Northern Kentucky University
Proposal for the Initiation of a New Degree Program
__________________________________________________________
Master of Science
in
Health Informatics
Program Title:
Health
Informatics
Degree Earned:
Master
of
Science
Federal CIP Code:
51.2706
Proposing Department:
Business Informatics, College of Informatics
Program Band:
Inside
Date:
December
xx,
2006
Contents
I. Program
Description ... 4
A. History... 4
B. Program
Placement ... 5
II. Major Goals and Mission... 6
III. Curriculum
Description ... 7
A. Required Foundation Courses... 8
B. Electives... 8
C. Capstone... 9
D. Electronic
Portfolio... 9
IV.
Curriculum: Course Rationale and Learning Outcomes ... 10
A. Foundation
Course
Rationale... 10
B. Elective
Rationale ... 11
C. Capstone
Rationale ... 11
D. Learning
Outcomes ... 11
E. Learning Outcome Assessment and Feedback ... 12
V. Statement of Need... 12
A. Industry
Need... 12
B. Student
Demand... 14
VI. Similar
Programs ... 15
VII.
Job Opportunities for Program Graduates ... 15
VIII. Resources and Planning ... 16
A. Faculty and Staff Requirements... 16
B. Resources
Required ... 16
C. Non-traditional
Course
Delivery... 17
D. Collaboration with Other Institutions ... 17
E. Advertising
and
Marketing ... 17
IX. Notes ... 18
X. Addenda ... 20
A. Sample 2-Year Plan of Study... 21
B. New Course Descriptions ... 22
C. Summary of Nursing and Health Informatics Programs... 26
D. Results of Student Surveys ……… ……36
Tables
Table 1 Health Informatics Curriculum... 8
Table 2 Learning Outcomes and Associated Courses... 12
Table 3 Projected Health Informatics Majors... 16
Program Description
History
In July 2005, Northern Kentucky University (NKU) created the College of Informatics, consisting of the Departments of Communication, Computer Science, and Information Systems. This College is based upon the realization that traditional academic structures do not provide the optimal way to study or teach about rapidly changing communication methods and digital
technologies. This college allows the University and region to capitalize on opportunities created by converging technologies and the ubiquity of communication and information technologies in the workplace and community.
The College of Informatics has allowed NKU to optimize resources through the reduction of redundancies in curriculum, the promotion of efficient use of technological assets, the centralization of outreach activities and pursuit of funding opportunities. The College also encourages cross-disciplinary collaboration and scholarship among its diverse faculty and across the University.
The College is designed to provide leadership in technology for the Northern Kentucky region. It acts as a catalyst for innovation, a repository of expertise, and an academy that produces
graduates who meet the community’s need for properly trained and capable information technology workers. A goal of the college is to place the region at the forefront of the nation in skilled knowledge workers. Thus, one objective of the new College is the creation of degree programs that address specific employer needs in the rapidly evolving arena of informatics. Within in this context, a Master of Science in Health Informatics is proposed. In addition, a certificate in health informatics will be proposed in a separate filing.
In September, 2006, a Committee was established to examine existing and potential academic programs and opportunities created by the implementation and use of communication and information technology in healthcare. Highly trained professionals are required to develop, maintain, and use the technologies in healthcare. These professionals will not only need to understand technology, but also key elements in healthcare, including HIPAA compliance, JCAHO accreditation, FDA regulations, evidence-based practices, and organizational issues surrounding clinical care. Thus, there is a need for a special curriculum in health informatics. The Committee consisted of members of the School of Nursing & Health Professions, the Departments of Business Informatics, Communication, and Computer Science, a representative from the Office of the Dean of the College of Informatics, a recently retired health system operating officer, and a vice president of clinical informatics from a regional health system. In the broadest sense, health informatics refers to the study of information and communication systems in healthcare. While the interpretation of data in patient care has always been a principal component of healthcare, the explosive growth of information technology has greatly increased the importance of these systems.
Health informatics has been a formal field of study since the early 1970’s (Coiera, 2003). Given its complexity, there are several different ways to organize and approach this field. Academic programs generally approach the field based upon applications.
At the highest level, health informatics consists of (a) clinical informatics, with a principal focus on patient care, and (b) a more general health information systems informatics, with a principal focus on institutional administration. Thus, issues range from storage, retrieval, and
interpretation of information in patient care to implementation and management of the complex information systems used in the administration of health care. The natural environment of health informatics includes hospitals, physician networks and practice groups, third-party payers and
regulatory agencies, and industry suppliers such as pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, and vendors of hospital equipment and medical supplies.
While sharing infrastructure, data and other components, clinical informatics and health systems informatics are typically treated as separate departments and operating units within healthcare organizations. In fact, the lack of communication and technical interoperability between these areas is seen as one of the greatest problems in healthcare (Commonwealth Fund, 2006). Following a mandate by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services for a national healthcare information infrastructure (including electronic health records) by 2014,
interoperability and transparency of health care systems and records have become a major focus for the industry. This is driven, in part, by proposals to tie Medicare and Medicaid
reimbursements to the use of interoperable electronic health records and “pay for performance” measures that require these records (Brailer, 2004).
In addressing the needs of the Commonwealth, healthcare industry, students, and the University, the Health Informatics Curriculum Task Force recommended the creation of a Health Informatics Graduate Program, which would offer a Master of Science in Health Informatics and a graduate-level Certificate in Health Informatics. This program would address both areas of clinical and health information systems informatics, and also focus on the integration and interoperability of technology and communication within the healthcare environment.
The Committee undertook a detailed analysis of the requirements for a Master of Science in Health Informatics. This included an examination of activities at other universities, more than 15 structured interviews with executives in healthcare, two surveys of students, and detailed analyses of existing courses at NKU.
The proposed program would place NKU within the select few universities in the country that specifically addressing the information challenges in healthcare. The program will also contribute to regional stewardship by supporting economic development and helping the healthcare organizations to provide improved care at greater efficiency. In designing the proposed program, every effort has been made to integrate existing courses from a variety of departments to avoid unnecessary duplication and leverage current university resources.
