The Master of Science in Medical Informatics (MMI) degree is an interdisciplinary program that prepares clinically trained health professionals and individuals with information technology backgrounds to provide IT services to the medical community with the goal of improving patient outcomes. The students learn to manage, design, analyze and integrate computer information systems for multiple aspects of the health care delivery system. The MMI program may be divided into a two-track system, where one track is for IT professionals and one is for students from the health care field. Length of study depends on the program chosen and the student’s schedule, but it is possible to earn a degree in 18 months at some institutions. Online and part-time programs are available to allow professionals to obtain a degree while continuing their careers.  However, if your more focused on healthcare management then the Masters in health Administration may be a better degree option.

Benefits

What are the benefits of obtaining a Master in Science in Medical Informatics?

• Medical Informatics is a rapidly growing field. The department of labor estimates a 16% increase in all medical and health service management fields between 2006 and 2016.*
• Individuals with an information technology background can learn to apply their skills to the health care field, thereby giving themselves more career opportunities.
• Individuals already in the health care field can assume greater responsibilities and obtain careers with greater diversity and earning power.
• The MMI is a flexible degree that can be applied to information systems in all aspects of the health care delivery system.
• There are a growing number of initiatives to improve the exchange of health information electronically. This will lead to greater demand for professionals with advanced degrees in medical informatics.

Areas of Study

Every program offering the MMI will have a unique curriculum. The following list contains topics that are common in MMI courses. Contact the individual institutions for an exact course listing.

• Telecommunications and Computer Networks
• Introduction to Databases
• The American Health Care System
• Clinical Thinking
• Biostatistics
• Health Care Operations
• Legal, Ethical and Social Issues
• Health Care Information Technology
• Management of Health Care
• Leadership Skills
• Communication Skills in Health Informatics
• Health Information Systems Analysis and Design
• Health Care Information Security
• Decision Support Systems and Health Care
• Medical Technology Acquisition and Assessment
• Medical language

Career Opportunities

Traditionally, MMI graduates offer Healthcare Information Technology (HIT) design, analysis and support to various companies and institutions across the health care spectrum. The following is a list of career opportunities for graduates with an MMI. This list is not comprehensive; it offers examples of possible career paths.

• HIT support for private medical practitioners, hospitals,  or private health care services
• Management of medical records for insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, regional health information organizations, or personal health records systems
• Careers at medical software companies, government agencies, and public health organizations

What You Need to Know

Many programs offer entirely online courses. A Bachelor’s degree is required for entry into the MMI program. The type of Bachelor’s degree that is accepted may vary. Some institutions require a specific GPA during the student’s undergraduate academic career. The MMI program may be offered only to students with a health care background, or an information technologies background or both. Often, the students are required to study whichever field they are less familiar with. A student with an IT background may be expected to fulfill extra coursework based on the health care system and a student with a health care background may be expected to fulfill extra coursework in information technology or other computer courses. There is usually a general body of coursework that all students will follow.

Requirements

Most MMI programs will require a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Transcripts from the institution where the student completed the undergraduate degree will be required. Some programs offer credit for previous course work or professional experience. Some institutions expect students to have maintained a certain GPA during their undergraduate academic career. In some cases, the student is expected to have taken courses in the computer sciences during their undergraduate studies.

Accreditation

The American National Standards Institute does offers accreditation by the Healthcare Informatics Standards Board.

ANSI – American National Standards Institute
www.ansi.org

Professional Organizations

The following are examples of professional organizations for the field of medical informatics. They offer informatics professionals resources both throughout the United States and around the world.

IMIA – International Medical Informatics Association
www.imia.org/

AMIA – American Medical Informatics Association
www.amia.org

One of the first steps to obtaining your your Master of Science in Health Informatics is to graduate with a Bachelors in Health Information Management.  A Masters in Health Informatics trains students to facilitate cooperation across the health disciplines by providing a better understanding of the modern technology, data, information, and decision-making used in healthcare. Since the MS in Health Informatics expands cross-discipline understanding in the health field, it can open the door to many different career paths. This degree takes anywhere from a year and a half to three years to complete, depending on total credit hours and whether a student opts for full-time or part-time study.

Benefits of a Masters in Health Informatics

Why should you get your Master of Science in Health Informatics? Below are some benefits of upgrading your degree:

• The MS in Health Informatics equips healthcare professionals to better understand today’s health data, information, and communication technology.
• The degree allows students to work across disciplines, thereby making them more marketable along with facilitating easier career changes.
• Health Informatics programs give students a solid grounding in the role of information technology in the healthcare field, along with teaching business skills related to the use of IT in healthcare.
• The MS prepares graduates to work in a variety of healthcare settings, including non-profit and for-profit, inpatient and outpatient, government agencies, vendor organizations, and consulting agencies.
• Health Informatics students gain a solid understanding of clinical and administrative uses of information technology in the healthcare field, which in turn prepares them to work within today’s rapidly changing technology.

Health Informatics Courses & Areas of Study

Individual MS in Health Informatics programs will vary depending on your institution of choice. The topics below are just a sampling of courses you may encounter in your program; for a specific course list, consult your individual school.

• Communication Skills in Health Informatics
• Consumer Health Informatics
• Ethics and Legal Issues in Health Informatics
• Health Care Data
• Health Care Information Security
• Health Care Information Systems
• Health Care IT Vendor Management
• Practicum in Biomedical and Health Information Sciences
• Social and Organizational Issues in Health Informatics

Health Informatics Degree Career Opportunities

Below are several possible career options for qualified MS in Health Informatics graduates. This is not a complete list of career opportunities and serves only as a guide for potential professional pathways.

• Chief Clinical Information Officer
• Clinical Analyst
• Health Informatics Consultant
• Health Informatics Specialist
• Informatics Analyst
• Informatics Professor
• Project Manager

Why Online Masters in Health Informatics

Informatics students can choose to specialize in a variety of fields: bioinformatics, public health informatics, organizational informatics, social informatics, and clinical informatics. Students have the option of taking on-campus or online programs. Since informatics is strongly technology-based, online learning is often considered quite appropriate for this field. Some online programs may require occasional campus visits, while others can be entirely conducted over the internet. Consult your school for specific information.

Requirements for Masters in Health Informatics

Most Master of Science in Health Informatics programs require transcripts from previous colleges, and some require a minimum GPA from undergraduate study. Many programs require two years or more of health care or IT work experience, and some require a writing sample and references. Since requirements vary, do your research to find the right program to fit your background.

Accreditation for Health Informatics

There are several recognized accrediting agencies and professional associations for the health informatics industry. Be certain to research the accrediting body before selecting a program.

CAHIIM – Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education
www.cahiim.org

CAHME – Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education
http://www.cahmeweb.org

Health Informatics Resources

There are a large number of professional associations and advocacy groups for professionals in the health informatics industry. These provide a powerful resource for information.

AUPHA – Association of University Programs in Health Administration
www.aupha.org

ACHE – American College of Healthcare Executives
www.ache.org

ACHCA – American College of Health Care Administrators
www.achca.org

AHIMA – American Health Information Management Association
www.ahima.org

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