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Course "The A to Z's of HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules" has been pre-approved by RAPS as eligible for up to 12 credits towards a participant's RAC recertification upon full completion. Overview: This session is designed to provide intensive, two-day training in HIPAA compliance, including what's new in the regulations, what's changed recently, and what needs to be addressed for compliance by covered entities and business associates. The session provides the background and details for any manager of healthcare information privacy and security to know what are the most important privacy and security issues, what needs to be done for HIPAA compliance, and what can happen when compliance is not adequate. Audits and enforcement will be explained, as well as privacy and security breaches and how to prevent them. Numerous references and sample documents will be provided. Who Will Benefit: * Information Security Officers * Risk Managers * Compliance Officers * Privacy Officers * Health Information Managers * Information Technology Managers * Medical Office Managers * Chief Financial Officers * Systems Managers * Legal Counsel * Operations Directors Agenda: Day One Day one sets the stage with an overview of the HIPAA regulations and then continues with presentation of the specifics of the Privacy Rule, recent changes to the rules, and the basics of the Security Rule Lecture 1: Overview of HIPAA Regulations * The Origins and Purposes of HIPAA * Privacy Rule History and Objectives * Security Rule History and Objectives * Breach Notification Requirements, Benefits, and Results Lecture 2: HIPAA Privacy Rule Principles, Policies and Procedures * Patient Rights under HIPAA * Limitations on Uses and Disclosures * Required Policies and Procedures * Training and Documentation Requirements Lecture 3: Recent and Proposed Changes to the HIPAA Rules * New Penalty Structure * New HIPAA Audit Program * New Patient Rights

Overview: This webinar will cover everything that you need to know about how to handle HIPAA security incidents, breaches, and complaints and the Department of Health and Human Resources Investigations thereof. Not all security incidents are breaches, but all breaches of confidentiality are within the broad ambit of security incidents. Privacy rule violations, such as failing to give a patient a copy of his or her medical records, may also constitute a breach as the $4.2 million fine assessed against Cignet Healthcare of Prince George's County, Maryland, dramatically proved. Handling an investigation properly is key to determining not only how to handle it to mitigate any harm and to take action to prevent it from happening again but also to determine whether it is reportable to affected individuals and to DHHS. HIPAA requires a complaint procedure (policy). The webinar will suggest what such a document should contain as it also will for the required report procedure (what is reportable, who reports, to whom, and required/suggested contents of the report) and the required response procedure (what do the responsible officials do after receiving the report or the complaint). Investigating a possible security incident is key. The webinar will cover how to conduct a thorough investigation of HIPAA security incidents, breaches, and patient complaints. Finally, the second largest HIPAA civil money penalty or settlement, $4.2 million, was in large part due to the offender's failure to cooperate with the DHHS investigation. The presenter has successfully defended his clients in seven such investigations and knows how to respond to them to avoid or minimize liability. Think of a gap analysis as an examination of: What you currently have in place for HIPAA compliance. Is that adequate? Can it be done better? Is it enough? And what am I missing? Asking these questions will help establish the direction and next steps to take. It lays the ground work for a good Risk Analys

Overview: This webinar will cover everything that you need to know about how to handle HIPAA security incidents, breaches, and complaints and the Department of Health and Human Resources Investigations thereof. Not all security incidents are breaches, but all breaches of confidentiality are within the broad ambit of security incidents. Privacy rule violations, such as failing to give a patient a copy of his or her medical records, may also constitute a breach as the $4.2 million fine assessed against Cignet Healthcare of Prince George's County, Maryland, dramatically proved. Handling an investigation properly is key to determining not only how to handle it to mitigate any harm and to take action to prevent it from happening again but also to determine whether it is reportable to affected individuals and to DHHS. HIPAA requires a complaint procedure (policy). The webinar will suggest what such a document should contain as it also will for the required report procedure (what is reportable, who reports, to whom, and required/suggested contents of the report) and the required response procedure (what do the responsible officials do after receiving the report or the complaint). Investigating a possible security incident is key. The webinar will cover how to conduct a thorough investigation of HIPAA security incidents, breaches, and patient complaints. Finally, the second largest HIPAA civil money penalty or settlement, $4.2 million, was in large part due to the offender's failure to cooperate with the DHHS investigation. The presenter has successfully defended his clients in seven such investigations and knows how to respond to them to avoid or minimize liability. Think of a gap analysis as an examination of: What you currently have in place for HIPAA compliance. Is that adequate? Can it be done better? Is it enough? And what am I missing? Asking these questions will help establish the direction and next steps to take. It lays the ground work for a good Risk Analy

