Having ideas is easy for technology-enabled care, but implementing them is hard. The chances of success can be improved by building a broad coalition of essential stakeholders, persuading the sceptical, respecting your information governance colleagues, careful planning, and thinking about and minimising risks. Leadership, strategic thinking, persuasion, attention to detail and a team approach are needed. Professional project management, good marketing and communication are vital for implementation, and a robust evaluation is essential for sustainability.

The third industrial revolution saw the creation of computers and an increased use of technology in industry and households. We are now in the fourth industrial revolution: cyber, with advances in artificial intelligence, automation and the Internet of things. Both the third and fourth revolutions have had a large impact on health care, shaping how health is planned, managed and delivered, as well as supporting wellness and the promotion of health. This growth has seen the advent of the discipline of health informatics with several sub-specialty areas emerging over the past two decades. Informatics is used across primary care, allied health, community care and dentistry, with technology supporting the primary health care continuum. This chapter explores health informatics by examining the building blocks of the discipline and analysing how technology, governance and the workforce are supporting digital health transformation.

The third industrial revolution saw the creation of computers and an increased use of technology in industry and households. We are now in the fourth industrial revolution: cyber, with advances in artificial intelligence, automation and the Internet of things. Both the third and fourth revolutions have had a large impact on health care, shaping how health is planned, managed and delivered, as well as supporting wellness and the promotion of health. This growth has seen the advent of the discipline of health informatics with several sub-specialty areas emerging over the past two decades. Informatics is used across primary care, allied health, community care and dentistry, with technology supporting the primary health care continuum. This chapter explores health informatics by examining the building blocks of the discipline and analysing how technology, governance and the workforce are supporting digital health transformation.