Educating the Health Informatics Professional: The Impact of an Academic Program.

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Healthcare Workforce Development

Background:

• Effective electronic health information systems rely on a skilled workforce.
• Australia offers diverse health informatics education programs.
• These programs address the multidisciplinary nature of health informatics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of the University of Tasmania's academic health informatics program.
• To discuss the role of educational programs in developing a skilled health informatics workforce.

Main Methods:

• Anonymous online survey with quantitative and qualitative data.
• Thematic analysis for open-ended questions.
• Numerical analysis for quantitative data.

Main Results:

• Graduates are employed across Australia, primarily in state health services.
• Most graduates entered health informatics professions or senior roles.
• Eighty percent credited the course for career advancement, noting a socio-technical focus.

Conclusions:

• The University of Tasmania's program positively impacts the health informatics workforce.
• The program fosters a strong socio-technical approach in graduates.
• Program evaluation is crucial for developing a comprehensive network of health informatics education.