Health Care Informatics
This concentration prepares students for careers in health care information systems, processing and managing health care data with computer and communication technologies. Emphasis is placed on health care information systems’ architecture, computerized medical data processing and clinical decision support systems. Job opportunities may be found in a wide variety of settings, from hospitals and clinics, to software development vendors, the U.S. government, and health care consulting firms.
Note: Students must earn the grade of C or higher in HAN 364 to be eligible to register for the Informatics concentration of study.
Curriculum
HAN 462 Developing Health Information Systems (4 credits): Introduces students to fundamental hardware and software concepts, operating systems, GUI or desktop environments and system development life cycles. Reviews Windows applications such as spreadsheet, database, forms, queries and reports. Restricted to students approved for appropriate senior year track in the Health Science major.
HAN 464 Health Information System Management (4 credits): The course includes organizational change issues in health care environments, resource management (inventory, tracking and acquisition) and the role of policy formulation. Consumer issues, standards and security and the provision of health information resources to healthcare workers will also be covered. Relevant applications and issues related to health services will also be explored. Restricted to students approved for appropriate senior year track in the Health Science major.
HAN 466 Applied Health Care Informatics (3 credits): Provides overview of the role of information systems in health care organizations. Emphasizes the integration of evidence-based research into clinical decision-making and the influence of information systems on health outcomes. Explores technical, organizational and cost-benefit issues related to health care information systems, including clinical decision-support, integrated networking and distributed computing technologies, telemedicine applications and artificial intelligence solutions. Through a combination of classroom-based seminars, group case studies, and computer laboratory exercises, students will develop and exercise analytical skills for appraising health information systems, as well as acquire practical experience using biomedical research databases, desktop application software, and electronic communication systems. Restricted to students approved for appropriate senior year track in the Health Science major.
HAN 467 Utilization and Outcomes Research Methods (3 credits): Provides the necessary tools to evaluate and implement research methods and utilize outcomes within the health care system. Presents an overview of statistics and research methods and evaluation techniques by utilizing group discussions and case studies. Demonstrates the utilization of technology as a resource for existing research as well as management tools. Restricted to students approved for appropriate senior year track in the Health Science major.
