Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics Isabelle Bichindaritz, Ph.D. Institute of Technology University of Washington, Tacoma

5/2/20082 Topics  Inform about graduate certificate in health informatics proposal  Gather reactions, comments

5/2/20083 Outline  Purpose  Definition  Motivation  Need  Description –Goals –Course of study –Articulation with other programs  Personnel  Questions

5/2/20084 Purpose  The purpose of this program is to bootstrap the development of health informatics as an academic discipline at UWT defined as the discipline proposing to build computational solutions to improve health by supporting healthcare services, organizations, companies, research centers, and patients in the South Sound and Washington State.

5/2/20085 Definition  Health informatics can be defined as an academic discipline proposing to build computational solutions to support healthcare services, organizations, companies, and research centers in the South Sound and Washington State.

5/2/20086 Definition  Biomedical informatics is the scientific field that deals with the storage, retrieval, sharing, and optimal use of biomedical information, data, and knowledge for problem-solving and decision-making. (Ted Shortliffe)

5/2/20087 Motivation  Improve the health of people in the community by “expanding the boundaries of knowledge and discovery” in healthcare field with information management and computing methods and techniques, in a measurable manner.  Provide an example of interdisciplinary program in which the computing disciplines and the health disciplines would be placed in par.

5/2/20088 Need  Outlook of strong growth both in health professions and in computing professions, particularly computer software engineer, applications (top of the list on the Department of Labor list of 30 fastest growing occupations).

5/2/20089 Need  For computing  evolution of the profession being more and more infused by application areas (one of the priorities for the future, from National Workforce Center for Emerging Technologies).  For nursing and health professionals  evolution of the profession being more and more infused by technology.

5/2/ Need  Application industry in highest demand is health sector:

5/2/ Need  Health sector is predicted to grow

5/2/ Need  AMIA’s 10x10 program to train 10,000 health care professionals and health informatics specialists by 2010: “How will health care re-engineer its existing information technology workforce and hire the thousands of new positions required to meet the impending demand?”  Plan to expand at the international level.

5/2/ Need  Governor’s commitment to health technology: “I am committed to improving health care in Washington and ensuring that all patients have access to updated health information technology is a key part of that initiative”

5/2/ Need  Locally, consultant’s report (2007)

5/2/ Need  Locally, many healthcare and research companies and organizations –HCA –Multicare, Franciscan System, … –Madigan Hospital, VA, … –Northwest Kinetics, … –Bates Technical College, …

5/2/ Need  Research –Often most cited papers in SCI in Computer Science are applied papers (bioinformatics or medical informatics)

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5/2/ Description - Goals  Teach/research –Methods and tools to acquire, represent, analyze, share, and manage information. –Methods and tools to acquire, represent, analyze, share, and manage knowledge. –Methods and tools to process and analyze data. –Methods and tools to facilitate the interaction between humans and computer systems. –Methods for clinical research. –Methods and tools to ensure security and confidentiality of healthcare information.

5/2/ Description – Course of Study  Two paths –Health professional / student path –Computing professional / student path  Proposed course of study –Introduction to health informatics. –Conception of health information systems. –Decision-support / knowledge-based systems. –Evaluation methods in health informatics.

5/2/ Description - Articulation  Proposed articulations –CSS / ITS BS, BA, Minor, MS –Nursing MS –Biomedical and health informatics programs at UW  UW extension certificate in health informatics and health information management.  BS in health information management.  MS in biomedical informatics.

5/2/ Description - Articulation  Accreditation by –Commission on Accreditation for Health and Information Management Education –International Medical Informatics Association

5/2/ Personnel  Dr. Isabelle Bichindaritz (CSS)  Consultant(s) –Alexis Wilson (Nursing) –Dr. Joseph Hales (University of Utah) –Dr. Nancy Staggers (University of Utah) –Dr. Stefan Pantazzi (Conestoga College) –UWS expert

5/2/ Questions  Inform about graduate certificate in health informatics proposal  Gather reactions, comments