Positively impacting patients is at the heart of health informatics.
The multidisciplinary field uses health data analytics to drive innovation, improve communication and develop insights to improve human health and the delivery of healthcare services.
Understanding healthcare information—and how to effectively and ethically use it—are becoming increasingly important across many occupations: A clinician who wants to learn how to code and visualize health data; a computer programmer who wants to understand the policy and guidance around health data; or a healthcare provider who wants to make positive changes in the healthcare industry.
The job outlook for health informaticians is bright, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with projected employment growth of 16% from 2022 to 2032—faster than the average for all occupations.
As global digital data creation and usage surges so does health data and related technology. The rise means a demand for skilled and passionate individuals to transform the data into solutions for the healthcare industry.
The College of Professional and Continuing Education introduces a comprehensive introduction to health informatics as an online course, Introduction to Health Data and Informatics.
Several self-paced modules comprise the course—covering topics on health data standards, data governance, health system infrastructure and much more. In one module, for example, participants can expect an overview of the Data Information Knowledge and Wisdom (DIKW) Pyramid to explore the progression of data to driving innovation in such areas as population health, quality improvement or value-based reimbursement.
The introductory course will provide professionals in the healthcare and tech industries with a high-level overview of health data and how to apply the knowledge to their daily work or explore career advancement and advanced degrees.
The health informatics program draws upon Creighton’s esteemed educational reputation and Jesuit values. Through its academic offerings, Creighton challenges those in the healthcare field to engage in ways that promote our values of caring for each person and working together for the greater good.
Health Informatics Program director Joy Doll, OTD, OTR/L, will lead the course, bringing to it her pedagogy special interests in interprofessional education and vulnerable populations. Doll is currently an associate professor in the Department of Mathematics. She formally taught in the Department of Occupational Therapy in the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, and she is past executive director for Creighton’s Center for Interprofessional Practice, Education and Research (CIPER).
Visit lifelong.creighton.edu, the online enrollment platform of the College of Professional and Continuing Education, at any time to discover more about the health informatics course and register for a session.