Program Placement
The proposed graduate program will have an interdisciplinary orientation and draw upon
resources across the College of Informatics, the School of Nursing & Health Professions, and the University. However, the degree is firmly placed within the field of business informatics, which can be generally defined as the application of technological solutions in organizations and institutions. Existing courses and faculty expertise in the Department of Business Informatics fit much of the curriculum requirements. In addition, the program will meet the needs of the employers and students while also supporting faculty development in important new areas. The Department of Business Informatics most closely maps with the curricular needs of this program. While centered in the Department of Business Informatics, the degree will require new, proposed courses that will be cross-listed with the Master of Science in Nursing. The clinical component of health informatics requires some specialized knowledge of medicine, nursing, healthcare policy and economics, ethics, health communication and related areas. With the master’s degree, elective-level courses provide the student the opportunity to develop additional skills within three key areas for health informatics; health informatics policy; health informatics management; and, knowledge management. Elective courses will be provided by the Departments of
Communication, Computer Science, the Colleges of Business and Arts & Sciences, and the School of Nursing & Health Professions.
As proposed, the Health Informatics Graduate Program will complement and share the courses and the faculty of the graduate programs in Communication, Business Informatics, and Computer Science. It will also compliment the Nursing Graduate Program. The proposed offering would also complement a graduate program in health innovation, currently under discussion with a task force from the College of Business and School of Nursing & Health Professions. The Health Informatics Graduate Program could share some courses and resources and also provide a beachhead from which to launch this program.
Major Goals and Mission
In its mission statement, Northern Kentucky University identifies a "singular mission" to address the educational needs of the Commonwealth and the region. The statement specifically identifies the role of the university in assisting the stimulation of economic development via its academic programs. In addition, the mission of the University is to educate students for careers and life-long learning while fostering “academic, artistic, and personal freedoms.”
The proposed Master of Science in Health Informatics directly supports these goals. The degree is designed to meet the needs of the community's varied employers in the healthcare industry, broadly defined, ranging from small biotechnology companies to large hospitals. This is occurring at time when the implementation and use of technology in healthcare is of critical importance and the industry has been mandated to implement interoperable systems. In conducting interviews with healthcare executives in the region, there was enthusiastic and unanimous support for the program.
This program serves the needs of the Northern Kentucky Region. The program addresses objectives articulated in Vision 2015 by:
1. Contributing to a competitive economy by providing technology specialists who can assist the healthcare industry in driving down costs and implementing innovative processes. The graduates will also meet the needs of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and many other businesses in the healthcare industry. The size of the health information technology (HIT) market also provides opportunities for start-ups and other new ventures to develop goods and services.
2. Providing educational excellence by developing a leading-edge program that will train graduates to compete in the global knowledge economy.
3. Contributing to regional stewardship by helping the healthcare industry to provide improved care while achieving greater efficiencies with the associated benefits accruing to the general population.
In collaboration with regional business, civic, and government entities, Northern Kentucky University has worked diligently to attract technology-oriented businesses to the Northern Kentucky area. This program will provide a unique and effective resource by which the
University may meet these employers’ increasing needs, particularly by complementing existing technology- and computing-oriented courses offered by the University.
This proposed degree program will address four of the expectations for Kentucky state
universities listed in the Postsecondary Education Plan. The plan expects a state university to:
• make a significant contribution to a long-term strategy of improving the standard of living and quality of life for Kentuckians;
• become a concentration of intellectual capital which will generate new ideas, processes and technologies which advance human knowledge and enhance the economy of the state;
• transmit the accumulated knowledge and skills to the workforce needed to stimulate and grow the economy of the state; and
• enhance access to higher education for non-traditional students.
In addition, the program will address the following goals from the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education's 2020 Vision agenda.
To produce:
• Educated citizens who want advanced knowledge and skills and know how to acquire them.
• Globally competitive businesses and industries respected for their highly knowledgeable employees and the technological sophistication of their products and services.
• Scholars and practitioners who are among the best in the world, dedicated to creating new ideas, technologies, and knowledge.
The proposed program is consistent with the practical, career orientation of all the College of Informatics programs at Northern Kentucky University.
Curriculum Description
The curriculum for the proposed Master of Science in Health Informatics draws principally from the Department of Business Informatics. Proposed new courses include two courses cross-listed with the School of Nursing & Health Professions, and one new course offered in the Department of Communication. A summary of the program in depicted in Table 1. (Note that this program will be offered in conjunction with a Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics, the proposal for which is being filed concurrently.)
Program Summary:
Master of Science in Health Informatics Credits required: 35
Requirement Breakdown:
• 18 credits in required Foundation Classes
• 11 credits in Electives
• 6 credits in Capstone
• Students MUST take at least 1 course in each of the three Elective Areas; the fourth elective
course may be any graduate level class but must fit into one of the three designated
elective areas
Table 1 Health Informatics Curriculum
Capstone:
6 credits; 2 semester sequence
Elective Level ( 1 course from each Area + 3 credits elective*) Health Informatics Policy Area
(3 credits)
Business Process Management* Area (2-3 credits)
Knowledge Management Area (3 credits)
¾ Leadership and Ethics ¾ Information Security ¾ Health Communication ¾ Social Implications of
Computing
¾ Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
¾Basic Accounting ¾Financial Management
¾Organizational Communication ¾Systems Analysis and Design ¾Managing People and Organizations
¾Enterprise Resource Planning ¾Business Intelligence ¾Decision Support Systems ¾Marketing Management * elective may be course from any area or course chosen by student and approved by program director
Foundation (18 Credits) Introduction to Healthcare Operations (MHI 600) Technical Foundations of Health Informatics (MHI 601) Introduction to Management Information Systems (MSIS 625) IT Project Management (MSIS 650) Introduction to Database Management (MSIS 635) Research Methods for Health Informatics (MHI 650)
Required Foundation Courses
This program addresses both areas of clinical informatics and health information systems informatics, with a focus on the integration and interoperability of technology and
communication within this total environment. Graduates will develop competencies and skills that are required to work with leading edge technologies while implementing process change, system design, and management within the unique constraints, requirements, urgencies, and patient-centered practices associated with the healthcare industry. The required foundation courses provide broad technical skills as well as providing the organizational competencies required for success by graduates. All courses are associated with specific learning outcomes and outcome assessment methodologies. Based upon the assessment of the program director, on occasion, students with an academic background in technology or clinical medicine may petition to waive a single foundation course and replace it with an elective.
