Medical informatics: the role of health science librarians

Medical informatics, a newly emerged concept has in recent years attracted the attention of scholars. This concept therefore needs thorough discourse and interpretations as relating to information packaging and its access in the field of medicine and its allies. Therefore, the would--be information manager needs to be grounded in the medical informatics for him to effectively have full control of the information environment.

Research work delved into the meanings of medical informatics and its impact on health sciences and the need for adequate education of health science librarians for them to be effective and efficient in their service delivery.

It is a review of information sources on the medical informatics. Sources consulted were print, electronic and on-line sources. The opinions and theories of scholars on this subject matter were analysed and discussed.

This work discovered two basic facts as follows:--Medical informatics is embedded in information science and two fields have a meeting point. Secondly, medical informatics as a discipline needs to be studied and understood by health science librarians--a shift that is very much necessary now for him not only to be information container manager but also information "content manager".

Medical informatics has come to stay and its understanding becomes imperative on the part of health information broker as this will enhance increase in job performance, productivity and recognition in the organization where he serves.