Claremont Home to Area’s First IT Focused Health Information Management Degree

Claremont, CA, July 20, 2007 --(PR.com)-- In 2004, the government mandated that all healthcare records be made available electronically by 2010. In response to this, the American Medical Informatics Association has launched an initiative to train 10,000 healthcare professionals in applied health and medical informatics by that same year.

Claremont Graduate University School of Information Systems and Technology has also recognized the need for quality education in this field, and in September of 2007 will begin a groundbreaking Master’s degree program in Health Information Management. The program will focus on developing the critical skill sets necessary to the design, analysis and management of systems that are secure, efficient and accessible. Currently, only about 15% of hospitals and other healthcare organizations use electronic medical record databases; however, efficiency, ease of use and interoperability remain major obstacles to widespread integration. But even with these problems solved, it is recognized that without a properly educated workforce in place to manage these systems, the effort could still fail.

“The challenge of health IT professionals is to design and implement systems that are secure and accurate and at the same time practical and easily implemented by medical practitioners,” said Matt Hutter, Director of Outreach for the School of Information Systems and Technology. “A system that is designed without input from doctors, nurses and other end users run the risk of impeding workflow rather than streamlining it. Educating professionals who will bridge the gap between the IT professional and clinical practitioner is exactly what this program is designed to do.”

“The widespread implementation of electronic health records is going to benefit both consumers and medical professionals,” Hutter said “Most healthcare organizations are using ancient technology—paper— this creates a lot of redundancy, increases costs, and leads to errors in clinical practice that otherwise may not happen.”

In developing this program, the School of Information Systems and Technology has established relationships with key area hospitals such as Cedars-Sinai, Loma Linda, and Kaiser Permanente. Students will have the opportunity to apply what they are learning in a real-world setting at some of these sites through the unique clinical immersion component of the Health Information Management program. The program is also distinctive because it is being offered through an IS&T school rather than a medical school. Similar programs are typically part of a medical school program and thus, not focused primarily on IT issues.

“Healthcare in the is entering an era when mastery of new information systems and technology will be more important than ever before,” said Dr. Paul Torrens, Professor of Health Services at UCLA. “Claremont Graduate University's new Health Information Management program will prepare leaders for one of the most important areas in healthcare today.”

Claremont Graduate University School of Information Systems and Technology is an emerging leader in tackling issues surrounding e-health. In 2006, the university established the Kay Center for E-Health Research. The mission of the center is to advance scientific understanding and public policy improvements relative to how new electronic health systems can best incorporate health and disability data needs to improve industry efficiency and promote societal welfare. The center has received numerous grants under the guidance of its director, Dr. Thomas Horan, which facilitate research in many areas of e-health.

###