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Syllabus

Graduate Programs in Public Health

GPH-733 Health Informatics

Credits - 3

Description

Course Description: 

Informatics — the interdisciplinary practice of managing and analyzing large data sets — is rapidly establishing itself as a core feature in all areas of health care.  As public health adapts to this new information-driven reality, public health informatics itself is also evolving, bringing forth both obstacles and opportunities.  This course will address the challenges of collecting and analyzing data, and will introduce how this data could be used to inform public health initiatives and improve health outcomes.  It will look at the ethical concerns that arise when dealing with sensitive information, and will explore the implications of our reliance on our own methods and other health organizations for access to useful health data.  Further, the course will address the shift to accountable care: If now is the time for public health and health care to work together, why aren’t we seeing these partnerships happen more often?  What are the roadblocks that are preventing this collaboration?  What is reasonable to expect from full partnership in a brave new informatics world, what is merely hype, and what will be expected from us as public health informatics professionals?

 

Course Format:

This course is facilitated through Blackboard, UNE’s online learning management system. The course will be delivered in 8 weekly online modules, with each module beginning on Wednesday at 12:01 am ET and ending the following Wednesday at 11:59 pm ET, except for the last week (Week 8), which will begin on Wednesday and end on Sunday. Note all times are Eastern Time. Students will watch online lectures produced by the course instructor and field experts, engage in readings and other media provided by instructors, and will learn from one another through the discussion board and written assignments. 

Materials

Nelson R, Staggers N. Health Informatics: An Interprofessional Approach. Elsevier Health Sciences; 2013.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

This course will meet the following public health competencies based on the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals developed by the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice, in association with the Association of Schools of Public Health.

Course learning objectives are mapped to each of the Council competencies. Achievement of competencies and learning objectives will be assessed through relevant learning activities including discussion board posts, assignments, group projects, quizzes and exams.

Competency

Course Learning Objectives

1A2. Identifies quantitative and qualitative data and information (e.g., vital statistics, electronic health records, transportation patterns, unemployment rates, community input, health equity impact assessments) that can be used for assessing the health of a community

Describe fundamental informatics principles and their application to public health.

Identify opportunities to advance public health using informatics methods and tools.

1A3. Applies ethical principles in accessing, collecting, analyzing, using, maintaining, and disseminating data and information

Define privacy, confidentiality, security, and data integrity as it relates to informatics.

1B5. Analyzes the validity and reliability of data

Evaluate quality of data and sources.

Assignments

Week 3 Written Assignment:

In a scholarly paper, write about your journey to discover data sources that you will use to address the problem statement you will be developing.  Sometimes knowing what data sources are out there can spark inquiry.  Make sure that you include introduction, the location of your data source, how current it is, the details on who the data includes, any other descriptive information and conclusion.  Paper length 500-1000 words, using AMA format, no abstract needed.

 

Week 4 Written Assignment: 

Develop a problem statement, using the PICOT format, you want to solve or study and find 5 articles written in the last 5 years to support your problem statement.  In a scholarly paper, provide an introduction, description of your problem statement, support for your problem statement through synthesizing the information rather than reporting it out as you would do in a literature review and conclusion.  Paper length 1000-1500 words using AMA format, no abstract needed.

 

Week 5 Written Assignment: 

Submit the visualization of the data you found.  Point out any observations you found when you visualized the data.  You may choose the format you wish to submit this assignment.  

 

Week 6 Written Assignment:

Identify any privacy, confidentiality, security, and data integrity you encountered or had a wonder about in analyzing data and post your thoughts on the Discussion Board.  Respond to 3 other students.  Your initial post should be 100 words and responses 50 words in length.

 

Week 7 Written Assignment: 

Part 1: In a scholarly paper, prepare an Executive Summary of your problem statement, your data sources and an analysis of your data with your conclusions as an assignment. (10 points)

Part 2: Post the text of your Executive Summary as a Discussion Board entry.  Read, rate (using stars), and provide thoughtful feedback to each of your classmates.

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Week 1 Discussion: Introduction5
Week 1 Discussion: Aspects of Informatics5
Week 2 Discussion: Impact of Informatics5
Week 3 Written Assignment20
Week 4 Written Assignment15
Week 5 Written Assignment15
Week 6 Written Assignment15
Week 7 Written Assignment20
Total100

Grade Scale

Grade Points Grade Point Average (GPA)
A 94 – 100% 4.00
A- 90 – 93% 3.75
B+ 87 – 89% 3.50
B 84 – 86% 3.00
B- 80 – 83% 2.75
C+ 77 – 79% 2.50
C 74 – 76% 2.00
C- 70 – 73% 1.75
D 64 – 69% 1.00
F 00 – 63% 0.00

Schedule

 

