VA HSR&D Center for Health Information and Communication (CHIC)

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In the 21st century, the breadth and depth of information challenges our focus and efficiency every day. The healthcare system and its providers are no exception. Health information is the cornerstone of medical decisions and is the foundation on which patients and clinicians act. Patients and clinicians have so much information from so many sources that many suffer from "information overload," which may impede decisions and action. The solution is the advancement of health information technology as a knowledge management tool which connects the systems to the people. By generating knowledge about the design and utility of health information technology, as well as developing new, innovative applications and systems, we can better serve both the population-based and the interpersonal needs of patients and clinicians. The "knowledge hierarchy" framework describes data, information, knowledge and wisdom as a hierarchy leading to understanding and connectedness. Leveraging this framework as the basis, the VA HSR&D Center for Health Information and Communication (CHIC) proposes to generate knowledge about the utility of newly designed tools that integrate data in the clinical domains of disease prevention, diagnosis, management and prognostication. Additionally, CHIC seeks to identify similarities and differences in the patterns of health information exchanged during transitions in care and to test interventions aiming to improve provider-to-provider handoffs during these transitions. Thirdly, CHIC will continue to promote the translation of health services research into effective practice by advancing research methods. By doing these things, the CHIC will address both system-to-person and interpersonal information exchange and communication. The end result of these efforts will be maximized patient safety, improved health outcomes and improved healthcare processes.