Certificate Program in Health Informatics
As information technology becomes more integral to healthcare, the demand for health professionals who can fully utilize and add value to clinical and public health data is growing. Explore the emerging health informatics field and how the acquisition, storage, retrieval and use of information can play a critical role in enhancing the quality of care, reducing the costs of delivery and addressing population health issues. This 18-unit certificate program provides a meaningful option for working professionals who can’t commit to a full-time graduate program or need to get up to speed quickly.
Learn core concepts and technologies of health informatics. Then choose to concentrate in clinical or public health applications. A partnership between UC Davis Extension and the UC Davis Health Informatics Program, this interdisciplinary online program complements the university's master's-level program and benefits from its rich faculty expertise in medicine, nursing, public health, veterinary medicine and computer engineering.
Gain practical knowledge that matters
- Gain the knowledge and skills needed to participate in the design or implementation of healthcare data systems.
- Learn how data are used to enhance clinical care and population health.
- Gain insights into the change management principles necessary for successful technology adoption at the organizational and systems levels.
- Prepare yourself to transition to a specialist role as an informaticist.
- Network with other professionals.
- Interact with an instructional team from the UC Davis faculty and practicing professionals with experience in clinical and public health settings.
Designed for professionals like you
The program is designed for professionals already working in a health-related setting who are engaged in research using clinical data or want to participate in the design, implementation and utilization of clinical or public health data systems. This includes physicians, pharmacists, nurses, laboratory directors, health program analysts and health technology specialists.
Learn where and when you want
Courses are offered online and utilize audio, visual and interactive technologies to create an engaging online learning experience. Move through weekly lessons as a cohort while retaining the option to log in at the time and place of your choosing.
Courses can be taken as part of the certificate program or individually. Please note that this schedule is tentative and subject to change.
| UNITS | F | W | SP | SU | ||
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| REQUIRED COURSES | Introduction to Health Informatics | 3 | 
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| Health Information Systems Analysis and Design | 3 |
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| Electronic Health Records | 3 |
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| The Internet and the Future of Patient Care | 3 |
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| Managing Systems Level Change | 3 |
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| ELECTIVE COURSES | Clinical Decision Support | 3 |
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| Public Health Informatics | 3 |
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F=Fall W=Winter SP=Spring SU=Summer;
Schedules subject to change
Online Learning format |
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Required Courses
Introduction to Health Informatics
3 quarter units academic credit, X420.10.
Gain an overview of health informatics, with an emphasis on its application to clinical and public health settings. Examine the role of the health informaticist, the variety of informatics sub-specialties and examples of different clinical applications in medicine, nursing, pharmacology and public health. Learn the core concepts and technologies of health informatics, including terminology, data standards, privacy and security as well as development and implementation tools and strategies. Consider the policy context of health information technology, potential benefits and perspectives on future directions.
Led by a public health informaticist and an imaging informaticist, this course also features lectures from UC Davis experts, including:
- Peter Yellowlees, M.D., chair, Health Informatics Graduate Group and professor-in-residence, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
- Matt Bishop, Ph.D., professor and co-director, Department of Computer Science and Genome Center
- Este Geraghty, M.D., M.P.H., associate physician, Department of Internal Medicine
Sections of this course open for enrollment:
- Introduction to Health Informatics
starts January 11, 2010
Health Information Systems Analysis and Design
3 quarter units academic credit, X420.11.
With an emphasis on the role of the informaticist, apply systems analysis and design theory to the development of health information systems. Learn basic principles of object-oriented programming and relational databases; the processes for assessing and modeling user requirements and data structures; the role of data standards in systems designs; and basic data warehousing strategies. Explore a variety of applications in clinical and public health, learn to identify system strengths and weaknesses and gain hands-on practice in data modeling approaches to translate user requirements to system specifications.
This course is not currently scheduled.
Electronic Health Records
3 quarter units academic credit, X420.12.
The federal government has established an ambitious goal to ensure every American has an electronic health record (EHR) by 2014, and the Obama administration has pledged significant stimulus funding to make progress toward that goal.
Gain a comprehensive understanding of electronic health record systems, their use in various clinical settings, and their potential for improving efficiency and enhancing the quality of care. Learn about the components of an electronic health record; the difference between electronic medical records, electronic health records and personal health records; technical issues in data integrations, interoperability and information security; and legal and ethical issues related to privacy and confidentiality. Understand common implementation pitfalls as well as benchmarks for evaluating the costs and benefits of EHR systems.
Sections of this course open for enrollment:
- Electronic Health Records starts January 11, 2010
- Electronic Health Records starts April 5, 2010
The Internet and the Future of Patient Care
3 quarter units academic credit, X420.13.
Explore the profound impact of the Internet on the delivery of healthcare from the patient and provider perspectives, including the role of the Internet as an information source, a communication tool and a conduit for clinical consultations and chronic disease management. Examine how health websites, blogs and other popular social media tools are being used in health care.
Consider the changing nature of the doctor-patient relationship and the potential of the Internet to enhance access to and quality of care. Learn protocols for the use of email between doctors and patients, and investigate concepts of "Internet addiction" and "cyberchondria." Explore the future of health care in an information age where care will become increasingly personalized and distributed, and gain hands-on experience using virtual reality environments.
Sections of this course open for enrollment:
- The Internet and the Future of Patient Care starts January 11, 2010
Managing Systems Level Change
3 quarter units academic credit, X420.14.
Consider the impact of health informatics on systems of care, including provider organizations, health systems and the public health enterprise. Learn about managing structural and cultural change in organizations to enhance technology adoption, systemic approached that support interdisciplinary collaboration, the role of the health informaticist in facilitating change, and methods for evaluating impacts on health outcomes. Examine the broader social context of health information technology and the implications for population health.
This course is not currently scheduled.
Elective Courses
Clinical Decision Support
3 quarter units academic credit, X420.20.
Explore the principles of evidence-based medicine and the role of decision support tools in bringing informatics to the bedside. Learn about clinical decision support systems, common data sources and medical algorithms, and the applications and limitations of decision support as a supplement to clinical judgment. Gain hands-on practice with a variety of proprietary and open source systems, and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.
This course is not currently scheduled.
Public Health Informatics
3 quarter units academic credit, X420.21.
Gain an overview of information technology applications in the public health domain, focusing on the collection, verification, exchange and utilization of data related to populations as well as the infrastructure, functions and tools used to generate public health knowledge. Explore data mining techniques and the use of geographic information systems in mapping public health data. Learn about disease surveillance platforms and web-based public health education, the policy context of public health informatics and the long term potential for creating integrated, seamless health data systems.
This course is not currently scheduled.
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