Health Informatics Survey

[dbb89b]

I am a master's student in the Health Informatics program at the University of Missouri - Columbia. I am performing research for my master's thesis on informatics competencies, seeking to answer the question, "Currently, what are the most important and widely used health informatics competencies for practicing health care professionals?" Follow-up analysis will examine what competencies have been identified in the past and discuss what has changed between past research and our survey findings. The end purpose is to determine what items need the most focus in educating current and future health care professionals. Ideally it will be useful for both educators and for existing professionals who wish to improve their own informatics abilities.

The survey is completely anonymous and accessible at:

http://sophiabaldwin.com/survey.php

I realize that this board is opposed to soliciting, and I think this is a gray area, so I understand if the topic gets axed. I don't wish to be a shill, but this forum seems like a good way to reach people that would have an interest in the topic.

The research I am undertaking right now is really a preliminary study. I've had some feedback already informing me that I'm on the right track, but I failed to ask "why" practitioners do not use certain technologies. That's really outside the scope of my original project, however. Even if you do not complete the survey, perhaps there is value in discussing why you do not use certain technologies. I would love more feedback from a wider range of people.

The website hosting the survey is a site I wrote and maintain for my daughter.

[NPinWCH]

I'm always willing to help out a fellow masters student so I just finished your survey. Good luck with the thesis :) !!

[mydesygn]

I completed the survey but felt as if perhaps I should not. There wasn't a question focusing on whether your nursing functions involve direct patient contact. As an systems analyst - I use technology heavily in my work although as a RN also, I'm not functioning in any direct patient contact.

[WOLFE, BSN, RN]

Good Luck...just completed the survey.

[dbb89b]

I completed the survey but felt as if perhaps I should not. There wasn't a question focusing on whether your nursing functions involve direct patient contact. As an systems analyst - I use technology heavily in my work although as a RN also, I'm not functioning in any direct patient contact.

You raise an interesting point, and one I didn't consider, but I don't think it means I should discount your experience. If you are working in a medical facility, even if you aren't in contact with patients, I think your experience applies to my study. My initial goal is to determine what practical elements of IT are being used in healthcare today.

Thank you everyone that has responded. I've received around a dozen responses in the last 18 hours, and I suspect that most of them are from this thread.

[dutokay]

I will complete your survey but I wanted to ask you a question. I am considering going back to school to get my master's degree. I am considering either health informatics or nursing informatics. Could you tell me why you chose health Informatics over Nursing Informatics. What are the advantages of each? How lucrative is either compared to Nurse Practioner or Nurse Educator? Sorry about all these questions.

[dbb89b]

Dutokay, I'm sorry, but I actually closed the survey over a year ago. Everyone that completed it and entered their email address was sent a copy of my findings. Does this forum support private messages? If so and if you'd like a copy of my findings, feel free to send me your email address and I will forward you my final paper.

I chose health informatics rather than nursing informatics because I come from an information technology background rather than a healthcare background. I'm software developer by trade. I actually completed the health informatics degree at Mizzou last December. I chose it largely because it allowed me to complete a degree while continuing to work full time. It seemed like a solid program and I felt like I certainly learned a lot from it. http://hmi.missouri.edu/