Required Foundation Courses Credits
MHI/MNS 600 Introduction to Health Informatics 3
MHI 601 Technical Foundations of Health Informatics 3 MSIS 625 Introduction to Management Information Systems 3
MSIS 650 IT Project Management 3
MSIS 635 Introduction to Database Management 3
MHI/MNS 650 Research Method for Health Informatics 3
TOTAL 18
Electives
Students are required to take a minimum of 11 hours in elective courses. The electives are grouped into 3 areas, and students are required to take one course from each of the areas, and must select an additional course from one of the areas.
Health Informatics Policy Electives Credits
COM 655Health Communication 3
PHI 510 Ethics in Information Technology 3
MHI 694 Selected Topics in Information Systems 3
CSC 670 Social Implications of Computing 3
MGT 620 Leadership and Ethics 3
MGT 670 Negotiation and Conflict Resolution 3
Business Process Management Electives Credits
MSIS 630 Systems Analysis and Design 3
MSIS 675 Enterprise Workflow Design and Reengineering 3
ECO 625 Managerial Economics 3
ACC 605 Introduction to Financial Accounting 2
FIN 605 Fundamentals of Finance 2
MHI 694 Selected Topics in Information Systems 3
COM 604 Organizational Communication 3
MGT 612 Managing People and Organizations 3
Knowledge Management Electives
MSIS 660 Data Warehousing and Data Mining 3
MSIS 665 Computer Supported Collaborative Work 3
MHI 694 Selected Topics in Information Systems
3
MKT625
Marketing
Management
3
Capstone
Students will be required to take a two semester sequence of capstone courses in the second year. These courses will consist of work and project experience on location within the healthcare industry and a weekly seminar. This will provide the student the opportunity for experience-based learning. Capstone residencies have the additional benefit of providing employer feedback on program quality, depth and relevance. They also contribute to the University goal of
community engagement. The College of Informatics is actively engaged in establishing relationships with entities in the healthcare industry for these capstone experiences. Industry responses to these overtures have been universally positive and supportive. Students who currently work in the healthcare industry will be allowed to develop a capstone experience in conjunction with their current employer.
Electronic Portfolio
Students will be required to maintain a portfolio during the course of the program. The portfolio will reflect a student’s work and development during her/his studies. The portfolio should reflect depth and competence as well as an ability to enter the workforce at a professional level. The portfolio will be reviewed and critiqued during a capstone seminar, where revisions and other improvements may also be required.
Curriculum: Course Rationale and Learning Outcomes
A sample two-year program plan is presented in Addendum A. As the sample plan indicates, a health informatics major can complete the requirements during the time period.
Foundation Course Rationale
The rationale for the program and its proposed program was developed based upon the following methodology:
1. A literature review of the health informatics field was undertaken, organized, and used to inform this process.
2. Detailed analyses of similar programs were undertaken as well as discussions with administrators at other institutions (see Addenda C and E).
3. Structured one-on-one interviews with senior executives at more than 15 organizations within the regional healthcare industry, ranging from large hospitals to entrepreneurial biotech companies to health IT executive recruiters. Also, interviews were conducted at the American Medical Informatics Association Symposium in Washington, D.C. in November, 2006.
4. Two surveys of potential students were undertaken. Specific objectives Health Informatics Graduate Program are:
• Provide the foundation courses required to sit and prepare for the Informatics Nurse Certification Examination in Nursing Informatics.
• Provide the base skill set required for the clinical specialty of nursing informatics, defined by the American Nursing Association as using “information structures, information processes and information technology...to manage and communicate data information and knowledge to support patients, nurses and other providers…” (Newbold, 2006).
• Prepare professionals with core skills that allow them to analyze and design information systems in a patient-centric health care environment, evaluate the effectiveness of these systems through evidence-based methodologies, and manage comprehensive technology projects.
• Allow professionals to develop the communication skills and organizational competencies to work across departmental, clinical and administrative areas.
• Prepare professionals so that they understand and can implement privacy and security policies and regulations within a healthcare organization, including HIPAA compliance.
• Allow students to specialize within the Health Informatics Graduate Program by offering a range of related electives.
• Provide health informatics education to the professional community on a continuous and timely basis.
These objectives were explicated to specific learning outcomes. Once identified, these courses were associated with the learning outcomes of existing courses or new courses were developed to address these required outcomes.
The proposed program consists of 5 existing and 3 new foundation courses plus two new courses for the capstone. The new courses are:
• Introduction to Health Informatics and Research Methods for Health Informatics, cross-listed courses between Business Informatics and the Graduate Program in Nursing.
• Technical Foundations in Health Informatics would be offered by Business Informatics.
• Capstone Experience-Based Learning/Seminar (2 course sequence)
Elective Rationale
The requirement of a minimum of 11elective credits encompasses three substantive areas: healthcare policy, business processes, and knowledge management. Each of these areas is important to health informatics, but by allowing electives, students are allowed to begin the development of specialized skills associated with specific areas. The choice of electives also recognizes the potential of varying backgrounds of students entering the program. In addition, the program is designed to provide the required skill sets in the two related areas of clinical informatics and healthcare systems informatics. Thus, there is a need for a degree of specialization as allowed by elective courses.
It is anticipated that students will either graduate with 11 or 12 elective credits depending on whether they elect to take one of the two credit courses offered in the Business Process area.
Capstone Rationale
The capstone requirement provides the student an experience-based educational opportunity. This allows the students to apply the skills and knowledge learned in the classroom in a real world setting and the opportunity to learn from working professionals. The capstone consists of a two semester residency-based experience combined with a weekly seminar that deals with these experiences and lectures/discussions on applied topics. The capstone also provides a critical program evaluation method based upon the feedback of industry participants and performance of the students.
Learning Outcomes
The learning outcomes for this proposed degree were developed by the faculty committee using multiple sources to inform the process. This included a review of programs at Universities and Colleges on a nationwide basis (see Addenda B and E), discussions with administrators at programs which are similar, discussions with faculty in related departments across the NKU campus, structured interviews with regional healthcare executives, two surveys of students, a review of business and trade press, and a review of research studies including seminal works by The Rand Corporation and The Commonwealth Fund.
The objectives of the program are driven by the skill-sets and knowledge identified through this process. These skill-sets and specialized knowledge can be directly explicated into learning outcomes. A list of these is provided in Table 2, along with courses associated with meeting this learning outcome. These learning outcomes were verified by the business leader interviews and course content taught at other Universities (Addendum C).
