Value, Structure, and Curriculum in US Graduate Health Informatics Programs: Cross-Sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics Education
• Higher Education Policy
• Educational Technology

Background:

• US graduate health informatics programs exhibit significant variability in cost, curriculum, and design.
• The impact of these variations on affordability, accreditation, and workforce readiness remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the value, structure, and curriculum of US graduate health informatics programs.
• To examine the relationship between accreditation, program design, and tuition-normalized curriculum breadth.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study analyzed data from 107 US graduate health informatics programs.
• Publicly available data on tuition, curriculum, and program structure were collected and analyzed.
• Statistical methods, including regression and cluster analyses, assessed relationships between program characteristics.

Main Results:

• Program delivery formats varied, with online, hybrid, and in-person options available.
• Accreditation status did not correlate with differences in tuition-normalized curriculum breadth.
• Internship requirements were associated with higher credit loads compared to programs without internships.

Conclusions:

• Accreditation does not appear to influence curriculum breadth in graduate health informatics programs.
• Delivery format and internship requirements are key factors associated with variations in credit load and program cost.
• Enhanced transparency in tuition and program structure is recommended to improve equity and value in health informatics education.