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Online Education Guide

Guide to College Majors in Medical Informatics

What is Medical Informatics?

Medical informatics professionals use information technology to benefit the health and human services industry. They create and maintain new ways for hospitals to keep records, making essential medical information as accessible as possible. Medical informatics specialists create new ways for hospitals and research centers to communicate with one another, while streamlining the interpersonal communication between staff members and patients.

Though every industry employs informatics specialists, they make the strongest impact in the medical field. The speed and accuracy with which medical information is conveyed can be the difference between life and death. For instance, if a doctor prescribes a common medication that the patient is allergic to, the effects could be devastating. But, if the doctor can review the patient's detailed medical records, indicating allergies and medical history, this sort of situation can be avoided.

While this sounds very similar to most computer science jobs, many informatics specialists work in a more applied fashion than computer scientists. Medical informatics specialists are more concerned with the user-compatibility and interface of the technology.

This young and growing field offers many opportunities to medical informatics graduates. Since this is a new field, it gives the individual the opportunity to enter an industry that is poised to expand in usefulness and complexity. The graduates of today's degree programs in medical informatics will be the pioneers of the field.

Graduates from a degree program in medical informatics work in a variety of environments. These include hospitals, medical research laboratories, health insurance companies, Internet companies, health information technology suppliers, or consulting organizations. Within each of these environments lie opportunities as database administrators, project managers, project designers, computer programmers, researchers, or systems analysts.

What the medical informatics specialist does within these areas depends entirely on their concentration. Generally, they provide technical support for databases, they design new systems, and they make purchasing decisions for new equipment. They also evaluate usability, they figure out ways to enhance systems, they check data for accuracy, and they train staff members how to access the database.

Students in medical informatics degree programs can choose to specialize within any of these areas:

• Bioinformatics
• Public Health Informatics
• Organizational Informatics
• Social Informatics
• Clinical Informatics

Bioinformatics specialists concern themselves with biomedical information. How to store, retrieve, share and use this information is critical for solving problems and making decisions in biomedical science. This field also encompasses the specialties of chemical informatics, nursing informatics, and dental informatics.

Public health informatics involves using information technology and computer science to influence the way the public learns about health and health care. It focuses on providing public access to the latest medical research, as well as supplying public health practices with the information they need.

Organizational informatics specialists try to bring an organization together through the use of information technology and computerized systems. They focus on resolving electronic communication issues between different branches of a medical organization or company.

Social informatics specialists study the ways in which information technology affects social environments, as well as the way social environments affect information technology. Social informatics specialists study all the social aspects of computer science and information technology.

Clinical informatics deals with the use of information technology in clinical research and patient care. It also involves the use of information technology in medical education, playing a role in educating at-home patients as well as future medical practitioners.

The career opportunities for an individual graduating with a medical informatics degree are numerous, and the industry continues to grow. A career in medical informatics can be an excellent opportunity for an individual to bring their specialized computer skills to medicine, helping to make medical professionals more effective and providing a valuable public service.

Is a Career in Medical Informatics Right for You?

Choosing to enter a degree program in medical informatics is a big decision. Because of the specialized nature of the field, it requires commitment from the student. Students that are currently computer science or information technology majors can make the transition quite easily, since both career tracks require many of the basic computer skills.

Certain characteristics and skills are necessary to excel in medical informatics. These skills must either be brought with the student into the program or developed as the student moves through the program. These skills and characteristics include:

• Attention to detail.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Problem solving.
• Troubleshooting.
• Ability to approach computer problems in a creative manner.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to apply technology in a practical, real-world way.
• Ability to explain complicated material in a way that anyone could understand.
• Intimate knowledge of computer hardware and software being employed.
• Grace under pressure.
• Customer service skills.
• Working with a wide variety of associates, including programmers, managers, designers, and administrators.
• Sincere desire to help people in the medical community, including patients and doctors.

If this sounds like you, then a degree in medical informatics might be just the thing for you! If you are still unsure, consider some basic computer science or information technology training to test the water before diving in. This can also increase your chances of excelling in an informatics program once you decide to go for it.

