UBC Certificate in Health Informatics
University of British Columbia Canada
UBC Certificate in Health Informatics for
International Students and Professionals Health
informatics is the application of information technology (IT) within the
healthcare industry to better manage organizations and more effectively deliver
medical services. As the use of computer and communication technologies becomes
more widespread throughout the healthcare system, health informatics is
increasingly important for the delivery of quality medical care. Designed
especially for international students and professionals, the UBC Certifi cate in
Health Informatics is a 12-month program that teaches the processes and
procedures that enable the use of IT systems within the healthcare industry.
The UBC
Certificate in Health Informatics for International Students is focused on the
IT systems that enable the use of health information in general, including
population data, hospital and clinical information, test and diagnostic reports,
patient records, disease and treatment information, pharmaceutical data,
bioinformatics, and insurance and legal data. In this sense health informatics
is part of the larger field of knowledge management. The intent of this program
is to acquire the knowledge and skills to develop IT-enabled business processes
that support the use of health information so that healthcare professionals,
including policy-makers, administrators, doctors, nurses, physiotherapists,
pharmacists and other healthcare workers, can improve individual and social
well-being. All
certificate courses are taught in English and take place on The University of
British Columbia's beautiful campuses in Vancouver, Canada. Upon successful
completion of the program, the student will receive a Certifi cate in Health
Informatics from The University of British Columbia. Program Objectives The UBC Certificate in Health Informatics for
International Students is specifically designed for international students who
want to achieve the following:
-
Understand the North American cultural context for
healthcare maintenance and delivery -
Learn about the structure of the healthcare system and
the industry's value-chain -
Learn English terminology and expressions in the thematic
areas of business, medicine and IT in order to develop the ability to
communicate effectively in the domain of health informatics -
Learn how computer and communication technologies are
used in healthcare environments -
Understand the many uses of information technology in the
healthcare system for both the delivery and management of medical care -
Develop an understanding of healthcare business processes
in order to analyze and design new ways of working -
Learn about the many forms of healthcare data and their
uses and applications -
Learn how to model business processes from functional and
data perspectives in order to determine performance gaps -
Learn the processes and systems used to capture,
organize, manipulate and analyze healthcare data -
Learn the functioning of databases and how to add,
manipulate and extract data -
Understand the methods of data representation and
visualization frequently used in healthcare -
Develop methods of assessing healthcare organizations
from an information management perspective -
Learn how to integrate health informatics within business
processes, including change management techniques
Format The UBC Certificate in Health Informatics for
International Students is a fourteen month program of study. The curriculum is
delivered into classroom and computer lab settings at the University's main
campus at Point Gray and the downtown campus at Robson Square in Vancouver,
British Columbia. All courses are taught in English and English language
communication skills, both written and oral, are integrated throughout the
curriculum. Students are expected to work well in a team-learning environment. Admission Requirements UBC Continuing Studies has strict admission
requirements for the UBC Certificate in Health Informatics for International
Students. These include:
-
Minimum two-year diploma or degree in the area of
healthcare, such as nursing, healthcare management, laboratory science,
clinical practice, biochemistry, etc. For older students a combination of
work experience in the healthcare industry and relevant education may be
considered. -
English Language Proficiency: TOEFL: 550 and ILTES: 5. 5 -
Access to a recent-model personal computer for completing
assignments (e. g. Pentium 3 or 4 CPU)
Curriculum The UBC Certificate in
Health Informatics for International Studentsis a
broad-based curriculum that combines technology, business process analysis, data
analytics, knowledge management, change management, and language and culture.
Health informatics for international practitioners is a field requiring
intercultural understanding, international communication skills and in-depth
understanding of local and international healthcare practices. It is necessary
to exchange information clearly with diverse communities of healthcare
specialists, patients, colleagues and agencies, organizations and government
agencies. An on-going component of the program includes development of
communication skills in English and intercultural knowledge. This will be
integrated with field visits and field studies of the healthcare practices in
North America.
 A comprehensive
curriculum teaches all aspects
of IT-enabled health informatics Topic Areas Healthcare Communications Includes an introduction to the vast
literature related to healthcare, research techniques, report writing,
presentation skills and cross-cultural communications. Information Technology and Healthcare
Terminology Includes an introduction to medical, business
and IT terminology used in the healthcare industry. Business Process Analysis and Planning Provides an introduction to business process
analysis including understanding workflow, the importance of business strategy
and planning, organizational development, individual and group behaviour,
performance systems, technology, and leadership in the management of business
activities. Health Informatics Applications Provides an understanding of the uses of
health information in general and their supporting information technology
software and hardware systems. International Classification Systems for
Healthcare Information Includes an overview of the various
international organizations and their coding and classification systems for
healthcare information worldwide, including disease, genomic, clinical and
bioinformatic data. Business Process Modeling and Design Teaches how to map and analyze business
events, interactions, data flow and the rules that govern those activities.
Course analytical methods for understanding processes, requirements analysis,
scope and feasibility analysis, and scenario planning. Database Design Includes an overview of databases and
supporting hardware and software systems and standard methods for inserting,
sorting and querying data and report generation. Modeling Structured Data for Healthcare Provides methods of identifying, organizing
and coding healthcare data for use within databases. Design and Analysis of Healthcare
Information Provides the theoretical techniques and
practical tools necessary for developing and using health informatics databases. Healthcare Information Analysis and
Presentation Provides the analytic and communication
skills necessary to implement effective use of healthcare information. Change Management in Healthcare Provides an understanding of how to implement
new business processes and healthcare procedures to effectively use health
informatics in organizations. Legal and Ethical Aspects of Health
Informatics Provides an introduction into the legal
environment of healthcare, both national and international, and the moral and
ethical implications of health informatics. Tuition and Program Fees Total tuition fees for the UBC Certificate in
Health Informatics for International Students is $26, 500. Fees include text books and specialized
software. Students are expected to have access to their own personal computer to
complete assignments. Accommodations, food and travel are not
included in the tuition fee.

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