Program Overview
This program is geared toward health care and information systems professionals currently employed or with experience in a health care or technology environment, or who have an interest in the advancement of information technologies in the health care delivery sector.
The evolution of information and communication technologies is transforming the health care system and creating new ways of accessing and exchanging information that will impact the health care sector. Health care and information systems professionals currently employed or with experience in a health care or technology environment, or who have an interest in the advancement of information technologies in the health care delivery sector, will be interested in this program.
The Health Informatics graduate certificate program brings together professionals in health-related and information technology sectors to develop specialists in health informatics who can respond to the current and emerging needs of health care systems. This intensive program is designed for IT, health care or related professionals who aspire to enter into a health informatician/analyst role, or practitioners who wish to enhance their experience with formal education. Participants will be engaged and supported by a team of health informatician/business system analyst professionals and faculty in developing critical skills and competencies in the areas of:
- health care systems, technologies and trends
- ethical, professional, legal and policy implications of health information systems technologies and health information standards
- problem identification and analysis
- documenting and analyzing health care organization, health-user and solution requirements
- process, workflow and system/solution modelling
- project management
- technical writing
- leadership and management
- business and system analysis techniques and core-professional competencies such as analytical thinking and problem solving, communication and facilitation, and interactional skills.
The Health Informatics program provides breadth and depth of applied knowledge in the field of health informatics. A key characteristic that sets this graduate certificate program apart is the applied nature of the curriculum. Students will be immersed in the process of health informatics/analysis through case studies, industry projects and practical work experience, and will be responsible for developing solutions. The uniqueness of this program is in creating graduates with work-ready skills built through applied, hands-on experience.
Graduates of the program will have acquired knowledge, skills and competencies relevant to professional certification programs in Health Informatics/Information and Management Systems.
Graduates will be able to:
- Formulate change strategies to implement appropriate health information systems technologies (HIST) within the health care setting.
- Apply business and system analysis techniques to evaluate the effectiveness of health information systems technologies within a health-related setting.
- Integrate relevant standards and professional, ethical and legislative requirements with the appropriate health information system technologies.
- Design training and education for the effective use of HIST.
COMP 1180: Portfolio I
This course will provide students a customized approach to self-assessment of their knowledge, skills and competencies in the field of health informatics. The objective of this course is to equip students to realize their full potential and maximize their learning in the graduate certificate program, as well as, prepare them for life-long learning. This self-assessment will result in a focus on a career path and development related to the program outcomes. A variety of strategies and tools will be used to assist the student in achieving their learning plan.
COMP 4011 Career Preparation
This course will introduce the students to the necessary career skills that are important to establish a career in health informatics.
COMP 4012: Business Communication
Communication in all forms is critical for Health Informatics professionals working within the complex health care system. This course prepares students to effectively communicate with all stakeholders through different means of communication. Students will learn about active listening techniques, business communications, proposal research and development and effective oral communication techniques.
COMP 4013 Qualitative Research
Qualitative research is primarily concerned with the analysis of behavioural patterns. It is imperative that health informatics professionals know what the needs and wants of end users are if they are to incorporate them into better HI systems that improve patient outcomes. To that end, in this course students learn and apply methodologies of qualitative data collection that may include observation, interviews or other verbal interactions. Students analyze research results and evaluate research studies in the context of a given health informatics issue.
COMP 4014 Canadian Healthcare System
This course will introduce students to the social, political and economic context of health care from the federal, provincial and municipal perspective, as it relates to a variety of health care professions and settings. The Canadian health care system will be examined with a focus on issues and policies affecting the delivery of health care in Ontario specifically. Students will be introduced to all levels of care delivery, with a focus on health care reform. The role of relevant health care practitioners and their relevant professional associations will be also reviewed. Students will be introduced to a broad scope of health information systems technologies, their application and benefits within health-related settings.
COMP 4015 Health Care Information Technology
Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of information technology as applicable to health-related settings, be it in the hospital, small physician office, or in home and community care, using a combination of lectures, assigned readings, in-class demonstrations, and workshops. Topics include a definition of health informatics; health care data; hospital and primary care information systems (i.e. electronic health records [EHR] systems); specialty components of an EHR system; how healthcare professionals use data; patient information systems; consumer health informatics, public health informatics and global health informatics; mobile health (mHealth), telemedicine, artificial intelligence (AI); and the emergence of virtual care.
COMP 4016 Quantitative Research
The focus of this course is quantitative data analysis. Students apply ‘industry standard’ statistical analysis software to organize, display and test data relevant to health informatics. Students analyze data and evaluate research studies. Strategies for critically reviewing, integrating and disseminating quantitative research findings to practice will be discussed.
HLTH 1101 Leadership and Change Management
The implementation of new systems in complex organizations can easily overwhelm employees. This course explores the role of information technology in the healthcare environment, the complexity of informatics in healthcare and prepares students to effectively manage the introduction of systems to the organization and managing change.
COMP 4021 Project Management and Implementation
A central role of a Health Informatician is to oversee the implementation and management of various HI projects. Students apply project initiation, stakeholder analysis, project planning, reporting, resources and risk management, Decision Support Systems (DSS) and expert systems, vendor issues, team roles, communication strategies, and project close-out issues to reality-based case studies. Students use standard project management software/tools and are exposed to a variety of budgetary models to assess return on investment (ROI) issues.
COMP 4022 Cutting Edge of Health Information Technology
This course explores trends within current and emerging fields of e-health and telehealth applications and the issues related to consumer health informatics. Students examine state-of-the-art technologies and their use in supporting the delivery of health care. In addition, students debate the impact of e-health information on consumer expectations. Strategies for improving the management of IT initiatives and overcoming barriers to system integration are discussed. Real life case studies supplement course material.
COMP 4024 Health Data Standards
The significance of data standards cannot be over emphasized: health informatics professionals need to understand the relationship between health data standards and health informatics. This course introduces students to the need for nomenclature, classification systems and taxonomies as they relate to health informatics. The significance of data standards, minimum data sets, such as those used in the Discharge Abstract Database (DAD), National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS) and Canadian MIS database (CMDB) will be analyzed.
COMP 4025 Privacy and Confidentiality
Health information is individual and intimately personal. Health informatics professionals must comply with privacy legislation as it relates to this highly sensitive information. Students learn the privacy laws and regulations relevant to a job in health informatics and gain an appreciation for the important privacy and confidentiality considerations relevant to the creation, implementation and maintenance of electronic health records and health informatics systems.
COMP 4033 Health Information Systems Analysis and Evaluation
This course focuses on current and emerging systems used in various health care settings. Business/clinical process mapping methodologies and modeling tools are used in a computerized lab environment to assess existing processes and map future ones. Concepts and methodologies used in systems development life cycle and strategies of systems analysis, design and implementation are discussed. The use of variant management models of IT infrastructure and the role of various individuals such as end-users, managers and IT personnel in different situations are analyzed. The use of best practices in system training and implementation is evaluated. User interface issues in system selection, adoption and IT support are also emphasized.
COMP 4034 Portfolio II
Portfolio II allows the student to complete their personal career portfolio and to prepare for a career in Health Informatics. Through class discussion, guest speakers and career preparation professionals, the student will prepare for interviews and starting careers in Health Informatics.
