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Healthcare Facility Planning: Thinking Strategically, Second Edition (ACHE Management)
by Cynthia HaywardInstructor Resources: PowerPoint slides of the book’s exhibits. Spending millions of dollars to renovate, reconfigure, expand, or replace a facility can be intimidating without the right direction. Healthcare Facility Planning: Thinking Strategically, Second Edition, is a practical guide that will help healthcare executives move confidently from planning to implementation by deploying an integrated facility planning process, understanding the trends that affect space utilization and configuration, and planning flexible facilities. The book’s focus is on predesign planning—a stage of the healthcare facility planning, design, and construction process that is frequently overlooked as organizations eagerly jump from strategic planning into the more glamorous phase of design. Healthcare executives have the greatest opportunity to express a vision for their organization’s future during predesign planning, and decisions made during this stage have the greatest impact on long-term operational costs and future flexibility. Careful predesign planning allows an organization to rethink its current patient care delivery model, operational systems and processes, and use of technology to ensure a facility substantially benefits patients, caregivers, and payers. This new edition addresses current issues—new financial incentives, fluctuating utilization and demand, constant pressure for technology adoption and deployment, rising turf wars among specialists, intense focus on patient safety, and aging physical plants—that affect the way facilities are used, planned, financed, and built. Detailed examples, guidelines, and case studies, many new to this edition, lead the reader step-by-step through the facility planning process. This book’s planning process reveals how a new facility can improve operational efficiency, enhance customer satisfaction, and create new revenue streams, in addition to being aesthetically pleasing and well engineered. Highlights include: Deploying an integrated facility planning process tailored to an institution’s unique needs Understanding the trends that affect space allocation and configuration Defining strategic direction and future demand Coordinating operations improvement initiatives and planned technology investments with facility planning
Healthcare Finance: An Introduction to Accounting and Financial Management, Sixth Edition (AUPHA/HAP Book)
by Louis GapenskiBonus Chapters 18 & 19 (click here for access) Practice Exercises for Students (click here for access) Instructor Resources: Test bank, PowerPoint slides, solutions to end-of-chapter questions and problems, and a transition guide to the new edition. The essential concepts of both accounting and financial management are covered in this best-selling healthcare finance book. Through clear explanations, numerous examples, and realistic practice problems, it arms future managers with the grounding they need to make financially sound decisions for their healthcare organizations. This thoroughly updated edition provides more emphasis on the unique marketplace for healthcare services and additional examples from nonhospital settings, including medical practices, clinics, home health agencies, nursing homes, and managed care organizations. Particular content changes include: Expanded discussion of health insurance, reimbursement methodologies, and the impact of healthcare reform on provider behavior A new presentation of managerial accounting material that follows a more logical progression of concepts, emphasizing the level of analysis (organization, department, service) rather than techniques Coverage of three service-line costing methods: cost-to-charge ratio, relative value unit, and activity-based costing. Plus, an introduction to time-driven activity-based costing, a method for costing at the patient level. Updated financial accounting formats that conform to the latest American Institute of Certified Public Accountants guidance Increased coverage of the revenue cycle This edition also features a more user-friendly layout and additional end-of-chapter practice problems. Online student resources include: A chapter on lease financing and business valuation (previously included in the book) A chapter on distributions to owners: bonuses, dividends, and repurchases Use the companion casebook for even more classroom application!Gapenski's Cases in Healthcare Finance, Sixth Edition, is an ideal supplement to this text. Through real-world cases, it bridges the gap between learning concepts in a lecture setting and applying these concepts on the job. Students will be better prepared to deal with the multitude of issues that arise in the practice of healthcare finance!
