This course is designed to provide an introduction of basic concepts and recurrent themes in Health Informatics (HI)- an emergent discipline that deals with the collection, storage, retrieval communication, and use of health-related data, information, and knowledge. During the course we will explore a number of topics central to understanding of the field including the motivation for HI; Biomedical data, information and knowledge; technological support for decision making (including predictive analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence); the main types of information systems in health care and their design; and organizational and societal issues.

Objectives: students who participate in this class will get exposure to recurrent themes and IT applications in Health Informatics. Students should be able to: 1) Understand the scope and breadth of Health Informatics. 2) Understand how information and communication technology can be used to capture, store, analyze, and disseminate health and clinical information in order to improve quality, safety, and efficiency. 3) Understand how technology may be used to support decision-making processes in health care. 4) Apply theoretical concepts from social and information sciences in the design, implementation, and evaluation of health informatics initiatives. 5) Discuss societal, organizational, and ethical issues that surround the application of technology in health care settings. 6) Be able to analyze health informatics initiatives and discuss their strengths and weaknesses.