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GRADUATE PROGRAM

Master of Health Informatics

30 total credits | average 2 years to complete

30
DAYS
Left to Apply
1
MAY
Start Date
Format
Online
Tuition
$35,000
Courses
10 courses
Term

Summer 2023

Apply Now

Leading the future of healthcare through technology

Real world experiential learning means learning by doing through Health Informatics online courses and engagement with health informatics experts.

Master the use of data and analytics to improve public health and patient outcomes in the communities you serve. As a critical factor in the fast-moving response to the pandemic, health informatics has allowed clinicians and researchers to collect and sift through reams of global data.

Earn a Wake Forest master’s degree and be ready to drive growth and innovation in the rapidly expanding health care sector.

Gain Health Informatics Expertise for a Rewarding Career at the intersection of technology and healthcare.

This multidisciplinary field intersects healthcare, information science, computer science, and technology. Master the latest analytics tools to help reduce the gaps between current healthcare practices and societal goals for improved safety, equity, quality, cost, and health outcomes.

Lead projects that include the latest technologies that address data integrity, health quality and outcomes, and health equity in an ever-evolving health care industry. You will benefit from interacting with our connections to local, national, and global informatics leaders, including Atrium Health, Advocate Health, Carolinas Simulation Center, and Wake Forest School of Medicine.

32%

job growth

for medical and health services managers from 2020–2030, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.
139,600

new jobs

will be created in the next 10 years.

The People Behind the Program

To accelerate your career growth, reach your professional goals, and expand your network, we created the Health Informatics Programmatic Advisory Board (PAB) to bring knowledge from experts in the field into the classroom. These board members are committed to your academic excellence and keeping Wake Forest University  School of Professional Studies graduates industry–competitive and globally impactful. 

Core Courses

There are 9 required core courses including the Capstone course. Students may choose 1 elective.

There is no prescribed order for the courses, you may take them in the order that works for you when your selection is available.

  • Health Informatics Today

    This course serves as an introduction to health informatics concepts, techniques, and emerging trends, with a leadership lens. Learners will identify current and emerging trends in health informatics, including electronic health records, patient portals, health data, standards, sourcing, accessibility, health equity awareness, and privacy issues. The course will cover how health informatics is used in administrative, operational, clinical, financial, and strategic aspects of healthcare, and how healthcare technologies are used in information management to deliver and improve the quality, cost, equity, and accessibility of healthcare services.

  • Population Health & the American Healthcare System

    This course provides a thorough overview of healthcare delivery in the United States and Population Health. Learners will discuss the importance of healthcare and health information quality and the need for health equity and patient safety in healthcare systems, and analyze the impact of social, behavioral, cultural, economic, and environmental factors on healthcare systems and practices. The course will cover ways to create sustainable change through improved management, policy, and financial support in healthcare, including relevant governmental, ethical, regulatory, and compliance issues in the context of healthcare plans and payment models.

  • Healthcare Data Analytics

    This course is a comprehensive introduction to the current state of the science and practice of analytics in healthcare, including health data visualization and how to use data for healthcare insights and decision-making. Learners will apply data analytics tools and methods, machine learning procedures, and effective analytical and communication skills in managing, analyzing, and reporting health data. They will also conduct analyses using statistical software packages (such as SAS, R, or Python) to inform public health and health policy, and to generate quantitative evidence that improves health equity, and clinical decision-making. Students will create an impactful business case using health analytics information and health data visualization to communicate with stakeholders and health system leaders.

  • Healthcare Databases

    This course is an introduction to the theory and application of database management systems. Learners will apply principles of database management, data modeling, privacy, and cybersecurity to improve healthcare and manage health data effectively, and identify and analyze database management systems. The course will also cover query languages, and the design and maintenance of cloud databases.

  • Digital Health

    This course will explore the theory, applied practice, and impact of current and emerging digital health technologies and clinical documentation systems for all demographics. Learners will differentiate between the technology tools used in healthcare, including wearables, telemedicine, Mobile Health, Internet of Things (IoT), and other Consumer eHealth tools, and examine how digital health solutions and patient portals impact patients’ health and wellness, access to healthcare services, and interactions with their caregivers (patient perspective). They will also evaluate how digital platforms can improve and transform clinical operations and the delivery of healthcare (care provider perspective).