Healthcare Finance: An Introduction to Accounting and Financial Management (Fourth Edition)
by Louis C. GapenskiLike its predecessors, this textbook teaches the reader the fundamental concepts of healthcare finance, including both financial management and accounting. The fourth edition features: New or expanded coverage of: Municipal bond pools, Cost of capital for not-for-profit and small businesses, Modified internal rate of return, Supply chain management , Health savings accounts, Current information on reimbursement, along with updated real-world examples, Easy-to-grasp spreadsheet illustrations of the calculations throughout the book Learning aids, including a glossary; self-test questions; and end-of-chapter key concepts, questions, and problems
Healthcare Fraud Investigation Guidebook
by Charles E. PiperSome have estimated that healthcare fraud in the United States results in losses of approximately $80 billion a year. Although there are many books available that describe how to detect healthcare fraud, few address what must be done after the fraud is detected. Filling this need, Charles Piper‘s Healthcare Fraud Investigation Guidebook details not only how to detect healthcare fraud, but also how to investigate and prove the wrongdoing to increase the likelihood of successful prosecution in court.The book starts by covering the history of healthcare insurance and the various types of fraud schemes. It presents Charles Piper‘s unique approach to investigating (The Piper Method) which allows readers to conduct as many as 10 simultaneous investigations for each case. It emphasizes the importance of simultaneously searching for waste and abuse as well as systemic weaknesses and deficiencies that caused or contributed to the problem or wrongdoing under investigation and then make recommendations for improvement. It also provides:Questions to ask whistleblowers, complainants, employers, employees, and healthcare providers who are suspectsTips on investigative case planning, goals, and strategiesSample visual aids for use when briefing others about your investigative findingsGuidance on presenting information obtained from healthcare investigations and on how to testify in courtTechniques for uncovering previously undetected fraudThe book includes a sample case study that walks readers through a mock case from the time the case is received through the end. The case study demonstrates how to initiate, plan, and conduct a thorough and complete healthcare fraud investigation while incorporating Piper‘s proven methodology.Sharing insights gained through Charles Piper‘s decades o
Healthcare Governance: A Guide For Effective Boards (ACHE Management)
by Errol BiggsHospital and health system board members face increasing challenges, with healthcare reform and other laws demanding improved accountability and efficiency. This handbook reveals the secrets of effective board structure and function, including responsibilities of board members, term limits, recruiting new members, and working with the CEO. Other aspects of a board’s work, including monitoring quality, providing financial oversight, and completing a self-assessment process, are also covered. Sample forms and documents, a glossary of common healthcare terms, and a conflict of interest policy are included. Board members, regardless of their expertise, will find this handbook easy to navigate.
Healthcare Hazard Control and Safety Management
by James T. TweedyComprehensive in scope, this totally revamped edition of a bestseller is the ideal desk reference for anyone tasked with hazard control and safety management in the healthcare industry. Presented in an easy-to-read format, Healthcare Hazard Control and Safety Management, Third Edition examines hazard control and safety management as proactive funct
Healthcare IT Transformation: Bridging Innovation, Integration, Interoperability, and Analytics
by John C. DoddThis book gives examples from healthcare institutions that are using IT automation and innovation to drive change and provides guidance on the strategic direction of HIT over the next five years. Improving the delivery of healthcare through HIT is vital for both the economic success of healthcare organizations and the care of the patient, but most EMR systems do not have an integrated and architected approach. This book provides a detailed approach on how to leverage IT for transformation. It also shows how to build upon the experiences of other industries and helps foster innovation by providing a vision of where technology can be an enabler.
Healthcare In Early Medieval Northern Italy: More To Life Than Leeches (Studies In The Early Middle Ages #26)
by Clare PilsworthAfter the fall of the last Western Roman Emperor in 476 AD, Northern Italy played a crucial role - both geographically and culturally - in connecting East to West and North to South. Nowhere is this revealed more clearly than in the knowledge and practice of medicine. In sixth-century Ravenna, Greek medical texts were translated into Latin, and medical practitioners such as Anthimus, famous for his work on diet, also travelled from East to West. Despite Northern Italy's location as a confluence of cultures and values, modern scholarship has thus far ignored the extensive range of medical practices in existence throughout this region. This book aims to rectify this absence. It will draw upon both archaeological and written sources to argue for redefinitions of health and illness in relation to the Northern-Italian Middle Ages. This volume does not only put forward new classifications of illness and understandings of diet, but it also demonstrates the centrality of medicine to everyday life in Northern Italy. Using charter evidence and literary sources, the author expands our understanding of the literacy levels and social circles of the elite medical practitioners, the medici, and their lesser counterparts. This work marks a significant intervention into the field of medical studies in the early to high Middle Ages.
