Syllabus

Schedule

Week 1: Introduction to Course and Health Information Systems

 

This module provides an overview for the course and grounding information regarding health information systems, and introduces public health informatics and associated competencies, privacy, and ethics considerations, as well as the governmental context it operates within.

Applicable Course Objectives : 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Online Lecture: Introduction to Health Information Systems

Lecturer: 

• Lynne Rothney- Kozlak, MPH UNE Adjunct Professor and President / Principal Consultant of Rothney-Kozlak Consulting, LLC

Reading Assignment (*=Required): 

• Magnuson and Fu et al, Required Chapters*: 1, 2, 4, 9, 11
• APHA’s Public Health Code of Ethics*: http://phls.org/CMSuploads/Principles-of-the-Ethical-Practice-of-PH- Version-2.2-68496.pdf
• International Medical Informatics Association Code of Ethics for Health Information Professionals*: http://www.imia-medinfo.org/new2/node/39
• van Panhuis W, Paul P, Emerson C, et al. A systematic review of barriers to data sharing in public health. BMC Public Health.2014;14:1144.* http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/14/1144

Links to Web Sites:

• Web link for federal HIPAA information, overview: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/HIPAAGenInfo/
• Web link for federal HIPAA information, detailed: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/special/health it/

Written Assignment: 

Forum Questions:

1. In reviewing this video and course material, consider the following: a) the data sources likely used in the hypothetical example of data integration, b) the ethical implications of exchanging health information,  and c) key barriers  for the public health and healthcare sectors to effectively exchange data like other industries do. http://www.aclu.org/pizza/images/screen.swf

2. In two to three sentences, please share with the class a little about yourself and your goals with respect to taking this course. Note: Regarding the second forum question, it will not be graded and response postings are not required.

 

Week 2: Health Information Systems in Public Health

This module provides an overview of health information systems in public health, including  examples  of key public health information systems.

Applicable Course Objectives: 1,2,3,5

Online Lecture: Health Information Systems in Public Health

Lecturer: 

• Roy Gibson (“Gib”) Parrish, II, MD UNE Adjunct Professor and Independent Consultant, Public Health Informatics Institute

Reading Assignment (*=Required):

• Magnuson and Fu et al, Required  Chapters*: 5, 14, 15, 17, 18
• Public Health Informatics Institute’s Guiding Principles for Effective Health Information  Systems*. (article will be linked within Blackboard)
• Business Case: The Role of Public Health in National Health Information Technology Standardization; Public Health Data Standards Consortium, Data Standards Committee,  2009. (article will be linked within Blackboard)
• CDC’s Competencies for Public Health Informaticians, 2009: http://www.cdc.gov/informaticscompetencies/downloads/phi_competen cies.pdf
• Friedman DJ and Parrish II RG, The Population Health Record, Concepts, Definition, Design and Implementation.  JAMAI 2010, 17, 359- 366; 10.1136/JAMAI.2009. 001578. (article will be linked within Blackboard)
• Savel TG MD, Foldy S, MD, CDC, The Role of Public Health Informatics in Enhancing Public Health Surveillance, MMWR Supplements, July 27, 2012 / 61(03);20 24 http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su6103a5.htm?s_cid=su6103a5_w

State and Federal regulations pertaining to public health registries. Note: All are MS Word documents on Blackboard.

• The Federal Cancer Registries  Amendment Act
• Maine’s statute regarding its immunization registry
• Maine’s rules regarding its cancer registry

Links to Web Sites:

• County Health Rankings – Sponsored by the RWJF: http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/
• Public Health Informatic s Institute: http://www.phii.org/
• Public Health Data Standards Consortium: http://www.phdsc.org/
• CDC’s Public Health Information Network (PHIN): http://www.cdc.gov/phin/
• CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (facility infection electronic surveillance): http://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/index.html
• CDC’s modules on public health data sets: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/surveys.htm
• CDC – National Center for Health Statistics: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/
• CDC – Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System: http://www.cdc.gov/brfss/
• CDC – National Health Interview Survey: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/about_nhis.htm
• United States Preventive Health Task Force: http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstopics.htm
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Health Information Technology Web Site: http://healthit.ahrq.gov/portal/server.pt/community/about/562
• Maine’s Environmental Public Health Tracking Network Data Portal: https://gateway.maine.gov/cognos/cgi-bin/cognosisapi.dll?b_action=cognosViewer&ui.action=run&ui.object=%2Fcontent%2Ffolder%5B%40name%3D%27CDC%20EOHP%20EPHT%20AVR%27%5D%2FreportView%5B%40name%3D%27Maine%20Environmental%20Public%20Health%20Tracking%20(EPHT)%20Network%20-%20Public%20Data%20Portal%27%5D&cv.header=false&cv.toolbar=false
• Maine’s Healthy Maine Partnerships: http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/boh/hmp/
• Maine’s Cancer Registry: http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/population-health/mcr/ 

Written Assignment: 

Forum Question:

Using the web link in this week’s course material for County Health Rankings (http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/) discuss the following: a) based on this week’s course material consider how this information was compiled and from what sources, and b) identify some surprises in the data for the county where you currently live.

 

Week 3: Health Information Systems in Health Care (Ambulatory and In-Patient) 

This module provides an overview of health information systems in the ambulatory care and hospital settings, in particular the challenges, opportunities, and implications of utilizing technology to automate and standardize clinical processes, data capture, and patient engagement.

Applicable Course Objectives: 1, 3, 4, 5

Online Lecture: Health Information Systems in Health Care (Ambulatory and In-Patient)

Lecturer: 

• Dan Mingle, MD, MS CEO of Mingle Analytics, LLC and PQRS Solutions, LLC

Reading Assignment (*=Required): 

• Magnuson and Fu et al,  Required  Chapters*: 3, 10, 24
• Adler-Milstein J, et al. More than Half of US Hospitals have at Least a Basic EHR, but Stage 2 Criteria Remain Challenging for Most, Health Affairs, 10.1377/hlthaff.2014.0453, August 7, 2014* (article will be linked within Blackboard)
• Conn, J, Cerner’s military EHR contract expected to speed march to interoperability. Modern Healthcare, August 1, 2015* http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20150801/MAGAZINE/308019964?utm_source=modernhealthcare&utm_medium=email&utm_content=externalURL&utm_campaign=hits
• McCann, E, How satisfied are you with your EHR? 2015 Satisfaction Survey results Healthcare IT News, September 18, 2015.* http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/2015-ehr-satisfaction-surveymkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRouv6nJZKXonjHpfsX56e8tUKO0lMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4JRcpjI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFQ7LHMbpszbgPUhM%3D
• Himmelstein DU, Wright A, Woolhandler S. Hospital Computing and the Costs and Quality of Care: a National Study. The American Journal of Medicine. 2010:123;  40- 46. (article will be linked in Blackboard)
• Goetz Goldberg D, et al. EHRs in Primary Care Practices: Benefits, Challenges, and Successful Strategies. American Journal of Managed Care. 2012;18(2):e48-e54. http://www.ajmc.com/articles/EHRs- in-Primary-Care-Practices- Benefits-Challenges-and-Successful-Strategies
• Mostashari F, Tripathi M, Kendall M. A Tale Of Two Large Community Electronic Health Record Extension Projects. Health Affairs. 2009; 28(2): 345-356. (article will be linked  in Blackboard)
• Jah, A., et al. Evidence Of An Emerging Digital Divide Among Hospitals That Care For The Poor, Health Affairs, November/December 2009; 28(6): w1160-w1170. (article will be linked  in Blackboard)
• Sequist, TD. et al. Information Technology as a Tool to Improve the Quality of American Indian Health Care. American Journal of Public Health, Vol 95, Issue 12, Pages 2173-2179, 2005 (article will be linked  in Blackboard)

Links to Web Sites:

• American Hospital Association, Healthcare’s Most Wired Hospitals for 2014: http://www.hhnmostwired.com/aboutus/index.dht  ml
• Health and Human Services EHR Meaningful Use Program: http://www.healthit.gov/policy-researchers-implementers/meaningful-use
• Indian Health Service Electronic Health Record Web Page: http://www.ihs.gov/ehr/
• Mingle Analytics: http://www.mingleanalytics.com/

Written Assignment:

Forum Question:

Please discuss why you do or do not think physician practices’ and hospitals’ health information systems will: a) improve the health of the people they serve, b) reduce healthcare costs, c) improve patient safety, d) improve their patients’ experience of care, and e) improve the public’s health in the communities these providers serve.

 

Week 4: Information Management Systems Used by Health Insurers and Lessons in Project Management

This module provides an overview of health information systems used by both public and private insurers to showcase lessons learned in managing health information system projects. This module pays particular attention to related principals of project management  and evaluation methods.

Applicable Course Objectives: 1, 4, 5

Online Lectures: 

Information Systems Used by Health Insurers and Lessons in Project Management: 4 A) Information  Systems Used by Health Insurers AND 4B) The Mainecare Experience with Health Information Systems – Lessons Learned

Lecturers: 

• 4A) Lynne Rothney-Kozlak, MPH UNE Adjunct Professor and President / Principal Consultant of Rothney-Kozlak Consulting, LLC
• 4B) John Michael (Mike) Hall,  MA, JD (Formally the Deputy Commissioner of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and the Acting Director of Mainecare)

Reading Assignment (*= Required):

• Magnuson and Fu et al, Required  Chapters*: 12, 13 
• Harvey B and Chacon R. An inside look at Maine’s MMIS implementation, by the New England States Consortium Systems Organization (NESCO), July 19, 2011.* http://www.govhealthit.com/blog/inside-look-maines-mmis-implementation
• CIO Article (5/2006) on Mainecare’s system implementation *: http://www.cio.com.au/index.php?id=876169055
• Review of the Maine Claims Management System, Office of the Inspector General (OIG), [Federal] Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), August, 2006: http://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region1/10500007.pdf

Links to Web Sites:

• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services – Research, Statistics, Data, and Systems: http://www.c  ms.hhs.gov/home/rsds.asp
• Blue Cross Blue Shield Association – Blue Health Intelligence: http://www.bcbs.com/bhi/

Written Assignment:

Forum Question:

Based on this week’s course material,  a) describe key lessons learned for managing health information system projects, and b) discuss the implications to health insurers (public and private) when their health information systems do not operate properly due to inadequate implementation.

 

Week 5: Introduction to Health Care Information

This module marks a key point in the course where we move from discussing more transactional (operational data processing) health information systems to exploring more informatics (data analysis/reporting) oriented systems that turn data into information; reviewing data warehousing principles and public health informatics standards, we use the quality of care measurement in the healthcare sector as an example.

Applicable Course Objectives: 1,2,3,5

Online Lectures: 

Introduction to Health Care Informatics: 5A) Introduction to Data Warehousing Health Information AND 5B) How Health Informatics Support Accountability for Quality Care

Lecturers:

• 5A) Gary  Cattabriga, Director of Data Management & Technology, University of New England School of Community and Population Health
• 5B) Lynne Rothney- Kozlak, MPH UNE Adjunct Professor and President / Principal Consultant of Rothney-Kozlak Consulting, LLC

Reading Assignment (*= Required):