Table 2 Learning Outcomes and Associated Courses
Representative Learning Outcomes Associated Courses Technical Skills:
Healthcare Infrastructure Specialized Knowledge Competency in Core Software Applications
Database Design & Integration Health Information System Design
Healthcare Policy Project Management Quantitative analysis skills
Qualitative analysis skills
Course Listing: MHI 600,MHI 601 MHI 600, MHI 601 MSIS 635, MSIS 625, MSIS 600
MSIS 625, MHI 600, MHI 601 MHI 600, PHI 510
MSIS 650 MHI 650 MHI 650 Organizational Competencies (partial list):
Ethics in Health Informatics Communication
Teamwork, Collaborative Decision-Making Critical Thinking, Problem Solving
Lifelong Learning, Quick Study Benchmarking & Governance
Translation of Legacy Concepts, Tech. Evolution Problem Solving
Leadership
Course Listing:
All classes address elements of these competencies. The capstone courses bring the application of these
competencies into an actual work environment
Learning Outcome Assessment and Feedback
The efficacy of the curriculum relative to the learning outcomes will be continuously evaluated. This will take the form of the following modalities:
1. Student performance in the courses
2. Student performance on key indicators specific to each course 3. Student evaluations of the courses
4. Employer feedback from capstone residencies
5. Discussions with the College of Informatics Advisory Board
6. Evaluation of the electronic portfolio each student is required to create over the course of the program
7. Evaluation of individual student performance in the capstone 8. The success of students in securing employment
9. Follow-up surveys with graduates of the program
Feedback from these sources will be carefully evaluated by the director of the program and faculty teaching the courses. The data for this analysis will be accumulated annually and evaluated over an ongoing, longitudinal basis. When appropriate, changes will be made to the curriculum and individual courses in order to achieve improved student learning outcomes.
Statement of Need
Industry Need
There is a tremendous need for workers trained in health informatics. The American Medical Informatics Association has created a “10 X 10 Plan” designed to produce 10,000 new professionals in this field by 2010 (AMIA, 2006). The Bureau of Labor Statistics identified “medical records and health information technology” as the 6th largest field for projected growth, with a 47% increase in employment in the 10 years ending in 2012 (2004). The need is not only at large organizations. In an interview for this proposal, an executive director of a regional
medical society indicated that in his opinion, every mid-to-large physician group practice will require a health informatician. Every executive interviewed in our planning process across a range of organizations indicated a need for employees and a willingness to participate in the capstone course by providing residency opportunities.
This demand is being driven by the adoption of technology across the industry. A Rand Corporation study, while identifying the “relatively slow diffusion” of health information technology (HIT) and electronic medical records systems (EMR-S), isolated and examined ten major benefits that would accrue if an interoperable national system were in place, estimating an annualized net benefit of $34 billion nationally (Girosi, Meili & Scoville, 2005). Benefits extend beyond cost savings and include improved clinical care, continuity of care and improved access, outcome transparency, and workforce improvement (Commonwealth Fund, 2006).
The benefits of a “high performance health system” are apparent. But, the challenges of developing one are huge. Estimates are that nationally, 32% of acute care hospitals and about 16% of physician offices have begun to implement EMR-S. The mandated HHS goal of interoperable electronic health records by 2014 requires more than just EMR-S, including such elements as computerized physician order entry (CPOE), which has an estimated current penetration of only 10%, and picture archiving communication systems (PACS), with an estimated current penetration of only 20%, plus other hardware and software components (Brauer, 2005). All the elements of this interoperable system will be required to communicate with each other on a “mission critical” basis.
Highly trained professionals are required to develop, maintain, and use the technologies in healthcare. These professionals will not only need to understand technology, but also key elements in healthcare, including HIPAA compliance, FDA Regulations, JCAHO accreditation, evidence-based practices, and organizational issues surrounding clinical care. Thus, there is a need for a special curriculum in health informatics.
In developing this curriculum interviews were undertaken with a variety of industry executives, health informatics practioners, and a Health-IT executive recruiter (see Addendum F). Regular members of the Health Informatics Task Force included a recently retired operating officer of a regional hospital chain and a current VP-Clinical Informatics for a hospital group. All of these individuals have affirmed the need for graduates of this program. They also concurred with the structure and content of the proposed program.
This program serves the needs of the Northern Kentucky Region. The program addresses objectives articulated in Vision 2015 by:
1. Contributing to a competitive economy by providing technology specialists who can assist the healthcare industry in driving down costs and implementing innovative processes. The graduates will also meet the needs of pharma and biotech companies and many others businesses in the healthcare industry. The size of the HIT market also provides opportunities for start-ups and other new ventures to develop goods and services.
2. Providing educational excellence by developing a leading-edge program that will train graduates to compete in the globalized knowledge economy.
3. Contributing to regional stewardship by helping the healthcare industry to provide improved care while achieving greater efficiencies with the associated benefits accruing to the general population.
This program also provides an excellent fit with NKU’s academic strategic plan. The program cuts across traditional academic boundaries and leverages the resources of the College of Informatics and the School of Nursing & Health Professions. The proposed program also provides a complement to the plans for a proposed Master of Science in Health Innovation. In
discussions with representatives from the task force developing that program, there is an expectation of some shared courses and resources. In addition the establishment of a Health Informatics Program would provide a beachhead from which to launch a Health Innovation Program, including relationships with entities in the healthcare industry.
The program would also support the activities of the NKU’s Office of Economic Initiatives and the Infrastructure Management Institute. This support would include relationships with
businesses and institutions in the region, new business opportunities, skilled graduate student associates, and grant collaboration.
Student Demand
This program serves three principal groups of students: (a) nurses and nursing students seeking additional knowledge and credentials so that they may develop a clinical specialization in nursing informatics; (b) students wishing to develop an expertise and pursue an advanced-level career in the field of information technologies within the healthcare industry (broadly defined); and (c) working professionals in the health IT and clinical informatics field who need to expand their knowledge and skill set.
In undertaking market research for this program, the enthusiasm and interest of key individuals in healthcare organizations was great. There is a widely recognized need for professionals in health informatics. As stated, employers range from biotech companies to large hospitals and insurance companies. The proposed curriculum is designed to provide needed skills, and potential
employers universally supported the structure of the program. Thus, there is a high probability of employment in the region for graduates. An executive recruiter in HIT indicated that starting salaries would begin in the mid-$50,000 range. This should provide a significant draw for students.
