Chapter 11: Clinical Laboratory Informatics Flashcards
device that follows instructions to work with electronic data based on user input
Computer
the physical components of an information system
Hardware
programs (which are essentially sets of instructions) that allow computers or other devices to perform tasks
Software
collection of data identified by a specific name and grouped related to a specific purpose
File
Also known as executable files
Application
e.g., image, text/document, sound
Data
refers to a collection of files
Folder
the basic unit of digital information
Bit
the most common unit of measurement used and almost always refers to 8 bits
Byte
The standard dictionary for combinations of bits that represent the common letters, numbers, and symbols by which characters are represented on a computer screen or paper printout
ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange)
the circuitry that serves as the main information processor and is driven by clock pulses
Central processing unit (CPU)
Common unit used for SPEED
gigahertz (1 GHz = 1 billion clock pulses per second)
the physical chips on the motherboard that hold programs and data for rapid access by CPU
Memory
Permanent Memory
Read-only Memory (ROM)
Volatile Memory (the contents of these chips are lost when the computer is turned off)
Random-access Memory (RAM)
the physical media that store data permanently
Storage
Hard Drive
Internal Storage
CD-ROM, USB drive
Removable Storage
multiple hard drives configured to look like a single-system drive
Drive Array
simultaneously uses two or more hard disk drives to achieve greater levels of performance, reliability, and/or larger data volume sizes
RAID (redundant array of independent [formerly inexpensive] disks)
arrays where copies of files are written to each drive in the array
-This system is redundant: If one drive fails, a file can
be read from the other intact drive(s)
Mirrored drive arrays
where data are saved via an Internet connection (see below) to an off-site storage system maintained by a third-party provider; this data can then be retrieved from the same or a different location or device as long as it also has Internet access
“cloud” storage systems
a set of programs responsible for the management and coordination of activities and the sharing of resources
Operating System
small specialized files that are specific to an operating system, which allows identification and utilization of various external peripherals and other devices
Drivers
interconnected group of computers that share information and resources, and as it pertains to the laboratory, it refers to the ability to obtain orders from and send results to other information systems
Network
which covers a small geographic area
local area network (LAN)
which covers a broad area
wide area network (WAN)
refers to the rate of data transmission
bandwidth
the computer/device that performs a task or with which the end-user interacts
client
all application logic executes on the client server
thin client type
the client performs most of the data processing operations
thick/ fat client type
the most common type of networking standard
Ethernet
fulfilled the roles of the servers and thin client
mainframes and terminals
- type of configuration generally cannot replace the old terminals once they begin to fail and therefore needs to run a program
- acts like a terminal but can be run on more modern hardware
terminal emulator
accessible series of interconnected computer networks
Internet
transmits the data by packet switching
Internet Protocol (IP)
a hypertext-based data system that uses the Internet as its transportation (hypertext is text on a computer that will lead the user to other related information on demand)
World Wide Web (WWW)
specifies appearance of a web page when interpreted by a web browser
HyperText Markup Language (HTML)
a private network that uses the aforementioned Internet protocols to share information within an organization, as opposed to between separate entities
Intranet