History of Nursing Informatics
Copyright 2004 - Sackett, Erdley and Jones
Although we date the modern computer from the 1940s, and often include the
abacus as the first computer, there is evidence that the first computer, albeit,
an analog one was built sometime between 150 and 100BC (yes, BC). Although
discovered in 1900, recent tests with high resolution 3-D X-ray computed tomograhpy
and enhanced computer imaging software have provided that the device found was
a crank-driven analog computer made of bronze. It is known as the Antikythera
mechanism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antikythera_mechanism
The following illustrations are courtesy of Scott Erdley who is working on a history of nursing informatics.
Health Informatics Paradigm Shifts
This timeline illustrates how the focus of informatics has changed from the 1950s to the present. Notice how it has moved from focusing on the computer to a focus on the information that can be obtained from data.
Nursing Informatics Timeline
This timeline pinpoints various developments in nursing informatics. The acronyms are defined below the diagram.
Acronym |
Definition |
|---|---|
| PROMIS | Problem Oriented Medical Information System |
| UG | Undergrad |
| UB | University of Buffalo |
| CIN | Computers in Nursing (a journal now named CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing |
| NIH | National Institute of Health |
| SCAMC | Symposium on Computer Applications in Medical Care |
| UMAB | University of Maryland at Baltimore |
| NI | Nursing Informatics |
| NIS | Nursing Information System |
| HIPAA | Health Information Portability and Accountability Act |
Last Updated: April 21, 2009