Information management and informatics: need for a modern pathology service

Requirements for information technology in pathology now extend well beyond the provision of purely analytical data. With the aim of achieving seamless integration of laboratory data into the total clinical pathway, "informatics"--the art and science of turning data into useful information--is becoming increasingly important in laboratory medicine. Informatics is a powerful tool in pathology--whether in implementing processes for pathology modernization, introducing new diagnostic modalities (e.g. proteomics, genomics), providing timely and evidence-based disease management, or enabling best use of limited and often costly resources. Providing appropriate information to empowered and interested patients--which requires critical assessment of the ever-increasing volume of information available--can also benefit greatly from appropriate use of informatics. General trends in medical informatics are reflected in current priorities for laboratory medicine, including the need for unified electronic records, computerized order entry, data security and recovery, and audit. The increasing demands placed on pathology information systems in the context of wider developmental change in healthcare delivery are explored in this paper.