Week 1

June 29 – July 6

Week 2

July 6 – July 13

Week 3

July 13 – July 20

Week 4

July 20 – July 27

Week 5

July 27 – Aug 3

Week 6

Aug 3 – Aug 10

Week 7

Aug 10 – Aug 17

Week 8

Aug 17 – Aug  21 (Sunday)

Weekly Schedule

Week 1: Overview of Health  Informatics

Objectives:

  • Describe fundamental informatics principles
  • Define Data, Information, and Knowledge

Lecture:

  • View Prezi – Healthcare Informatics
  • PowerPoint Public Health Informatics

Readings:

  • Readings Nelson Chapter 1,11

Media:

 Assignments:

  • Week 1 Introductions: Post a brief personal introduction. 
  • Week 1 Discussion Board 2: Aspects of Informatics 

Week 2: Hunting and Fetching Data Resources

Objectives:

  • Identify sources for public and private data
  • Describe current initiatives that involve informatics.

Lecture:

  • Data Sources

Readings:

  • Nelson Chapter 4, 6, 7, 12

Media:

Assignments:

  • Week 2 Discussion Board: Impact on healthcare.  

Week 3: Clinical Decision Support

Objectives:

  • Discuss how Decision Support impacts clinical processes
  • Develop a well structured question to be explored

Lecture:

  • Clinical Decision Support PowerPoint

Readings:

  • Nelson Chapter 10

Media:

 

Assignments:

  • Week 3 Discussion Board: Data Sources 
  • Written Assignment #1: In a scholarly paper, write about your journey to discover data sources that you will use to address the problem statement you will be developing.  Sometimes knowing what data sources are out there can spark inquiry.  Make sure that you include introduction, the location of your data source, how current it is, the details on who the data includes, any other descriptive information and conclusion.  Paper length 500-1000 words, using AMA format, no abstract needed.

 

Week 4: Guidelines and Standards

Objectives:

  • Describe how Guidelines and Standards can frame an informatics project

Lecture:

  • Guidelines and Standards

Readings:

  • Nelson Chapter 22

Media:

Assignments:

  • Week 4 Discussion Board: Articles for problem statement assignment
  • Written Assignment #2: Develop a problem statement, using the PICOT format, you want to solve or study and find 5 articles written in the last 5 years to support your problem statement.  In a scholarly paper, provide an introduction, description of your problem statement, support for your problem statement through synthesizing the information rather than reporting it out as you would do in a literature review and conclusion.  Paper length 1000-1500 words using AMA format, no abstract needed.

Week 5: Informatics Skills

Objectives:

  • Understand essential informatics skills

Lecture:

  • Essential Informatics Skills

Readings:

  • Nelson Chapter 5

  • Miliard M. (2014) Geisinger CEO gives tips for smarter business intelligence. March 11 2014. www.healthcareitnews.com

Media:

 

Assignments:

  • Week 5 Discussion Board: Specifications/Models 
  • Written Assignment #3: Submit the visualization of the data you found.  Point out any observations you found when you visualized the data.  You may choose the format you wish to submit this assignment.  

Week 6: Influences on Healthcare Informatics

Objectives:

Summarize what influential forces exist that impact the use of informatics

Lecture:

  • Influences on Healthcare Informatics

Readings:

  • Nelson Chapter 24, 25, 30, 31

Media:

Assignments:

  • Week 6 Discussion Board: Privacy, Confidentiality, Security, and Data
  • Written Assignment #4: Identify any privacy, confidentiality, security, and data integrity you encountered or had a wonder about in analyzing data and post your thoughts on the Discussion Board.  Respond to 3 other students.  Your initial post should be 100 words and responses 50 words in length.

Week 7: Information Privacy and Security

Objectives:

  • Identify any privacy, confidentiality, security, and data integrity in analyzing data

Lecture:

  • Information Privacy and Security

Readings:

  • Nelson Chapter 19

Assignments:

  • Week 7 Discussion Board: Review Executive Summaries
  • Written Assignment #4
    • Part 1: In a scholarly paper, prepare an Executive Summary of your problem statement, your data sources and an analysis of your data with your conclusions as an assignment. (10 points)
    • Part 2: Post the text of your Executive Summary as a Discussion Board entry.  Read, rate (using stars), and provide thoughtful feedback to each of your classmates.

 

Week 8: Consumer and Mobile Informatics

Objectives:

  • Describe how consumer and mobile technology impacts the consumer

Lecture:

  • Consumer and Mobile Informatics

Readings:

  • Nelson Chapter 8, 13, 14,

  • McCann, E. (2012). Kaiser PHR sees 4 million sign on, most active portal to date. Healthcare IT News.  

Media:

Assignments:

  • Week 8 Discussion Board: Consumer or Mobile Technology

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:

UNE Student Academic Success Center

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:

Information Technology Services (ITS)

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

Accommodations

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.

Online Peer Support

Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.

Information Technology Services (ITS)

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

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.