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History and Significance of Information Systems and Public Health

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Public Health Informatics and Information Systems

Part of the book series: Health Informatics ((HI))

Abstract

From the earliest development of counting and counting machines to today’s sophisticated public health systems, a fundamental problem of public health practice has been the development of systems that can collect and analyze data, then convert it to useful forms. The development of modern mechanical measuring devices was a quantum leap toward solving the problem, but even after the invention of the computer in the twentieth century, there was a continuing need for systems that would maximize integration of system components and minimize duplication of data entry. A review of the three waves of modern federal-state public health system development reveals the progression toward the optimization goal. In general, today’s systems to manage public health data and information have evolved in step with the scientific basis underlying public health practice, a practice that integrates findings in the biomedical field with the sciences of epidemiology and biostatistics.

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Notes

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Care Group, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Route 1 & College Road East, Princeton, NJ, 08543, USA

    John R. Lumpkin MD, MPH

  2. Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, 5th Floor, Biomedical Information Communication Center (BICC), 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR, 97239-3098, USA

    J. A. Magnuson PhD

Authors
  1. John R. Lumpkin MD, MPH
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  2. J. A. Magnuson PhD
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Correspondence to John R. Lumpkin MD, MPH .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Informatics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA

    J.A. Magnuson

  2. Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California, USA

    Paul C. Fu, Jr.

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag London

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Lumpkin, J.R., Magnuson, J.A. (2014). History and Significance of Information Systems and Public Health. In: Magnuson, J., Fu, Jr., P. (eds) Public Health Informatics and Information Systems. Health Informatics. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4237-9_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4237-9_2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-4236-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-4237-9

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