Medical informatics: searching for underlying components

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Computer Science
• Knowledge Representation

Background:

• Medical informatics requires a distinct theoretical framework to establish academic credibility.
• Current research in medical informatics is diverse and lacks unifying principles.
• Establishing a clear theory is crucial for advancing the field beyond its constituent disciplines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore unifying principles for medical informatics.
• To propose a theoretical basis for the diverse aspects of work in the field.
• To differentiate medical informatics from computer science and related areas.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of foundational concepts in knowledge-based systems.
• Examination of reusable domain ontologies and problem-solving methods.
• Conceptualizing informatics research activities in terms of ontologies and methods.

Main Results:

• Reusable domain ontologies and problem-solving methods are foundational to second-generation knowledge-based systems.
• These abstractions are key to defining core contributions in informatics research.
• Central informatics activities can be understood through defining, refining, applying, and evaluating ontologies and methods.

Conclusions:

• Framing medical informatics work around ontologies and problem-solving methods can advance its theoretical basis.
• This approach may unify diverse research areas within the field.
• Developing a distinct theory is essential for the academic recognition of medical informatics.