• Magnuson and Fu et al, Required  Chapters*: 6, 7, 8
• National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The State of Health Care Quality 2014. Washington, DC: NCQA, October, 2014 (you need only skim through this document)*: http://www.ncqa.org/Portals/0/Newsroom/2014/SOHC-web.pdf
• Lovaglio, PG, Benchmarking Strategies for Measuring the Quality of Healthcare: Problems and Prospects. The Scientific World Journal Volume 2012 (2012), Article ID 606154, 13 pages* http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/2012/606154
• John E. Wennberg, Elliott S. Fisher, Thérèse A. Stukel, and Sandra M. Sharp. Use Of Medicare Claims Data To Monitor Provider- Specific Performanc e Among Patients With Severe Chronic Illness. Health Affairs Web Exclusive, October 7, 2004. (article will be linked  in Blackboard)
• Trisolini, M. et al, Commonwea lth Fund Report – The Medicare Physician Group Practice Demonstration: Lessons Learned on Improving  Quality and Efficiency in Health Care. Volume  84, February 7, 2008: (article will be linked in Blackboard)
• HHS CMS’ Summary of Final Rule Provisions for Accountable Care Organizations under the Medicare Shared Savings Program, 11/2011: http://www.c ms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-Service- Payment/sharedsavingsprogram/index.ht ml?redirect=/sharedsavingspr ogram/
• Mc Glynn E. A., Asch S. M., Adams J., Keesey J., Hicks J., DeCristofaro A., Kerr E. A. The Quality of Health Care Delivered to Adults in the United States. N Engl J Med 2003; 348:2635- 2645, Jun 26, 2003. (article will be linked  in Blackboard)
• Institute of Medicine’s series on Crossing the Quality Chasm – The IOM Health Care Quality Initiative, Executive Summary, 2001: (article will be linked  in Blackboard)
• Report to the Massachusetts Medical Societ y on the Group Insurance Commiss ion Physician Profiling and Network Tiering Plan, Nov., 2006: http://www.massmed.org/advocacy/key-issues/medicare/review-of- the- massachusetts-group-insurance-commission-physician-profiling- and-network-tiering-plan-(pdf)/

Links to Web Sites:

Data Warehousing Health Information

• American Diabetes Association. Statistics about diabetes [2014 report] http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/
• Geisinger’s www.medmining.com (blinded EHR data for research)
• The Data Warehouse Institute: http://www.tdwi.org/
• Maine Health Data Organization: http://mhdo.maine.gov/imhdo/
• Data Warehousing Information Center Readings: http://www.dwinfocenter.org/getstart.html
• Indian Health Service Information Technology Resources: http://www.ihs.gov/CIO/InfoTech_index.asp
• North Carolina Detect: http://www.ncdetect.org/
• Health Data Management Publications: http://healthdatamanagement.com/
• Leading Data Mining, Business Intelligence, and GIS Vendors (respectively):http://www-01.ibm.com/software/data/cognos/http://www.sas.com/en_us/home.html http://www.esri.com/

How Health Informatics Supports Accountability for Quality of Care

• Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Triple Aim Initiative: http://www.ihi.org/IHI/Programs/Strategic Initiatives/TripleAim.ht  m
• National Committee for Quality Assurance (find web pages on HEDIS, Physician Recognition Programs, and ACO Accreditation): http://www.ncqa.org
• National Quality Forum: http://www.qualityforum.org/About_NQF/About_NQF.aspx
• CMS – Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS): http://www.c ms.gov/PQRI/
• Minnesota Community Measurement : http://www.mnc m.org/site/
• Maine Health Management Coalition: http://www.mhmc.info/
• The Leapfrog Group: http://www.leapfroggroup.org/
• AQA Alliance: http://www.aqaalliance.org/
• AHRQ Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS): https://cahps.ahrq.gov/
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ): http://www.ahrq.gov/
• The Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care: http://www.dartmouthatlas.org/
• Maine Quality Forum: http://www.mainequalityforum.gov/mqlp01.ht  ml

Written Assignment:

Assignment Due:

Comparative Analysis Report Due by Wednesday, 2/10/2016 at 11:59PM through the Assignment Section of Blackboard.

Forum Question:

Imagine you are responsible for measuring the quality of diabetic care for a health system that has more than one electronic medical record system (transactional), with limited reporting (informatics) capacity.

Based on this module’s course material, what would be your most critical success factors for MEASURING the quality of diabetic care delivered by each of the physicians to: a) establish their baseline performance, b) benchmark their performance by comparing to peers and national performance results, and c) evaluate the impact of clinical care process improvements your health system will implement to improve care.

