Developing Workforce Capacity in Public Health Informatics: Core Competencies and Curriculum Design

Abstract

We describe a master’s level public health informatics (PHI) curriculum to support workforce development. Public health decision-making requires intensive information management to organize responses to health threats and develop effective health education and promotion. PHI competencies prepare the public health workforce to design and implement these information systems. The objective for a Master’s and Certificate in PHI is to prepare public health informaticians with the competencies to work collaboratively with colleagues in public health and other health professions to design and develop information systems that support population health improvement. The PHI competencies are drawn from computer, information, and organizational sciences. A curriculum is proposed to deliver the competencies and result of a pilot PHI program is presented. Since the public health workforce needs to use information technology effectively to improve population health, it is essential for public health academic institutions to develop and implement PHI workforce training programs.

Public Health Informatics in Local and State Health Agencies: An Update From the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey

“…Future studies should include questions more specific to PHI, for example, designing, implementing, and evaluating information systems; use of methods in capturing, storing, exchanging, and using data; and applying technologies and standards to enhance timeliness, completeness, and accuracy. Additional PHI-specific competencies have been suggested by Wholey and colleagues 19…”

“…The PH WINS training needs assessment captured respondents' perceived skills and needs using 21 questions across 8 “strategic skill” domains 18. For the current analysis, we focused on questions addressing core public health competencies possessing the greatest overlap with PHI competencies 19. Selected training questions included the following: identifying appropriate sources of data and information to assess the health of a community; collecting valid data for use in decision making; participating in quality improvement processes for agency programs and services; and identifying evidence-based approaches to address public health issues.…”

Developing Evidence-based Population Health Informatics curriculum: Integrating competency based model and job analysis

“…There is an increased focus on public health information and knowledge management systems highlighting need for public health professionals skilled in designing and implementing these systems. Prior study has shown that four competency sets adequately represented in public health informatics curriculum including Leadership and System Thinking Skills, followed by Financial Planning and Management Skills, Community Dimensions of Practice Skills, and Policy Development/Program Planning Skills [33].…”

Applied Public Health Informatics: An eHealth Discipline Focused on Populations

“…Informatics is recognised as a core competency for MPH students as defined by the Council on Education in Public Health. 5 More recently, the Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) identified informatics as a top training priority to support achievement of public health department capacity needs. 6 There exist a variety of training options in public health informatics.…”