Health Informatics – (M.Sc.)

Contents

This programme is given as a joint programme together with Stockholm University.

Course outline - Term 1

1. Health informatics – needs, objectives and limitations

This course has the ambition to be an introduction to the programme and an orientation to health informatics as an academic discipline as well as a profession with its sub specialities. The fundamental aim is to provide basic knowledge of what health informatics is, and also to provide a common vocabulary and understanding of the environment in which health informaticians’ function. The course describes the main, current and future challenges in the field with examples from ongoing research on how information/communication technology (ICT) can be used to improve the systematic processing of information in health care. National, regional and international professional organizations will be presented and career possibilities will be discussed.

2a. Supplementary course in computer systems science

(Only for students with background in Healthcare or Biomedicine)

Basic computer science

This part deals with how computers work, including computer architecture, networks and operating systems. Topics include machine representation, languages and security issues.

Information Systems

This part looks into what information systems are and how they can be used. Information systems are typically found in different organisations.

Database theory and practice

Databases are at the heart of information systems since they contain most of the data stored. To simplify the application these databases, often share a common language called Structured Query Language (SQL).

Computer Security

Computer security is concerned with the protection of information from accidental or intentional misuse by persons inside or outside an organization.

Software Engineering

Larger software projects are complicated endeavours that require a lot of structured processes. Otherwise, the result will not be delivered on time or on budget. Software engineering is the study of processes for development and maintenance of computer code. Unified Modelling Language (UML) is used for the software engineering.

The implementation is carried out using a programming language chosen by the student, for example, Java.

2b. Health Care Organization and Management

(Only for students with background in
technology, computer and systems sciences or informatics)

The aim of this course is to help you, as a health informatics student, to develop insight into the mission, function, organization, and the unique characteristics of your future work environment - health care.

The course will introduce students to the complexity of health care systems and apply a global perspective in two meanings. First, we encourage students to develop a "global view" of health, reflecting the multidimensional nature of the concept, "health", and all the actors and sectors of society involved in promoting health. Second, students will be able to apply this understanding to "global health" to address some of the world's big health problems and gain appreciation for the broad spectrum of actions needed assuage them.

2c. Basic medical science

(Only for students with background in
technology, computer and systems sciences or informatics)

This course will give you a basic knowledge in the following:

• Cell and molecular biology
• Anatomy and physiology of:
• the nervous system
• the cardiovascular system
• the respiratory system
• the gastrointestinal system
• the urinary system
• the hormonal systems
• the immune system
• the reproductive system

Patophysiology and treatment of common disorders such as those of :

• the nervous system, such as depression, anxiety disorders and AlzheimerÂ’s disease
• the cardiovascular system, such as coronary heart disease
• the respiratory system, such as asthma
• the gastrointestinal system, such as peptic ulcer
• the hormonal systems, such as hypothyroidism and diabetes
• infectious and immunological disorders, such as the common cold and reumatoid arthritis

The course is based on a list of questions that the student should give comprehensive answers to. The answers can be found in the course literature and from lectures. Students will also work together in smaller groups where they discuss and help each other with the questions. This pedagogic is based on knowledge that students remember and learn better if they discuss and teach each other. The examinations are based on these questions, which help the student to define what is important.

3. Computer applications in health care and biomedicine

The aim is to demonstrate the use of ICT in health care by analysing examples of different types of information systems and applications. We will look at the functionality, principles, structure, design and setting of the following types of systems:

• Electronic health/medical record
• Clinical decision-support
• Imaging
• Medical education
• Information management
• E-health

Ethics and security are central issues. We will discuss on the one hand accountability of health care providers, managers and specialists, and on the other hand confidentiality, privacy and security of patient data.

Course outline - Term 2

1. User needs and requirements engineering

When developing ICT for healthcare it is crucial to have an understanding of work routines, information demands, and other central preconditions at the clinical level. This understanding will have to be shared between many different stakeholders, including end-users, managers and system developers. Requirements engineering and User Needs Analysis are important activities that can help us as health informaticians to reach the required level of understanding, and to ensure that the system that is designed will be useful and perform satisfactory. The purpose of this course is therefore to provide students with the tools and methods for analysing and modeling the needs and requirements of a healthcare organisation they will need as health informaticians.