To ascertain demand for the program from existing NKU students, an online survey was undertaken. The survey sample consisted of approximately 2,700 students. They were juniors and seniors with majors in the College of Business, College of Informatics, and all students majoring in Nursing. The survey was undertaken in conjunction with The Office of Curriculum Accreditation and Assessment and was conducted on November 9, 2006. Survey questions were designed to help with the planning of the proposed curriculum and gather data about potential students. The complete survey and student responses are in Addendum E.
There were a total of 66 respondents from the Business and Informatics students and 34 respondents from Nursing students. Thus the response rate was approximately 3.7%. Survey questions were designed to help with the planning of the proposed curriculum and gather data about potential students. Responses to all questions are available in Addendum F.
A brief definition of the field and proposed program and certificate was provided in the survey. Respondents must be considered self-selected and representing an interested element of the student body. Responses indicated a limited knowledge of health informatics, but had a great interest in the area.
In terms of direct measures of potential student demand:
• A total of 51% of the business/informatics and 41% of the nursing respondents indicated that they were very knowledgeable or somewhat knowledgeable about the area.
• The proposed M.S. in Health Informatics proved very popular with respondents. About 75% of the Business/Informatics respondents and 90% of nursing students indicated that they would be very likely or somewhat likely to enroll in the program. In raw numbers this represents 50 students and 30 students respectively.
• There was no effort made to ascertain demand by working professionals for continuing education. Discussions with industry executives indicated that they believed there would be significant demand. For example, a large regional hospital already asked if NKU would be interested in exploring the possibility of offering the certificate component of the program at their facility. Thus, there is anticipation of demand by this market segment.
Overall awareness of the health informatics space is limited. The resource requirements
identified for this program includes funding for marketing and advertising. This would be used to increase the profile of this field within the university and the community. Of the 100
respondents, what became clear was their significant positive interest, but also their desire to learn more about the field. Thus, some degree of promotion and education among students will be needed. Also, the Certificate Program would provide a mechanism for providing students access to the M.S. program.
Based upon the results of the student surveys and interviews with industry executives, there appears to be significant student demand for the M.S. in Health Informatics. This does not consider the market segment of working professionals seeking continuing education and professional certification.
Similar Programs
Addendum C provide a summary of leading Health and Nursing Informatics programs and their course content areas. There are no direct competitors for this program in the region. The nearest direct competitor is IUPUI in Indianapolis. The University of Louisville offers master’s degrees in public health and other clinically oriented areas. A meeting with the administrators of the School of Public Health and Information Sciences was held. While they offer some courses in clinical informatics, it is not a major focus of their program. They were very supportive of the structure and direction of NKU’s planned program and viewed it as a complement to their efforts. The University of Cincinnati Medical Center has launched a Center for Health Informatics which offers a biomedical informatics track within a curriculum leading to a Master of Science in Clinical Research and which also provides bioinformatics graduate training.
In terms of online degree programs, there are online programs in nursing informatics. The leading programs are at Duke University and the University of Maryland-Baltimore.
Job Opportunities for Program Graduates
The job opportunities for graduates of the Health Informatics Graduate Program are excellent. As detailed in the Statement of Need section of this proposal, the demand for individuals with
training in Health Informatics is great and will be growing. It is anticipated that students will track toward either the Clinical Informatics or Health Information Systems Informatics areas. Capstone residencies are likely to reflect these orientations. There is great demand in both market segments. In an interview for this proposal, an executive recruiter in Health Information
Technology indicated that starting salaries for students would be in the mid-$50,000 range. Additionally, supporting evidence for the demand for graduates has been documented in the American Medical Informatics Association’s 10x10 Program and by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.
Resources and Planning
Faculty and Staff Requirements
The majority of the courses in the proposed curriculum consist of existing Northern Kentucky University courses. The current faculty of the constituent departments are adequately trained and qualified to continue to deliver this course content.
Four new courses will be developed in conjunction with this proposed program. It is anticipated that three of these courses will require two new faculty members in the Department of Business Informatics. These faculty members will also take on the responsibilities of student mentoring, applied research, community and industry outreach, and potentially involvement in projects related to the Office of Economic Initiatives.
In an effort to provide an accurate estimation of the enrollment expectations of the proposed program, interviews with healthcare executives, two surveys of NKU undergraduates currently in related majors, analyzed enrollments in comparable programs, had discussions with
administrators at other Universities. Based upon these methods, the estimate is for 15 initial majors, growing to 20 new majors per year during years three and four.
Table 3 Projected Health Informatics Majors
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4
MHI Majors 15 30 40 40
This enrollment increase indicates the need for two additional faculty lines, one in the first year, and the second in the second year. As discussed, if the program is launched in Fall, 2007, there will be a limited window for marketing and promotion. The forecast does not include potential enrollments for courses taught off-site or for any portion of the program moving online. Table 4 presents the faculty, staff, and budgetary requirements expected if the proposal is approved.
Resources Required
Besides the faculty costs, resources would be required for director reassignment time and a graduate assistant. There is a need to educate and inform students and practitioners about this program. Thus, there is a resource requirement for advertising and promotion, particularly during the first two years of the program. There will be an additional need to operational support in the form of hiring expenses, travel and academic development for this program. This also will be particularly important during the first two years of the program. These resource requirements are delineated in Table 4.
Table 4 Faculty and Resource Requirements
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4
New Faculty Number Salary Benefits BIS 1 $70,000* $19,600* BIS 1 $72,100* $20,188* none none
New Part Time
Faculty $8,000* none none none
New Staff Salary Benefits $12,480 3,490 $12,854 3,600 $13,240 3,707 $13,637 3,818 Director
Re-assignment Time $7,000* none none none
Graduate Assistant $20,000 $21,400 $23,115 $24,725 Lab Expenses $4,000 $3,500 $2,500 $2,500 Advertising & Promotion $10,000 $7,500 $2,500 $2,500 Operational Support (Hiring Exp., Travel for Academic Development, etc.)
$10,500 $8,500 $3,500 $3,500
(*Continuing Expenses)
Non-traditional Course Delivery
This program would be offered in a traditional face to face format with the possibility of moving all or part of the curriculum online in the future. Many of the courses require computer labs and their scheduling will be managed by the Department of Business Informatics.
