I. MS Applied Health Informatics Core Curriculum (24 credits)
The core curriculum is common to all students regardless of specialization. A passing grade of a B- or higher is required for each course.
HHA 500 Health Care Delivery Systems (3 credits): This course will focus on historic and current issues that impact the US healthcare delivery system with a primary focus on how health care is delivered, organized, governed, and financed. There will be an overview of special populations and major diseases including epidemics, chronic illness, and acute illness; and the interrelated concepts of access, quality, and cost. The influence of an evolving healthcare delivery system on the practice of health informatics (meaningful use, Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH), etc.) will be emphasized.
HHA 501 Biomedical and Health Informatics Essentials (3 credits): This course provides broad but significant immersion into the field of biomedical and health informatics. Special emphasis on: the clinical flow of data (acquisition, use, and storage of information in healthcare), biomedical research, informatics and public health, decision and cognitive science. Electronic health records, personal health records, personalized medicine, imaging, telemedicine, concepts of meaningful use, Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH), and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) are also explored.
HHA 502 Health Information Systems and HIT (3 credits): This course provides broad but significant immersion into the fields of health information systems and health information technology (HIT). Emphasis on: systems analysis, clinical decision-support, integrated networking and distributed computing technologies, telemedicine applications, mobile applications, cloud computing, architecture and infrastructures, and database and systems administration.
HHA 503 Regulations, Confidentiality, Privacy and Security (3 credits): This course provides foundational knowledge in the laws, regulations, policies and procedures related to the confidentiality, privacy, and security on all levels of health-related information and infrastructures. Special emphasis on: interoperability, HIPAA/HITECH Privacy Rule and Security Standards, Code Set Rules, meaningful use, and IT security forensics.
HHA 504 Database Design and Development for Health Informatics Professionals (3 credits): This course covers relational database theory and development methodology. Emphasis on the progression through a health information systems development life cycle through the design, development, deployment, administration, testing, evaluation, and maintenance of a database. Introduces students to relational query languages (i.e. SQL).
HHA 505 Leadership and Management Essentials (3 credits): This course provides broad but significant immersion concepts of organizational change, leadership, organizational behavior, project management and change management. Emphasis on: healthcare project life-cycle, theoretical and applied strategies of managing change, communication and group dynamics, systems thinking, and strategic planning.
HHA 506 Research Design and Methodology for the Health Informatics Professionals (3 credits): This hybrid course provides an in-depth overview of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research designs and methodologies. The student will analyze, evaluate and practice the philosophical foundations, characteristics, strengths, and limitations of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research designs and methodologies most appropriate to the practice of health informatics. Emphasis on critical review and techniques of applied research and evaluation.
HHA 507 Statistics for Health Informatics Professionals (3 credits): Quantitative data analysis techniques utilized in patient safety research are explored. Topics include descriptive, inferential, and correlational statistics. Students learn to use available computer programs to conduct a variety of descriptive, inferential, and correlational statistical tests.
