On the foundation and structure of medical informatics.

The authors from China and the United States take medical informatics from theory to practice by improving its research, application, and dissemination and by expanding its educational potential. We built a theoretical model and discussed its definition, approach, foundation, principles, and structure. Medical informatics is the interdisciplinary study of information science applied to medicine and health care. Its developing approach is transplantation. The foundation of medical informatics has "building blocks" of knowledge. They are: information procedure models; information classification principles; information processing methodologies; and functional hierarchical principles of information systems. The structure of medical informatics includes the main knowledge branches and their logical relations. There are four big branches: computer tools and systems methods; engineering equipment and methods; medical fields information systems; and health care management systems. Based on the investigation of the professional status (its theory and application, and its forms and the contents) of medical informatics, it can be seen that this new discipline is becoming mature.