Informatics for Public Health Professionals
The Public Health Leader certificate training program prepares public health professionals to develop, procure and implement information systems that meet public health program needs. This includes
- Supporting the development of strategic direction for public health informatics within the enterprise
- Using informatics standards
- Managing and monitoring IT operations
- Evaluating information systems and their applications
- Contributing to the development of interoperable public health information systems
- Implementing solutions that ensure the confidentiality, security, and integrity of captured data while maximizing the availability of information for public health
The scope of this program is designed to meet the core competencies for public health informaticians as described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Based upon this guidance, ideal eligible students entering this program will have a graduate or doctoral level preparation in public health, including demonstrated course work in epidemiology and data analysis. The requirement for masters or doctorate level preparation may be waived by the demonstration of significant public health experience through years of service and a leadership role at a public health agency. Participants will complete a mentored project in health informatics with a focus on a public health research or community project.
Training includes two core courses, three specialized courses, and a mentored practicum to be completed within one year.
General Course Requirements18 graduate credit hours are required, including:
- Two core courses (6 credits)
- Three specialization courses (9 credits)
- Practicum (3 credits)
- PBHL P650 Readings in Public Health with subtopic Foundations in Public Health Informatics
- INFO B581 Health Information Standards and Terminology
- INFO B505 Informatics Project Management
- INFO B578 Data Analysis
- LIS S644 Consumer Health Informatics
- INFO B535 Clinical Information Systems
- INFO B583 Security and Privacy Policies and Regulations for Health Care
- INFO B584 Practicum in Health Information Technology
The mentored practicum focuses on participation in the development of knowledge management tools for the public health enterprise, ensuring that the knowledge, information, and data needs of the project, program users and other stakeholders are met, applying public health informatics research, and supporting the use of informatics to integrate clinical health, environmental risk and population health.
Additionally, all training participants are expected to participate in the Indiana Center of
Excellence in Public Health Informatics (ICEPHI) monthly work-in-progress seminars.
The ICEPHI brings together the expertise of the following institutions:
- The Polis Center, a national leader in community-based and public health research and applications using geographic information technologies
- The Indiana State Health Department
- The Marion County (Ind.) Health Department
- The IU School of Medicine’s Department of Public Health
- The Department of Geography in the School of Liberal Arts at IU Indianapolis
- IU Indianapolis’ Center for Health Geographics
- A data visualization group at IU-Bloomington
After training participants complete their mentored practicum, they are required to present their outcomes at a monthly ICEPHI meeting.