Collaboration with Other Institutions
The program is intended as a single institution offering. There are no plans to collaborate with outside institutions, with respect to the program or its delivery, in place at this time.
Advertising and Marketing
As discussed in the resource requirement section, there will be a need for advertising and marketing this program in order to inform and educate both students and practitioners about the program. This is particularly important during the first two years of the program due to its launch and to take advantage of the uniqueness of this program in the region.
Notes
American Medical Informatics Association, AMIA 10 X 10. Available at:
www.amia.org/10X10/
Brauer, D. (2004). The Decade of Health Information Technology: Delivering
Consumer-Centric and Information-Rich Health Care. Washington: HHS.
Available at:
w ww.hhs.gov/news/press/2004pres/20040721a.html
.
Bower, A.G. (2005). The Diffusion and Value of Healthcare Information Technology.
Santa Monica: The Rand Corporation.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (2004). “Selected Occupational Data, 2002 and Projected
2012” in Occupational Projections and Training Data, Bulletin 2572 (Bureau of
Labor Statistics, March 2004), pp. 66-67.
Commonwealth Fund (2006). Framework for a High Performance Health System for the
U.S. New York: Commonwealth Fund. Available at:
www.cmwf.org
.
Coiera E. (2004). Guide to Health Informatics, 2
nded. Edmonton: Arnold Publishing.
Girosi, F., Meili, R. & Scoville, (2005). Extrapolating Evidence of Health Information
Technology Savings and Costs. Santa Monica: Rand Corporation.
Newbold, S.K. (2006). Nursing Informatics: faq’s. Available at:
Addenda
Sample 2-Year Plan of Study
New Course Descriptions
Summary of Health and Nursing Informatics Programs
Summary of Student Surveys
Addendum A
Sample MHI M.S. Program
Fall
Spring
MHI/MNS 600 (f)
3
MHI/MNS 650 (f)
3
MHI/MNS 601 (f)
3
MSIS 650 (f)
3
MSIS 625 (f)
3
MHI 693
3
Year
1
Total Hours 9 Total hours 9
Fall
Spring
MSIS 635 (f)
3
ACC 605 (e)
2
COM 65
5
(e)
3
MSIS 660 (e)
3
MHI 690 (c)
3
MHI 690 (c)
3
Year
2
Total Hours 9 Total hours 8
(f) Foundation Course
(e) Elective Course
Addendum B
New Course Descriptions
MHI/MNS 600 Introduction to Healthcare Operations MHI 601 Technical Foundations of Health Informatics MHI/MNS 650 Research Methods for Health Informatics
COM 655 Health Communication
MHI 600: Introduction to Healthcare Operations
[Required Foundation Course]
Texts:
Kongstvedt
, P. R. (2001). The Managed Health Care Handbook (4
thEdition). Jones & Bartlett
Publishers. ISBN: 0834217260
Objectives:
1.
Students will demonstrate a working knowledge of basic business practices and
procedures within the healthcare industry as evidenced through in-class assignments
and examinations.
2.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the interdependency between business
and clinical practices within the health industry as evidenced though in-class
discussions and presentations
3.
Students will demonstrate a working knowledge of the terminology around clinical
procedures and their translation into revenue production as assessed through class
projects and presentations.
Topics:
•
Clinical terminology
•
Basic business terminology
•
Hierarchy and organizational structures within the healthcare industry
•
Organizational protocol, system flow, and business process within the healthcare
industry
Coursework:
•
In-class exercises/homework assignments
•
Midterm/Final exam
•
Group projects
•
Presentations
MHI 600: Introduction to Healthcare Operations
(3, 0, 3). In order to prepare students to
be competent informatics practitioners within the healthcare industry, this course introduces
students to the fundamental terminology, practices, and procedures found in the interaction of
clinical and business operations.
MHI/MNS 601 Technical Foundations of Health Informatics
[Required Foundation Course]
MHI/MNS 601 Technical Foundations of Health Informatics
(3, 0, 3). This core
course that provides an introduction to concepts and trends in the Health Informatics field
both locally and nationally. The course provides an overview of networks, software, and
computers in healthcare with a particular focus on their use in interoperable systems.
Applications include electronic health records, computerized physician order entry, and
digital imaging.
Sample Texts:
Weaver, C. (2006). Nursing and Informatics for the 21st Century. New York: Springer Science.
Objectives and Outcomes:
1.
Students will be introduced to and expected to comprehend the nomenclature, jargon,
acronyms, etc. surrounding the Health Informatics practice at a practical and
conversational level.
2.
Students will be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of how Health Informatics fits
into the hospital environment, the clinicians practice, the patients’ live, and the local
community and national community.
3.
Students will be able to evaluate the basic processes found in the health care industry
looking for appropriate applications for health informatics.
Topics:
•
The History of Health Informatics
•
Purpose, Structure, and Functions of Health Information Systems Departments
•
How to assess processes and determine informatics solutions to improve patient safety
and quality.
•
Life Cycle of I.S. applications and strategies
•
An introduction to the regulatory and national drivers of healthcare informatics such as
RHIO, CCHIT, National EMR initiatives, HIMSS, AMIA, and HIPAA.
•
Research project and presentation about an existing electronic health application.
•
Return on Investment analysis (qualitative and quantitative).
•
Implementation models for technology solutions
•
Facilitation skills for agreement on interdisciplinary solutions.
•
Decision Support and clarity supporting the business needs. Assignments surrounding
available clinical decision-making tools.
•
Technology as a tool for distributed patient education.
•
Informatics nomenclature such as EMR, EEHR, PHR, SQL, SAN, LAN, WAN, and
RFID.
•
Informatics Leadership: What Chief Nursing Officers and the others in the c-suite need to
know and how they can champion solutions.
•
The role of informaticists in clinical practices.
•
Informatics competencies needed for every practicing nurse.
•
Research team projects about Informatics Roadmaps for federal government entities such
as the National Institute of Health, Vendors, and how an informaticist can make an
impact.
•
Career opportunities for health informaticists.
Coursework:
•
Team assignments
•
On site Presentations
•
Guest Speakers
•
Midterm/Final
•
Homework
MHI/MNS 650: Research Methods for Health Informatics
[Required Foundation Course]
Sample Texts:
Creswell, J. (2002). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches
(2nd Edition). ISBN
:
0761924426.