What is Corporate Governance? In a broad sense, corporate governance can be defined as a set of processes by which corporations are run and administered. These are a collective function of the critical, core decision makers in the organization, such as Directors, CEO, managers, investors, stakeholders, shareholders, creditors, auditors and others. Corporate Governance sets out the methods and rules for making rules that govern corporate entities. Although business is the main concern and task of an organization, Corporate Governance occupies as important a position, because while the financial aspect of a business is all about profits, the Corporate Governance aspect is primarily about its integrity, values and reputation. Corporate Governance takes into consideration all aspects of the governance of the organization from critical standpoints such as ethics, regulatory aspects, policies and mission, etc. History of the growth of Corporate Governance Although Corporate Governance has been around for a number of decades in some or another form, it came to acquire proper shape and direction of late, following the collapse of very big multinationals such as Enron, WorldCom and others. It was felt that their shady dealings, which led to huge losses for their stakeholders and eventually to the businesses collapse, could have been averted if a proper regulatory framework of Corporate Governance were in place. This is the feeling that led to the passing of the Sarbanes Oxley Act, or SOX in the early 2000's. One of the core principles enunciated in SOX related to Corporate Governance. Elements of Corporate Governance As a result of the SOX Act and other legislations in other developed countries, such as the Cadbury Report of the UK and other legislations in the OECD nations; Corporate Governance is now administered through a well-defined set of principles. As a result of these legislations, Corporate Governance is now concerned with the following: Problems areas of Co

Overview: In 2013, The US Department of Health and Human Services made major changes to rules implementing The Health Insurance and Portability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2003 (HITECH). Among the many areas impacted by these rules (billing, marketing, research, IT security, etc.) is fund raising. The amendments significantly modify the methods and practice that hospitals, their institutionally related foundations, and other healthcare charities may or must employ when using ANY patient or client information for fund raising. The webinar will cover how to effectively implement the fund raising regulations in a manner that increases both opportunities for philanthropic support and compliant implementation of the new mandates. The rules include specific operational requirements, some of which prohibit protocols that were required under the original HIPAA regulations. The "magic words" mandated by HIPPA-related regulations changed in multiple areas. The webinar will cover all of these areas to ensure your organization is both legally compliant and operationally effective. The types of information that may be used for fund raising changed significantly. This presents numerous substantial fund raising opportunities, as well as challenges on the use and storage of such information. Among other areas to be presented are The required method for individuals to opt-out of receiving fund raising communication The methods of informing patients and clients of their right to opt-out from receiving fund raising communication The broadly expanded types of fund raising communication subject to opt-out rights How providers, hospital, and related fund raising foundation apply an opt-out election by an individual The type of patient and client information that health charities may use for fund raising The contents of provider's Notice of Privacy Practice How clinicians can assist both their patients/clients and the

Overview: The idea of providing health care treatments and insurance coverage according to "medical necessity" determinations seems eminently reasonable. Its obvious ethical thrust is to discourage unnecessary, wasteful or fraudulent practices. As practically implemented, however, "medical necessity" regulations and determinations have proven remarkably controversial and elusive. First of all, the language connected with medical necessity is inherently vague. Language to the effect that a treatment is medically necessary if it is "likely to achieve a significant practical improvement," is "realistic," or "reasonable" will predictably cause disputes between payors and providers of care. Second, the persistence of these disputes calls into question whether evidence based practices have evolved to a point where they are all that reliable and useful. Third, medical necessity determinations incur problems as to who should ultimately make them: payors, health providers or the courts. Obviously, whoever controls the definition of medical necessity controls the flow of health care dollars. While ethical theory can offer important insights about our moral obligations, it remains unable to reliably translate its theoretical principles and rules bearing on harms, benefits and justice into informing medical necessity determinations. Thus, resolving disputes over medical necessity have taken a procedural approach that looks to the interpretation of contractual language in insurance policies, often at the bench of an administrative law judge. This presentation will advance a reasonable set of strategies whereby a convincing case can be made for certain care interventions qualifying as "reasonable and necessary." Why should you Attend: Despite their central importance as a locus for determining reimbursement, "medical necessity" regulations and determinations have proven remarkably controversial and vexing for at least the last 20 years. Yet, whoever controls the definition

