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M.S. Degree in Health Informatics ABSTRACT:

"Health informatics” has been defined as a discipline that focuses on the use of information and information technology to support clinical care, health services administration, research and education. Health informatics emphasizes the acquisition, storage, retrieval and utilization of clinical, administrative and financial information in health care. The proposed Health Informatics Master's degree is designed to train specialized health informaticians who can assist healthcare providers and institutions in implementing technological innovations to improve patient care, manage costs and comply with both current and future federal and state healthcare regulations regarding health information management. The program comprises a curriculum designed to embrace all aspects of health informatics including topics in management information systems, database design, electronic health records, e-medicine business models, decision support and analysis, managerial communications and health informatics ethics and law. The program fulfills the goals of the SUS system and USF in terms of workforce development, new degree production, expanded student access to higher education, meeting community needs and enhancing world-class academic programs. The potential mixed mode delivery of the program, primarily using distance technologies, but potentially incorporating on-ground instruction in subsequent years, coupled with the integration of informatics and clinical sciences in the College of Medicine provides program participants with exposure to the wide range of health informatics activities in a modern patient-care setting.

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Florida Board of Governors

Request to Offer a New Degree Program _University of South Florida_____ _Summer 2012_____________ University Submitting Proposal Proposed Implementation Date _Medicine________________________ _School of Biomedical Sciences_ Name of College or School Name of Department(s) _Health Informatics_____________________ Master of Science in Health Informatics Academic Specialty or Field Complete Name of Degree (Include Proposed CIP Code) 51.2706 The submission of this proposal constitutes a commitment by the university that, if the proposal is approved, the necessary financial resources and the criteria for establishing new programs have been met prior to the initiation of the program. Date Approved by the University Board of Trustees President Date Signature of Chair, Board of Trustees Date Vice President for Academic

Affairs Date

Provide headcount (HC) and full-time equivalent (FTE) student estimates of majors for Years 1 through 5. HC and FTE estimates should be identical to those in Table 1. Indicate the program costs for the first and the fifth years of implementation as shown in the appropriate columns in Table 2. Calculate an Educational and General (E&G) cost per FTE for Years 1 and 5 (Total E&G divided by FTE). Implementation Timeframe

Projected Student Enrollment (From Table 1)

Projected Program Costs (From Table 2)

HC FTE Total E&G

Funding

Contract & Grants

Funding

E&G Cost per FTE

Year 1 25 0 $0 $680,000 $0Year 2 35 0 Year 3 40 0 Year 4 50 0 Year 5 50 0 $ $1,360,000 $0

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Note: This outline and the questions pertaining to each section must be reproduced within the body of the proposal to ensure that all sections have been satisfactorily addressed. Introduction

I. Program Description and Relationship to System-Level Goals A. Briefly describe within a few paragraphs the degree program under consideration,

including (a) level; (b) emphases, including concentrations, tracks, or specializations; (c) total number of credit hours; and (d) overall purpose, including examples of employment or education opportunities that may be available to program graduates.

Healthcare providers and related businesses and institutions are increasingly turning to technological innovation to improve patient care, manage costs and comply with both current and future federal and state healthcare regulations. These factors clearly increase the demand for workers with specialized technical knowledge and information management skills in the healthcare industry.

Health informatics has been defined as the science that underlies the academic investigation and practical application of computing and communications technology to healthcare, health education and biomedical research. This broad area of inquiry incorporates the design and optimization of information systems that support clinical practice, public health and research; modeling, organizing, standardizing, processing, analyzing, communicating and searching health and biomedical research data; understanding and optimizing the way in which biomedical data and information systems are used for decision-making; and using communications and computing technology to better educate healthcare providers, researchers and consumers. Tools and techniques developed from health informatics research have become and will remain integral components of the best practices in healthcare delivery and public health management and the best strategies in biomedical research.

The proposed thirty-two (32) credit hour, graduate Master's degree in Health Informatics (MSHI), is designed to attract a broad array of students who are interested in the rapidly growing field of health informatics, a field that has recently received considerable attention from the federal government as part of the reorganization of health care delivery in the United States. The program is focused on students in the health sciences, medical students, practicing clinicians and other healthcare providers in addition to information technology professionals seeking advanced training in health informatics and is designed to extend their knowledge in the areas of health informatics that include topics such as integrated medical records, database designand construction, managerial communications and the development of electronic business models for healthcare delivery. In addition, the Master’s program represents a logical companion to the College’s new 12-credit hour Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics which requires the successful completion of four of the courses listed in the MSHI curriculum (HIM 6118 - Introduction to Health Informatics; HIM 6114 - Integrated Electronic Medical Records; HIM 6350 - e-Medicine Business Models; HIM 6320 - Managerial Communication).

This program is designed to address both the areas of clinical informatics and health information systems informatics with a focus on the integration and interoperability of technology and communication within this total environment. The courses are structured to provide broad

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technical skills as well as providing the organizational competencies required for success by graduates in health informatics.

Health informatics professionals are responsible for providing leadership in the application of information management principles in the health care environment in cooperation with clinicians, patients, healthcare managers and other members of inter-professional healthcare teams. Health informaticists are an important part of the healthcare industry and are experts in securing, analyzing, integrating and managing information that steers the healthcare industry. A significant component of a health information professional's responsibilities is the medical record, both computer-based and paper, which will continue to increase in complexity owing to the further application of enhanced technologies. The health information professional facilitates the collection of many kinds of documentation from a variety of sources, monitors the integrity of the information, and ensures appropriate access to the individual record. Health Information professionals work in a variety of health care settings. These settings include but are not limited to: acute, long-term care, outpatient surgery, and physician office, ambulatory health care and psychiatric settings. Opportunities also exist in related health care settings like insurance companies, medical clinics, computer software services, health maintenance organizations, software companies and law firms. Health informaticists perform a variety of technical health information functions. Some common job responsibilities could include: organizing, analyzing and technically evaluating health information; compiling various administrative and health statistics; coding diseases, operations and procedures; performing Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) and utilization review procedures. Other functions could include maintaining healthcare and electronic health record (EHR) statistics, transcribing medical reports and supervising employees.

B. Describe how the proposed program is consistent with the current State University System (SUS) Strategic Planning Goals. Identify which goals the program will directly support and which goals the program will indirectly support. (See the SUS Strategic Plan at http://www.flbog.org/StrategicResources/ )

The proposed Master’s degree in Health Informatics will contribute to the State University System of Florida's strategic plan and the strategic objectives of the University of South Florida in the following goals and strategies:

Goal 1: Access to and production of degrees The proposed program represents the first health informatics degree to be offered by a medical school in the State of Florida and represents a unique opportunity for the institution to integrate the study of the management information sciences with the medical sciences and their application to healthcare delivery. We believe the program will ultimately attract new students who are not currently served by existing programs at the institution together with information management students interested in graduate education and a change of focus. The program will also appeal to practicing clinicians given that health informatics may soon be recognized as a full-fledged medical subspecialty. If this recognition occurs, it will come just as many healthcare organizations and physician practices are beginning to view health information technology as an essential tool for improving the quality and lowering the cost of healthcare. In addition, the mixed mode delivery of both distance and face-2-face courses

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will facilitate enrollment of students from geographically dispersed regions, both nationally and internationally, This will potentially enhance both enrollment and degree production. Goal 2: Meeting statewide professional and workforce needs The Health Informatics Master’s degree represents a new and distinctive academic concentration by virtue of its component courses and their associated content. The innovative curriculum and methods of instructional delivery will address the region’s and state’s need for more clinicians and healthcare professionals who are trained in the application of information management technologies to the healthcare environment. The inclusion of modern distance education technologies will significantly expand access to these courses by students who substantially exceed the minimum entry qualifications for USF’s graduate programs and are unable to register for the College’s traditional courses owing to geographical or career scheduling limitations. In addition, students who successfully complete the program will have demonstrated substantial academic ability and will be well-prepared to continue their education in USF’s many doctoral programs, resulting in an expanded applicant pool.

Goal 3: Building world-class academic programs and research capacity The Health Informatics master’s degree represents a new, integrated graduate program that primarily focuses on the application of information management technologies to all aspects of the basic and clinical sciences components of the traditional medical curriculum and expands access to courses and material that are normally only available to students enrolled in information management programs or post professional medical programs. In addition, the combination of the “concentrated” course format together with extensive webcasts and practical experience represents a new approach to delivering courses of this type in the State of Florida.

Goal 4: Meeting community needs and fulfilling unique institutional responsibilities The new degree program will promote nationally and internationally distinctive and prominent research and graduate programs at the institution and will create and support globally competitive, relevant and distinctive academic programs that address the changing needs of the region, state and nation through innovative approaches to curriculum development and delivery. In addition the program will provide increased access to excellence in higher education for students who demonstrate the aptitude to succeed and will enhance and expand the talent pool by shaping the enrollment profile of USF’s graduate student body to reflect that found at a pre-eminent research university.