Healthcare Industry 4.0: Computer Vision-Aided Data Analytics (Computational Intelligence Techniques)
by R. Rajagopal Polinpapilinho F. Katina P. KarthikeyanThis book covers computer vision-based applications in digital healthcare industry 4.0, including different computer vision techniques, image classification, image segmentations, and object detection. Various application case studies from domains such as science, engineering, and social networking are introduced, along with their architecture and how they leverage various technologies, such as edge computing and cloud computing. It also covers applications of computer vision in tumor detection, cancer detection, combating COVID-19, and patient monitoring. Features: Provides a state-of-the-art computer vision application in the digital health care industry. Reviews advances in computer vision and data science technologies for analyzing information on human function and disability. Includes practical implementation of computer vision application using recent tools and software. Explores computer vision-enabled medical/clinical data security in the cloud. Includes case studies from the leading computer vision integrated vendors like Amazon, Microsoft, IBM, and Google. This book is aimed at researchers and graduate students in bioengineering, intelligent systems, and computer science and engineering.
Healthcare Industry Assessment: Analyzing Risks, Security, and Reliability (Engineering Cyber-Physical Systems and Critical Infrastructures #11)
by Pardeep Kumar Deepak Garg Prabhishek Singh Manoj DiwakarThis book caters to a wide range of readers, including professionals in the healthcare and IT sectors, as well as security practitioners. This resource provides valuable perspectives on the risks and difficulties currently faced by the healthcare industry and presents practical recommendations for effectively managing these risks and enhancing security and reliability. This book is beneficial for anyone seeking to enhance their understanding of the risks, security, and reliability challenges encountered by the healthcare industry. The provided information offers a comprehensive overview of the issues at hand and provides recommendations for mitigating risks and enhancing security and stability.
Healthcare Informatics Innovation Post COVID-19 Pandemic
by Narasimha Rao Vajjhala Philip EappenThis book is essential reading for those in healthcare informatics, as well as healthcare administrators, clinicians, and regulators, as they navigate the evolving landscape of healthcare post-pandemic. —Dr. Steven D. Berkshire, professor and director of the Doctor of Health Administration Program, Central Michigan UniversityThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to global healthcare systems, revealing vulnerabilities and pushing the boundaries of healthcare informatics. In response, the rapid adoption of digital tools and innovative technologies reshaped the way healthcare is delivered, managed, and analyzed. This transformation has not only revolutionized patient care but also underscored the importance of adopting new strategies to ensure data security, interoperability, and equitable access to healthcare services.Healthcare Informatics Innovation Post-COVID-19 Pandemic explores the lasting impact of these innovations on the healthcare sector. The book examines the key lessons learned from the pandemic, as well as the challenges and opportunities that have emerged in its wake. It covers a broad range of topics, including telehealth, artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and cybersecurity, and examines the critical role each plays in transforming healthcare delivery.Highlights include: Bridging the digital divide with telehealth AI in post-pandemic healthcare Navigating post-pandemic mental health challenges with AI Genomics and personalized medicine Ethics, privacy, and security in healthcare informatics The book’s chapters were written by contributors from diverse academic and professional backgrounds.Together, they share their expertise in healthcare, information technology, and policy. Through their insights, the book provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of healthcare informatics and offers a roadmap for future advancements. This book was written to address the growing recognition that healthcare systems worldwide must be resilient, adaptable, and equipped with cutting-edge tools to navigate future public health crises. As healthcare professionals, academics, policymakers, and technologists work together, it is crucial to share knowledge and collaborate on innovative solutions that can sustain the progress made during the pandemic.
Healthcare Informatics for Fighting COVID-19 and Future Epidemics (EAI/Springer Innovations in Communication and Computing)
by Chinmay Chakraborty Lalit Garg Saïd Mahmoudi Victor S. SohmenThis book presents innovative solutions utilising informatics to deal with various issues related to the COVID-19 outbreak. The book offers a collection of contemporary research and development on the management of Covid-19 using health data analytics, information exchange, knowledge sharing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and the Internet of Everything (IoE)-based solutions. The book also analyses the implementation, assessment, adoption, and management of these healthcare informatics solutions to manage the pandemic and future epidemics. The book is relevant to researchers, professors, students, and professionals in informatics and related topics.
