Which statement best describes an advantage of health care informatics?

• A. The ability to achieve and maintain high standards of care
• B. Access to standardized plans of care for many health problems
• C. Improved communication among the client's health care team
• D. Increased data entry workload

Answer: (C)

Health care informatics centers on using information systems to support clinical practice. The strongest advantage is improved communication among the client’s health care team because electronic health records, secure messaging, and shared care plans keep everyone aligned with real-time data. When the nurse, physician, pharmacist, and other providers can view up-to-date medication lists, allergies, test results, and ongoing orders, coordination becomes safer and more efficient. Handoffs are clearer, care decisions are coordinated, and transitions between settings—like hospital to home—are smoother because everyone has access to the same information. While standardized plans of care and high standards of care can be enabled by informatics, they don’t address the communication benefit as directly. Increasing data entry workload would be a drawback, not an advantage.