Institutional and State Level Accountability II. Need and Demand

A. Need: Describe national, state, and/or local data that support the need for more people to be prepared in this program at this level. Reference national, state, and/or local plans or reports that support the need for this program and requests for the proposed program which have emanated from a perceived need by agencies or industries in your service area. Cite any specific need for research and service that the program would fulfill.

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Health Informatics has an interdisciplinary focus that deals with the use of electronic media to track patient health information. Health informatics is the intersection of information science, computer science and healthcare. It integrates the resources, devices and methods required to optimize the acquisition, storage, retrieval and use of information in health and biomedicine. Health informatics tools include not only computers but also clinical guidelines, formal medical terminologies and information and communication systems. It is applied to the areas of clinical care, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, public health and biomedical research. The discipline is being driven to deliver patient-centered, knowledge-based care and by a need at the national level to manage the upward spiral of healthcare costs. New programs are required to support IT-enabled healthcare professionals in the redesign of healthcare delivery models. In July 2004, Dr. David Brailer, the former National Health Information Technology Coordinator at the Department of Health and Human Services, convened the first national health information technology summit and launched the Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform (TIGER) Initiative to give Americans the benefits of electronic health records in 10 year's time. The TIGER Initiative aims to enable practicing healthcare providers to fully engage in the unfolding digital era of health care. Through its agenda and action plans, TIGER is working to ensure that all healthcare providers are educated in using informatics and thereby empowered to deliver safer, higher-quality patient care. In a recent interview in Today’s Campus Magazine, Larry Pawola, Associate Dean, Academic Practice & Distance Education at the University of Illinois, Chicago, explained the increased demand for Health Informatics degrees and the resulting six-fold enrollment growth in the last 18 months. The University anticipated over 400 students in their online program for their spring 2010 semester. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), earmarked about $100 billion for K-12 and higher education. A subpart of ARRA, called HITECH, involves health information technology, and is worth $22 billion or more. HITECH will stimulate the purchase and implementation of technology in health care organizations which will in turn result in organizations recruiting individuals with skills in leadership, project management and an understanding of software, technology and health informatics. The HITECH fund allocation includes:

$18 billion through the Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement systems as incentives for hospitals and physicians who are “meaningful users” of electronic health record systems.

$2 billion to the Office of the National Coordinator for infrastructure necessary to allow for, and promote, the electronic exchange and use of health information for each individual in the United States; updating the Department of Health & Human Services’ technologies to allow for the electronic flow of information; integrating health IT education into the training of healthcare professionals; and, promoting interoperable clinical data repositories.

$1 billion to be made available for renovation and repair of health centers and for the acquisition of health IT systems.

$550 million for – among other things – the purchase of equipment and services including, but not limited to, health IT within Indian Health Service facilities.

$400 million for comparative effectiveness research on how the use of electronic data impacts healthcare treatments and strategies.

$300 million to support regional and sub-national efforts towards health information exchange.

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$40 million to be used by the Social Security Administration to use EHRs to submit disability claims.

More recently, the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) proposed board certification for health/clinical informatics to the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Their proposal was endorsed by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Pathology. According to Glenn Merchant, MD, executive director of ABPM, the outlook for approval of the request is “favorable,” based on the initial reaction of an ABMS committee. The ABPM embarked on this course after being approached by the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA), which has long advocated for the recognition of informatics as a branch of medicine. Initially, physicians will be able to become board certified in informatics “through a practice pathway. These are people who have developed knowledge and expertise by working in the field.” But if ABMS approves the creation of the subspecialty, ABPM will ask the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education to accredit fellowships in clinical informatics. The proposal that clinical informatics be regarded as a medical field rather than as a technological specialty is centered around the need to have clinicians involved in the design and implementation and management of these medical information systems. Experienced clinicians have special insight into the tools required for decision making. Trained clinicians, who have experience in the hospital wards, clinics and ERs are best qualified to indicate the needed components by the blending of informatics and medical knowledge. Thus, Health Informatics as a new discipline is creating a long term opportunity for the development of a new graduate degree to address the changes that are underway in the delivery of healthcare.

B. Demand: Describe data that support the assumption that students will enroll in the proposed program. Include descriptions of surveys or other communications with prospective students.

Medical records and health information technicians held about 172,500 jobs in 2008. About 39 percent of jobs were in hospitals. Health information technicians work at a number of healthcare providers such as offices of physicians, nursing care facilities, outpatient care centers, and home healthcare services. Technicians also may be employed outside of healthcare facilities, such as in Federal Government agencies. In addition, with the increasing use of electronic health records, more technicians will be needed to complete the new responsibilities associated with electronic data management. According to Indeed.com, Health Informatics Analysts earned on average $81,000 in 2008 with a salary range of $34,000 to over $110,000. These employment indicators and salaries provide support for the predicted enrollment in the program.

C. If similar programs (either private or public) exist in the state, identify the

Health Informatics Career Options Average Salary

Chief Information Officer $122,000

Chief Security Officer $105,000

Informatics Researcher $76,000

Medical Informatics Program Manager $70,000

Medical Information Systems Director $76,000

Clinical Database Specialist $54,000

Clinical Systems Analyst $74,000

Medical Informatics Program Designer $35,000

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institution(s) and geographic location(s). Summarize the outcome(s) of any communication with such programs with regard to the potential impact on their enrollment and opportunities for possible collaboration (instruction and research). Provide data that support the need for an additional program.

Within the State of Florida, a number of public and private institutions offer both certificate and undergraduate programs in Health Informatics/Medical Informatics. Undergraduate programs in Health Information Management are available at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (Tallahassee), Florida International University (Miami), the University of West Florida (Pensacola) and the University of Central Florida (Orlando). However, at the graduate level, only two institutions currently offer Master's degrees.

The University of Central Florida (Orlando, FL) offers an online Professional Science Master's Program in Health Care Informatics (http://www.cohpa.ucf.edu/informatics/). The 5-semester program requires a minimum of 36 credit hours and credits must be taken in topics that include health-services management, health care informatics, research practicum/thesis, a symposium course and a seminar on health care informatics research. The curriculum includes the following courses:

HIM 5118C Health Care Informatics and Information Technology (4 credits) HIM 6117C Health Care Informatics Symposium (4 credits) HIM 6119C Biostatistics and Decision Analysis (4 credits) HIM 6122C System Analysis and Design (4 credits) HIM 6123C Health Informatics Applications—Administrative, Financial and Clinical Project Management (4 credits) HIM 6124C Health Care Data Architecture and Modeling (4 credits) HIM 6464C Epidemiology, Analytics and Quality Management (4 credits) HIM 6816 Practicum in Health Care Informatics (3 credits) HIM 6935 Seminar on Current Issues in Healthcare Informatics and Enterprise Management (2 credits) HIM 6947 Health Care Informatics Internship (3 credits)

The University of Phoenix (Jacksonville, FL / Maitland, FL / Plantation, FL / Temple Terrace, FL) offers an online Master of Health Administration/Informatics degree (http://www.phoenix.edu/programs/degree-programs/nursing-and-health-care/masters/mha-inf/v002.html). The MHA concentration in Informatics requires a minimum of 40 credit hours and offers content in finance, policy, research, technology, quality improvement, economics, marketing and strategic planning. In addition, students have the option to complete a specialization related to their area of interest such as gerontology, informatics and education. The curriculum includes the following courses:

HCS 504 Introduction to Graduate Study in Health Sciences/Nursing (1 credit) HCS 514 Managing in Today’s Health Care Organizations (3 credits) HCS 545 Health Law and Ethics (3 credits) HCS 539 Marketing for Health Care (3 credits) HCS 531 Health Care Organizations and Delivery Systems (3 credits) HCS 577 Financial Management in Health Care (3 credits) HCS 533 Health Information Systems (3 credits) HCS 535 Concepts of Population Health (3 credits) HCS 587 Creating Change Within Organizations (3 credits) HCS 552 Health Care Economics (3 credits) HCS 588 Measuring Performance Standards (3 credits) HCI 500 Concepts of Health Care Informatics (3 credits) HCI 510 Systems Life Cycle (3 credits)

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HCI 520 Data Management and Design (3 credits)

Neither of these existing programs is associated with a medical school that can focus on the integration of health informatics with modern healthcare delivery. The UCF program is housed in the Department of Health Management & Informatics in the College of Health & Public Affairs while the University of Phoenix program is not associated with a designated department or school.

D. Use Table 1 (A for undergraduate and B for graduate) to categorize projected student headcount (HC) and Full Time Equivalents (FTE) according to primary sources. Generally undergraduate FTE will be calculated as 40 credit hours per year and graduate FTE will be calculated as 32 credit hours per year. Describe the rationale underlying enrollment projections. If, initially, students within the institution are expected to change majors to enroll in the proposed program, describe the shifts from disciplines that will likely occur.

