Isolation to interface to integration - is it feasible to seek a holistic profession?

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Medical Informatics
• Digital Health

Background:

• The health informatics (HI) domain has experienced divergence and synergy over three decades, with an aspiration for international recognition as a mature discipline.
• This review examines catalysts and inhibitors to achieving a collective HI environment and questions the achievability and desirability of a single professional identity.

Discussion:

• The evolution of HI mirrors technological advancements, moving from isolated applications to integrated solutions, paralleled by the professional groups' development.
• Learned societies' investigations into professionalism and professional registration for informatics in healthcare provide a foundation for evaluating HI's status.

Key Insights:

• The development of HI shows a trend towards cohesive professional groups, benefiting from collaboration on major initiatives.
• The phasing of HI development and professional integration varies significantly across countries and specific focus areas.

Outlook:

• The global health informatics landscape is becoming less diverse, moving towards a unified brand identity.
• Recognizing the lifecycle of interacting factors will aid HI in establishing a worldwide brand while preserving the distinctiveness of specialist sub-groups.