Course "HIPAA Security & Privacy Official - Roles and Responsibilities" has been pre-approved by RAPS as eligible for up to 12 credits towards a participant's RAC recertification upon full completion. Overview: Being the HIPAA Security and Privacy Official involves not only ensuring you know the appropriate patient rights and controls on your uses and disclosures of protected health information, but you also have the proper policies and procedures in place. If audited or the subject of a compliance review you will be required to show the government you have all the necessary documentation in place for safeguarding patient Protected Health Information and indicate how you addressed all required security safeguards. This starts with the fundamentals of a HIPAA compliance program. If your HIPAA Security and Privacy Official needs to understand what all the HIPAA requirements are or make sure the current program is adequate and can withstand government scrutiny, please join us for this informative and interactive seminar. Why you should attend: The HIPAA Security and Privacy Official is the backbone of any organization's compliance program. Often times this role is assigned as collateral duty in smaller organizations. Regardless the size of an organization, the HIPAA Security and Privacy Official must know all the requirements for compliance. This is a critical element of the position. Attendees will leave the course clearly understanding the role and all the requirements as the designated as a HIPAA Security and Privacy Official. This seminar will cover reviews, creation, and amending policy and procedure. After completing this course, a HIPAA Security and Privacy Official will have a clear understanding for what needs to be place when it comes to all of the HIPAA regulations. Areas Covered in the Session: Why was HIPAA created? The Role and Responsibilities of the HIPAA Security and Privacy Official Complying with HIPAA Requirements? What are the HIPAA Security

Social media and healthcare: The advent of the social media into the healthcare industry has thrown open a hitherto unknown dynamic. It presents the industry the kind of opportunities that were hard to come by till now. Yet, it is full of challenges. It is now an inescapable fact and a given: the onslaught of the social media into the healthcare industry cannot be reversed. The wave is too strong to resist. The explosion in the use of social media has impacted the healthcare industry on a scale that is unprecedented. The universal pervasiveness of the social media Social media and healthcare have become great buddies mainly because of the sheer power of reach of the social media. What started out essentially as services that shared photos and messages has turned out to be a giant opportunity for the healthcare industry. Today, it is something that no one in the healthcare industry -or those outside it, such as the lay young population that seeks medical information - is insulated from. Now, not only patients, but also physicians and everyone of any significance in the healthcare industry use the social media to disseminate information. Social media and healthcare have become strongly paired also because they help in keeping the patient in close contact with the healthcare provider. It is no surprise that the social media have broken the barriers of age and geography in reaching out to the highest and widest range of users. Some trends about social media and healthcare: It is estimated that a fifth of the entire American population exchanged medical information over the social media in 2010 About three-fourths of all patients use the social media for some information before reaching a healthcare provider At least a thousand top US hospitals use social media for communicating with patients and providers Globally, up to half a billion people could be linking social media and healthcare by using the former Now, the challenges: Despite social media in t

Course "Supplier Management for Medical Device Manufacturers" has been pre-approved by RAPS as eligible for up to 12 credits towards a participant's RAC recertification upon full completion. Overview: Supplier selection and management is one of the critical issues for medical device manufacturers. Suppliers provide materials and services to the device manufacturer, which means that they can be critical to performance and delivery of your device. Neither the FDA nor your notified body regulates your suppliers (with a few exceptions). They expect you to have an effective process to ensure your suppliers perform in the regulatory environment. How well do you understand the requirements for supplier management? Could you pass a regulatory audit or inspection without any issues? This course delivers the tools, templates, and methods to help participants implement an effective and efficient supplier management program. This two-day hands-on course provides a clear understanding of the underlying principles of supplier management. The course uses exercises to solidify understanding. In addition, the course uses FDA Warning Letters to illustrate the points and help you learn from others. As part of the practical implementation, the course includes receiving acceptance activities, outsourced processes, process validation at the suppliers' location, supplier auditing techniques, and supplier issues in management review. The course uses the Global Harmonization Task Force (GHTF) framework, but expands it to cover other issues and techniques important in effective implementation. Why should you attend: Since FDA regulations do not allow them to audit your suppliers unless they make finished medical devices, they require that you have sufficient control over them. But from time to time the FDA makes a reinterpretation of what this means. This happened within the last f 5 years, so if you supplier management program is older than that, you need to make major changes in you supp

