‘medical cybernetics’ may still be found in the titles of academic units and specialties
in Ukraine.
Retrospectively, the development of cybernetics coincides with the engineering
of electronic computing machinery. The term ‘computer science’ appears in the
English-language literature to denote the usage of computing machines for data
processing. Therefore, at present this scientific field is mainly associated with the study
of computers and their usage in the procession of data and information. The focus of
computer science is predominantly on designing hardware and software as well as
computer systems control [3].
In the 1960’s and 1970’s, ‘informatics’ as a notion began to be increasingly used
in the scientific lingo. The term comes from the French ‘informatique’ and is coined
by combining the words ‘information’ and ‘automation’ to indicate the automatic
processing of information [27]. Thereafter, ‘informatics’ has been commonly used in
France, Germany and Eastern European countries, while most Western European,
Asian and North American countries tend to use the term ‘computer science’ [18].
We should also draw a particular attention to denoting the term ‘information
science’, as it is sometimes present in MI-related terminology and is used along
‘computer science’ and ‘informatics’. According to Medical Subject Headings of the
U.S. National Medical Library, information science is a system of knowledge, theories
and technologies related to the collection of information, as well as the processes and
methods used for its processing, storage, distribution, printing, search, etc. [24]. It is
frequently regarded a broad knowledge domain that incorporates informatics,
communication, publishing and library science. Consequently, all of the above-
mentioned sub-disciplines of information science combine the common goal – the
storage and distribution of information. Hence, their difference consists in applying
different methods to achieve this common goal.
Our retrospective review of the origin of the science about information suggests
that the terms ‘computer science’, ‘information science’ and ‘informatics’ are used in
MI-related terminology to name the science studying medical information and methods
of its processing. Thus, their interchangeable usage may reflect the evolution of the
science about information as well as information processing techniques. At the same
time, the study reveals that the term ‘informatics’ is preferred in cases dealing with the
knowledge domain about medical information processing with the help of information
and communication technologies.
The analysis of scientific literature also enables us to distinguish equivalents that
are in partial or complete synonymous relations to MI. In particular, we identify two
terminological conglomerates that are directly or indirectly relevant to MI. The first
one covers ‘medical informatics – health informatics – biomedical informatics’.
Another one consists of a ramified system of terms including but not limited to a
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