Course detail

Introduction to Medical Informatics

FEKT-BPC-UMIAcad. year: 2025/2026

The course is oriented to the use of information technology in medicine and biology. It is focused on medical data: acquisition, storage and exploitation, systems based on patients‘ computer records, health information systems, decision-making in medicine, standards imn medical informatics, introduction to bioinformatics, fundamentals of genetic information processing.

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

Ing. Helena Vítková, Ph.D.

Department

Department of Biomedical Engineering (UBMI)

Entry knowledge

The student should be able to explain fundamental principles of information technologies, should know basic terms and the use of database systems and should be oriented in basic knowledge of probability. Generally, knowledge on the level of secondary education is required.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

up to 40 points from computer exercises (2 tests)
up to 60 points from finel written exam
The exam is oriented to verification of orientation in terms of medical informatics and ability to apply basic principles of decision-making in medicine.
Computer exercises are obligatory. Excused absence can be substituted.

Aims

The aim of the course is to provide the students with the fundamental theoretical knowledge and practical experience in medical informatics. The subject covers the area of processing specific medical data, fundamentals of medical information systems design and computer-aided medical diagnostics.
The student will be able to:
- describe basic methods of processing of biomedical data,
- explain fundamental terms of medical informatics,
- describe principle of basic methods for probability decision-making,
- discus advantages and disadvantages of the methods,
- evaluate quality of decision-making methods based on defined requirements.

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

Kalet, I. J. Principles of Biomedical Informatics. Academic Press, 2008. ISBN-10: 0123694388 (EN)
Zvárová, J. a kol.: Biomedicínská informatika I. Karolinum, 1. vyd., 2002. ISBN-10: 80-246-0609-7 (CS)
Zvárová, J. Biomedicínská statistika I. Karolinum, Praha, 2007. ISBN: 978-80-7184-786-1 (CS)

Recommended reading

Berka, P. Dobývání znalostí z databází. Praha, Academia 2003. (CS)
J.H. van Bemmel and M.A. Musen: Handbook of Medical Informatics, Springer-Verlag, 1997. ISBN: 3540633510 (EN)
P. Degoulet, B. Phister, M. Fieschi: Introduction to Medical Informatics. Springer-Verlag New York, 1999. ISBN: 0387946411 (EN)

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme BPC-BTB Bachelor's 2 year of study, winter semester, compulsory

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hod., optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

Ing. Helena Vítková, Ph.D.

Syllabus

  1. Introduction, Data and databases in medicine
  2. Bioinformatics data and databases
  3. Data and databases for biomedical signals
  4. Biomedical image data and databases
  5. User interfaces in medicine
  6. Electronic medical records
  7. Medical Information 
  8. Systems Computing and data servers
  9. Introduction to database systems
  10. SQL: database design and development
  11. Decision making in biomedicine: the basics of biostatistics
  12. Decision making in biomedicine: Bayes theorem, decision trees
  13. PACS: Picture Archiving and Communicating System - External lecture

Exercise in computer lab

26 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

Ing. Helena Vítková, Ph.D.

Syllabus

  1. Introduction, Python in medical informatics
  2. Bioinformatics databases
  3. Databases of biomedical signals
  4. Biomedical Image Database
  5. GUI design and development in Python
  6. Test
  7. Computing and data servers
  8. SQL I: SQLite, DB Browser, import/export
  9. SQL II: tables, attributes, operators, basic queries
  10. SQL III: relations, advanced queries, JOIN
  11. SQL IV: TRIGGERS and VIEWS  
  12. Test