Clinical and biomedical research production is rapidly growing, but delivery to practitioners remains unacceptably slow. To improve health care quality and to make the best scientific achievements part of usual practices, clinicians need better information systems and services. The international, multi-disciplinary author team presents the analyses and recommendations that will lead to competitive advantages by increasing quality and effectiveness of health care delivery. The book includes the latest findings on: -Advanced information technologies in disseminating research results -Information infrastructure for transferring research -Structuring knowledge for practical application -Practical solutions: better information for improved health care quality. The practical approach of this book ensures easy to read, stand-alone chapters that will benefit medical group managers and local and commercial developers of health care information systems. The book is also a useful educational tool for medical informatics, health care administration, and health services research.

This work consists of contributions by professionals from clinical areas, health care management, payer institutions, information technology industry, government, and health care quality research. The chapters are a cross-section of various business perspectives of health information technologies. The work covers the challenges facing the widespread implementation of information technology, possible solutions to economic, structural, cultural, and institutional barriers in the use of these technologies. It presents real-world examples of information technologies that can be used as business models of applied clinical and business solutions to improve health care quality.