A number of programmes have been looked into both in Europe and
1. Improve the understanding of the general nature and purpose of (health) information management systems including understand the need for information technology in medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy and healthcare in general;
2. Understand the nature, structure and role of the integrated national health information system and resources needed for its development;
3. Develop ability to search the health and biomedical literature using international databases such as MEDLINE, OVID, CAB, EMBASE, COCHRANE, etc. and other full-text and bibliographic systems;
4. Develop ability to locate and manage all types of information for healthcare including: 1) information for clinical purposes 2) information for the management of health care and 3) information for the study of health trends of the community;
5. Develop critical appraisal skills to allow assessment of the quality of available evidence based on proper information skills of the evidence-based medicine;
6. Improve the understanding of current health and medical informatics resources and their use for cost-effective provision of healthcare services;
7. Improve skills and confidence in the use of health and medical informatics applications;
8. Improve the consulting skills and confidence required when using computers and networks in consultation;
9. Improve awareness of the various potential uses of information technology in different branches of medicine and the ways in which information technology may meet the needs of healthcare workers;
10. Develop appreciation to and understanding of the legal, ethical, human and social (including privacy and confidentiality) issues associated with the introduction and use of information and telecommunication technologies in the health care;
11. Understand the principles and applications of coding and classification systems used for recording of data and its quality control in computer-based systems in the health services;
12. Understand the principles and the risks involved in use of electronic communication of information and data interchange between computers over wide area networks;
13. Understand the broad principles of the design and development of systems for the management of clinical research studies;
14. Understand the role and importance of international standards for health records and health data communication and interchange and be able to play an active role in analysis of requirements, needs assessment, procurement and implementation processes;
15. Understand the methods, tools and issues associated with information and telecommunication applications in health such as telemedicine, tele-radiology, tele-consultation, tele-pathology, tele-nursing, etc.
16. Understand the techniques and resources required for computer-assisted learning, self-study and tele-education in health sciences;
17. Understand the basics of information and telecommunication technology to support the above.
Modules covered by Health Informatics Programme
1. Data, Information and Knowledge
1.2 Definitions
1.3 Human Communication
2. Data Representation and Processing in Computers
2.1 Data Representation
2.2 Data Processing
2.3 Types of Raw Data
2.6 Telecommunication, Networking and Integration of Systems
3. Coding and Classification
3.1 International Classification of Diseases
3.2 Coding and Classification of Diseases
3.3 Coding and Classification of Surgery
4. The Electronic Health Record and the Medical Record
4.1 Models
4.2 Structure
4.4 Role in Research and Development
4.5 Legal Issues, Privacy and Confidentiality
5. Medical Imaging
5.1 Image Processing and Analysis
5.2 Advances in Image Processing
6 National Health Information Systems
6.1 Integrated Components of National Health Information Systems
6.3 Routine Data Collection
6.4 Hospital Information Systems
6.5 Nursing Information Systems
6.6 National Registries of Specific Diseases
6.7 Geographic Information Systems and Health Mapping
6.8 Logistics Management Information Systems
6.9 The National Formulary and Drug Registry
6.10 Poison Information Systems
6.11 Health and Biomedical Literature
7. E-Health and Telemedicine
7.1 Definition
7.2 Technology Requirements
7.3 Types of Telemedicine Services
Tele-consultation
Tele-pathology
Tele-radiology
Tele-nursing
Tele-education
Etc.
7.4 Legal and Ethical Issues
7.5 Cost-Benefit Analysis
7.6 Planning of Telemedicine Projects
7.7 Evaluation
8. Decision-Support Systems
8.1 Definition and Components
8.2 Modelling for Decision Support
8.3 Methods for Decision Support
8.4 Clinical Decision-Support Systems
8.5 Decision-Support Systems for Healthcare Management
8.6 Resources and Requirements for Development
9. Health Information and the Internet
9.1 The Internet as a Health Information Source
9.2 Evaluation of Health Information on the Internet
9.3 Quality Control of Health Information on the Internet
9.3 Code of ethics
9.4 Access Rights and Legal Implications
10. International issues in Healthcare Informatics
10.1 Standards for Data Exchange
10.2 Legislation and Regulations
10.3 Security and Access Rights
10.4 International Collaboration
10.5 Education and Training