PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF HEALTH INFORMATICS IN NORTHERN

IRELAND

Paul McCullagh

Partnership

The course, delivered from a computing perspective, builds upon work-based achievement and provides insight into emerging technologies associated with the ‘connected health’ paradigm

HI as a specialism of Computer Science

Computer Science – body of knowledge (Subject benchmark statements Computing)

Health Informatics

Algorithm development & artificial intelligence Knowledge based systems & decision support

Data communications & computer networks Telemedicine and telecare

Databases Computerised patient record, coding systems, nomenclature

Graphics Picture archive and communication systems (PACS)

Information systems Hospital & general practitioner systems, interoperability

ISO reference model Health Level 7 reference model

Security & privacy Confidentiality, ethics & access

WWW & multimedia applications eHealth

ICT in Healthcare Northern Ireland

•A survey of over 1000 Healthcare Professional staff in NI indicated a positive perception to ICT but revealed significant gaps in levels of awareness, attitudes, knowledge and skills.

•Only 44% of respondents had any formal ICT training and there was strong support for continued ICT education.

• Recommendations supported a two-tier approach with multi-professional training for all staff and additional training specific to the needs of specialisms.

•A further recommendation was to “maximise online learning strategies for content delivery”.

Mantas J, Ammenwerth E, Demiris G, Hasman A, Haux R, Hersh W, Hovenga E, Lun KC, Marin H, Martin-Sanchez F, Wright G; IMIA Recommendations on Education Task Force.Recommendations of the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) on Education in Biomedical and Health Informatics. First Revision., Methods Inf Med. 2010 Jan 7;49(2):105-120.

MODULESElectronic healthcare

Information management in health and social care

Emerging healthcare technologies

Analysing and presenting data and Information

Decision support systems

Electronic communications in health & social care

Electronic care records

MIE 2011 Gerry McAllister Slide 5

ON-Line Delivery through VLE• Notes• Discussion Topics• Assessment Details• Chat

PlusLess frequent class contact

Blended learning

Course Statistics

(A) Requires Awareness Requires proof of awareness of a key fact or standard, such as a statute, or a need for prior authorisation of a data flow.

May be possible to demonstrate by a sentence within an overall reply covering the wider topic.

(K) Requires Knowledge Requires evidence of knowledge of the key issues of a topic, such as the fact that hospital discharge statistics do not capture morbidity treated in primary care, private hospitals, or outside the country.

Will be likely to require a specific paragraph on the professional practice issues.

(U) Requires Understanding Requires proof that the candidate understands the full professional implications for their work practice at Certificate level, such as the impact and the means of improving weaknesses in quality of data used for patient care.

Is likely to require several paragraphs to describe the facts related to practice, and discuss the professional implications (though academic aspects may be interwoven in the material, the professional issues will be to the fore).

Note: The depth of evidence needed is not an indication of the professional importance of a topic – awareness of a statutory duty may be vital but easily demonstrated, whereas by contrast understanding of for instance the discordance between different geographical coding systems may require more detailed explanation of methods and effect, yet is important only in some specific contexts. Within the Professional Certificate, it is a requirement that ALL competencies are met.

External Verifier Guidance

Professional Learning Outcomes

Discussion

Healthcare informaticians do not achieve the same rewards as in the commercial/private sector

Enhanced training and education and the move to professional recognition for ICT expertise

Improve quality of health-care delivery, particularly in connected health

“Good informatics services are vital to delivering the health and social care services we hope for, and the only way of knowing how well we have delivered. By focusing on high quality informatics services, we will improve patient experience and enable NHS staff to make better use of information to improve the quality of care.” Keogh [15]

Discussion

Feedback from students indicate that the demands of the professional portfolio provide significant workload.

The workload is exacerbated by an HI landscape that is fast changing.

Solving this dilemma of concurrently delivering postgraduate challenge with professional verification will ultimately determine the success of the initiative.

Establishment of an HI ‘community’ comprising many roles (consultants, junior doctors, network managers, administrators) with the NI HI sector, partially due to teamwork elements of the course.

Exploring the possibility of extending provision to the wider (non-specialist) informatics community, with the provision of short courses, which can achieve a continuing professional development accreditation component and bear concurrent academic credit (at UK level 4).

Summary 1

Healthcare Industry:Many vocational qualificationsRequirement for understanding of core computing conceptsKnowledge of specialist health informatics systemsRole of decision support in healthcare

Move to Professional Recognition Better Use of Information

Improve patient experienceImprove quality of care

MIE 2011 Gerry McAllister Slide 9

Summary 2

Experience from 3 Years of IntakeStudents have found the course demandingAcademic and professional assessment demandingWorkload exacerbated by changing Health Informatics landscape

Major benefitEstablishment of a Health Informatics Community

oConsultants, junior medical, network managers, administrators

Future DevelopmentExtend provision to non-specialistsShort course provision

MIE 2011 Gerry McAllister Slide 10

Dual Awards

UK Council for Health Informatics Professionals

The authors wish to acknowledge the contribution of the tutors, students, external verifier and members of the Northern Ireland Health Informatics Assessment Panel; advice from Dr Peter Murray and Dr Jean Roberts in course design; and support funding from the Higher Education Academy: Information and Computer Science. 

Acknowledgements