Informatics Training for CDC Public Health Advisors

Introduction to Public Health Informatics; Course Overview

Instructor: Patrick O'Carroll, MD, MPH

Teaching method(s): Lecture, review of materials, computer demonstration

• What is Public Health Informatics? Why develop this new field?
• The background and purpose of this new course in informatics for public health advisors
• The nature and overall themes of the course curriculum
• Logistics of the course

By the end of this session, students will:

• Be able to provide a working definition of public health informatics;
• Understand the reasons for the development of this new field;
• Be able to describe the overall purpose and goals of the informatics training course;
• Understand the importance of providing constructive feedback in shaping the final curriculum.

• Course curriculum materials, including course background, syllabus, and session descriptions
• Friede A, Blum HL, McDonald M. Public health informatics: how information-age technology can strengthen public health. Annual Review of Public Health 1995;16:239-252.

• Selden C, Humphreys BL, Friede A, Geisslerova Z. Public Health Informatics (bibliography, Jan 1980–Dec 1995, 471 citations). Bethesda, MD: National Library of Medicine, 1995. [ http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/cbm/phinform.html]
• Lasker RD, Humphreys BL, Braithwaite WR. Making a Powerful Connection: The Health of the Public and the National Information Infrastructure (Report of the U.S. Public Health Service Public Health Data Policy Coordinating Committee). Bethesda, MD: National Library of Medicine, 1995. [ http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/staffpubs/lo/makingpd.html]
• Various on-line information technology publications:
• inquiry.com (search IT journals and vendor literature for any information technology topic) [ http://www.inquiry.com/]
• iWorld Internet News and Resources [ http://www.iworld.com]
• CMP Media Inc. Online [ http://techweb.cmp.com/techweb/docs/list-o-pubs.html]
• InfoWorld Electric [ http://www.infoworld.com/]

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