Career Development in Health Informatics

00:00 Today, we'll be discussing the development of the informatics profession and some scenarios of what a profession in this field might look like.

00:08 We'll discuss current roles, look at potential future positions, delve into credentialing and training, and explore informatics theory and research development.

00:17 Let's get started.

00:19 For the health informatics professional, you may explore a variety of different roles or titles, and likely you'll work with multiple different disciplines in your everyday work, especially when supporting professional development.

00:32 For instance, clinical informatics specialists often liaise between healthcare providers and IT experts.

00:39 Now, this is so they can optimize the use of electronic health records and other clinical software. Then, there are the health information managers.

00:48 They oversee the secure handling of patient data to maintain privacy and compliance.

00:54 Consider, for example Mark.

00:56 Now, Mark is a clinical informatics specialist at a local hospital.

01:00 That means he's responsible for training medical staff on a newly implemented EHR system. Mark also organizes training sessions.

01:08 He troubleshoots issues, and he helps refine the system based on staff feedback.

01:13 Now, as technology advances, new roles in health informatics will emerge.

01:18 These might include things like AI, healthcare analysts who design and train AI models for healthcare applications, or possibly genomic data specialists who manage and analyze vast genomic data sets for personalized medicine.

01:32 Picture Lisa, a future AI healthcare analyst developing a machine learning model to predict patient risk for chronic diseases using historical patient data.

01:43 Lisa's model helps physicians make informed preventative care decisions.

01:48 Credentialing and training in health informatics vary based on specific roles.

01:53 Degrees in health informatics, computer science, or related fields are common starting points.

02:00 Certifications like Registered Health Information Administrator or Certified Professional in health care information and management systems can further enhance your credibility. Informatics theory guides how we understand and apply health informatics.

02:17 It helps in understanding how information is processed, stored, and communicated.

02:23 The future of informatics theory may lean heavily on artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms.

02:30 As these technologies advance, they'll offer novel ways to structure, interpret, and leverage vast amounts of health data.

02:39 Let's consider a future scenario.

02:41 Dr. Smith is a medical researcher who works with cancer patients.

02:45 Genomic data to discover potential links to disease prognosis and response to treatment.

02:51 With the massive amount of data involved, this task is highly complex and challenging if they were using conventional methods.

02:59 Enter the emerging field of AI and machine learning in health informatics.

03:04 With the development of sophisticated algorithms that can learn from and make predictions based on large data sets.

03:11 Dr. Smith can automate and enhance her research process.

03:15 Suppose Dr. Smith uses a machine learning model that applies the theory of deep learning, a subset of machine learning, to analyze genomic data.

03:23 This model is designed to learn from experience, improving its predictions as it processes more data.

03:30 It can identify patterns that humans might miss given the vast complexity and scale of the data. With this model, Dr.

03:39 Smith can uncover complex relationships between genomic variations and cancer prognosis, which will lead to more personalized and effective treatment plans.

03:47 She might discover that patients with a specific genomic profile respond better to a particular type of chemotherapy, which would lead to improved patient outcomes.

03:56 In this scenario, the use of deep learning in health informatics allows for processing large volumes of data efficiently.

04:05 Now this will facilitate better medical research and potentially patient care.

04:10 Research on the other hand, pushes the field forward, exploring new applications and solutions.

04:16 Imagine Dr. Kim, a research scientist working on a grant-funded study.

04:21 She's exploring how wearable technology data can enhance patient care management.

04:26 Her findings could contribute to new informatics theories and influence future practices. As we step into the future of health informatics, the field will continue to evolve, offering new opportunities and challenges.

04:40 Keeping abreast of current roles, future opportunities, credentialing needs, and research developments will be crucial in shaping a successful career.