The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was legislated in 1996 with the primary aim of ensuring that employees who are in the process of changing or leaving their jobs do not lose their health insurance benefits. Additionally, HIPAA sought to bring down health care fraud and abuse by mandating pan-industry standards for the protection of health care information and automated billing and other related processes, and for ensuring the security of Protected Health Information (PHI). What is a HIPAA Security Audit? A HIPAA Security Audit is a program under the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Audit Program of the Office of Civil Rights (OCR). A HIPAA Security Audit is carried out to make sure that the policies, processes and controls on the part of Covered Entities comply with the provisions of the HITECH Act of 2009. Adherence to the requirements laid out by HITECH is mandatory. Given the high degree of continued use of new technologies that go into and will continue to go into electronic records of patients and the criticality of the data contained in them; the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recognizes that there could be chances of data breach of Protected Health Information. It is to prevent the occurrence of these breaches that a HIPAA Security Audit is mandated by the HITECH Act. Reporting of data breaches is mandatory The foremost highlight of the HITECH Act is the requirement that Entities covered by HIPAA report data breaches that affect 500 or more employees to the HHS. The OCR lays out an Audit Protocol, with whose policies, protocols and processes a facility has to comply if it is said to be compliant with the HIPAA Security Audit. Why is it necessary to carry out a HIPAA/HITECH Security Audit? Compliance with HIPAA Security Audit is necessary to demonstrate that a practice or business is well protected. The most important reason for which such entities need to be HIPAA/HITECH Security

Course "Key Factors to Write an Effective Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and Work Instructions (WIs)" has been pre-approved by RAPS as eligible for up to 12 credits towards a participant's RAC recertification upon full completion. Overview: Writing SOPs or procedural documents can be challenging at times. However, writing SOPs is overall a straightforward process. However, enforcing what you already created and implemented in the pipeline is another story. The term SOP is very obvious. We have seen "clearly written description of how specific tasks are to be done." Another satisfactory definition would be "detailed written instructions that achieve the uniformity of the performance of a specific function." Is the firm doing what the regulations specify? Is the firm doing what their procedures specify? If you are medical device or a pharmaceutical manufacturer, these definitions come as no surprise because when it comes to FDA regulations and guidance documents "establish" means to define, to document (in writing or electronically) and to implement. The goal and emphasis with FDA is simple. Proof of "Establish" is the foundation. Is the firm doing what the regulations specify? Is the firm doing what their procedures specify? Are the procedures being followed and enforced by company personnel? SOPs are needed in regulated industries to give step-by-step instructions for performing a particular job or task. This session will provide a step-by-step overview and a snapshot of the procedure description, the process and format. The subject matter of a SOP may range from how to operate a piece of machinery to how to log into a particular software program. SOPs ensure consistency and reliability because they require training of all affected parties. This session will address recent enforcement actions for SOP related violations but no surprise. Most of our enforcement actions are documentation related, i.e., SOP or other procedural documents. We will review examples from

Overview: Health care practitioners and other licensed professionals work in today's diverse, fast-changing, multidisciplinary environment. All licensed professions have higher rates of drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and mental health issues. Yet each individual profession has a unique, though similar, state laws which govern how state licensing agencies take action against the professional so as to protect the public. The state's authority and power over licensed professionals often presents challenges to the impaired practitioner that are not easy to navigate. All licensed professionals must adhere to standards of state law which govern their professional practices and include prohibitions for impaired practice - even impairment along that is apart from any direct professional harm. Complaints that are received and investigated by a state agency leave the licensed professional with an uncertain process to handle the state action against them. Coupled with numerous related consequences, such as loss of employment, family issues and divorce, and criminal actions, the licensed professional must handle all these challenges successfully. Learn to identify and understand varying state laws that apply to allow disciplinary action against the licensed professional, both immediately and temporarily, and those which are permanent and final. Review the most common successful elements of the rehabilitation of the licensed professional faced with the deadly consequences of addiction. Compare and contrast regulatory laws and due process requirements for state action. This allows the licensed professional to avoid career-ending sanctions and to defend successfully against legal actions which may result in ruinous practice and career consequences for the professional. This program offers an objective, thorough review of laws which apply to the impaired licensed professional. Why should you attend: Health care practitioners are faced with a higher lifetime risk of drug abuse,

