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HIF 530: Introduction to Health Informatics and Hot Topics

Course Description

This course provides students with a broad overview of the role of healthcare information systems (HCIS) in healthcare delivery and examines conceptual and theoretical foundations of business management principles and practices essential to health informatics. This course provides the fundamentals of the acquisition, storage, and use of information in the clinical informatics setting. Emphasis is given to clinically transformative technologies which include fundamental knowledge of the concepts of health informatics and how technology can be used in the delivery of healthcare. The intent is to increase the student’s capacity for the design, configuration, use, and maintenance of informatics interventions that improve healthcare delivery. This course will also examine the trends impacting the clinical informatics field and the impact of natural and artificial systems and practices.

Prerequisites

  • None

Associated Program Learning Outcomes

Students who graduate with a Master of Science in Health Data Analytics will be able to:

  • #1. Apply healthcare informatics and technology concepts and skills to case studies and real-world situations.
  • #4. Improve the various healthcare functions associated with the integration of information technology by implementing technology initiatives.
  • #5. Develop system design and software initiatives for healthcare organizations.
  • #7. Determine best practices for implementation of technology initiatives through effective project management.

Students who graduate with a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration will be able to:

  • #7. Prepare and analyze departmental and organizational budgets.
  • #10. Use and analyze clinical informatics to improve clinical performance.

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:

  1. Investigate and appraise health information technology concepts and functions.
  2. Examine the functionality of major systems inside a modern healthcare information technology environment.
  3. Critique the current interoperability competency of health information technology systems.
  4. Examine key health information technology stakeholders in relation to IT requirements for patient care, identity, and finance.
  5. Assess the challenges of managing a successful healthcare information technology project and formulate a plan for the introduction of new technology into a healthcare organization.
  6. Examine the importance of interoperability among U.S. health organizations.
  7. Explain the importance of data standards related to data exchange between systems, interoperability, and patient safety.
  8. Design a data standard for sharing patient medical records.
  9. Evaluate the use of data analytics in healthcare information technology systems.
  10. Identify the characteristics of successful clinical decision support programs.
  11. Assess the responsibilities that come with gathering large sets of clinical data including privacy, security, and ethics.
  12. Assess the impact of major legislative acts that define and govern healthcare IT.
  13. Assess the impact of algorithm bias.
  14. Justify the adoption of benefits, risks, and opportunities of healthcare information technology innovations.
  15. Critique the security risks for modern healthcare information technology environments.
  16. Identify the tools used to create a modern healthcare information technology application.

 

Course Activities and Grading

AssignmentsWeight

Discussions (Weeks 1-8)

16%

Glossary Entries (Weeks 2-8)

7%

Assignments (Weeks 1, 3, 5, & 7)

28%

Project (Week  2)

4%

“3/4” Term Exam (Week 6)

20%

Business Case Presentation (Week 8)

15%

Live Business Case Presentation (100 Pts, Week 8)

10%

Total

100%

Required Textbook

Available through Charter Oak State College's Book Bundle

  • Balgrosky, Jean A. (2020). Understanding Health Information Systems for the Health Professions - with Access Code. Joans & Bartlett Learning. ISBN-13: 9781284148626

 

Course Schedule

Week

PLOs

SLOs

Readings and Exercises

Assignments

1

HIF1, HIF 4

1,4

Topics: Health Informatics and Technologies

  • Readings:
    • Chapters 1, 2 and 10
  • Review assigned material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Submit Assignment: Healthcare IT Systems Perspectives
  • Begin work on Business Case Presentation

2

HIF 1, HIF 4, HIF 7

4,5,7,8

Topics: Health Information Technology Stakeholders, Projects, and Data Standards

  • Readings:
    • p. 171, “Stakeholders”
    • pp. 127-128, “Policy Project Management”
    • pp. 196-201, “Project Management”
    • pp. 239-254, “Implementation: Project Management” to “Ensuring HIS Project Success”
  • Review assigned material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Submit Glossary Entry
  • Submit Project: Improve Patient Safety and Care Through Data Standards
  • Continue to work on Business Case Presentation

3

HIF 1, HIF 4

3,6

Topics: Healthcare System Interoperability

  • Readings:
    • pp. 32-34, “Health Information Exchanges and Regional Health Information Organizations”
    • p. 355, “New Data Sources”

 

  • Review assigned material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Submit Glossary Entry
  • Submit Assignment: Promise of Shared Medical Records and Interoperability
  • Continue to work on Business Case Presentation

4

HIF 1, HIF 4, HIF7

11,13

Topic: Algorithmic Biases

 

  • Review assigned material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Submit Glossary Entry
  • Continue to work on Business Case Presentation

5

HIF 1, HIF 4, HCA 10

9,10

Topics: Clinical Decision Support Systems

  • Readings:
    • pp. 146-148, “Clinical Apps”
  • Review assigned material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Submit Glossary Entry
  • Submit Assignment: Impact of CDS Systems on Patient Care, Patient Safety and Potential Pitfalls of Algorithm Biases Pitfalls of Algorithm Biases
  • Continue to work on Business Case Presentation

6

HIF 1, HIF 4

12

Topics: Major Legislation that Impacts Healthcare IT

  • Readings:
    • pp. 194-196, “Contract Management”
    • p. 137, “Contracting Guidelines”
    • pp. 120-123, “HIS Contracting Guidelines”
    • pp. 194-196, “Contract Management”
    • p. 230, “Exhibit 8.2”
    • pp. 56-59, “The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act” to “ARRA and HITECH”
    • pp. 453-454, “Surveillance: Outside the Protections of HIPAA”
    • pp. 201-205, “Compliance Management”
  • Review assigned material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Submit Glossary Entry
  • Submit Exam: 3/4 Term
  • Continue to work on Business Case Presentation

7

 HIF 1, HIF 4, HCA 7

14,15

Topics: Healthcare IT Innovations and Healthcare IT Security

  • Readings:
    • p. 203, “Case Example”
    • pp. 457- 464, “Finding the Balance: Security Versus Access to Health Information

 

  • Review assigned material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Submit Glossary Entry
  • Submit Assignment: Technology’s Impact on the Healthcare IT Industry
  • Continue to work on Business Case Presentation

8

 HIF 5, HIF7

16

Topic: Healthcare IT Projects and an Introduction to Software Development Processes and Technologies

  • Readings:
    • Chapter 6
  • Review assigned material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Submit Glossary Entry
  • Submit Business Case Presentation
  • Complete Live Presentation of Business Case

 

COSC Accessibility Statement

Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.

COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources

Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.