Based upon our success with similar graduate programs, such as the Master’s Degree in Biotechnology, the Medical Sciences Pre-Professional Program (MSP3) and our Executive Master’s Program in Metabolic and Nutritional Medicine, we believe that our anticipated student enrollment is readily achievable. In addition, the College has received numerous inquiries from students who are interested in the health informatics field based upon publicity generated by the "PaperFree" initiative. Based upon our primary course delivery model using distance technologies, we anticipate that our student body will be comprised of a combination of domestic, both residents and non-residents, together with a number of international students. Enrollment will potentially comprise both full-time and part-time students who will be able to participate in the various courses and electives. We anticipate an enrollment of 25 students in the first year followed by a gradually increasing enrollment that culminates in a sustained program enrollment of 50 students in the 5th year of the program. We believe that housing the program in the College of Medicine, with its associated clinical activities and affiliated institutions; will be a major attractor to potential students.

E. Indicate what steps will be taken to achieve a diverse student body in this program, and identify any minority groups that will be favorably or unfavorably impacted. The university’s Equal Opportunity Officer should read this section and then sign and date in the area below.

We will advertise this program broadly throughout Florida and the US in all publications, including those that focus on student diversity and academic programs. This will include Diverse Issues in Higher Education (formerly Issues in Higher Education) http://www.diverseeducation.com/index.asp and Hispanic Outlook Magazine http://www.hispanicoutlook.com/. We also will utilize the Voice of Hispanic Higher Education magazine. For international and domestic students we will advertise in the International Educator magazine, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and the Connections magazine through EducationUSA. We will utilize the College's existing marketing and recruitment strategies through professional associations and conferences and other mediums and venues, such as social networking, together with collaborating with other institutional Colleges and the Office of International Affairs to

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promote the program. We will utilize the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, Florida/Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, National McNair Scholars Research Conference, the American Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students and the Southern Regional Education Board meetings and programs. We will consult with USF's partnering international institutions in China, the United Kingdom, India and the City of Knowledge in Panama. We also propose to market this program to other institutions in the State of Florida that currently offer undergraduate Health Informatics activities, such as the University of West Florida. Budget

F. Use Table 2 to display projected costs and associated funding sources for Year 1 and Year 5 of program operation. Use Table 3 to show how existing Education & General funds will be shifted to support the new program in Year 1. In narrative form, summarize the contents of both tables, identifying the source of both current and new resources to be devoted to the proposed program. (Data for Year 1 and Year 5 reflect snapshots in time rather than cumulative costs.)

The revenue for the program will consist entirely of student tuition and program fees. Using a cost recovery program budget, the cost per credit hour has been set at $850, a level comparable to other health informatics program tuition within the U.S.A. The tuition cost for the 32-credit program would correspond to $27,200. We anticipate that all of the first year cohort will be domestic students; however, the program's structure can accommodate international students in subsequent years. Expenditures for the program include instructional and program costs, the recruitment of a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA)-qualified faculty member to act as the Program Director and located in the School of Biomedical Sciences, marketing and recruitment costs, operating costs and carry forward funds. This has been estimated at $680,000 for the first year. We will also be pursuing sponsorships to assist with program costs. It is predicted that the new Program Director will have day-to-day responsibility for the programs operation. No institutional FTE will be generated by the students in this program.

G. If other programs will be impacted by a reallocation of resources for the proposed program, identify the program and provide a justification for reallocating resources. Specifically address the potential negative impacts that implementation of the proposed program will have on related undergraduate programs (i.e., shift in faculty effort, reallocation of instructional resources, reduced enrollment rates, greater use of adjunct faculty and teaching assistants). Explain what steps will be taken to mitigate any such impacts. Also, discuss the potential positive impacts that the proposed program might have on related undergraduate programs (i.e., increased undergraduate research opportunities, improved quality of instruction associated with cutting-edge research, improved labs and library resources).

The College of Medicine had previously gained approval to begin Health Informatics as a distinct concentration within the Medical Sciences M.S. program. However, based upon inquiries

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from potential students and the anticipated demand for the degree, we elected to propose the program as a new degree. Consequently, based upon our development of the HI concentration, we do not anticipate that any existing programs in the College of Medicine will be adversely impacted by the proposed program or that existing educational activities will be impacted by any reallocation of resources. We believe this program will enhance undergraduate education and research by serving as a mechanism for students to continue their studies at USF through graduate education. Selected undergraduate students could also have opportunities to participate with the graduate students in this program's courses. In addition, as Health Informatics becomes an integrated component of undergraduate medical education, selected courses in the program could be used as an elective for senior medical students. Pharmacy informatics, one of the elective courses in the program, is also proposed as part of the curriculum in the new USF College of Pharmacy, with the potential to further enhance interactions between the Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy.

H. Describe other potential impacts on related programs or departments (e.g., increased need for general education or common prerequisite courses, or increased need for required or elective courses outside of the proposed major).

There should be no impacts on related programs or departments in the College of Medicine. We are incorporating the existing Health Informatics courses utilized in the current Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics program and will provide support to those faculty ($4,000 per course) who are developing distance versions of courses. The proposed enrollment should not place undue burden on faculty commitment nor the institutional budget.

I. Describe what steps have been taken to obtain information regarding resources (financial and in-kind) available outside the institution (businesses, industrial organizations, governmental entities, etc.). Describe the external resources that appear to be available to support the proposed program.

We believe there may be various grant and sponsorship opportunities to assist with the funding and further development of this new degree program. We have submitted a collaborative application to the UK-US New Partnership Fund in cooperation with Brunel University in the UK. The joint Partnership Grant Application provided an outstanding opportunity to combine the academic expertise of two leading research institutions to further develop a shared program in health informatics that integrated curriculum development and research collaborations with faculty and student exchanges. The combined expertise of the two institutions would result in considerable synergy that would enable both institutions to considerably enhance their existing programs in addition to generating new, shared activities in teaching and research that would enhance extramural funding and provide excellent opportunities for students interested in this discipline. USF Health has also been successful in attracting resources for its “PaperFree Florida” initiative which represents a major opportunity in the development of health informatics in the region. The new public/private "PaperFree Florida" partnership has received strong Congressional support and is designed to jump-start America's electronic health revolution. "PaperFree Florida" is a federally funded initiative designed to accomplish the following objectives:

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Recruit and train a workforce of individuals in basic health informatics and office practice management who will facilitate the adoption and meaningful use of electronic health information systems with an initial focus on:

o Primary care physicians in 11 Florida counties o Providing additional trained person-power to hospitals, insurance companies,

government agencies, consulting entities, etc. Facilitate and participate in the meaningful use of health information among physicians,

hospitals, clinical laboratories, pharmacies, patients and their families; Develop, oversee and manage a health information exchange capability that will serve as

a repository for health information and the vehicle by and through which data are used and shared in order to measurably improve access, quality, outcomes and costs.

Establish self-sustaining programmatic services for clinical practices and patients to include the following:

o CME and CE packages for physicians and their clinical staff; o Clinical trial access and partnerships with physician practices and hospitals; o Funded research from public (federal) and private (foundation) sources building

upon the growing data systems and data base created by the interoperable health information capacities

"PaperFree Florida" started in 2009 as a demonstration initiative focused on the Tampa Bay area intended to facilitate the acquisition and use of electronic prescription writing among physicians. This demonstration formally involved first year medical students during their first summer session, who were employed, trained in basic health informatics and practice management issues, and deployed with other staff to work with local physician practices. This demonstration blossomed into one of a handful of nationally funded initiatives during a highly competitive grant review process in 2010, and was awarded $6.5 million to accomplish its objectives over a four year period. The grant funded effort began in April of 2010. Recruitment and training of the initial 'class' of e-Health Ambassadors, who are now deployed in the field, began in September of 2010. All of the new hires were required to have at least a bachelor's degree along with some experience in medical practices. There will be several hiring cycles for the e-Health Ambassadors and the grant-funded portion of the program grows and by mid 2011, the fee-funded portion of the program has taken off. This component has responded to requests by medical specialists and mid-to large sized medical groups to facilitate information technology acquisition and long-term use. This fee-based component of the "PaperFree" program has already begun to generate revenues and relationships that will create the need for additionally trained, master's level health individuals equipped with health informatics knowledge and skills who can meet the continuing and growing demand for health information technical assistance in Florida and even nationwide. III. Projected Benefit of the Program to the University, Local Community, and State

Use information from Table 1, Table 2, and the supporting narrative for “Need and Demand”

to prepare a concise statement that describes the projected benefit to the university, local community, and the state if the program is implemented. The projected benefits can be both quantitative and qualitative in nature, but there needs to be a clear distinction made between the two in the narrative.

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There will be considerable benefit to the College of Medicine, USF Health and the University of South Florida with the development of this program. The continued development of health informatics is contributing to a number of regional and national issues pertaining to the efficient management of healthcare information, improved healthcare delivery and the potential for reduction in medical errors. An additional feature of the program is that the majority of programs researched were at the undergraduate and/or certificate level whereas this is a graduate program with the potential of growing into dual degree programs with other related disciplines such as public health, nursing and business. Future developments could include the addition of a research track designed to focus on the development of such topics as the design of electronic medical records or studies in evidence-based medicine and health outcomes research. A special feature of the proposed program is the ability of the students to not only receive the degree but also the existing Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics. Graduates from this degree program will clearly benefit the State of Florida and the nation. A recent report from the Council of Graduate Schools clearly showed that the majority of domestic students continue to reside and work in the state where they received their master’s degree contributing to the state’s economic health. IV. Access and Articulation – Bachelor’s Degrees Only

A. If the total number of credit hours to earn a degree exceeds 120, provide a justification for an exception to the policy of a 120 maximum and submit a request to the BOG for an exception along with notification of the program’s approval. (See criteria in BOG Regulation 6C-8.014)

Not Applicable.