  • Health Information Regulation, Privacy & Security

    This course offers foundational exposure to legal and ethical issues related to health information privacy and security, and the basic technological considerations to meet professional obligations in health informatics practice. Learners will evaluate security audits, regulatory policies/laws, and release of information procedures, and address ethical considerations in health sciences, informatics, and electronic medicine. They will discuss legal and regulatory issues that apply to the management of patient information in health informatics and how they can be a source of innovation. The course will also cover evolving standards and issues, such as blockchain, remote patient monitoring, telemedicine, and their regulatory, privacy, security, and ethical issues.

  • Healthcare Leadership and Impact

    This course will explore leadership, organizational structure, and effective team functioning in healthcare. It will provide students with an understanding of the importance of developing high-quality relationships, the impact of motivation, power, and influence, principles of organizational ethics, and health equity. To gain an understanding of how leadership principles and best practices impact the ability to manage a successful healthcare organization, project, or strategic imperative, learners will apply theories and best practices of leadership, analyze data and information to effectively implement change, recognize how unconscious biases can affect leadership and decision-making, and explore best practices for organizational and strategic leadership.

  • Quality and Patient Safety Management in Healthcare

    This course covers the foundations for understanding and pursuing patient safety and quality of care outcomes within the current healthcare environment. Thoughtful consideration is given on how quality and safety from a global perspective can critically impact expectations within today’s healthcare environment.

  • Capstone in Health Informatics

    This course threads together all program content learned throughout the program into a culminating capstone experience. Learners will identify a current health care opportunity, challenge, or issue, and develop and implement a comprehensive Health Informatics project, case study, or business case. Students will design a process or project that positively impacts and improves outcomes using the principles and applied concepts of health informatics.

    • Electives

    Students in the Master’s of Healthcare Informatics program will chose 1 elective.

    Electives can be taken at any time during the program when your selection is available.

  • Project Management Essentials

    This course introduces the foundational concepts of project management. It provides an overview of the PM lifecycle as defined in the Project Management Body of Knowledge. Several PM knowledge areas such as risk, scope, schedule, quality, monitoring, and communication, among others, will be introduced. Distinctions between project, program, and portfolio management are explored.

  • Telehealth Today and Tomorrow

    This course will provide an overview of the tools, techniques, opportunities, and challenges associated with telehealth from an informatics perspective. Learners will describe technologies used to deploy and improve telehealth for better healthcare access, identify strategies to engage patients in using telehealth practices, understand the impact of telehealth on different patient populations, and describe the clinical, legal, regulatory, and quality issues in the use of telehealth.

  • Artificial Intelligence for Health Informatics

    This course will review the foundations of artificial intelligence (AI) with applications to the prevention, detection, diagnosis, and prognosis of diseases. Learners will differentiate various artificial intelligence concepts and enabling technologies, and discover and employ processes used in designing and implementing artificial intelligence systems to prevent bias and inequities.

    • Meet Health Informatics Faculty

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    Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS)

    Wake Forest School of Professional Studies is proud to be an Academic Organization Affiliate of HIMSS. All Health Informatics and Health Administration SPS students get a free membership and opportunities to attend the annual HIMSS conference.

    Paying for School

    There are several financial assistance options available for you to start this journey and see your career take off.

    Speak with one of our financial aid officers for help navigating scholarships, veteran’s assistance, FAFSA, and more.

    Learn More

    Admission Criteria

    To enroll in the Master of Health Informatics program a candidate must complete an online application, in which they will submit:  

    • A resume 
    • A bachelor’s degree transcript from an accredited college or university* 

    The interview can be complete two ways: virtually with a Student Success Manger or the interview questions can be answered and submitted electronically.

    *An unofficial transcript is acceptable for admission; an official transcript is due by the start of the first course. 

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