30613 - Medical Informatics and Telemedicine Network

Learning outcomes

During the course, the student will acquire theoretical tools and operational capabilities for the study of engineering, assessment and optimization of health care processes. In particular, the student will be able to: - design and manage relational databases; - Understand the flow of information in health-care and manage health information systems; - Understand the issues on security and data privacy in health; - Assessing and developing telemedicine systems.

Course contents

Medical Informatics: definitions, origins and development trends. 
Elements of health legislation 
Structure of the NHS, the legislation on medical devices, information technology in health care. 
 
Computer Networks 
Introduction to computer networks. Computer Networks and architectural evolution. The ISO-OSI model: Logical Architecture of reference level descriptions, interfaces, and services between levels. Intermediate system: repeaters, bridges and switches, routers, and gateways. Routing algorithms. Communication between processes. Virtual LAN (VLAN): definition and implementation. The TCP / IP: Overview, Types of IP addresses, IP v6, ARP Protocol, TCP Structure, Names of high-level DNS and how they work. Types of computer networks. 
Databases 
Description of a database management system (data base management system - DBMS). Benefits of using a database. Architectures for database systems: data base based on file systems, hierarchical database, relational database. Structure of the Relational Data Base. The Codd's rules for formal definition of a relational database. Primary keys. Relations. Foreign Keys. Parent / child relationships. NULL values. Referential integrity. 
The role of the SQL language features and benefits. History of the SQL language. Using SQL in a programmatic way: some examples. Design methodologies for the development of the database. 
Norms and standards for medical informatics 
Coding and classification systems. 
Community legislation on medical devices: the Medical Device Software. 
Medical records: structure and standards. 
DICOM, HL7 (heath level 7), IHE (integrating the healthcare enterprise). 

 Security and confidentiality in health 
Basic concepts, legislation, encryption and digital signature. 
Information systems in health 
Architectural models and development trends: HIS (hospital information system), RIS (Radiologic information System) -PACS (Picture Archieving and communication System), LIS (Laboratory information System), CIS (cardiologic information System). 
Integration of information systems. 
Telemedicine networks 
Telemedicine: history, definitions, scope of application, directions, guidelines. Regulatory and legal medicine. Design criteria of a telemedicine system and analysis of technologies and risks. Telemedicine system Hospital to Hospital (es .: teleradiology), Homecare telemedicine system (telemonitoring), interactive medical teleconsultation system (videoconferencing). 
Applications by BAN (Body Area Network) 
Applications of Mobile Health: characteristics of development platforms (iOS, Android, Windows), data integration, reference architectures.

Office hours

See the website of Giovanni Arcuri