Ulin
, P.,
Robinson
. E., &
Tolley
, E. (2004). Qualitative Methods in Public Health: A Field
Guide for Applied Research. ISBN: 0787976342.
Horton, L. Calculating and Reporting Healthcare Statistics. American Health Information
Management Association. ISBN 1584261293.
Objectives and Learning Outcomes:
1.
Students will demonstrate a sound knowledge of quantitative and qualitative
methodologies as evidenced by class assignments and examinations.
2.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of empirical data collection methods
through text readings and class discussions.
3.
Students will be able to conduct basic quantitative and qualitative analysis of data
through homework assignments and class projects.
4.
Students will learn the research process through participation in a comprehensive
class research project.
Topics:
•
Fundamentals of empirical research
•
Quantitative analysis programs (SPSS/SAS)
•
Qualitative analysis programs (Nudist)
•
Data mining
Coursework & Assessment:
•
In-class exercises/homework assignments
•
Midterm/Final exam
•
Class project
MHI/MNS 650: Research Methods for Health Informatics
(3,0,3).
This course introduces
students to quantitative and qualitative research methodologies within the health industry.
Students will learn the basics of empirical health informatics research and will be provided
with the conceptual framework to develop their own research projects. Topics include:
research design, data collection, data analysis, data mining, and issues concerning privacy and
the treatment of human subjects.
COM 65
5
: Health Communication
[Elective]
Sample Text:
du Pre, A. (2004). Communicating about health: Current issues and perspectives (2
ndEd).
Mountain View, CA: Mayfield.
Objectives and Learning Outcomes:
1.
Students will understand and apply various theoretical lenses to contemporary
healthcare issues through in-class activities and presentations.
2.
Students will comprehend and think critically about research within the field of health
communication through class readings and discussions.
3.
Students will learn the research process by demonstrating the ability to design and
implement an original research project.
Topics:
•
Health communication theory
•
Research methods in health communication
•
Provider-patient interaction
•
Organizational issues within healthcare
•
Interpersonal communication within healthcare
•
Media issues within healthcare
Coursework & Assessment:
•
Midterm Exam
•
Peer-reviewed journal analyses
•
In-Class Presentations
•
Original Research Project
COM 65
5
: Health Communication
(3, 0, 3)
This course is designed to introduce students to
the wide range of scholarship about health communication. The course begins with an
introduction to the field of health communication, ethical concerns in the health care
environment, and the models that frame theory and empirical research in this area.
Through textbook readings, case studies, and research projects, the following issues will be
addressed: the creation of health meanings, health care socialization, health care teams,
telemedicine, stress and burnout among health care workers, and social support at the dyadic,
group, and community levels.
MHI 690 Health Informatics Capstone
[Required]
MHI Health Informatics (3, 6, 9) for consecutive Fall and Spring Semesters.
Students
are assigned to a local healthcare institution or business to work on assigned projects and
are supervised locally as well as by a faculty advisor. This allows students to integrate
academic experience into real world situations while developing skills and knowledge
required in the field. Students who are currently employed in healthcare will be allowed
to develop a capstone project in conjunction with their employer. Students also attend a
one hour per week seminar were the required electronic portfolio is reviewed and
evaluated with revisions applied. The seminar also requires assignments that build
organizational competencies such as communication skills, team-work, and critical
thinking. PREREQ: successful completion of 15 credits toward MHI Degree
Sample Texts:
Ruggiero, Vincent, Beyond Feelings: A Guide to Critical Thinking, 7
thed., (McGraw
Hill, 2004)
Robbins, Harvey and Finley, Michael, The New Why Teams Don’t Work: What Goes
Wrong and How to Make It Right, (Berret-Kohler Publishers, 2000)
Other assigned reading relevant to projects (variable)
Objectives:
1.
Provide a forum for evaluating student performance relative to the learning outcome
objectives of the MHI Degree
2.
Provide students the opportunity to gain experience while working in teams when doing
an actual project on-site including deadlines and deliverables.
3.
Allow the student to further develop organizational competency skills and health
informatics knowledge which are required by employers
4.
Allow the faculty to review the student’s electronic portfolio and provide a framework
for any revisions or improvements required
5.
Provide a feedback mechanism to faculty on whether learning outcomes are being
achieved
Topics:
1.
Team project assignments and periodic reviews
2.
Effective consulting communication
3.
Team building exercises
4.
Critical thinking exercises
5.
Electronic portfolio reviews and faculty/peer analyses
6.
Residency project presentation
Coursework & Assessment:
In-class
exercises
Electronic
portfolio
review
Addendum C
Representative Health and Nursing Informatics
Representative Programs
University of Alabama-Birmingham (60 Credits)
The Health Informatics Program (HI) offers a curriculum which integrates the domains of information science, information resources management, and health care organization and management. The purpose of the program is to train broadly educated individuals who are concerned with the introduction and enhancement of information technology in health care organizations. Graduates are prepared to assume positions in the strategic planning, management, design, integration, implementation, and evaluation of clinical and administrative information systems in health care enterprises. Employment opportunities exist with health care provider systems, hospitals, clinics, managed care organizations, vendors of health information systems, consulting groups, governmental agencies, and other health-related enterprises. Key Courses: Analysis & Design of Health Systems, Communication & Networks, Financial Management, Intro to H.I. and Health Care Delivery, Databases & Data Modeling, Clinical & Administrative Systems, Security & Privacy
UC-Davis (43 Credits)
The explosion of medical and biological information has made it clear that innovative advances in storing, retrieving, and interpreting information are essential for health professionals and scientists. Physicians can no longer expect to master comprehensively the information in their areas of expertise. Instead, they must increasingly rely upon problem solving strategies and the ability to access systematically the information required for thoughtful patient care.
In 1999 UC Davis began educating health professionals in the Medical Informatics Master's degree program, which produced graduates who now have successful careers in industry, academia, public health, and other related fields. Capitalizing on the success of this early Medical Informatics training program, the newly designed Health Informatics Program now offers a unique and comprehensive graduate training program in Health Informatics.
Our Mission: The mission of the multidisciplinary Medical Informatics Program is to “develop health care systems as information environments."
