Health and Human Services InformaticsMaster's degree programme

Kaija Saranto, Professor, PhD, RN, FACMISirpa Kuusisto-Niemi, Ms.Soc.Sc.,Lecturer

Department of Health and Social Management

International Perspectives on Program Accreditation for Professional Education in Informatics, Medinfo 2013

Contents

•Health and Human Services Informatics master’s degree programme

•Experiences of the accreditation process•Impact of the accreditation on education, research and

society

Health and Human Services Informatics education in Finland

•Only Master's programme of its kind in Finland•Established in 2000 as major; permanent programme since

2005•The aim is to produce professionals and researchers in

information management for the needs of health and social care

•Based on IMIA Recommendations on Education in Health and Medical Informatics from the very beginning

•Master´s degree program 2007, 120 ECTS points– BA degree or corresponding studies as a background– Supplementary studies max 60 ECTS points– Personal study plan for each student– Multifaceted teaching with web studies, email– Assessment and feedback system

3

Definition Health and Human Services Informatics (HHSI) is

understood as the management of information resources of an entity, e.g. an organisation, covering the activities, actors and methods in the production of health and welfare services for the public and private sectors and organisations.

Resources are understood as data warehouses, programs, devices, communications arrangements and people as sources and utilizers of information.

Health Informatics and related fields

Mod. Mantas 2011Context: health and social sciences

Students

The students represent the whole country:Eastern Finland 40%Metropolitan area (Southern Finland) 30 %Middle Finland 10%Western Finland 10%Northern Finland 10%

Graduated 119 (8/2013)

Helsinki

Kuopio

TampereJyväskylä

Rovaniemi

Oulu

Turku

Joensuu

Vaasa

Kajaani

Varkaus

KouvolaMikkeli

Lahti

THE PARADIGM FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES INFORMATICS

Main concepts:•Actors mean users or producers of social and health services •Data is the hierarchical continuum from data to knowledge•Intervention means the planning, implementation, evaluation or use of services•Technology means social and technical procedures used in processing, analysing, storing or retrieving data related to actions

Body of Knowledge in Informatics

http://

Data models, structures

Use of ICT

Knowledge management and informatics competences

Actors

InterventionData

Technology

THE PARADIGM FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES INFORMATICS

Main concepts and research focus

Steering and organizing of information management in work

processesConext: Health and Social Care

Knowledge and skills areas in HHSI 2013-2014

9

Core knowledge and skills  

Health and human services, service organisation 

Methodological competencies

Informatics/computer science

Introduction to Health and Human Services Informatics, 5 ECTS

Basics of management in social and health care, 6 ECTS   

Introduction to Academic Studies, 1 ECTS   

Basic Studies of Computer Science (Minor Studies), 25 ECTS 

Data Protection and Data Security, 5 ECTS 

Contextual changes and organizational reforms in social and health services, 7 ECTS

Information skills in social and health care management, 1 ECTS 

 

Theory Building in Health and Human Services Informatics, 6 ECTS

Cost accounting and budgeting in public organisations, 6 ECTS

Research Methods in Health and Human Services Informatics, 6 ECTS

 

Knowledge Management in Health and Human Services Informatics, 6 ECTS

Research and Development of Health and Human Services Informatics, 6 ECTS

Modelling, 3 ECTS 

 

M Sc Thesis 30 ECTS Practical Training in Health and Human Services Informatics, 6 ECTS

Advanced course in statistical methods, 5 ECTS

 

  One of following as obligatory: Leading and Managing Change, 6 ECTSSmall Business Finance, 6 ECTSManagement Control Systems, 6 ECTS

Evidence Based Social and Health Care, 6 ECTS 

 

  Jurisprudence in Health and Human Services, 3 ECTS

Evaluation research, 6 ECTS 

 

 Σ 52

  Σ 40

  Σ 28

Σ 25

IMIA GA, Beijing 23.10.2012

10

Experiences

•The evaluation process itself was familiar due to various evaluations at the university

•The focus on informatics was very rewarding •The expertice of the panel members was high quality•Instructions for self-assessment were clear and guided the

analysis of the programme in a comprehensive way•The data collection was challenging due to fragmented

databases•The timeframe of the process was optimal for us•The site-visit was highly valued by the university staff

11

Impact of the accreditationEducation & Research:

The guidance to improve both structure and content of the curricula was very rewarding and it helped us:•To focus on student’s optimum time to graduate •To improve procedures in integrating teaching and research more intensively •To stress the importance of quantitative research methods•To focus more thoroughly on outcomes of the education, especially on significance of students’ thesis

12

Impact of the accreditation

Society:

•The programme is now an established brand •Contacts with alumnis have been intensified eg. annual seminars•Number of applicants was slightly higher this spring•Co-operation with research units having convergent research interests has increased

13

14

Thank you!