Health informatics and health equity: improving our reach and impact

Health informatics studies the use of information technology to improve human health. As informaticists, we seek to reduce the gaps between current healthcare practices and our societal goals for better health and healthcare quality, safety, or cost. It is time to recognize health equity as one of these societal goals—a point underscored by this Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association Special Focus Issue, “Health Informatics and Health Equity: Improving our Reach and Impact.”