Health Informatics

Kent State’s online Master of Science in Health Informatics program is a candidate for accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). Once accredited, our program will join other universities like Indiana University, Boston University and Drexel University. Of 350 accredited programs for all degree levels, only 18 online HI programs hold this prestigious accreditation. Kent State’s Master of Science in Health Informatics program is aiming to bump the online number up to 19, making us not only one of the most affordable HI programs in Ohio, but also one of the most elite as the only HI master’s program to hold this accreditation in the state.

Security breaches to healthcare systems can result in private medical records—and all the sensitive information they contain—being exposed. How significant is this threat? According to HIPAA Journal, there were 3,705 significant breaches between 2009 and 2020, and nearly every year, that number increases. Over half of these breaches occurred in the last four years alone.1

Innovative digital technologies in the healthcare field are enhancing every aspect of healthcare delivery, providing secure and seamless flows of information between patients and healthcare providers. When a provider collects clinical data on a patient, it is stored in electronic health records (EHRs). EHRs are created, managed and reviewed on an EHR platform designed to share information across a full spectrum of healthcare organizations. Reaching far beyond the original point of EHR data collection, EHR platforms are built to securely share information with every provider involved in a patient’s care, and with the patients themselves.1

Technological advances have revolutionized the healthcare industry. Electronic medical records (EMR), lifetime electronic health records (EHR) and diagnostic systems like MRI machines and other medical imaging devices, as well as wearable sensors and even robotic-assisted surgery systems, create an environment where patient data can be gathered, analyzed and shared among providers for improved health outcomes. However, along with exciting innovation and advances in networking and connectivity comes the potential for exploitation, which could cause great harm to patients, providers and medical device companies.1,2

Health informatics is a vast and rapidly growing field that encompasses many areas of the healthcare industry.

The term “telemedicine” describes the provision of remote medical assistance via telephone or video in times when a doctor cannot meet with a patient in person. Historically, with medical care commonly regarded as a practice that benefits most from in-person treatment for full efficacy, telemedicine has generally been considered a last resort. While industries outside of medicine enthusiastically embraced remote technologies throughout the 21st century, the adoption of telemedicine has been hindered by technological challenges, privacy concerns, high costs and a lack of perceived usefulness.1

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Technology has changed almost every aspect of the way we live and work, including our approach to healthcare. Medical providers, clinical facilities and payers are increasingly adopting technology that can help them achieve the goals of higher-quality care at lower cost. Health informatics is a rapidly growing field, fusing the knowledge of technology with the desire to improve patient care. As the field grows, a competitive health informatics salary can be part of a fulfilling career.