Note: No response posts are due this week.

Week 6: Health Informatics and Population Health Management

This module focuses on the health care transformation (e.g. advanced primary care) and the technology and informatics required for the requisite population health management. It also focuses on technology solutions related to improving the delivery of care and health of populations.

Applicable Course Objectives: 1,2,3,5

Online Lecture: Health Informatics and Population Health Management

Lecturer: 

• Alejandro  Reti, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Optum Analytics (formally VP,  Product Portfolio Strategy for Population Health at Premier Healthcare Alliance)

Reading Assignment (*= Required):

• Magnuson and Fu et al, Required  Chapters*: 23, 25
• Klein, S, et al., Marshfield Clinic: Demonstrating the Potential of Accountable Care, Commonwea lth Fund. October, 2014*:http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/files/publications/case-study/2014/oct/1771_klein_marshfield_clinic_aco_case_study.pdf
• Evans M, Data Collection Could Stump Next Phase of Predictive Analytics. Modern Healthcare, July 12, 2014*: http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20140712/MAGAZINE/307129969&u tm_source=AltURL&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=hits?AllowView=VXQ 0Unpw ZTVEZldjL1I3TkErT1lBajNja0U4VURlZGZFQk1HRFE9PQ
• Gawande A, Overkill – An avalanche of unnecessary medical care is harming patients physically and financially. What can we do about it? New Yorker Annals of Health Care, May 11, 2015* http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/05/11/overkill-atul-gawande
• Paulus, RA et al., Continuous Innovation in Health Care: Implications of the Geisinger Experience. Health Affairs, 27: 1235-1245 September – October, 2008. (article will be linked  in Blackboard) 
• Romano  MJ, Stafford RS. Electronic Health Records and Clinical Decision Support. Archives for Internal Medicine. January 24, 2011. (article will be linked  in Blackboard)
• Gooch, J.J, Medical Home Model Champions Patient-Centered Care. Managed Healthcare Executive, Aug 1, 2007. (article will be linked  in Blackboard)
• Equity in the Digital Age: How Health Information Technology can Reduce Disparities, a report from several non-profits, February, 2013. (article will be linked within Blackboard)

Links to Web Sites:

• EMMI Solutions – a brief video explaining the medical home: http://www.emmisolutions.com/medicalhome/transformed
• ICIC: Wagner’s Chronic Care Model (explore left hand navigation): http://www.improvingchroniccare.org/index.php?p=The_Chronic_ Care_Model&s=2
• Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative: https://www.pcpcc.org/
• Maine Quality Counts – Patient Centered Medical Home Pilot: http://www.mainequalitycounts.org/page/2-659/patient-centered- medical-home
• Medical Home as defined by the Americ an Academy of Pediatrics: http://www.medicalhomeinfo.org/
• Dartmouth Medical School, Department of Community and Family Medicine, Research (historically, director was Dr. John Wennberg): http://dms.dartmouth.edu/cfm/research/cecs/

Written Assignment: 

Assignment:

Final Exam is posted (open book and open for two weeks)

Forum Question:

From the link provided below, read the article and watch the video of Dr. Jeffrey Brenner about the revolutionary approach by the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers.

http://www.rwjf.org/en/library/articles-and-news/2014/02/improving-management-of-health-care-superutilizers.html

Based on this and other material from this week, discuss the implications for the public health sector as the healthcare sector transforms, whereby providers (hospitals, physicians, nurses, etc.) become increasingly accountable for using data to manage a population’s health rather than only individuals’ health. 

 

Week 7:  Health Information Exchanges

This module explores health information exchanges, a key technology that links  disparate EHR data for health care providers and offers the opportunity for public health agencies and health care providers to connect and share critical data to improve health and efficiency.