Key Courses: Seminar in Health Informatics, Intro to H.I., Scientific Data Management, Decision Support Systems, Clinical Data Acquisition, Web-based Enterprise Computing, Telemedicine)
Indiana University/Purdue University Indianapolis (36 Credits)
The School of Informatics offers a Master of Science in Health Informatics at IUPUI to address certain needs emanating from the rapidly changing health care environment. Research and educational programs in medical, nursing, and health informatics are growing at a rapid rate nationally.
Key Courses: Intro to Informatics, Information Management, Social Impact of Information Technology, Health Informatics Applications, 9 credits: Computer Science or Informatics, 6 credits: other electives.
University of Louisville
The Department of Health Management and Systems Sciences focuses on health systems structures, properties, and behaviors, including effects of and on people and organizations and methods for implementing change. Interest areas include health information management, health services research, health economics, and health regulations and policies related to information management and systems. The Department is collaborating with other groups in the University, Louisville Metro Health
Department, Kentucky Department for Public Health, and local healthcare institutions. The Department is participating with the Department of Health Knowledge and Cognitive Sciences in courses in health informatics.
Key Courses: Health Practice & Administration, Legal & Bioethical Issues, Intro to Health Systems, Systems Structure, People & Organizational Issues, Services Research, Information Systems, Health Economics, Health Policy.
University of Missouri (MS- 33 Credits, Executive Program- 33 Credits )
Department of Health Management and Informatics
Mission Statement: Creating the future of health care deliverythrough
• the development and application of knowledge for providing evidence-based solutions to health policy decisions in a cross cultural and global context,
• the preparation of leaders who effect change in complex and diverse organizations to achieve the highest level of population-based health, and
• professional management and informatics education provided in a convenient and timely manner for continuous professional development.
Key Courses: Design & Management of Healthcare Systems, Admin. of Healthcare Orgs, Data & Systems Integration, Enterprise Information Architecture, Knowledge Management in Healthcare, Decision Support, Security & Policy, Health Economics.
University of Maryland-(offered out of School of Management, 36 credits, Certificate-14-15 credits) The Master of Science in Health Administration Informatics (MSHAI) degree has a dual emphasis: health care administration and informatics (information science) applied to the health care industry. It is geared toward health care professionals as well as information technology professionals who work in health care settings.
The MSHAI degree will enable students to develop management and technical competencies that are critical for overseeing the complex coordination and planning necessary to meet health administration informatics needs. The MSHAI degree also will enable students to work in consultative, vendor and insurance provider positions in acute health care facilities, primary care settings, integrated delivery systems, long term care and other health care settings. Students will learn strategic planning,
implementation and evaluation of information systems, as well as legal, ethical and quality management aspects of information technology for the health care setting.
Key Courses: Introduction to Healthcare Administration, Computer Systems, Research Methods, Risk Assessment & Security, Finance, Legal Aspects.
University of Pittsburgh Health Information Management (BS, MS-Concentration-41 credits)
M.S. Concentration: The health information science (HIS) concentration prepares professionals responsible for the development and management of health information systems consistent with the clinical, fiscal, administrative, ethical, and legal requirements of healthcare institutions. Graduates of this program analyze, design, implement, and evaluate health information systems. As members of the healthcare team, they interact with other healthcare professionals and administrators, and provide healthcare data for patient care, research, quality improvement, strategic planning, reimbursement, and related managerial functions.
Key Courses: Data Analysis & Business Issues in Health Care, Issues in Health Systems, Object-Oriented Programming, Project Management, Introduction to Health Systems.
University of Texas-Houston (42 Credits, Certificate-15 credits)
Health Informatics is the study of how health data are collected, stored, and communicated; how these data are processed into health information suitable for administrative and clinical decision making; and how computers and telecommunications technology can be applied to support these processes. Health informaticians are in great demand and may work in various clinical, research and educational environments. There is a widespread, generally acknowledged need for people trained in health informatics
Key Courses: Information Systems, Health Data & Electronic Records, Decision-Making in Healthcare, Advanced Database Concepts, Legal and Ethical Aspects, Health Information Security Systems, Object Oriented Programming in H.I., Health Data Display, Project Management in Healthcare, Image Processing, additional specialized courses.
The University of Victoria—British Columbia (B.S., M.S. ~35 Credits)
The mission of the School is to improve health care delivery systems by educating individuals to be effective developers, users and managers of health information resources; by advancing knowledge through research; and by providing a consultative service to the health care community. The School's view of health information encompasses clinical, sociological, epidemiological, administrative, legal, and economic perspectives. Health is seen from a community perspective and encompasses the full range of services including health promotion and disease prevention, home care, community health and
occupational health, physicians’ services, institutional acute care, rehabilitation and extended care. As health information is increasingly being processed by computers and transmitted by communications technology, the School's programs have a significant technological component.
Key Courses: Health Information Management, Patient Care Information Systems, Research Methods in H.I., Critical Appraisal of Health Sciences Literature, Data Analysis, etc.
University of Washington (MS and Certificate)
UW Biomedical and Health Informatics is a research and training program that emphasizes both the basic and applied aspects of informatics and greatly values and draws strength from the interdisciplinary and inter-professional aspects of the field.
Our activities occur in three major areas:
• Research: Our goal is to advance the science of Biomedical and Health Informatics. This science is the study of the acquisition, maintenance, retrieval, and application of biomedical knowledge and information to improve patient care, medical education, and health sciences research. Our scope is a continuum ranging from applied (the use of new technologies and methodologies in medicine, biology and healthcare) to basic (an abstract study of the fundamental constructs and methodologies of informatics).
• Training: Our goal is to prepare students for careers in research, teaching, health care information technology, and the health care computing industry. The program emphasizes: cutting edge interdisciplinary research, defining the field through curriculum development, and modeling professional training.
• Service: Our goal is to serve as a test-bed and showcase of (a) solutions to difficult problems in health care information management, and (b) innovative teaching of biomedicine, as well as informatics itself. We strive to contribute to the conceptualization and development of innovative clinical, academic, and educational information systems, services and tools within the UW Academic Medical Center, the University, regionally and nationally. We seek to play a leadership role in relevant informatics initiatives and professional organizations.
Key Courses:
Knowledge Representation, Decision Support, Controlled & Structured Vocabularies, Data Acquisition & Presentation, Interface Design, Information Retrieval, Management Issues, Standards
