Clinical Informatics Board Specialty Certification for Physicians: A Global View.

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Clinical informatics workforce development is crucial for modern medicine.
• Physician board certification signifies professional excellence and expertise.
• The U.S. recently recognized clinical informatics as a subspecialty board, sparking interest.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the global landscape of clinical informatics board certification for physicians.
• To identify countries with existing or developing physician certification programs in clinical informatics.

Main Methods:

• Conducted comprehensive literature searches using relevant keywords.
• Performed internet searches of global informatics societies' websites.
• Reviewed publicly available sources for mentions of certifications.

Main Results:

• The U.S. certification program was frequently cited in recent literature.
• Germany and Belgium possess established physician certification programs in clinical informatics.
• South Korea and Sri Lanka are considering similar certification initiatives.
• Training and certification for non-physician informatics professionals are widespread globally.

Conclusions:

• Official recognition and certification are vital for building capacity and addressing the informatics workforce shortage.
• Wider adoption of physician certification programs can attract talent and accelerate field growth.
• This study provides the first global overview of clinical informatics board certification for physicians.