Preface to the fourth edition treatment. In addition, new chapters have been introduced, one(healthcare financing) was eliminated, while others have been revamped. We have intro- duced new chapters on the health information infrastructure, consumer health informatics. telemedicine. translational bioinformatics. clinical research informatics, and health information technology policy. Most of the previous chapters have undergone extensive revisions. Those readers who are familiar with the first three editions will find that the organization and philosophy are unchanged, but the content is either new or extensively updated. This book differs from other introductions to the field in its broad coverage and in its emphasis on the field's conceptual underpinnings rather than or technical details. Our book presumes no health-or computer-science back ground, but it does assume that you are interested in a comprehensive sum mary of the field that stresses the underlying concepts, and that introduces technical details only to the extent that they are necessary to meet the princi- al goal. It thus differs from an impressive early text in the field (Ledley 1965) that emphasized technical details but did not dwell on the broader social and clinical context in which biomedical computing systems are devel Overview and guide to use of this book This book is written as a text so that it can be used in formal courses but we have adopted a broad view of the population for whom it is intended. Thus it may be used not only by students of medicine and of the other health professions, but also as an introductory text by future biomedical informat ics professionals, as well as for self-study and for reference by practition- ners. The book is probably too detailed for use in a 2- or 3-da continuing-education course, although it could be introduced as a reference for further independent study. Our principal goal in writing this text is to teach concepts in biomedical informatics--the study of biomedical information and its use in decisio making-and to illustrate them in the context of descriptions of representa- tive systems that are in use today or that taught us lessons in the past. As you will see, biomedical informatics is more than the study of computers in biomedicine, and we have organized the book to emphasize that point. Chapter 1 first sets the stage for the rest of the book by providing a glimpse of the future, defining important terms and concepts, describing the content of the field, explaining the connections between biomedical informatics and related disciplines, and discussing the forces that have influenced research in biomedical informatics and its integration into clinical practice and bio- logical research As with the first three editions, this book has tended to draw both its examples and it con tributors from North America. There is excellent work in other parts of the world as well, although variations in healthcare systems, and especially financing, do tend to change the way in which systems evolve from one country to the next. The basic concepts are identi cal, however, so the book is intended to be useful in educational programs in other parts of the world as wellix treatment. In addition, new chapters have been introduced, one (healthcare fi nancing) was eliminated, while others have been revamped. We have intro￾duced new chapters on the health information infrastructure, consumer health informatics, telemedicine, translational bioinformatics, clinical research informatics, and health information technology policy. Most of the previous chapters have undergone extensive revisions. Those readers who are familiar with the fi rst three editions will fi nd that the organization and philosophy are unchanged, but the content is either new or extensively updated. 1 This book differs from other introductions to the fi eld in its broad coverage and in its emphasis on the fi eld’s conceptual underpinnings rather than on technical details. Our book presumes no health- or computer-science back￾ground, but it does assume that you are interested in a comprehensive sum￾mary of the fi eld that stresses the underlying concepts, and that introduces technical details only to the extent that they are necessary to meet the princi￾pal goal. It thus differs from an impressive early text in the fi eld (Ledley 1965) that emphasized technical details but did not dwell on the broader social and clinical context in which biomedical computing systems are devel￾oped and implemented. Overview and Guide to Use of This book This book is written as a text so that it can be used in formal courses, but we have adopted a broad view of the population for whom it is intended. Thus, it may be used not only by students of medicine and of the other health professions, but also as an introductory text by future biomedical informat￾ics professionals, as well as for self-study and for reference by practitio￾ners. The book is probably too detailed for use in a 2- or 3-day continuing-education course, although it could be introduced as a reference for further independent study. Our principal goal in writing this text is to teach concepts in biomedical informatics—the study of biomedical information and its use in decision making—and to illustrate them in the context of descriptions of representa￾tive systems that are in use today or that taught us lessons in the past. As you will see, biomedical informatics is more than the study of computers in biomedicine, and we have organized the book to emphasize that point. Chapter 1 fi rst sets the stage for the rest of the book by providing a glimpse of the future, defi ning important terms and concepts, describing the content of the fi eld, explaining the connections between biomedical informatics and related disciplines, and discussing the forces that have infl uenced research in biomedical informatics and its integration into clinical practice and bio￾logical research. 1 As with the fi rst three editions, this book has tended to draw both its examples and it con￾tributors from North America. There is excellent work in other parts of the world as well, although variations in healthcare systems, and especially fi nancing, do tend to change the way in which systems evolve from one country to the next. The basic concepts are identi￾cal, however, so the book is intended to be useful in educational programs in other parts of the world as well. Preface to the Fourth Edition