Certificate
Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics and Digital Health
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What will I study?
Overview
Intended learning outcomes
Graduates will:
- Demonstrate an understanding of how digital data, information and knowledge are generated and managed for clinical care, biomedical research, public health, and health policy and planning
- Communicate knowledgeably about the uses of core health and biomedical informatics concepts, tools and methods
- Critically evaluate approaches to information systems and information technology in contemporary healthcare in Australia and internationally
Sample course plan
View some sample course plans to help you select subjects that will meet the requirements for this certificate.
Sample course plan - 50 point plan
KEY
- Core
- Elective
Four subjects taken over one or two years part-time (one or two subjects per semester)
Year 1
Total
50 Points
Semester 1
25 Points
- Core
POPH90013 Biostatistics
12.5 Points
- Elective
HLTH90006 Basics of Digital Health for Clinicians
12.5 Points
- Core
Semester 2
25 Points
- Core
INFO90001 eHealth & Biomedical Informatics Methods
12.5 Points
- Elective
ISYS90078 Health Data, Information and Knowledge
12.5 Points
- Core
Explore this course
Explore the subjects you could choose as part of this certificate.
Core
- Biostatistics 12.5
Biostatistics
This subject is compulsory for students enrolled in the Master of Public Health, Master of Epidemiology and the Master of Science (Epidemiology). Students should enrol in this subject early in their program of study.
The subject introduces the fundamental concepts of statistics and the essential methods required to equip students to perform basic statistical analyses and interpret research findings in the public health setting.
- eHealth & Biomedical Informatics Methods 12.5
eHealth & Biomedical Informatics Methods
AIMS
This subject familiarises students with core informatics tools and methods used in eHealth, translational research, simulation and modelling, and biomedical knowledge management. It also provides students with insights into research trends in the field of biomedical informatics.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
Five major topics will be covered in lectures, tutorials and hands-on computer labs:
1. How can we manage clinical data? Students will gain exposure to: informatics tools and methods for ehealth and broadband-enabled health, including shareable medical records, telehealth, mobile health; terminologies, coding and standards e.g. SNOMED-CT, HL7A and secure messaging, medical imaging (DICOM) and lab data (LOINC); and clinical decision support systems.
2. How can we integrate clinical data with molecular, population, environmental and other data sources? Students will gain exposure to: informatics tools and methods for translational research, including genomic data sources (microarray and next generation DNA sequencing); data integration and analysis platforms such as BioGrid, CaBIG. Gene ontology; and clinical research informatics (clinical trials).
3. How can we use computer models to simulate human biology and disease? Students will gain exposure to: informatics tools and methods for simulation and modelling; anatomical ontologies (FMA); VPH and Physiome platform; and infodemiology tools, systems medicine, virtual environments for clinical practice.
4. How can we manage health and biomedical knowledge? Students will gain exposure to: informatics tools and methods for biomedical informatics research, including bibliographic and web information; MeSH, and databases; biomedical text mining; social and semantic web for health and life sciences; technology assessment; and systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
5. How can we develop the next generation of health and bioinformatics tools and methods? Students will gain exposure to trends and advances, including extreme phenotyping, informatics for personalised, regenerative and nanomedicine.
Electives A
- Basics of Digital Health for Clinicians12.5
Basics of Digital Health for Clinicians
Information and communication technology is an important factor in quality, safety, access and efficiency in healthcare. This subject provides an overview of digital health and the influence of ICTs in clinical care, as well as in clinical research, population health and healthcare system planning.
Digital health current approaches and future directions are explored from the perspectives of health and biomedical sciences, information science and technology, management sciences, and behavioural and social sciences- that is, within major health informatics competency frameworks such as the Certified Health Informatician Australasia (www.healthinformaticscertification.com) and the American Medical Informatics Association (http://www.cahiim.org/hi/curriculumrequirements.html ).
In addition to providing a clinically-oriented introductory subject in the University’s Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics and Digital Health, it is also suitable for single subject enrolment by practising clinicians or postgraduate students in any clinical health profession.
- eHealth & Biomedical Informatics Systems12.5
eHealth & Biomedical Informatics Systems
AIMS
ICT is an important component to ensuring quality, safety, access and efficiency in healthcare. This subject introduces current approaches and future directions in eHealth and the use of ICT in healthcare generally as well as key concepts and tools from the underlying discipline of health informatics.
INDICATIVE CONTENTTopics include electronic health records (EHRs); hospital and primary care and public health information systems; supporting clinical decision-making for health professionals through ICT; eHealth in the community for preventive healthcare and for patient and carer support; regulatory influences on eHealth including management and governance, privacy, security, and confidentiality; the role of data standards, vocabularies, and nomenclatures in eHealth; research and development in eHealth.
Electives B
- IT Infrastructure for eHealth12.5
IT Infrastructure for eHealth
AIMS
This subject develops technical capabilities required for sound decision-making about ehealth solutions and applications. It reviews the building blocks of hardware, software and networks. It identifies requirements for interoperability of systems and integration of information; explores emerging platforms for eHealth solutions and applications; and outlines technical management and governance issues.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
Five major topics will be covered in lectures, tutorials and hands-on computer laboratories:
- Hardware, Software and Networks for eHealth
- Interoperability
- Information Integration
- New Platforms for eHealth
- Governance and Management of eHealth Infrastructure
- Health Data, Information and Knowledge12.5
Health Data, Information and Knowledge
AIMS
This subject develops familiarity with fundamental aspects of health information science and health information management – how health data is generated, collected, stored, communicated, integrated, analysed and converted into knowledge for clinical, research and administrative purposes.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
Lectures and tutorials will cover five topics:
1. Data Sources in Health- Special features of biomedical and clinical data
- Types of data (clinical, molecular, images, environmental)
- Generation of biomedical and clinical data (clinical devices, laboratory equipment, populational surveys, sensors)
- Data repositories (Bioinformatics databases, literature, evidence-based practice, clinical databases)
2. Information Modelling in Health
- Modelling health information and clinical information systems
- Accessing and retrieving information
- Standards in healthcare (nomenclatures, terminologies, taxonomies, vocabularies and ontologies) MeSH terms, SNOMED-CT, LOINC, ICD9, ICD10, UMLS
- Standards organizations in Australia and worldwide
3. Information Processing in Health
- Information processing in biomedicine, healthcare and population health.
- Main software tools and methods, with a focus on clinical research, computerised physician order entry (CPOE) in hospitals, disease surveillance
4. Information Analysis and Visualization in Health
- Visualising information
- Knowledge management and discovery
5. Change Management in Health IT
- Management change and adoption
- Regulatory framework, ethical, security and privacy issues
- Technology and Ageing12.5
Technology and Ageing
This subject looks at the ways in which recent technological advancements can revolutionise the experience, management and future of ageing. Innovations in how we age are explored from multiple perspectives, including how technology can support autonomy and independent living as well as social connectedness to minimise the isolation common in later life.
The subject offers an introduction to the aged care information technology industry and major products and services. Controversial improvements in assistive technologies are covered, such as robotics and sensors that monitor behaviour and health conditions. Lastly, this subject considers technologies for end-of-life support, for longevity and for regenerative medicine. This subject opens up challenges and possibilities for ageing that have implications for older adults, health practitioners, caregivers, service providers, policymakers and researchers.