Posted by: Lipscomb University
from: Nationally recognized Health Care Informatics program to move fully online
The Lipscomb College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences’ nationally recognized Health Care Informatics program is set to move fully online by the start of the fall 2022 semester. The program includes both the Master’s in Health Care Informatics (MHCI) and the Certificate in Health Care Informatics.
The shift will make the program available to students who want to attend a nationally ranked HCI program and in a setting that is most convenient to them.
“We witnessed a historic shift during the COVID-19 pandemic to remote working options for organizations and employees, with many of those positions related to HCI,” said Health Care Informatics Chair Dr. Beth Breeden. “The jobs projection and range of opportunities for health care informatics continues to see significant increases. These events confirm that the time has never been better to make this conversion.”
The program will continue to offer the advanced health care informatics curriculum with the added flexibility of an online degree program.
“The online format provides course offerings which advance careers, while also offering flexibility and meaningful collaborations for our students in a setting that is most convenient for them,” said Breeden.
The program will include a hybrid approach, featuring both synchronous and asynchronous instruction.
“For the asynchronous portion, students will review and interact with course materials and offerings in their own time separate from the class,” Breeden said. “For the synchronous portion, the instructor and students will meet online at the same time. This approach offers the flexibility and convenience of asynchronous learning coupled with enhanced efficiency, quality feedback and communication available in the synchronous sessions.”
The Master’s in Health Care Informatics includes 14 core courses which can be completed in 14 months, while the Certificate in Health Care Informatics includes five core courses which can be completed in five months.
The fully online version will begin in this fall with a 25-student cohort.
Since the program began in 2010, it has consistently been recognized nationally for it’s achievements in the field. During the 2020-21 academic year, the program was ranked nationally by three different organizations.
In April, it was ranked the 24th “Best Masters in Healthcare Informatics” in the country by CollegeChoice. College Choice considered a number of factors in their methodology for the ranking including academic quality, affordability, return on investment and student satisfaction using retention rates and graduation rates. They also factor resources at U.S. News & World Report and the statistics at Payscale.com in the ranking.
In February, topmastersinhealthcare.comranked Lipscomb’s program #20 in the nation. The ranking is based on several factors that positively benefit students, including quality, financial considerations and online flexibility.
In addition, Lipscomb was ranked in the 2020 Top 50 “Best Masters in Healthcare Informatics” by Value Colleges. Value Colleges rankings are based on three factors: cost (current IPEDS data), reputation (current U.S. News & World Report ranking), and success (average alumni salary). By taking these metrics into account, Value Colleges determine which schools are most likely to provide a strong return on a graduate’s investment of time, work, and money. According to Value College, these are the health informatics degrees that show the best combination of job market pull, educational excellence, and real-world returns.
Lipscomb’s Master of Science in Health Care Informatics program includes multidisciplinary training in health sciences, information technology, and predictive analytics, which provides students the ability to interact effectively with clinicians, administrators, business leaders and IT professionals as well as understand the challenges of each role. Students benefit greatly from a program based in Nashville, the nation’s health care capital. With over 500 health care organizations located in Nashville, students are able to benefit from this diverse community which impacts health care on local, regional, national and international levels.
This exciting field is expected to grow 20 percent in the coming years. Students are able to translate their passions into enhancing and transforming health care delivery and outcomes. They become equipped to improve the quality of care and reduce health care costs, making the industry more efficient and economical.
The program is designed for those with busy schedules by offering the program online, with 42-hour coursework delivered in just 12 months, plus two months to finalize individual capstone project work. Students are placed in a cohort so they stay with the same students through the entire program learning from, supporting, and networking with each other. The program is designed to prepare students for jobs in hospitals, health care consulting, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, insurance companies, governmental agencies, and health-related software companies, business, and industry among many others.
submitted by: Janel Shoun-Smith