Distributed health informatics graduate education for working professionals

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Educational Technology
• Information Science

Background:

• Growing demand for health informatics (HI) professionals in Canada.
• Need for flexible, graduate-level education for working professionals.
• Lack of coordinated capacity-building initiatives in Canadian HI.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a new distributed Master of Science in Health Informatics program.
• To highlight innovative course delivery methods and program structure.
• To discuss program refinement and future directions for HI education in Canada.

Main Methods:

• Part-time, 2-year graduate program with 10 courses and a research project.
• Blended learning approach: virtual classes, online forums, intensive on-campus workshops.
• Workplace-related field research projects and collaboration with employers.

Main Results:

• Program designed for healthcare and IT professionals in health settings.
• Incorporates innovative technologies like Web-based conferencing and simulated tele-debriefing.
• Includes unique components such as roundtable sessions with CIOs and modular professional development.

Conclusions:

• The program aims to meet current HI curriculum and competency standards.
• Emphasizes the need for a coordinated national approach to HI capacity building.
• Outlines planned next steps for program development and enhancement.