B. List program prerequisites and provide assurance that they are the same as the approved common prerequisites for other such degree programs within the SUS (see Common Prerequisite Manual http://www.facts.org). The courses in the Common Prerequisite Counseling Manual are intended to be those that are required of both native and transfer students prior to entrance to the major program, not simply lower-level courses that are required prior to graduation. The common prerequisites and substitute courses are mandatory for all institution programs listed, and must be approved by the Articulation Coordinating Committee (ACC). This requirement includes those programs designated as “limited access.”

If the proposed prerequisites are not listed in the Manual, provide a rationale for a request for

exception to the policy of common prerequisites. NOTE: Typically, all lower-division courses required for admission into the major will be considered prerequisites. The curriculum can require lower-division courses that are not prerequisites for admission into the major, as long as those courses are built into the curriculum for the upper-level 60 credit hours. If there are already common prerequisites for other degree programs with the same proposed CIP, every effort must be made to utilize the previously approved prerequisites instead of recommending an additional “track” of prerequisites for that CIP. Additional tracks may not be approved by the ACC, thereby holding up the full approval of the degree

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program. Programs will not be entered into the State University System Inventory until any exceptions to the approved common prerequisites are approved by the ACC.

Not Applicable.

C. If the university intends to seek formal Limited Access status for the proposed

program, provide a rationale that includes an analysis of diversity issues with respect to such a designation. Explain how the university will ensure that community college transfer students are not disadvantaged by the Limited Access status. NOTE: The policy and criteria for Limited Access are identified in BOG Regulation 6C-8.013. Submit the Limited Access Program Request form along with this document.

Not Applicable.

D. If the proposed program is an AS-to-BS capstone, ensure that it adheres to the guidelines approved by the Articulation Coordinating Committee for such programs, as set forth in Rule 6A-10.024 (see Statewide Articulation Manual http://www.facts.org). List the prerequisites, if any, including the specific AS degrees which may transfer into the program.

Not Applicable. Institutional Readiness V. Related Institutional Mission and Strength

A. Describe how the goals of the proposed program relate to the institutional mission statement as contained in the SUS Strategic Plan and the University Strategic Plan.

The new Health Informatics degree will contribute to USF's mission in a number of categories which include:

Student access and success in an engaged, and interdisciplinary, learner-centered environment,

Research and scientific discovery, including the generation, dissemination, and translation of new knowledge across disciplines; to strengthen the economy; to promote civic culture and the arts; and to design and build sustainable, healthy communities, and

Embracing innovation, and supporting scholarly and artistic engagement to build a community of learners together with significant and sustainable university-community partnerships and collaborations.

As an interdisciplinary program, combining both MIS and healthcare fields, the degree will expand student access to graduate education. Program faculty will be engaged in research and the dissemination of scholarly activities in health informatics. In addition, the blended mode of instruction utilizing primarily distance education technologies but also reserving the potential to

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add face-2-face lecture activities at future dates if demand warrants will stimulate the program's students to continue as a community of life-long learners and potential collaborators. The proposed Master’s degree in Health Informatics will also contribute to the University’s strategic plan in the following goals and strategies: Goal I: Expanding world-class interdisciplinary research, creative and scholarly endeavors.

Promote nationally and internationally distinctive and prominent research and graduate programs.

The Health Informatics Master’s degree represents a new, integrated graduate program that primarily focuses on the application of information management technologies to all aspects of the basic and clinical sciences components of the traditional medical curriculum and expands access to courses and material that are normally only available to students enrolled in information management programs or post professional medical programs. In addition, the combination of the “concentrated” course format together with extensive webcasts and practical experience represents a new approach to delivering courses of this type in the State of Florida. Goal II: Promoting globally competitive undergraduate, graduate and professional

programs that support interdisciplinary inquiry, intellectual development, knowledge and skill acquisition, and student success through a diverse, fully- engaged, learner-centered campus environment. Create and support globally competitive, relevant and distinctive academic programs that address the changing needs of the region, state and nation through innovative approaches to curriculum development and delivery, Provide increased access to excellence in higher education for students who demonstrate the aptitude to succeed, Enhance and expand the talent pool by shaping the enrollment profile of USF’s graduate student body to reflect that found at a pre-eminent research university.

The Health Informatics master’s degree represents a new and distinctive academic concentration by virtue of its component courses and their associated content. The innovative curriculum and methods of instructional delivery will address the region’s and state’s need for more clinicians and healthcare professionals that are trained in the application of information management technologies to the healthcare environment. The inclusion of modern distance education technologies will significantly expand access to these courses by students who substantially exceed the minimum entry qualifications for USF’s graduate programs and are unable to register for the College’s traditional courses owing to geographical or career scheduling limitations. In addition, students who successfully complete the program will have demonstrated substantial academic ability and will be well-prepared to continue their education in USF’s translational doctoral program, resulting in an expanded applicant pool.

B. Describe how the proposed program specifically relates to existing institutional strengths, such as programs of emphasis, other academic programs, and/or institutes and centers.

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As previously described, the proposed new degree program is a logical extension of a number of current institutional initiatives. The USF Health “PaperFree Florida” initiative, which represents a major opportunity in the development of health informatics in the region, provides an excellent focus on which to continue to build a health informatics infrastructure. In addition, the conversion of the institution’s Morsani patient care center to a paper-free healthcare facility provides opportunities for the implementation of modern health informatics activities. USF Health’s relationships with other clinical affiliates, such as the Tampa VA hospital, Tampa General Hospital, the Watson Clinic and The Villages, present excellent opportunities for additional health informatics training locations.

C. Provide a narrative of the planning process leading up to submission of this proposal. Include a chronology (table) of activities, listing both university personnel directly involved and external individuals who participated in planning. Provide a timetable of events necessary for the implementation of the proposed program.

The University of South Florida Graduate School has supported several meetings of interested faculty in the areas of informatics beginning with an initial meeting of the Information Systems, Sciences & Technology (ISST) forum in March 2008. The forum, attended by approximately 18 faculty and administrators from the colleges of Arts & Sciences, Engineering, Business, Nursing and Medicine, sponsored a discussion by interested faculty on the potential development of a campus-wide initiative to enhance graduate education in the field of informatics and information management. As a result of these meeting, subsequent discussions by Drs. Barber and Davis resulted in the initial concept of developing a graduate program in Health Informatics that would contribute an educational component to the USF Health “Paper-Free Tampa Bay” initiative. The initial approach consisted of the development of a 4-course, 12-credit Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics, sponsored by the College of Medicine and approved by the USF Graduate Council in 2010 that would provide an education component for the “Paper-Free Tampa Bay” Health Ambassadors. Further interest from potential students and an analysis of the future demand for qualified health informaticians, stimulated the discussion to expand the health informatics (HI) initiative into a Master’s degree program. Planning Process

Date Participants Planning Activity March 13, 2008 Barber, Davis, Durham, Lodwig,

Goldof, Christensen, Chari, Reader, Peterson, Berndt, Hevner

ISST forum to discuss campus informatics initiative

June 9, 2008 Barber, Davis Discussion of potential HI graduate program

October 23, 2009 Barber, Davis Review of national HI program curricula examples

November 5, 2009

Barber, Davis HI program proposal development

April 8, 2010 Barber, COM Graduate Education Committee

Approval of 4 new HI courses for HI Graduate Certificate

May 28, 2010 Barber, Ekarius, Klasko HI Graduate Certificate proposal approval

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August 31, 2010 Davis, Barber, Lycett Development of Brunel-USF proposal for developing collaborative, interdisciplinary teaching and research in HI

October 21, 2010 Barber, Ekarius, Klasko Completion of Dean’s support letter for UK-US New Partnership Fund application

October 25, 2010 Barber, Davis Completion of British Council grant application in collaboration with Brunel University for collaboration on HI education activities

October 29, 2010 Barber, Davis, DeSouza Submission of HI proposal to UK-US New Partnership Fund (#NPF031)

February 17, 2011

Barber Submission of 4 new courses in HI to Graduate School for SCNS approval

March 22, 2011 Barber, Davis HI degree curriculum discussion March 28, 2011 Barber, Ekarius, Davis Discussion of HI degree organization March 31, 2011 Barber, Davis HI course textbook discussions May 3, 2011 Barber, Davis Development of CAHIIM curriculum

map for HI degree May 18, 2011 Barber, Ekarius, Forsythe, Chaudri,

Berndt Discussion of COM & COBA collaboration on HI degree implementation

May 20, 2011 Barber, COM Graduate Education Committee

Discussion and COM approval of MS MS HI concentration

June 30, 2011 College of Medicine, Senior

Management Discussion of new HI degree proposal

Events Leading to Implementation

Date Implementation Activity April 2008 Program planning and development May 2010 Approval of Health Informatics Graduate Certificate May 2011 Approval of Health Informatics concentration by College of Medicine June 2011 Approval of Health Informatics concentration by Graduate Council

Curriculum Committee August 2011 Approval of Health Informatics degree by College of Medicine September 2011 Graduate Council approval September 2011 Academic Affairs Management Council review November 2011 Submission to Academic Campus Environment (ACE) workgroup December 2011 Review by ACE workgroup December 2011 Review by Board of Trustees Spring 2012 Program implementation

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VI. Program Quality Indicators - Reviews and Accreditation

Identify program reviews, accreditation visits, or internal reviews for any university degree programs related to the proposed program, especially any within the same academic unit. List all recommendations and summarize the institution's progress in implementing the recommendations.