Preparing to Enter a Health Informatics Degree Program

Once you have decided to pursue a degree in medical informatics, you can do several things to increase your chances of acceptance into a medical informatics degree program and subsequent success within that program.

First, try to tailor your remaining high school curriculum towards math and science, particularly computer science, biology, and chemistry. Building competencies in these areas can increase your chances of success and decrease the chances of possible frustration.

If you have already graduated from high school without some of those prerequisites, consider enrolling in continuing education classes at local institutions. Computer science is a very popular continuing education topic. The price of the class will reap larger dividends when you enter a rigorous degree program.

Research various medical informatics degree programs to find out what program is right for you. Recent high school graduates might want to participate in an on-campus degree program, while working professionals or people with families might consider an online degree program in medical informatics. Online degree programs and distance learning programs can make it possible to earn a degree without quitting your job or leaving your family for extended periods of time.

Career Education in Medical Informatics

Undergraduate and Graduate degree and certificate programs

Degree programs in medical informatics range from certificate level programs (graduate and undergraduate level certificates) to Bachelor's and Master's degrees in the various disciplines of medical informatics, including Biomedical Computing or Health Information Management.

It is very common for medical informatics degree programs to be conducted online, sometimes in coordination with several intense summer sessions. Since the Internet is at the heart of information technology, it is only natural that this makes a very appropriate and effective forum for teaching the subject of informatics.

Online degree programs in medical informatics also allow participants to continue their professional careers while receiving their education, instead of having to put their work lives in professional limbo. Online degree and distance learning programs also allow working parents to get a quality education while fulfilling their important obligation to their family.

Certificate Programs

Most certificate level programs in medical informatics appeal to professionals already working in the field who wish to expand their knowledge or specialize in a certain area. Introductory certificate programs are also available for students who wish to gain an overview of the field in preparation of an undergraduate degree in medical informatics.

Many graduate level certificate program credits take less than three semesters to complete. Most are offered online or through distance learning programs. There are many options for students wishing to specialize in a branch of medical informatics. These include:

• Nursing Informatics: These certificate courses focus on how information technology can be applied to the decision-making processes and working practices of nurses. These applications are discussed in the context of hospital patient care, medical education, and medical research.
  
  
• Healthcare Informatics: Healthcare administrators and professionals rely on data to make decisions about how healthcare can be more effectively integrated. Healthcare informatics specialists streamline the technology that processes this data to make it more practical and relevant to the professionals utilizing it.
  
  
• Healthcare Data Security Management: Focusing on protecting the privacy rights of patients, these programs teach informatics specialists how to maintain systems that help healthcare professionals comply with all legal regulations, as well as maintain ethical standards in their business practices throughout their organization.

Bachelor's Degree Programs

Bachelor's degree programs in health informatics are typically four-year programs focusing on the ways that the health and medical fields acquire, store, and utilize data. These programs emphasize computer science, biology, chemistry, and mathematics. The curriculum covers everything from genetics to artificial intelligence.

The first year of a medical informatics degree program usually consists of many general biology, chemistry, and introductory computer science classes, as well as some algebra and calculus. The second year begins the integration of these disciplines, combining mathematics with computing and moving into the more elusive and experimental field of genetics research. Students also begin to learn about how information technology affects all these subjects.

The final two years usually consist of more specialized study in the sciences and computer science realms. Statistics are studied, as well as database management. Often, degree programs will require the completion of some sort of undergraduate project, similar to a graduate thesis. Each program is different, so prospective students should get in touch with the informatics department of the college they will attend.

A Bachelor's degree in health informatics is usually required to work professionally in this field. Some students enroll immediately into a Masters degree program after graduation, while many others proceed directly into the workforce, obtaining careers in informatics.

Master's Degree Programs

Students wishing to further their education in medical informatics or to specialize in one branch of the field can enroll in a Master's Degree program in medical informatics. These programs are commonly offered on-campus or via distance learning programs with one or two intensive, weeklong residencies per year.

Most Master's degree programs in health informatics require students to complete a thesis before they can graduate. Master's programs also allow students to customize the program to fit their own needs. This means that a professional who has been working in a specialized area of medical informatics, such as database management, won't have to take many classes about database management to graduate. The student can instead focus on the areas with which they have less familiarity.

