PHIT Resources
What is Public Health Informatics?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define public health informatics as the “systematic application of knowledge about systems that capture, manage, analyze and use information to improve population-level health outcomes.”1 It is an interdisciplinary scientific field that utilizes the “systematic application of information and computer science and technology to public health (PH) practice, research, and learning.”2
References:
1 O’Carroll PW. Introduction to public health informatics. In: O’Carroll PW, Yasnoff WA, Ward ME, Ripp LH, Martin EL, editors. Public health informatics and information systems. New York: Springer; 2002. p. 1–15.
2 Magnuson JA, Dixon BE. Public health informatics: An introduction. In Magnuson JA, Dixon BE, editors. Public health informatics and information systems. 3rd edition. Springer Nature Switzerland; 2020. p. 3.
What Does a Public Health Informatician Do?
- Plans, designs, and defines functional requirements for public health information systems
- Evaluates the application and impact of information systems in support of health goals
- Serves as a liaison between multidisciplinary teams
- Uses data standards to support interoperability of data between systems
- Ensures confidentiality, security, and integrity standards
- Is knowledgeable about health data standards, sources, and meaningful use of health data
- Plans technology projects and milestones, develops software, and maintains and operates systems
- Evaluates the performance and availability of information systems
- Designs, implements, and administers database architecture, privacy, security, and backup procedures
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Public health informatics competencies. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2009.
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