Applicable Course Objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Online Lecture: Health Information Exchanges

Lecturer:

• Jack Hueter CEO, Digital Health Consulting and Director, Southern New Jersey New Jersey Regional Extension Center

Reading Assignment (*=Required): 

• Magnuson and Fu et al, Required  Chapters*: 20, 21, 22
• Birkhead GS, Klompas M, Shah NR. Uses of electronic health records for public health surveillance to advance public health. Annu Rev Public Health. 2015 Mar 18; 36:345-59.* http://ejournals.ebsco.com.une.idm.oclc.org/Direct.asp?AccessToken=8PPP9POV0W03391TU9WU9WY4PXFXVPY3NP&Show=Object
• Goroll AH, Simon SR, Tripathi M, Ascenzo C, Bates D. Community -wide implementation of health information technology: the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative experience. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. 16(1), 2009: 132-139.* (article will be linked  in Blackboard)
• Furukawa M, et al. Despite Substantial Progress In EHR Adoption, Health Information Exchange And Patient Engagement Remain Low In Office Settings; Health Affairs 10.1377/hlthaff.2014.0445; August 7, 2014* (article will be linked within Blackboard)
• Mosquera, M., Beacon Communities to Serve as Models for Health IT, Healthcare IT News, September 7, 2010: http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/beacon-communities-serve- models-health-it
• Brailler, From Santa Barbara To Washington: A Person’s And a Nation’s Journey Toward Portable Health Information, Health Affairs Web Exclusive, 26, no 5 (2007): w581-588 (September/October, 2007). (article will be linked in Blackboard)
• Pennsylvania’s HIE Strategic Plan, March, 2010: http://www.emarketplace.state.pa.us/FileDownload.aspx?file=6100009 286/Solicitation_15.pdf 
• Health Exchange Brief (Maine HealthInfoNet), January, 2007 (document will be available in Blackboard)

Links to Web Sites:

• Health and Human Services (federal) Office of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (IT): http://www.healthit.gov/newsroom/about-onc
• The Office of National Coordinator of Health IT – Beacon Community Program:  http://www.healthit.gov/policy-researchers- implementers/beacon-community-program
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Information Links Report: http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/farm/reports/program_results_re ports/2009/rwjf69121
• e-Health Initiative: http://www.ehealthinitiative.org/
• Markle Foundation’s Connecting for Health: http://www.markle.org/health
• AHRQ Health Information Technology: http://healthit.ahrq.gov
• Massachusetts Health Data Consortium: http://www.mahealthdata.org/
• Maine’s HealthInfoNet: http://www.hinfonet.org/

Written Assignment:

Assignment Due:

Final Exam is due Wednesday, 2/24/2016 by 11:59PM

Forum Question:

Based on this week’s material, consider the Side Bars (case studies) in the RWJF Information Links Report (see pp. 27-41 of the web link provided this week), and discuss which of the four case studies (1. Michigan Capital Area; 2. Austin / Travis County, TX; 3. Santa Cruz County, CA; and 4. New York City) strikes you as the most compelling and exciting public health opportunity for connecting public health and health care data, and why?

Note: No response posts are due this week.

Week 8: Global Health Information Technology Considerations and Course Epilogue

This module is focused on global health information  technology and the considerations that differ from U.S. health information systems, as well as the future of public health informatics. And the course instructor closes the course with a summary epilogue for students.

Applicable Course Objectives: 1, 3, 4, 5

Online Lecturers: Global Health Information Technology Innovation; Course Epilogue: 8A) Global Health Information Technology Innovation AND 8B) Epilogue  to Course – Health Information Systems

Lecturers:

• 8A) Jonathan Jackson, MS Founder and Chief Executive Officer Dimagi
• 8B) Lynne Rothney- Kozlak, MPH UNE Adjunct Professor and President / Principal Consultant of Rothney-Kozlak Consulting, LLC

Reading Assignment (*=Required):

