Our entire system of health care is based on interactions between
providers annd patients their documentation in clinical records
that are being transformed into computer-based information systems.
Driven by the escalating costs of medical care, a growing knowledge
base and evidence of deficient quality, there is a critical need
to develop information systems that lead to more effective decisions
and more efficient actions. Better information systems are cited
as solutions to a variety of problems from patient safety to controlling
costs of care and major players from the federal government to
large corporations are advocating greater use of technology to
address the problems.
Local employment opportunities in the field are numerous given
the large number of companies providing health care or with a
health care emphasis. Over 150 software companies listed on MBBNet,
Minnesota’s virtual biomedical and bioscience community,
employ personnel who have or need training in health informatics.
Recent Star Tribute Want Ads listed 18 positions for which personnel
with medical informatics training would be qualified. Selected
websites for companies such as Fairview Health Services, Allina
Hospitals and Clinics, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Ingenix currently
display another 51 informatics related positions. Nationally,
the Health Information Management Systems Society Annual Survey
of Managers indicated that 60% report they will expand information
technology staff in the coming year. All these figures point to
extensive employment opportunities for those with training in
information technology and health care – exactly the training
to be provided by this professional Master’s program.
"The need for health professionalsl with training in healtht
informatics and information technology is a growing issue within
Minnesota. Fairview and many of its other health care partners
in the community are making large investments in clincial point-of-care
technoloyg in each of its hospitals and clinics. Having trained
professionals to assist us in the delivery of these systems and
creating the understanding of how to use them effectively is the
difference between successfully creating better outcomes for our
patients or living with our current inefficient paper-based processes."
Gary J. Strong
Fairview Health Services
SVP and CIO
2004
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