Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology

Health Information Technology (HIT)
Health Information Technology, commonly called HIT, integrates advanced information systems and technology in healthcare settings. Its primary functions include:

The issues and trends in healthcare delivery are constantly changing. The COVID-19 pandemic is one recent issue that wreaked havoc on healthcare systems, causing a shortage of healthcare workers, high demand for medicines and supplies, and increased medical expenditure due to a lack of insurance. Other issues include rising healthcare costs and care fragmentation.
Cost Containment
Payment for healthcare services has historically promoted adoption of costly and often unnecessary or inefficient...

Biostatistics involves the application of statistical techniques to scientific research in health-related fields, including biology and public health. These techniques are essential for designing studies, collecting data, and analyzing it to draw meaningful conclusions. Given the complexity of biological processes, particularly in studies involving human subjects, biostatistical methods are crucial for effectively organizing and interpreting data that might otherwise obscure underlying patterns...

An integrated healthcare system (IHS) is a set of organizations that provides for or arranges to provide coordinated and continuous service to a defined population. The IHS takes responsibility for that particular population's health status and outcome, both clinically and fiscally. An integrated healthcare system is a well-organized, well-coordinated, and collaborative network. The integrated delivery system is a network that connects different healthcare providers to deliver organized,...

An interdisciplinary team includes many healthcare professionals working together and utilizing their skills, knowledge, and expertise to provide holistic and quality patient care. Here are a few more healthcare professionals.
Physical Therapist
A physical therapist (PT) aims to restore function or prevent additional impairment in a patient following an injury or disease. Massage, heat, cold, water, sonar waves, exercises, and electrical stimulation are some treatments used by PTs to treat...

The hazard ratio (HR) is a widely used measure in clinical trials to compare the risk of events, such as death or disease recurrence, between two groups over time. It reflects the ratio of hazard rates—the instantaneous risk of the event occurring—between a treatment group and a control group. This measure provides valuable insights into the relative effectiveness of a treatment by assessing how the risk of an event differs between the two groups.
For example, in a clinical trial evaluating a...