives

The basic concepts behind Healthcare Information Systems are often presented in a very complex, difficult to understand style. This "PLAIN AND SIMPLE" series on Healthcare Information Systems is different. It strives to introduce the basic concepts of information technology and systems in a very simple and easy to understand format using many examples from both non healthcare and healthcare environments. This course is targeted at the entry level (Basic and Intermediate Level) learner.

The content of the series is based on the author's 35 years experience in the healthcare information systems business. This experience spans product design and launch, marketing, business development and executive management (including president). In addition it is based on 15 years teaching at the graduate level in the University environment.

This course is part of a series on healthcare.