Opportunities for informatics to improve patient experiences: observations and reflections of ACMI fellows.

Abstract

We report on findings from a meeting convened by the American College of Medical Informatics (ACMI) to characterize aspects of the patient experience that could be improved using informatics. The American College of Medical Informatics fellows were invited to share their experiences as patients and suggest informatics approaches that may improve the patient experience. We identified 4 themes: (1) getting the right care, (2) data sharing and data interoperability, (3) guiding low-cost evaluations, and (4) predictive analytics. Despite widespread adoption of health IT, patient experiences remain far from optimal. The American College of Medical Informatics fellows identified informatics approaches, applications, and research areas that have the potential to improve patient experiences with health care systems.