Characteristics of U.S. Baccalaureate Health Informatics Programs

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Higher Education
• Academic Program Analysis

Background:

• Health Informatics (HI) is a rapidly expanding field with limited data on undergraduate programs in the U.S.
• A lack of centralized information hinders efforts to establish academic standards and attract students to HI programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct an environmental scan of U.S. colleges and universities to identify undergraduate HI programs.
• To document program details including majors, minors, and certificates.

Main Methods:

• Institutions were identified using data from NCES, CAHIIM, AUPHA, HIMSS, and AHIMA.
• Publicly available program information was reviewed to capture data on location, college, degree type, title, credits, and delivery format.

Main Results:

• Eighty-three HI programs were identified across 60 institutions in 26 states.
• Significant inconsistencies were found in program offerings, titles, credit requirements, delivery formats, and website data.

Conclusions:

• This scan is a foundational step in understanding undergraduate HI programs in the U.S.
• Further research is recommended on curriculum, administration, and student-needed information for HI programs.