Healthcare Informatics: Improving Efficiency and Productivity
by Stephan P. KudybaHealthcare Informatics: Improving Efficiency and Productivity examines the complexities involved in managing resources in our healthcare system and explains how management theory and informatics applications can increase efficiencies in various functional areas of healthcare services. Delving into data and project management and advanced analytics,
Healthcare Informatics: Improving Efficiency through Technology, Analytics, and Management
by Stephan P. KudybaHealthcare Informatics: Improving Efficiency through Technology, Analytics, and Management supplies an understanding of the different types of healthcare service providers, corresponding information technologies, analytic methods, and data issues that play a vital role in transforming the healthcare industry. All of these elements are reshaping the various activities such as workflow and processes of hospitals, healthcare systems, ACOs, and patient analytics, including hot spotting, risk stratification, and treatment effectiveness.A follow-up to Healthcare Informatics: Improving Efficiency and Productivity, this latest book includes new content that examines the evolution of Big Data and how it is revolutionizing the healthcare industry. It presents strategies for achieving national goals for the meaningful use of health information technology and includes sound project management principles and case illustrations for technology roll-out, such as Computer Physician Order Entry (CPOE) for optimal utilization.The book describes how to enhance process efficiency by linking technologies, data, and analytics with strategic initiatives to achieve success. It explains how to leverage data resources with analytics to enhance decision support for care providers through in-depth descriptions of the array of analytic methods that are used to create actionable information, including Business Intelligence, Six Sigma, Data, and Text Mining.
Healthcare Informatics: Improving Efficiency through Technology, Analytics, and Management (2nd Edition)
by Stephan P. KudybaHealthcare Informatics: Improving Efficiency through Technology, Analytics, and Management supplies an understanding of the different types of healthcare service providers, corresponding information technologies, analytic methods, and data issues that play a vital role in transforming the healthcare industry. All of these elements are reshaping the various activities such as workflow and processes of hospitals, healthcare systems, ACOs, and patient analytics, including hot spotting, risk stratification, and treatment effectiveness.
Healthcare Informatics: Strategies for the Digital Era
by Stephan P. Kudyba"This book addresses how health apps, in-home measurement devices, telemedicine, data mining, and artificial intelligence and smart medical algorithms are all enabled by the transition to a digital health infrastructure…..it provides a comprehensive background with which to understand what is happening in healthcare informatics and why."—C. William Hanson, III, MD, Chief Medical Information Officer and Vice President, University of Pennsylvania Health System. "This book is dedicated to the frontline healthcare workers, who through their courage and honor to their profession, helped maintain a reliable service to the population at large, during a chaotic time. These individuals withstood fear and engaged massive uncertainty and risk to perform their duties of providing care to those in need at a time of crisis. May the world never forget the COVID-19 pandemic and the courage of our healthcare workers".—Stephan P. Kudyba, Author Healthcare Informatics: Evolving Strategies in the Digital Era focuses on the services, technologies, and processes that are evolving in the healthcare industry. It begins with an introduction to the factors that are driving the digital age as it relates to the healthcare sector and then covers strategic topics such as risk management, project management, and knowledge management that are essential for successful digital initiatives. It delves into facets of the digital economy and how healthcare is adapting to the geographic, demographic, and physical needs of the population and highlights the emergence and importance of apps and telehealth. It also provides a high-level approach to managing pandemics by applying the various elements of the digital ecosystem. The book covers such technologies as: Computerized physician order entry (CPOE) Clinical Information Systems Alerting systems and medical sensors Electronic healthcare records (EHRs) Mobile healthcare and telehealth. Apps Business Intelligence and Decision Support Analytics Digital outreach to the population Artificial Intelligence The book then closes the loop on the efficiency enhancing process with a focus on utilizing analytics for problem solving for a variety of healthcare processes including the pharmaceutical sector. Finally, the book ends with current and futuristic views on evolving applications of AI throughout the industry.
Healthcare Information Management Systems
by Marion J. Ball Charlotte A. Weaver George R. Kim Joan M. KielHealthcare Information Management Systems, 4th edition, is a comprehensive volume addressing the technical, organizational and management issues confronted by healthcare professionals in the selection, implementation and management of healthcare information systems. With contributions from experts in the field, this book focuses on topics such as strategic planning, turning a plan into reality, implementation, patient-centered technologies, privacy, the new culture of patient safety and the future of technologies in progress. With the addition of many new chapters, the 4th Edition is also richly peppered with case studies of implementation. The case studies are evidence that information technology can be implemented efficiently to yield results, yet they do not overlook pitfalls, hurdles, and other challenges that are encountered. Designed for use by physicians, nurses, nursing and medical directors, department heads, CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, COOs, and healthcare informaticians, the book aims to be a indispensible reference.
