Healthcare, a vital industry that touches most of us in our lives, faces major challenges in demographics, technology, and finance. Longer life expectancy and an aging population, technological advancements that keep people younger and healthier, and financial issues are a constant strain on healthcare organizations resources and management. Focusing on the organizations ability to improve access, quality, and value of care to the patient may present possible solutions to these challenges.

The Encyclopedia of Healthcare Information Systems provides an extensive and rich compilation of international research, discussing the use, adoption, design, and diffusion of information communication technologies (ICTs) in healthcare, including the role of ICTs in the future of healthcare delivery; access, quality, and value of healthcare; nature and evaluation of medical technologies; ethics and social implications; and medical information management.