Food Safety and Security are two faces of the coin : Food safety and security are two different, but closely related concepts. Although part of the same aspect, they vary in their application and meaning. Both are equally important in ensuring that populations of the world get food that is sufficient and nutritious. Food safety and security are complete without each other. Food safety complements food security, and vice versa. Food safety : Food safety is essentially about the safety of the ingredients that go into food. If food is being sourced from a farm, the food makers have to ensure that the farm has ensured safety standards in producing this food. Food safety is concerned about the amount of chemicals and fertilizers used in production of food. It is also concerned with how much residual pesticide, which could cause harm to humans when the food that is grown using it, is left in the final product, and so on. Food safety is related to and is dependent on factors such as demographics, inputs that go into the cultivation and production of food, availability of water for production of safe food, the use of energy sources in the safe production of food, climate change, etc. Now, food security : Food security, on the other hand, is about more about the food supply chain. When food arrives from the producer to the consumer, it goes through a complex chain that can many times span entire continents. Food may also be sourced and consumed locally. In either case, there is a need to ensure that the points that food travels in and reaches are secure. Ensuring quality throughout : The aim of food security is to ensure that food which travels through many chains and stages should be clean at all these stages. This means that security has to be ensured from rodents and other forms of disturbances at the agricultural fields in which food is produced, then at the granaries in which it is stored, at the routes that it travels, then at the location at which food is pr

The emerging discipline of Hospitals Management Performance Assessments Over the past few years, Hospitals Management Performance Assessments have begun to gain acceptability and credence in healthcare circles. Hospitals Management Performance Assessments came into being as a result of a conscious effort by advanced countries, mainly European, with sufficient backing from the World Health Organization (WHO) to arrive at some sort of metrics to evaluate the critical functioning levels of hospitals. The topic of Hospitals Management Performance Assessments came to acquire proper shape and structure following the heavy reference the WHO made to this discipline at the WHO European Ministerial Conference on Health Systems of June 2008. The following year, it found resonance again, when it was the theme of the World Health Day. The evaluation of Hospitals Management Performance Assessments Hospitals Management Performance Assessments started to evolve primarily to provide healthcare professionals with a tool to diagnose the quality of performance of the hospitals and other healthcare settings they work in. It was felt, over time and experience, that when strict appraisals were being made in many areas of healthcare, a set of parameters to assess the level of efficiency of hospitals would go a long way in ensuring the implementation of enhanced processes, leading to better patient outcomes. Areas of concentration for Hospitals Management Performance Assessments The core disciplines in which Hospitals Management Performance Assessments sought to bring about measurable and verifiable improvements were: The PATH approach As a result of discussions and deliberations the WHO held with many countries, primarily European, a path for charting out the course of Hospitals Management Performance Assessments was concretized in the form of what the WHO called the PATH - the Performance Assessment Tool for Quality Improvement in Hospitals. A brief understanding of PATH PATH

Rationale for Clinical Trial Regulations Clinical trials, as we all know, are carried out to test the efficacy of a new drug or device being developed for a specific condition or disease. Clinical trials are experiments that have a high degree of risk if they are not properly implemented. For this reason, it is necessary for regulatory bodies to regulate clinical trials. The core rationale for regulating the various stages of clinical trials is that human subjects, who are part of the research, have to be protected. These clinical trial regulations are legislated at all stages: local, State, national and international. Clinical trial regulations are in force in different countries of the world. Common clinical trial regulations are also made globally by the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH), which has the mandate of setting out good practices for clinical trial regulations for trials done in global cooperation. These regulations cover the administrative, procedural and ethical aspects of clinical trials. Briefly, these are the areas in which there are clinical trial regulations for each of these aspects of clinical trials: Administrative: The administrative aspects of clinical trial regulations pertain to the way the clinical trials are run, and the way they are tracked and monitored throughout their lifecycle. A clinical trial is usually monitored by a sponsoring company or a Contract Research Organization (CRO), which the former hires at times for reasons of convenience and cost cutting. Clinical trial regulations in this area is obviously of importance because if something goes wrong at any administrative stage; these can be rectified. Procedural: Procedural aspects of clinical trial regulations relate to ways by which subjects are chosen for a clinical trial. Proper care has to be taken to ensure that the subjects are appropriate for the clinical study, are from the prescribed age, geographical, demographic, racial and gender-related cl