Not Applicable.

VII. Curriculum

A. Describe the specific expected student learning outcomes associated with the proposed program. If a bachelor’s degree program, include a web link to the Academic Learning Compact or include the document itself as an appendix.

The proposed Health Informatics degree offers a curriculum which integrates the domains of information science, information resources management and health care organization and management. Typical courses that comprise health informatics programs focus on some of the following topics that include:

Introduction to Medical Informatics Computer-Based Records Medical Databases and Database Management Medical Language Representation and Processing The Clinical Process and Clinical Decision-Making/Support Hospital Information Systems Clinical Information Systems Medical Imaging, Image Processing, PACS and Telemedicine Modeling and Simulation of Physiological/Healthcare Systems Medical and Biomedical Experimental Design Introduction to Healthcare/Medical Data and Terminology Healthcare Organization, Policy and Social Issues for Non-Healthcare

Professionals Security, Societal and Legal Issues Affecting Medical Informatics Programming in MUMPS Medical Decision Support Systems

In addition, other topics that are frequently addressed include: Health Sciences and Healthcare Processes, Management and Organization Computer and Information Science Basic Mathematics, Physiology, Biology and Medicine

An extensive description of the various competencies that students will attain following completion of the course of study is provided in Appendix A.

B. Describe the admission standards and graduation requirements for the program.

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Students admitted to the proposed Master’s degree in Health Informatics must meet all University requirements described by Graduate Admissions and detailed in the Graduate Catalog, together with the program requirements listed below.

Program Admission Requirements: 1. A bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a regionally accredited university in the biological, chemical, computer or management information sciences or other appropriate field. 2. Minimum overall grade-point average of 3.0 out of a possible 4.0 with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in the sciences

A Graduate Record Examination score is not required for program admission; however, GRE or other appropriate standardized test scores or evidence of substantial health informatics experience can be submitted to enhance an application.

C. Describe the curricular framework for the proposed program, including number of credit hours and composition of required core courses, restricted electives, unrestricted electives, thesis requirements, and dissertation requirements. Identify the total numbers of semester credit hours for the degree.

Curriculum - 32 credit hours (minimum)

The MSHI program requires the successful completion of a number of required courses together with the selection of appropriate electives. All new courses have been approved at the institutional level and have been submitted to the statewide course numbering system for the correct SCNS designations.

The proposed Health Informatics Master’s degree requires the successful completion of the following required courses with their associated credit hours:

Required Courses Credit

HIM 6667 Foundation in Management Information Systems 3 HIM 6118 Introduction to Health Informatics 3 HIM 6350 E-Medicine Business Models 3 HIM 6114 Integrated Electronic Medical Records 3 HIM 6320 Managerial Communications 3 HIM 6017 Legal Aspects of Health Information Systems 3 HIM 6840 Case Studies in Health Information Management 3 ISM 6930 Health Data Management 3 HIM 6018 e-Healthcare Ethics 2

Total Required Course Credits 26

In addition, students can select from an array of the following elective courses that can be used to “customize” the degree towards the individual student’s career goals:

Elective Courses (2 or more required) Credit HIM 6137 Pharmacy Informatics 3 HIM 6XXX Health Informatics Internship 3 GMS 6908 Medical Sciences Independent Study 3 MHS 6645 Mental Health Informatics 3 PHC 6934 Medical Terminology 3 ISM 6930 Health Systems Analysis & Design 3

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ISM 6930 Health Data Mining 3 PHC 6050 Biostatistics 3 BCH 6888 Bioinformatics 3

Total Required Elective Course Credits 6

The electives were selected to facilitate some student-directed “customization” of the health informatics curriculum to enable students to add courses appropriate to their anticipated career progression, such as pharmacy informatics, or to supplement areas of knowledge deficiency, such as medical terminology. In addition, the health informatics internship was added to allow interested students in gaining additional “practical” experience in appropriate healthcare environments. However, given the blended mode of course delivery, the internship may not be appropriate for all students, especially those that lack easy access to a suitable internship site.

D. Provide a sequenced course of study for all majors, concentrations, or areas of

emphasis within the proposed program.

The initial emphasis of the proposed program is on the foundation course in management information systems which provides an introduction to the program content.

The courses will follow the sequence as shown above and will be offered in the summer, fall, and spring semesters to allow flexibility for the student so that individuals can complete the program within one year of full-time study. All courses except the internship and independent study electives will initially be fully online. Podcasts will also be developed for the lectures and incorporated into ITunes University. This assistance will be provided through our own college resources and University College. University College will also be used to assist with the conversion of selected courses into online formats. The internship modules will be developed through the expertise of the program faculty and each student will be assigned a faculty director who will oversee the internship project. Students will formally present their projects which will be shared with all program participants. A minimum of thirty-two (32) semester hours are required and entail a minimum of 480 contact hours.

E. Provide a one- or two-sentence description of each required or elective course.

Required courses:

(courses with the HIM 6XXX prefix will be submitted to the State of Florida for the assignment of official SCNS course numbers.)

HIM 6667 Foundation in Management Information Systems (3 cr) This course is designed to provide a discussion of the various facets of MIS including acquiring, storing and interpreting information of interest to the informaticist and healthcare professional.

HIM 6118 Introduction to Health Informatics (3cr) Introduction to Health Informatics is designed to provide a discussion of the various facets of health informatics of interest to the healthcare professional.

HIM 6350 E-Medicine Business Models (3 cr) E-Medicine Business Models is designed to highlight the centrality of "business" processes to the practice of medicine and the provision of healthcare.

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HIM 6114 Integrated Electronic Medical Records (3 cr) Integrated electronic medical records is designed to provide an overview of the functions, limitations, opportunities and challenges presented by this very rapidly developing branch of information technology in the healthcare environment.

HIM 6320 Managerial Communications (3 cr) Managerial Communication focuses on the centrality of communication to the delivery and management of healthcare and explores challenges faced by the diverse community of healthcare professions and their interactions.

HIM 6017 Legal Aspects of Health Information Management (3 cr) This course provides an in-depth discussion of selected law and regulatory issues that are applicable to the management of patient information in health informatics.

HIM 6840 Case Studies in Health Information Management (3 cr) This course provides an in-depth discussion of selected case studies in health informatics management and is designed to assist integration of the study of the basic principles and applications of health informatics.

HIM 6018 e-Healthcare Ethics (2 cr) This course examines selected ethical considerations that are significant components of health sciences, informatics and electronic medicine and often represent important considerations to be addressed during the delivery of healthcare using e-medicine models.

ISM 6930 Health Data Management (3 cr) This course introduces data management and database technologies, including relational database systems and the structured query language (SQL). In addition, data warehousing and more analytic databases are also introduced, along with online analytic processing (OLAP) tools to support decision making. Data quality issues, emerging cloud databases and other special topics will round out the coverage. Finally, the course offers a brief introduction to data mining techniques.

Elective courses:

HIM 6137 Pharmacy Informatics (3 cr) This course provides a discussion of the various facets of health informatics of interest to the pharmacy professional, including the collection, storage, retrieval, communication and optimal use of pharmaceutical-related data, information and knowledge.

HIM 6XXX Health Informatics Internship (3 cr) This course focuses on applications of health informatics principles in a practical environment necessary for an “in-depth” understanding of how the methodologies of health informatics can be applied to solve healthcare problems.

GMS 6908 Medical Sciences Independent Study (3 cr) This course allows students to develop, in conjunction with a faculty advisor, an individual project with the goal of completing an in-depth study of a topic directly relevant to the student’s program of study in the biomedical sciences.

MHS 6645 Mental Health Informatics (3 cr) This course examines how information technologies and knowledge management affect access to mental health and impact policy. Current applications include the management of mental health databases and the development of behavioral telehealth programs.

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PHC 6934 Medical Terminology (3 cr) The course is designed to introduce the basic concepts of medical terminology that are associated with both normal human anatomy and physiology and the terms associated with diseases and disorders and their treatment or therapy that result from various anatomical and physiological perturbations.

ISM 6930 Health System Analysis & Design (3 cr) This course includes the foundations and methodologies for analysis of existing systems, as well as the design, development, and implementation of new systems. The systems life cycle and different development methodologies will be covered, including agile methods. Coverage will also include business process design and workflow systems.

