Introduction to Applied Public Health Informatics

• Professionals interested in applied public health informatics 
• Public health practitioners seeking to apply their public health experience in technology-focused roles 
• Public health leaders overseeing technology-based projects 

Access to timely, complete and accurate data is imperative to public health. It is the linchpin to informed public health action – be that during emergency response, advancing programs to promote health and well-being, or designing financially sound and scalable public health technology solutions, etc.  

Public health is at a critical point in its informatics journey. There is much focus on modernizing the data infrastructure within public health, advancing interoperability, embracing data standardization and harnessing the power of partnerships. The success of these efforts will have long-lasting effects. It is an exciting time for those working in public health to participate in public health informatics either actively contributing to projects, providing their perspectives or serving in a leadership role for informatics efforts.  For all these roles, understanding informatics principles and technology is important to serve as informed, active participants.  

This course will provide students with a survey of public health informatics and serve as a guide for areas where students may want to learn more. The course will cover a breadth of information:  

• Systems thinking methodology 

• An overview of public health informatics systems 

• Interoperability; data standards, with a particular focus on HL7 Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources; and data quality 

• Software development life cycle  

• The regulatory landscape for public health informatics 

• Considerations for how health equity and social determinants of health apply to public health informatics 

• Developing a business proposal for a public health informatics solution 

Throughout the course, students will have the opportunity to apply their learnings during course activities.  

• Develop a working vocabulary of public health informatics and information technology terminology generally applied around informatics solutions  

• Identify types of informatics solutions within the public health domain 

• Construct a visual representation of interested parties needed to advance a public health informatics challenge and prepare diagrams to visually depict operational and technology workflows  

• Critique systems and systems development approaches, including considerations for supporting equitable public heath solutions  

• Explain to others the basics of data standards, such as HL7 FHIR, code sets used in informatics, and certain standards advancement processes 

• Synthesize the regulatory landscape for public health informatics and comment effectively in requests for information and during public commenting periods 

• Collaborate and build a proposal for an informatics solution to address a public health challenge, keeping in mind the scalability and economic viability of their solution 

• Select ways to become more involved in the public health informatics space that are aligned with their interests and career focus