Overview: One of the major requirements of the health care organization to be HIPAA compliant is to develop and implement a set of HIPAA privacy and security policies and procedures. This can be a daunting task for those not knowing where to start and what a set of HIPAA privacy and security policies and procedures should look like. For the cost conscious health care organization, the HIPAA policies and procedures can have multiple uses: first, they can become a basis for training the health care organization workforce; second, they can be used as a basis for conducting a HIPAA self-assessment; and third, they can be used to demonstrate due diligence should there be a breach or an externalHIPAA compliance audit. In today's world it is not necessary that the health care organization spend significant funds to develop a set of HIPAA privacy and security policies and procedures from scratch. The health care organization can likely find templates on the internet that can be used as a starting point to customize HIPAA policies and procedures to be unique for the health care organization. The preparation of a well-documented set of HIPAA policies and procedures needs to be addressed through the development of Privacy and Security policies and procedures that address each of the requirements shown in the HIPAA regulations as amended by the HITECH law and the final Omnibus Regulations. The process of developing the HIPAA privacy and security policies and procedures also provides a reference for the health care organization how to consider the security addressable and required regulation requirements. Why should you attend: There are three situations where having a set of HIPAA policies and procedures are needed: First, the policies and procedures become a good reference to ensure that all areas are addressed for becoming HIPAA compliant. Second, the HIPAA regulations REQUIRE covered entities and business associates to have a set of policies and procedures directing

Overview: One of the major requirements of the health care organization to be HIPAA compliant is to develop and implement a set of HIPAA privacy and security policies and procedures. This can be a daunting task for those not knowing where to start and what a set of HIPAA privacy and security policies and procedures should look like. For the cost conscious health care organization, the HIPAA policies and procedures can have multiple uses: first, they can become a basis for training the health care organization workforce; second, they can be used as a basis for conducting a HIPAA self-assessment; and third, they can be used to demonstrate due diligence should there be a breach or an externalHIPAA compliance audit. In today's world it is not necessary that the health care organization spend significant funds to develop a set of HIPAA privacy and security policies and procedures from scratch. The health care organization can likely find templates on the internet that can be used as a starting point to customize HIPAA policies and procedures to be unique for the health care organization. The preparation of a well-documented set of HIPAA policies and procedures needs to be addressed through the development of Privacy and Security policies and procedures that address each of the requirements shown in the HIPAA regulations as amended by the HITECH law and the final Omnibus Regulations. The process of developing the HIPAA privacy and security policies and procedures also provides a reference for the health care organization how to consider the security addressable and required regulation requirements. Why should you attend: There are three situations where having a set of HIPAA policies and procedures are needed: First, the policies and procedures become a good reference to ensure that all areas are addressed for becoming HIPAA compliant. Second, the HIPAA regulations REQUIRE covered entities and business associates to have a set of policies and procedures directing t

Clinical information: Clinical informatics is the new exciting kid on the block. With the right mix of aptitude and attitude, professionals can look forward to many opportunities and challenges in the field. An understanding of the coining of the term "clinical informatics" gives an idea of what it is. Clinical informatics is a combination of two words, "clinical" and "informatics". Together, these relate to the knowledge of how information technology works in the healthcare sector. It is very important for clinicians to understand the functioning of IT into its domain, because with the advent of IT; there has been a major need to integrate clinical practices with it. A clinician who understands the way IT impacts the workings on in her industry is a better equipped professional when it comes to handling IT-related issues in the clinical setting. A clinical informatics professional should have a clear idea of the following approaches to IT: Analysis Design Implementation Assessment of information and communication that enhance the quality of clinical informatics Single approach to multiple health areas: One important element that needs to be understood about clinical informatics is that given the scope and breadth of the area of clinical informatics; professionals from any discipline of health -be it pathology, pharmacy, dentistry, radiology, dermatology, etc. -apply the same principles of clinical informatics to optimize the use of IT in healthcare. This requires constant coordination and cooperation with professionals and practitioners of all these areas. Clinical informatics is thus an area which is interspersed with all these other specializations and can be used and applied in any of these areas. What should a clinical informatics professional ensure? The aim of clinical informatics is to use this discipline to coordinate with nearly all the areas of medicine to provide optimal outcomes in patient care that delivers and ens