ISM 6930 Health Data Mining (3 cr) This course focuses on the use of machine learning techniques on large-scale healthcare data collections. The overall goal is the study of decision support systems that integrate computer models, databases, and decision makers to form effective processes. The course includes coverage of data mining algorithms for structured data, such as decision tree induction and support vector machines. In addition, text mining methods for information extraction from clinical notes and other natural language sources are also covered.

PHC 6050 Biostatistics (3 cr) The course is intended to impart an understanding of the principles and methods of reasoning that underlie modern biostatistics, providing the basis for further study in epidemiology and biostatistics. The course will provide information concerning specific descriptive and inferential techniques commonly used in public health research.

BCH 6888 Bioinformatics (3 cr) An interdisciplinary course designed to introduce students to the diverse applications of bioinformatics and genomic data management and analysis together with probing both DNA and protein structure-function relationships. The course develops familiarity with a broad range of algorithms designed to facilitate DNA sequence assembly and manipulation, protein structure analysis, motif identification, evolutionary alignments and structure prediction.

F. For degree programs in the science and technology disciplines, discuss how industry-driven competencies were identified and incorporated into the curriculum and identify if any industry advisory council exists to provide input for curriculum development and student assessment.

The American Health Information Management Association (http://www.ahima.org/) is the world leader as a resource for health information management (HIM) education and accreditation, professional credentialing, standards-setting, policy-making and issue advocacy. A component of AHIMA is the Commission on Certification for Health Informatics and Information Management (CCHIIM) which is dedicated to assuring the competency of professionals practicing HIIM and serves the public by establishing, implementing, and enforcing standards and procedures for certification and recertification of HIIM professionals. AHIMA provides two certification programs, the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) and the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT).

Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA): the RHIA a critical link between care providers, payers and patients and is an expert in managing patient health information and

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medical records, administering computer information systems, collecting and analyzing patient data and using classification systems and medical terminologies. RHIAs possess comprehensive knowledge of medical, administrative, ethical and legal requirements and standards related to healthcare delivery and the privacy of protected patient information. They often manage people and operational units, participate in administrative committees, and prepare budgets. One of the initial RHIA eligibility requirements is a degree from a CAHIIM-accredited program. In 2009, 616 individuals passed the certification exam.

Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT): Professionals holding the RHIT credential are health information technicians who ensure the quality of medical records by verifying their completeness, accuracy and proper entry into computer systems. They may also use computer applications to assemble and analyze patient data to improve patient care or control costs. RHITs often specialize in coding diagnoses and procedures in patient records for reimbursement and research. With experience, the RHIT credential holds solid potential for advancement to management positions, especially when combined with a bachelor's degree. One of the initial RHIT eligibility requirements is a degree from a CAHIIM-accredited program. In 2009, 1,746 individuals passed the certification exam.

Recognizing that there is a significant difference among the health informatics knowledge domains, a variety of interpretations of health informatics curricula across academic institutions and that both the field of health informatics as a formal discipline and as an academic program are evolving, AHIMA has developed a set of curricular components that are used to form curriculum guidelines. For purposes of assessing an academic program in health informatics, the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) views the discipline through the lens of three major facets or domains. Information Systems curriculum components focus on such issues as information systems analysis, design, implementation, management and leadership. Informatics curriculum components are concerned with the study of structure, function and transfer of information, socio-technical aspects of health computing, and human-computer interaction. Information Technology curriculum components focus on computer networks, database and systems administration, security, and programming. The curriculum of the Health Informatics degree has been designed to support the three educational components and focuses on the designation of RHIA for concentration participants.

G. For all programs, list the specialized accreditation agencies and learned societies that

would be concerned with the proposed program. Will the university seek accreditation for the program if it is available? If not, why? Provide a brief timeline for seeking accreditation, if appropriate.

The ultimate goal of the proposed Health Informatics degree is to be accredited by CAHIIM. To become CAHIIM accredited, academic programs undergo a rigorous process of voluntary peer review and have to meet or exceed the minimum Accreditation Standards as set by the CAHIIM. Programs are awarded accreditation status by the CAHIIM, which provides public recognition of such achievement. CAHIIM accreditation provides a number of advantages to the program including:

Public recognition of graduate degree programs Consultation services Searchable program directory Comprehensive, 'online' accreditation review processes

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Interactive, online program evaluation plan Communications network includes Web site and e-newsletter Benchmark data and best practices for continuous improvement Conference workshops and presentations covering program management, student

learning outcomes assessment, and quality improvement practices White Papers and program resources

However, the greatest benefits of accreditation are potentially to the students, institution and employers including:

Recognition that the program provides professionally required knowledge and skills Program listing in the CAHIIM Directory Employment and marketability of graduates Establishment of academic eligibility for applicable professional certifications Continuous quality improvement through program monitoring and reevaluation Availability of online assessment tools for outcome metrics and trend data Adherence to the Code of Good Practice of the Association of Specialized and

Professional Accreditors (ASPA) as a member organization Recognition that the curriculum is relevant to today's electronic health record (EHR)

environment

CAHIIM provides program administrators with an accreditation manual designed to provide a practical reference for managing the accreditation process which offers an outline of the process requirements, policies and procedures for programmatic accreditation and can be used as a tool for continuous program planning and evaluation. The accreditation process provides a framework for the ongoing collection of data, periodic review, evaluation and reporting of results. HIM program applicants are also required to integrate the current American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Curriculum established by the Educational Strategy Committee (ESC). A copy of the proposed curriculum map which identifies Master’s degrees competencies is provided in Appendix A together with the course numbers that reflect these competencies.

It should be noted that neither of the existing health informatics graduate programs in the State of Florida (UCF & Phoenix) are CAHIIM accredited.

H. For doctoral programs, list the accreditation agencies and learned societies that would be concerned with corresponding bachelor’s or master’s programs associated with the proposed program. Are the programs accredited? If not, why?

Not applicable.

I. Briefly describe the anticipated delivery system for the proposed program (e.g.,

traditional delivery on main campus; traditional delivery at branch campuses or centers; or nontraditional delivery such as distance or distributed learning, self-paced instruction, or external degree programs). If the proposed delivery system will require specialized services or greater than normal financial support, include projected costs in Table 2. Provide a narrative describing the feasibility of delivering the proposed program through collaboration with other universities, both public and private. Cite specific queries made of other institutions with respect to shared courses, distance/distributed learning technologies, and joint-use facilities for research or

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internships.

The proposed program of study features a mixed mode delivery mechanism. The delivery mechanism of this program will be hybridized and is anticipated to eventually consist of both distance and on-ground delivery methods. The majority of the courses will be delivered using distance technologies whereas most of the electives that focus on potential internships or independent study activities will utilize on-ground delivery. All students, including distance and on-ground education students and including international students, will be able to participate due to our use of Elluminate which will allow them to join the other students in each live lecture presentation delivered on the Tampa campus. Most courses will be offered via distance education (and with Elluminate when appropriate) through modules and this will be coordinated with the faculty and their respective colleges. We will work directly with our College’s instructional designers and University College and provide faculty stipend support in fall, 2011 to develop the courses into distance formats. In terms of the internships, we have working relationships with the partnering institutions and will work with them to determine internship opportunities for students. Students will be enrolled in the program as a cohort and will be able to communicate with one another through a Blackboard Organization site. We will also use this site to post announcements and materials that directly relate to the program’s educational activities. The College of Medicine has been very successful in the distance delivery of its Health Sciences Master's concentration and we will adapt lessons learned in the delivery of this program to ensure success of the HI program.

VIII. Faculty Participation

A. Use Table 4 to identify existing and anticipated ranked (not visiting or adjunct)

faculty who will participate in the proposed program through Year 5. Include (a) faculty code associated with the source of funding for the position; (b) name; (c) highest degree held; (d) academic discipline or specialization; (e) contract status (tenure, tenure-earning, or multi-year annual [MYA]); (f) contract length in months; and (g) percent of annual effort that will be directed toward the proposed program (instruction, advising, supervising internships and practica, and supervising thesis or dissertation hours).

Michael J. Barber, D.Phil. Dr. Barber is a Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Molecular Medicine in the College of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences in the College of Pharmacy, Director of the School of Biomedical Sciences and Associate Dean for Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs. Dr. Barber’s teaching and research interests are in bioinformatics, structural biology and health sciences ethics. He was the founding director of the Master’s Program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology and teaches a number of courses in biochemistry, neuroscience, health sciences ethics and bioinformatics.

Christopher J. Davis, Ph.D. Dr. Davis is an Associate Professor in the Department of Information Systems and Decision Sciences in the College of Business. Dr Davis' teaching and research interests are in information systems development and evaluation. His involvement in health informatics spans twenty years, beginning with his work with the National Health Service in the UK prior to his appointment at USF. He has previously directed a graduate program in

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health informatics and has extensive experience of collaborative work with healthcare agencies in the USA and elsewhere.