Healthcare Information Management Systems: Cases, Strategies, and Solutions (Health Informatics)
by Marion J. Ball George R. Kim Joan M. KielThis new edition of the classic textbook provides bold and honest descriptions of the current and evolving state of US healthcare information technology. Emerging technologies and novel practice and business models are changing the delivery and management of healthcare, as innovation and adoption meet new needs and challenges, such as those posed by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Many facets of these are presented in this volume:• The increasing mutual impact of information technology and healthcare with respect to costs, workforce training and leadership• The changing state of healthcare IT privacy, security, interoperability and data sharing through health information exchange• The rise and growing importance of telehealth/telemedicine in the era of COVID-19• Innovations and trends in the development and deployment of health IT in public health, disease modeling and tracking, and clinical/population health research• Current work in health IT as it is used in patient safety, chronic disease management, critical care, rehabilitation/long-term/home-based patient care and care coordination• “Brave new world” visions of healthcare and health IT, with forward- looking considerations of the impact of artificial intelligence, machine learning on healthcare equity and policyBuilding on the success of previous editions, this 5th edition of Healthcare Information Management Systems: Cases, Strategies, and Solutions provides healthcare professionals insights to new frontiers and to the directions being taken in the technical, organizational, business and management aspects of information technology in the ongoing quest to optimize healthcare quality and cost, and to improve universal health at all levels.
Healthcare Information Privacy and Security
by Bernard Peter RobichauHealthcare IT is the growth industry right now, and the need for guidance in regard to privacy and security is huge. Why? With new federal incentives and penalties tied to the HITECH Act, HIPAA, and the implementation of Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems, medical practices and healthcare systems are implementing new software at breakneck speed. Yet privacy and security considerations are often an afterthought, putting healthcare organizations at risk of fines and damage to their reputations. Healthcare Information Privacy and Security: Regulatory Compliance and Data Security in the Age of Electronic Health Records outlines the new regulatory regime, and it also provides IT professionals with the processes and protocols, standards, and governance tools they need to maintain a secure and legal environment for data and records. It's a concrete resource that will help you understand the issues affecting the law and regulatory compliance, privacy, and security in the enterprise. As healthcare IT security expert Bernard Peter Robichau II shows, the success of a privacy and security initiative lies not just in proper planning but also in identifying who will own the implementation and maintain technologies and processes. From executive sponsors to system analysts and administrators, a properly designed security program requires that that the right people are assigned to the right tasks and have the tools they need. Robichau explains how to design and implement that program with an eye toward long-term success. Putting processes and systems in place is, of course, only the start. Robichau also shows how to manage your security program and maintain operational support including ongoing maintenance and policy updates. (Because regulations never sleep ) This book will help you devise solutions that include: Identity and access management systems Proper application design Physical and environmental safeguards Systemwide and client-based security configurations Safeguards for patient data Training and auditing procedures Governance and policy administration Healthcare Information Privacy and Security is the definitive guide to help you through the process of maintaining privacy and security in the healthcare industry. It will help you keep health information safe, and it will help keep your organizationwhether local clinic or major hospital systemon the right side of the law. What you'll learn The basics ofHITECH, HIPAA, and other federal laws driving change in healthcare IT How to identify the core issues of privacy and security in a healthcare environment. The steps required to develop and execute a security project plan. The technologies and tools available to aid in the process of deploying a secure EHR system. The core regulatory issues and practical matters of security in a healthcare environment. The frameworks and methodology that will assist in tackling the issues of privacy and security. The technologies impacted by matters of privacy and security along with proposals for managing them effectively. Who this book is for Healthcare professionals who work in information technology, information security, health information management, as well as in the more specialized areas of privacy, compliance, and informatics. The book is also useful for consultants working in the field of information security who require a better understanding of the challenges facing the healthcare industry, EMR Vendors who are tasked with guiding their customers through a secure implementation of their product, and technology professionals seeking to make an entry into the world of Healthcare IT. Table of ContentsChapter 1. Introduction: The Long-Awaited Manual Chapter 2. Waking the Sleeping Giant: A Brief History of Healthcare ITChapter 3. It's Not Just HIPAA: Legislating Privacy and SecurityChapter 4. Assembling the Team: Bringing the Right Human Resources to the TableChapter 5. Sifting Through the Wreckage: The Security Audit C
Healthcare Information Systems
by Kevin BeaverThe move to manage medicine from a financial perspective, i.e. managed care, has added huge layers of bureaucratic and administrative functions to healthcare. The need to have the ability to track patient medical records, mandated by government legislation such as HIPAA, is bringing new technologies and processes into the healthcare arena. A univer
Healthcare Information Systems: Progress, Challenges and Future Directions (Innovative Medical Devices)
by Yu Tian Jingsong Li Tianshu ZhouThis book comprehensively and systematically introduces the latest research progress, challenges, and future directions of various healthcare information systems. Starting from the formation, development, and typical research achievements of medical informatics, the book provides a detailed overview of the more mature healthcare information systems, including electronic medical record systems, laboratory information systems, picture archiving and communication systems, clinical decision support systems, Internet of medical things systems, telemedicine systems and mobile health systems, etc. Additionally, it delves into the rapid evolution of the Internet hospital, proactive health systems, and intelligent systems for medical and elderly-care combination in the era of big data, focusing on the fundamentals of big data technology and the transformation of medical informatization. This book can serve as a reference for researchers or engineers with a certain professional background engaged in cutting-edge research related to medical and health information systems, as well as a teaching reference for graduate or undergraduate students in related fields.
