Information technologies are transforming the way we research, produce, and deliver health care, presenting both opportunities and pitfalls for conducting clinical research. Technologies such as electronic medical records, clinical data repositories, and web-based research systems introduce both strengths and weaknesses to conducting efficient, HIPAA-compliant, and unbiased research. This course is an introduction to the most important technical, clinical, and social aspects of health information technology as they relate to clinical research. At the conclusion of this course, students will:
- Be familiar with core concepts in medical informatics: vocabularies, interchange standards, decision support systems;
- Understand how computers are used to manage information in health care and to support clinical research;
- Be familiar with pros and cons of using health information technology in the care setting for care or research;
- Understand the new NIH emphasis on clinical research informatics; and
- Be familiar with key situations where informatics and informatics collaborations may be needed in clinical research grant proposals.
- Instructor: Ida Sim