Jay Wolfson, Ph.D., J.D. Dr. Wolfson is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health in the College of Public Health and the Associate Vice President for Health Law, Policy and Safety at the University of South Florida. Dr. Wolfson a leader in Florida's attempt to develop an electronic health network and a member of the governing board of the Health Professions Education Consortium of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

Lois LaCivita Nixon, Ph.D. Dr. Nixon is a Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and Director of the Master’s Program in Bioethics and Medical Humanities (MABMH). Her work and her numerous book and article publications focus on aging and end-of-life issues, gender, professionalism, and epidemics (past and present) and demonstrate how ethics and humanities combine to reveal uncertainties, complexities, and stories associated with the human condition and decision-making processes.

Donald Berndt, Ph.D. Dr. Berndt is an Associate Professor in the Department of Information Systems and Decision Sciences in the College of Business at USF. Dr. Berndt is an educator with of extensive expertise in areas that include data mining, business intelligence, bioterrorism surveillance and healthcare data warehousing and management. He teaches courses on information systems, database management and design, and data mining and serves as chief technology officer for a healthcare information management company.

Kaushal Chari, Ph.D. Dr. Chari is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Information Systems and Decision Sciences in the College of Business at USF. Dr. Chari’s research focuses on three broad areas that include software engineering, business intelligence and distributed systems. Dr. Chari specializes in applying quantitative as well as intelligent techniques to address problems related to IT systems, software development and business process management.

James McKenzie, M.A. Mr. McKenzie is Assistant Vice President Technology and Chief Information Officer at USF Health Information Services. Mr. McKenzie is an expert in MIS infrastructure, data centers and communications systems, including LMS's and has extensive experience in teleconferencing, internet technology, media networks and multimedia training. His activities focus on the development of a secured network of out-of-state data centers to store vital research, operational and educational data.

Lennox Hoyte, M.D. Dr. Hoyte is an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the College of Medicine and is the Chief Medical Information Officer for USF Physicians Group. Dr. Hoyte’s activities focus on the design and implementation of an electronic health record system optimized for delivering high quality healthcare, efficiently.

Benjamin Djulbegovich, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Djulbegovich is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine in the College of Medicine, a Senior Member of the Moffitt Cancer Center and Director of the Center for Evidence-Based Medicine at USF. Dr. Djulbegovich is an expert in the field of evidence-based medicine with research that focuses on improving health outcomes by improving decision-making for individual patients and populations which involves the collection and analysis of reliable evidence that is integrated with rational principles of decision-making aided by health information technology (HIT) and the development of clinical decision support systems.

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Please see Table 4.

B. Use Table 2 to display the costs and associated funding resources for existing and

anticipated ranked faculty (as identified in Table 2). Costs for visiting and adjunct faculty should be included in the category of Other Personnel Services (OPS). Provide a narrative summarizing projected costs and funding sources.

Please see Table 2.

C. Provide the number of master's theses and/or doctoral dissertations directed, and the

number and type of professional publications for each existing faculty member (do not include information for visiting or adjunct faculty).

Faculty Name Theses Dissertations Professional Publications

Michael J. Barber 2 8 157 Christopher J. Davis 30 6 51 Jay Wolfson 30 10 105 Lois LaCivita Nixon 0 5 86 Donald J. Berndt 0 5 94 Kaushal Chari 0 1 41 James McKenzie 0 0 31 Lennox Hoyt 0 0 25 Benjamin Djulbegovic 2 1 190

D. Provide evidence that the academic unit(s) associated with this new degree have been productive in teaching, research, and service. Such evidence may include trends over time for average course load, FTE productivity, student HC in major or service courses, degrees granted, external funding attracted, as well as qualitative indicators of excellence.

The academic units affiliated with this degree have been very productive and interdisciplinary. For USF Health, the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, together with the College of Business Administration, generate a substantial portion of the institution's research dollars (the College of Medicine generates over 50% of USF's annual research expenditures) and combined produce a significant proportion of the doctoral and masters graduates at USF. In the 2010-2011 academic year, the University granted 453 doctoral degrees of which 53 (12%) were granted in the College of Medicine. In terms of Masters Degrees, in the 2010-2011 academic year, USF granted 2511 M.S. degrees, of which 191 (8%) were awarded by the College of Medicine. The College of Medicine graduates students in a timely fashion and is nationally competitive in time-to-degree metrics. The enrollment and graduation trends in USF Health have been very positive over the last few years. In the College of Medicine, fall 2011 applications for Master's degree programs increased 46% over fall 2010 applications while applications for the Ph.D. program remained constant.

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E. Describe library resources currently available to implement and/or sustain the proposed program through Year 5. Provide the total number of volumes and serials available in this discipline and related fields. List major journals that are available to the university’s students. Include a signed statement from the Library Director that this subsection and subsection B have been reviewed and approved for all doctoral level proposals.

The USF Libraries provide access to more than 2 million volumes and an extensive collection of electronic resources including approximately 25,156 e-journal subscriptions, 736 aggregator databases, 256,306 e-books, and 826,000 digital images. In addition, students have access to over 65,000 audio/visual materials including videos, CDs, and DVDs.

SELECT LIBRARY HOLDINGS Total Online Health informatics 330 156 Medical Informatics 458 248 Nursing informatics 63 20 Public health informatics 79 33 Pharmacy informatics 8 2 Health information management 4,569 3,546 Management information science 17,100 15,200 Informatics 992 561 Bioinformatics 748 522

See Appendix B for a listing of journals, both on-line and in-print, that focus on the subject areas of health informatics, medical informatics, nursing informatics, management information sciences and informatics.

F. Describe additional library resources that are needed to implement and/or sustain the program through Year 5. Include projected costs of additional library resources in Table 3.

We believe the existing library resources are adequate to sustain the proposed program. However, we have included some resources in the program budget to permit purchasing access to select on-line journals in health informatics that are currently not accessible through the USF library system. __________________________________________ _______________________ Library Dean Date

G. Describe classroom, teaching laboratory, research laboratory, office, and other types of space that are necessary and currently available to implement the proposed program through Year 5.

Given the blended nature of the delivery of this program which melds both distance and on-ground course delivery methodologies, currently available classroom and office space are adequate to support the program.

H. Describe additional classroom, teaching laboratory, research laboratory, office, and other space needed to implement and/or maintain the proposed program through Year

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5. Include any projected Instruction and Research (I&R) costs of additional space in Table 2. Do not include costs for new construction because that information should be provided in response to X (J) below.

No additional classroom, laboratory or office space is required for the program.

I. Describe specialized equipment that is currently available to implement the proposed program through Year 5. Focus primarily on instructional and research requirements.

Since the program focuses in health information management, all the computational resources needed for the program are readily available at the institution.

J. Describe additional specialized equipment that will be needed to implement and/or sustain the proposed program through Year 5. Include projected costs of additional equipment in Table 2.

No specialized equipment will be required for the program.

K. Describe any additional special categories of resources needed to implement the program through Year 5 (access to proprietary research facilities, specialized services, extended travel, etc.). Include projected costs of special resources in Table 2.

We do not anticipate that any additional special resources will be required for the program.

L. Describe fellowships, scholarships, and graduate assistantships to be allocated to the proposed program through Year 5. Include the projected costs in Table 2.

The program's administration and faculty will endeavor to expend a concerted effort to identify scholarships for students to assist with their costs of completing the program. The School of Biomedical Sciences is developing an external advisory committee that will include local and national healthcare industry sponsors whom we hope will provide funding and support to the students in the Health Informatics master's program.

M. Describe currently available sites for internship and practicum experiences, if appropriate to the program. Describe plans to seek additional sites in Years 1 through 5.

The College of Medicine has an extensive network of affiliated clinical educational and instructional sites that can provide resources for potential internship and practicum experiences for program students. All of the clinical affiliates are deeply invested in the application of health informatics as a critical addition to the delivery of high quality healthcare. Clinical sites such as the Veteran's Administration Hospital, Tampa General Hospital, All Children's Hospital, the Morsani Center and the Watson Clinic are some examples of potential internship sites.

N. If a new capital expenditure for instructional or research space is required, indicate where this item appears on the university's fixed capital outlay priority list. Table 2 includes only Instruction and Research (I&R) costs. If non-I&R costs, such as indirect costs affecting libraries and student services, are expected to increase as a

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result of the program, describe and estimate those expenses in narrative form below. It is expected that high enrollment programs in particular would necessitate increased costs in non-I&R activities.

Not Applicable.

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Appendix A

Appendix A: CAHIIM Curriculum Map – AHIMA Competencies for Health  Information Management  (HIM)  Education at  the Master’s Degree Level Instructions A graduate program  in Health  Information Management may have an emphasis  in one or more of the specified  domains  in  Column  1  but  to  meet  CAHIIM  accreditation  requirements  all  domains  and curricular  competencies  (see  Column  2  –  Curricular  Competencies) must  be  introduced  within  the curriculum. Where a program emphasizes a specific domain, the depth of instruction for those curricular competencies under that domain, will be expected to be comprehensive. 

