With the exception of some additions in Section 3.1 and minor changes, the English edition of the "Medizinische Informatik" is a translation of the German edition. Because there is frequently no one-to-one correspondence between the Ger­ man and the English terminology, misinterpretations are possible. I have tried to avoid this situation as far as possible. The main problem re­ mains within the academic setting. In recent years, the term 1~for.atics has become popular in Europe, but is widely unknown in the United States. The field covers mostly what is understood as computer science and information science. The corresponding term medical inforaatics, now used in the name of international societies such as the "International Medical Informatics Association", covers "medical computer science", "medical information science", as well as "biomedical engineering" and has no de­ finite boundary to "biomathematics". The book has not been translated on a professional basis in order to keep my own style, although there has been assistance by Dr. S. Raymond, for which I am very grateful. Dipl.-Phys. N. Osada has been of great help both by proof-reading and by excellent support during preparation of the camera-ready manuscript. Further valuable advice has been given by: A.W. Pratt, M.D.; M. Ebstein, Ph.D.; M. Pacak, Ph.D.; G.S. Dunham; L.D. Nadel, Ph.D.; P.O. Miller.