Master's degree programs in medical informatics also provide the student with essential research experience. This helps the student learn how to solve problems through intense research. Graduates rely on these skills to make more informed decisions. These programs provide graduates with a strong background in the effective collection and storage of information.

Students wishing to continue their education after the Master's degree level can move on to obtain a PhD in the field, or participate in one of many specialized graduate level certificate programs. Both programs can be entered while simultaneously maintaining a career in medical informatics.

Doctoral Programs

Colleges and universities design Doctoral programs to prepare the student to conduct research in medical informatics. The PhD in medical informatics also prepares the student to teach at the university level.

Most programs require extensive research and advanced coursework culminating in a doctoral dissertation. Students use their dissertations to make unique and important contributions to the study of medical informatics. Training involves advanced and integrated studies in health and medicine, computer science, biomedical research, information technology, and professional health administration.

Students who participate in doctoral programs in health informatics go on to lead their industry by becoming independent researchers, effective teachers, and administrative leaders in healthcare. Since this is a relatively young industry, many developments are still to be made, making the opportunities great for potential industry pioneers.

Doctoral programs in medical informatics can take anywhere from two and a half to four years, depending on the experience and training of the student. This includes the time it takes to conduct independent research, put together the dissertation, present it, and effectively defend it. There are also residency requirements that vary from institution to institution.

Universities offering online medical informatics degree programs:

Northwestern University - Online MS Degree in Medical Informatics
Touro University International - Online MS Degree in Health Informatics
University of Cincinnati - Health Information Management
Rasmussen College - Health Information Technology

What can you do with a College Degree in Medical Informatics?

Career options for aspiring medical informatics professionals

Medical informatics is a growing field with excellent career prospects for professionals with a degree in the field. Medical informatics specialists work in a variety of environments, including hospitals, clinics, healthcare and insurance agencies, medical information technology firms, research institutes, and universities.

The demand for specialists in medical informatics is on the rise. While other types of information technology jobs are being outsourced to overseas companies, medical informatics specialists continue to hold firm due to the complex nature of the field and the high level of contact required between the informatics specialist and their employer. The users of medical information technology need the specialist close in case problems or questions arise, so job security is one positive aspect of a career in medical informatics.

• Medical Informatics Project Manager: These specialists oversee a team of other informatics specialists to create databases for hospitals, schools, research institutes, or clinics. They may also train the staff of their organization to use databases effectively.
  
  
• Medical Informatics Project Designer: Designers tailor different types of systems to an individual client's needs by figuring out the most effective way for them to collect, store, and access data.
  
  
• Medical Informatics Researcher or Research Assistant: Working at the fore of their field, medical informatics researchers attempt to discover new ways of utilizing technology to benefit medical professionals and their patients.
• Medical Informatics Systems Analyst: These specialists analyze existing systems and make decisions and recommendations on how to update or streamline them to maximize efficiency.
  
  
• Teacher or Professor of Medical Informatics: Teaching the next generation of medical informatics professionals, these educators must be skilled at communicating difficult and complex concepts to students.
  
  
• Medical Database Administrator: Once a database has been set up, there needs to be someone around to maintain it, foreseeing and avoiding problems, as well as troubleshooting for the users of the system. This person must be able to answer the users' questions quickly, solving problems as soon as they arise.

Salary Information for Careers in Medical Informatics

The typical starting salary of someone in the medical informatics field is between $30,000 and $50,000. There is plenty of room for advancement, particularly if the specialist decides to focus on project management or administration. Many specialists that move up the ranks of the medical informatics field end up earning six figure salaries.

Certification and Licensure

A career in medical informatics requires no special certification or licensure. However, it is a competitive field. Graduates without at least a Bachelor's degree in medical informatics will have a difficult time finding work. It is also wise to choose a specialization within informatics to give you an edge over other job candidates.

Explore Related Degree Programs

- Online Degrees in Health Informatics
- Online Degrees in Health Information Management
- Online Degrees in Biotechnology

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