UC Offers New Health Informatics Course

CINCINNATI—The use of computer and statistical techniques (informatics) in health care is becoming a necessity as technology continues to advance and the need for electronic organization and access grows.

In order to address these needs, UC will partner with the American Medical Informatics Association’s (AMIA) 10x10 program to better prepare professionals in the health, biomedical and IT fields to handle informatics issues in the workplace.

UC will be the fifth university nationally to partner with the AMIA.

Peter Embi, MD, assistant professor of medicine and director of the UC Center for Health Informatics, will direct the 10x10 program being offered at UC.

“We are proud to contribute to the growth of this program,” Embi says. “Our new 10x10 course offering will focus on the concepts central to the important and rapidly developing area of clinical research informatics.” 

Clinical research informatics (CRI) involves using biomedical and health informatics methods and systems to address the challenges of planning, conducting and distributing the results of clinical research, including clinical trials.

Embi says the program will not only highlight the key challenges and opportunities facing CRIs, but also will introduce students to key models, approaches, tools, regulatory/ethical issues and initiatives driving their development and practice. 

“The program will teach participants about key issues in clinical research and the solutions to them based on established and emerging informatics principles and approaches” Embi says. “This training will enable participants to serve as champions in local health care, research and industry settings and provide a foundation for those who wish to delve more deeply into this rapidly developing field of study.”

Embi says the course, which will be offered beginning in January 2009, includes online multimedia presentations along with access to instructional materials and a face-to-face component at the conclusion of the course.  

“Students who complete the course have the option of continuing their education and training through programs offered at UC,” he adds.