This course examines medical informatics as an empirical science, which is one of the many faces of this complex field. As such, the course focuses on formal studies of applications of information technology in medicine. It gives an introduction to empirical methods, including qualitative and quantitative methods, the design of surveys and experiments and analysis of the resulting data. Studies typically address questions such as: Is the resource functioning as anticipated? How can it be improved? Does it make a difference? Are the differences it makes beneficial?
There is a practical component that enables students to explore wide range of empirical evaluation and research methods used in medical informatics, to immerse in the empirical literature of the field and to prepare to design and conduct studies appropriate to problems in the field. Ethical issues involved in medical research, such as patient consent and confidentiality are discussed.