Healthcare Information Technology for Cardiovascular Medicine: Telemedicine & Digital Health (Health Informatics)
by Ami B. BhattThis unique book comprehensively reviews how information technology is changing cardiovascular medical practice. Chapters include a wide range of topics from specific technologies and virtual care education to large system implementation. Extensive illustrative material and specific case studies are included throughout to reinforce key concepts and enable the reader to develop an understanding of how information technology is impacting medical practice. Health equity, medicolegal ethics, and regulatory considerations are also covered. Healthcare Information Technology for Cardiovascular Medicine: Telemedicine & Digital Health provides a foundation for better understanding how these technologies impact cardiovascular care delivery. Its comprehensive analysis enables healthcare providers and other stakeholders to enhance clinical practice through digital health implementation.
Healthcare Infrastructure
by Richard B. Berlin Jr. Bruce R. SchatzThe first systematic survey of Healthcare Infrastructure, this book describes the inevitable future of health systems. It gives a concrete plan for improved quality at diminished cost, via merger of personal medicine and public health. It discusses general aspects of infrastructure engineering and specific aspects of healthcare systems. It discusses current and future technologies for health measurement and management. This book outlines how the health of populations will be measured at the level of individuals, combining engineering and medicine to support viable health systems for the first time. This book is unique, in combining a systematic survey of health determinants with a research monograph on health technologies. Readers will gain a broad context and a deep knowledge of future information technology applied to health systems.
Healthcare Innovation Success: Learning from Organisational Experience
by Penny KechagioglouThe role of leadership in driving innovation through its different stages is fully explored in this book to enable clinical leaders and managers to design innovation frameworks. The book highlights how to maximize the benefits of innovation for organizations and integrated care systems while acknowledging that the process of innovation within healthcare organizations can be complex and needs to be well orchestrated to enable innovation to spread and sustain. The book examines the leadership enablers in healthcare innovation highlighting a new and refreshing strategic model of innovation. The model is used as the foundation to support the process of innovation, from ideation to implementation, within contemporary and ambitious healthcare organizations.
Healthcare Interoperability Standards Compliance Handbook
by Frank Oemig Robert SnelickThis book focuses on the development and use of interoperability standards related to healthcare information technology (HIT) and provides in-depth discussion of the associated essential aspects. The book explains the principles of conformance, examining how to improve the content of healthcare data exchange standards (including HL7 v2. x, V3/CDA, FHIR, CTS2, DICOM, EDIFACT, and ebXML), the rigor of conformance testing, and the interoperability capabilities of healthcare applications for the benefit of healthcare professionals who use HIT, developers of HIT applications, and healthcare consumers who aspire to be recipients of safe and effective health services facilitated through meaningful use of well-designed HIT. Readers will understand the common terms interoperability, conformance, compliance and compatibility, and be prepared to design and implement their own complex interoperable healthcare information system. Chapters address the practical aspects of the subject matter to enable application of previously theoretical concepts. The book provides real-world, concrete examples to explain how to apply the information, and includes many diagrams to illustrate relationships of entities and concepts described in the text. Designed for professionals and practitioners, this book is appropriate for implementers and developers of HIT, technical staff of information technology vendors participating in the development of standards and profiling initiatives, informatics professionals who design conformance testing tools, staff of information technology departments in healthcare institutions, and experts involved in standards development. Healthcare providers and leadership of provider organizations seeking a better understanding of conformance, interoperability, and IT certification processes will benefit from this book, as will students studying healthcare information technology.