• Magnuson and Fu et al, Required  Chapters*: 30, 31, 32
• Clifford GD, Blaya J, Hall-Clifford R, Fraser H. Medical information systems: A foundation for healthcare technologies in developing countries. Biomed Eng Online. 2008 Jun 11;7:18* (article will be linked  in Blackboard)
• Fraser HS, Blaya J. Implementing medical information systems in developing countries, what works and what doesn’t. AMIA Annual Symposium  Proceedings. 2010 Nov 13; 2010: 232-6.* (article will be linked  in Blackboard)
• Morse S, Global Infectious Disease Surveillance And Health Intelligence. Health Aff July 2007 vol. 26 no. 4 1069-1077* http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/26/4/1069.long
• CDC’s Global Health Strategy (a pamphlet)* http://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/strategy/pdf/cgh_strategy_overview.pdf
• Information Systems Results Report June 2010, A review of the current situation and trends http://www.who.int/healthmetrics/news/chis_report.pdf

Links to Web Sites:

• Healthmap (provides some interesting data including information on outbreaks in your current location and worldwide health alerts): http://www.healthmap.org/en/
• Dimagi www.dimagi.com

Written Assignment: 

Forum Question:

Leveraging this week’s course material and http://www.healthmap.org/en/ (e.g. Zika Outbreak) to aid your exploration, describe unique challenges and opportunities that global health information technology presents for public health practice.

Note: The Initial Posting for this week is due on Friday, 2/26/2016 at 11:59PM.  The response postings for this final week are due by Sunday, 2/28/2016,  11:59PM as that is when the course ends.

Student Resources

Online Student Support

Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.

Questions? Visit the Student Support Public Health page

UNE Libraries:

• Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Brightspace.
• Public Health Databases: https://library.une.edu/library-materials/find/research-by-subject/public-health/
• Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.

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UNE's Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of free online services to support your academic achievement. Writing support, ESOL support, study strategy and learning style consultations, as well as downloadable resources, are available to all matriculating students. The SASC also offers tutoring for GPH 712 Epidemiology, GPH 716 Biostatistics, GPH 717 Applied Epidemiology, GPH 718 Biostatistics II, and GPH 719 Research Methods. To make an appointment for any of these services, go to une.tutortrac.com. For more information and to view and download writing and studying resources, please visit:

• UNE Student Academic Success Center

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• ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673

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Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.

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Students should notify their Student Support Specialist and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.

ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.

Career Ready Program

The College of Professional Studies supports its online students and alumni in their career journey!

The Career Ready Program provides tools and resources to help students explore and hone in on their career goals, search for jobs, create and improve professional documents, build professional network, learn interview skills, grow as a professional, and more. Come back often, at any time, as you move through your journey from career readiness as a student to career growth, satisfaction, and success as alumni.

Policies

Late Policy

During weeks 1-­7, assignments submitted after the due date will receive a 5% penalty for each day the assignment is late. Late papers will not be accepted after 5 days. In week 8, the same penalty applies, however late assignments will not be accepted after the course end date on Sunday at 11:59 pm ET. Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Your instructor may grant an extension without penalty for extenuating circumstances such as an emergency, serious illness, power outage, etc.

AMA Writing Style Statement

The American Medical Association Manual (AMA) of Style, 11th edition is the required writing format for this course. Additional support for academic writing and AMA format is provided throughout the coursework as well as at the UNE Portal for Online Students.

Online resources: AMA Style Guide

Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool

The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.

Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.

You can learn more about Turnitin in the guide on how to navigate your Similarity Report.

Technology Requirements

Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements

Course Evaluation Policy

Course surveys are one of the most important tools that University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.

Late Policy

Students are responsible for submitting work by the date indicated in Brightspace.

Quizzes and Tests: Quizzes and tests must be completed by the due date. They will not be accepted after the due date.

Assignments: Unless otherwise specified, assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.

Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.

Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.

Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures

The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.

Student Handbook

UNE Course Withdrawal

Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.

Academic Integrity

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit https://www.une.edu/studentlife/plagiarism.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
4. Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
5. Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations.  Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final.  Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.

Attendance Policy

8 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.

16 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Friday at 11:59 pm ET of the second week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.

Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures

The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.

UNE Online Student Handbook

UNE Course Withdrawal

Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.

Academic Integrity

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
4. Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
5. Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.