To use this template for CAHIIM accreditation purposes, document the course or courses (in Column 3) by  prefix  and  number,  that  contain  the  curricular  competencies  listed  below  for  each  domain.  (For example: HIM 520, HIM 600) As stated above, depth and focus will vary depending on the emphasis of the program’s goals and objectives.  

 

Column1‐Health

InformaticsMaster’sDegreeCurriculumFacets

Column2‐CurricularComponents Column3‐Listthe

Course(s)‐PrefixandNumberthatcontaineachofthecurricularcomponentsaslistedinColumn2foreachfacet.Course(s):Prefixand

Number

FacetI.InformationSystems–concernedwithsuchissuesasinformationsystemsanalysis,design,implementation,andmanagement.

Seecoursedescriptionsonpp11‐12abovefordetails.Boldentriesdenotecorecourses.Italicizedentriesdenoteelectivecourses.

1. Healthcare organization, systems and workflow

HIM 6118 HIM 6350

2. Health information systems characteristics, strengths and limitations

HIM 6118 HIM 6XXX Foundations

3. Health information systems assessment methods and tools

HIM 6118 HIM 6XXX Foundations

4. Quality assessment including total quality management, data quality, and identification of best practices for health information systems

HIM 6118 HIM 6350 HIM 6XXX Foundations

5. Health IT standards HIM 6118 6. Use of healthcare terminologies,

vocabularies and classification systems HIM 6118 PHC 6934

7. Health information exchanges (HIE) HIM 6118

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Column1‐Health

InformaticsMaster’sDegreeCurriculumFacets

Column2‐CurricularComponents Column3‐Listthe

Course(s)‐PrefixandNumberthatcontaineachofthecurricularcomponentsaslistedinColumn2foreachfacet.Course(s):Prefixand

Number

8. Electronic health records and personal health records

HIM 6114

9. Patient rights and HIPAA HIM 6012 10. Privacy and confidentiality of patient

health information HIM 6012 HIM 6XXX Foundations

11. Information security practices HIM 6350 HIM 6XXX Foundations

12. Management of information systems including life cycle analysis, system design, planning methods and tools

ISM 6127 HIM 6XXX Foundations

13. Knowledge management systems ISM 6127 HIM 6XXX Foundations

14. Workflow process re-engineering HIM 6350 HIM 6XXX Foundations

15. Human factor engineering, work organization and tools

HIM 6350 HIM 6XXX Foundations

16. Professional ethics and professional business etiquette

HIM 6012 HIM 6320 HIM 6XXX Foundations

17. Strategic planning HIM 6XXX Cases HIM 6XXX Foundations

18. Finance and budgeting and cost-benefit analysis for information systems

HIM 6XXX Foundations

19. Assessment of commercial vendor products and software applications

HIM 6350 HIM 6XXX Foundations

20. Policy development and documentation HIM 6012 HIM 6XXX Cases

21. Personnel management, negotiation, communication skills, leadership and governance

HIM 6320 HIM 6012

FacetII.Informatics–concernedwithsuchissuesasthestructure,functionandtransferofinformation,socio‐technicalaspectsofhealthcomputing,andhuman‐computerinteraction.

Seecoursedescriptionsonpp11‐12abovefordetails.Boldentriesdenotecorecourses.Italicizedentriesdenoteelectivecourses.

1. History of health informatics development and health informatics literature

HIM 6118

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Column1‐Health

InformaticsMaster’sDegreeCurriculumFacets

Column2‐CurricularComponents Column3‐Listthe

Course(s)‐PrefixandNumberthatcontaineachofthecurricularcomponentsaslistedinColumn2foreachfacet.Course(s):Prefixand

Number

2. Medical decision-making: principles, design, implementation

HIM 6118

3. Development of healthcare terminologies, vocabularies and ontologies

HIM 6118 PHC 6934

4. Clinical data standards theory and development

HIM 6118

5. Clinical data and clinical process modeling (such as UML-Unified Modeling Language, UP-Unified Process)

HIM 6350 ISM 6123 HIM 6XXX Foundations

6. Artificial intelligence HIM 6XXX Foundations 7. Biomedical simulations HIM 6118

HIM 6114 8. Knowledge management design principles HIM 6XXX Foundations

ISM 6127 9. Human-computer interface HIM 6114

HIM 6XXX Foundations 10. Principles of health information systems

data storage design, including patient-centered

HIM 6114 ISM 6127

11. Principles of research and clinical literature research (such as use of Medline, PubMed)

HIM 6118 HIM 6320

12. Systems research HIM 6XXX Cases FacetIII.InformationTechnology–concernedwithsuchissuesascomputernetworks,databaseandsystemsadministration,securityandprogramming.

Seecoursedescriptionsonpp11‐12abovefordetails.Boldentriesdenotecorecourses.Italicizedentriesdenoteelectivecourses.

1. Computer science theory and methods HIM 6XXX Foundations 2. Programming language(s) (such as SQL,

JAVA) HIM 6XXX Foundations

3. Software applications – design, development, use

HIM 6XXX Foundations ISM 6123

4. Systems testing and evaluation HIM 6XXX Foundations ISM 6123

5. System integration tools HIM 6XXX Foundations 6. Networking principles, methods, design HIM 6XXX Foundations 7. Principles of data representation HIM 6XXX Foundations

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Column1‐Health

InformaticsMaster’sDegreeCurriculumFacets

Column2‐CurricularComponents Column3‐Listthe

Course(s)‐PrefixandNumberthatcontaineachofthecurricularcomponentsaslistedinColumn2foreachfacet.Course(s):Prefixand

Number

8. Electronic data exchange HIM 6XXX Foundations 9. Health Information systems architecture,

database design, data warehousing HIM 6118 ISM 6127 HIM 6XXX Foundations

10. Technical security applications and issues HIM 6XXX Foundations 11. IT system documentation HIM 6XXX Foundations

ISM 6123 12. Business continuity and disaster recovery HIM 6XXX Foundations

ISM 6127 IV.Additionaldesiredcourse(s)content.

Biomedical Sciences (such as medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology)

HIM6118 PHC 6934

Qualitative sciences (such as advanced mathematics, statistics)

PHC 6050

Epidemiology (public health or clinical) HIM 6118

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Appendix B USF Libraries - Journals (on-line & in-print) - Health Informatics/Medical Informatics/Nursing Informatics/ Management Information Sciences/Informatics

Academy of Information and Management Sciences journal Advances in telecommunications management AMIA Annual Fall Symposium AMIA Symposium annual report / centre for health informatics Annual Symposium on Computer Application in Medical Care Applied Medical Informatics Asian journal of information management Association for Veterinary Informatics Newsletter Biodiversity informatics Bioinformation Biomedical informatics insights BMC medical informatics and decision making Bulletin of informatics and cybernetics Cancer informatics Caring Chem-bio informatics journal CIN plus Communications of the IBIMA Communications of the IIMA Computers, informatics, nursing Economy informatics eJournal of health informatics Foundations and trends in technology, information, and operations management Health communications and informatics Health information management Healthcare informatics : the business magazine for information and communication systems Heathcare informatics research Hellenic Open University Journal of Informatics HMI: History of Medical Informatics Hospital payment & information management IDMi - Information and Document Management International IEEE intelligent systems Informatics for health & social care Informatics in education Informatics in Primary Care Information & management Information & records management : IRM Information Advisor Knowledge Management Supplement Information and communication technology resources Information management Information management & computer security Information management : a member newsletter of the American Management Association International Information Management Journal Information processing & management Information resources management journal Information resources management newsletter

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Information resources management plan Information sciences Information systems and e-business management Information systems management Information systems research Information technology and management Information, knowledge, systems management Interdisciplinary journal of information, knowledge, and management International journal of healthcare information systems and informatics International journal of information and management sciences International journal of information management International Journal of Information, Business and Management International journal of management & information systems International journal of medical informatics Journal of AHIMA Journal of biomedical informatics Journal of database management Journal of enterprise information management Journal of global information management Journal of global information technology management: JGITM Journal of health informatics in developing countries Journal of informatics education and research Journal of information management Journal of Information Systems and Technology Management Journal of information technology management: JITM Journal of international technology and information management Journal of Management and Management Information System Journal of management information systems Journal of ocular biology, diseases, and informatics Journal of organizational and end user computing Journal of pathology informatics Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association: JAMIA Laboratory automation & information management Lecture notes in medical informatics Legal information management Logistics information management Management information Medical informatics and the internet in medicine Microcomputers for information management MIS quarterly: management information systems MIS statistical brief MIS week Molecular informatics On-line journal of nursing informatics Perspectives in health information management Perspectives in information management Progress in informatics Safety management information statistics (SAMIS) Studies in informatics and control The British journal of healthcare computing & information management The information management journal

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The Internet Journal of Medical Informatics The Journal of community informatics The Journal of information and image management: JIIM The open applied informatics journal The Open Medical Informatics Journal TIR - The Informatics Review Topics in health information management UNISIST Newsletter: Information, Informatics, Telematics UPGRADE: The European journal for the informatics professional

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