Health Informatics (HI) basically defines how health information is technically captured, transmitted and utilized. New technology can be an integral part of medicine, and health informatics is no exception. Healthcare informatics is the science that underlies the fusion of health care, information technology, and business administration, and guides into all aspects of the patient health experience, including clinical care, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Not only does healthcare informatics focus on the implementation and optimization of the information systems that support clinical practice, it creates the infrastructure that connects and enables the flow of critical information to and from each of the stakeholders in a patient's care.

Health care informatics is the rapidly developing scientific field that deals with the storage, retrieval and use of biomedical data, information and knowledge for problem solving and decision making. Biomedical and Health informatics are related fields. Health Informatics deals with four major interdisciplinary components; emerging technologies, epidemiology and health management, advanced statistics and health systems. The outlook of health Informatics is very wide as there are a variety of emerging new technologies that need to be understood, adapted,so that they can be further used in health systems and then managed for continuous improvement.

Health informatics focuses on information systems, informatics principles, and information technology as it will be applied for healthcare delivery. It is an integrated discipline with specialized domains that include management science, management engineering principles and healthcare delivery. Health Informatics programs demonstrate uniqueness by offering varied options for practice or research focus.

The candidate should be a 10+2 in any background and can be a undergraduate of any discipline. Professionals, Graduates and Under-graduates from: Medicine, Dental, Environmental Science, Biology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Home science and allied health, Public Health, Public Health Management, Health Management, Healthcare IT, ICT, Computer Science, MCA, BCA and Social Service.

Since it is a booming field, there are varied career options a candidate can choose from, like, working with pharmaceutical companies, Health IT vendors, Health IT consultants. There is a great demand for health informatics professionals in Hospitals and health care providers, Public health organizations, Government and NGO's, health insurance companies and they can also work as teachers and researchers.  

The basic skills required to do well in this field is understanding of the health care industry, good communication skills, strategic/logical planning and management skills; leadership and supervision qualities, programming skills, knowledge of system infrastructure design and networking and well versed with information analysis and information technology. 

The job opportunities available in health informatics range from Academic/Researcher, Clinical Data Manager, Chief Medical Officer, Clinical Information Manager, Consultant, Health Care Webmaster, Information security/Risk/revenue /privacy manager, Medical director for informatics, Medical director for information system and as a pharmacy systems analyst. As a health informatics professionals, you will organize the evidence used in evidence based medicine. You will help support patient care, teaching, research, quality improvement and legal inquiries.