Neurologists and Clinical Informatics: Realizing the Potential of Digital Medicine

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Informatics
• Clinical Informatics
• Health Information Technology

Background:

• Clinical informatics (CI) is a growing field merging clinical care, health systems, and health IT.
• Neurology's increasing complexity necessitates user-friendly electronic health record systems.
• Health IT must support, not hinder, optimal neurologic care delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the roles of clinical informatics neurologists in various domains.
• To highlight how CI expertise addresses challenges in neurological care.
• To emphasize the importance of CI in the future of neurology.

Main Methods:

• Review of clinical informatics roles in neurology.
• Examples of CI application in neurological care challenges.
• Discussion of CI's impact on health IT and care delivery.

Main Results:

• CI neurologists can act as translators, architects, advocates, and leaders.
• CI addresses key issues like access to care, documentation burden, and burnout.
• CI expertise is crucial for quality improvement, patient engagement, AI, research, and precision health.

Conclusions:

• Neurologists with CI expertise are essential for effective health IT implementation.
• CI ensures that health information technology supports high-quality, neurologist-led care.
• CI professionals will be critical in addressing neurology workforce shortages and improving patient outcomes.