Why Should I Get a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Informatics from Sacred Heart University?

Don’t let advancements in technology intimidate you. A healthcare informatics degree will keep you ahead of the changes in the field.

In 2009, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act was established, promoting the use of health information technology such as electronic health records and secure electronic health information exchange. This act promoted the adoption and use of election health records for use by patients and all types of health-care providers. With advancements in these systems and the addition of artificial intelligence (AI), it is necessary for professionals to have expertise in smart, secure use of health record technology.

Sacred Heart University offers a master of science in healthcare informatics program for working professionals looking to gain skills in information technology (IT) or for IT professionals with minimal health-care experience. Stephen Burrows, director of the program, has shared how a master’s degree in healthcare informatics can teach you the skills needed to keep up in this ever-changing industry.

What is healthcare informatics?

Healthcare informatics teaches professionals how to leverage technology towards patient care to give them the highest level of care possible. Technology can be used to assist medical professionals in improving the detection of conditions, diagnoses and treatments. Healthcare informatics also teaches professionals the ins and outs of online medical record systems.

AI has been changing the health industry just as much as every other industry, so the study of healthcare informatics has started to include this technology. AI has regularly been used in data analytics in health care but is now advancing into assisting providers when making diagnostic predictions.

“AI is not telling clinicians the exact diagnosis, but it analyzes data and gives a likely diagnosis or care plan,” said Burrows. “It’s impossible for a clinician to digest all the information that’s available and make sense of it, so that is where AI comes into play.”

What is the curriculum of the healthcare informatics program?

The goal of SHU’s program is for students to leave as informaticist generalists with knowledge in implementation and support of electronic health records, the use of evidence-based practice towards clinical decision support and data analytics. “By taking a variety of classes, our students are exposed to areas they didn’t think they would be interested in or excel at. This is how many of them find areas they want to focus on in their careers,” said Burrows.

SHU’s program incorporates data analytics into its required courses given the significance of data analytics in the healthcare industry. An AI elective has also been added to teach students about its applications to informatics and data analytics.

What career paths will this program prepare me for?

Many graduates from SHU’s healthcare informatics program go into analytics-related positions in a health-care organization or with health systems. For example, if you are a bedside nurse looking for a change, you can pursue nursing informatics to program and customize the MyChart program for bedside nurses. Other graduates have worked for pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer and Bayer doing data analytics for clinical trials.

Why does SHU’s program stand out from others?

The professors in SHU’s program are practitioners who have worked in the field for many years. Instead of teaching from a theoretical perspective, they teach practical applications that have worked for them in their own jobs.

SHU is also a member of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), specifically an Academic Education Partner (AEP) meaning their curriculum has been reviewed by HIMSS and aligns with what is professionally recommended for healthcare informatics professionals to learn. All faculty members in the program are members of HIMSS and regularly attend conferences.

Interested in studying healthcare informatics at SHU?

In SHU’s healthcare informatics program, students will learn skills such as designing solutions to complex challenges of health information systems, determining the technology needs of an organization and studying the economic, cultural and technological aspects of health-care IT.

Full-time students can complete the program in 16 months and part-time students can do so in 24 months. The program can be done completely online or in person.

For more information, schedule a meeting with Lea DiStasio or reach out at distasiol2@sacredheart.edu.