2a. Project management and IT introduction in Healthcare

(Only for students on the ”Clinical specialization” track)
The aim of this course is to give students a possibility to understand and use basic methods and technologies in IT-related projects, including important success factors, what is required to establish a project, different claims for leadership and a project manager, how results can be delivered to customers, how a project is evaluated. After the course, a student should be able to plan, lead and manage a project, create routines for follow up, review different project descriptions and discuss about possible shortages.

2b. Health information systems – design, architecture and interoperability

(Only for studends on the ” Technical specialisation” track)

In this course we will take a closer look at the existing methods, tools and standards that enable the design and construction of large-scale health information systems. In particular we will look at architectural design principles that enable methodical approach to the design of software architecture. We will also examine how health informatics standards can help in the design of information structures.

3. Evaluation methods for health informatics

The aim is to study and practise the applicarion of methods for evaluation and assessment of information systems in health care. Specifically, we will look at study design, selection of evaluation methods, and finally application of methods. For example, which method should be used for evaluating outcome or impact and how is this done practically? Further, we will discuss systematic reviews as a method for achieving evidence-based health informatics.

4. Clinical Decision Support

An introduction to various kinds of medical decision support systems was provided in the course ”Computer applications in health care and biomedicine”. This course, ”Clinical Decision Support”, aims to provide knowledge and skills that will permit students to actively participate in the needs assessment, requirements engineering, design and implementation of clinical decision support systems. One aim is that all students should acquire an understanding of medical decision making as a cognitive process, its’ characteristics and limitations.

The course focuses on methods to model, represent, validate, integrate and enact qualitative decision support algorithms, which is a type of algorithms that has its’ origin in medical knowledge as conceived by humans, either in the form of expert knowledge of clinicians, or in textual form such as scientific articles or clinical guidelines. In relation to this, a number of implementations of so called computer interpretable guideline models will be analysed and applied, as a way to implement evidence based practise guidelines in health care.

The other main type, quantitative decicion support algorithms, relies on statistical techniques, and is covered in the course “Machine learning for the extraction of medical knowledge”.

5. Project 1 (From idea to specification)

The general idea is to translate theory into practice. You will acquire practical skills in the first phases of system's development. By applying your theoretical knowledge and understanding about project management, assessment of user needs and requirements engineering you will develop and test a prototype, which in Project 2 will be implemented as a functional application.

Authentic problems will be solved in small project groups. The project should include the following phases: define the problem – perform a feasibility study – elicit user requirements – suggest a solution – develop and test a prototype – develop a system requirements specification (SRS).

The groups will be multi-disciplinary, i.e. students with different backgrounds, interests, and expertise will collaborate. This implies that students from different programme tracks will take different responsibilities and roles in the project. In this way each student will have the opportunity to develop individual skills as professional health informaticians.

6. Case studies 1

Most of the courses in the second and third terms have a theoretical focus. The aim of the case studies are to permit students to apply theoretical skills obtained from these courses on problems in real life projects in health informatics. Case studies 1 and 2 are scheduled in parallel with other courses during the semester. A case study typically lasts for a few weeks. In a first session, students will be introduced to a real, recent and relevant project containing a challenging problem. Topics of the case studies are selected to roughly match what is currently being studied in the parallel courses, but is also dictated by the project themselves. The task for the students may be to analyze a scenario and propose a possible solution. Typically, students prepare a solution individually and discusses this in the study group. This is where much learning is achieved. At the end of a case, it is being discussed in a final seminar. To the extent possible, persons involved in the projects will take part in the introductory and final seminars.

Course outline - Term 3

1a. Management, leadership and change work in health informatics

(Only for studends on the ”Clinical specialization” track)

1b. Machine learning for extraction of medical knowledge

(Only for studends on the ” Technical specialization” track)

This course aims to provide the knowledge and skills necessary to permit students to apply so called machine learning algorithms to large quantities of data in order to automatically extract medical knowledge. Knowledge obtained in this way have many uses, e.g. as core algorithms in clinical decision support systems. In this case, the extracted knowledge may be applied on patient information from other integrated clinical information systems, and thereby provide patient specific advice and recommendations.

Some of the techniques covered in the course are artificial neural networks, inductive decision trees and text mining algorithms.

2. Modelling, simulation and visualization in health informatics

The general aim of this course is to learn about medical simulation and visualization though literature studies, demonstrations, lectures and own individual project work under supervision.

The course covers orientation about modeling, visualization and simulation, different simulation models and terminology, virtual patients for learning and assessment, simulation of physiological processes on organ, tissue, cellular and molecular level, simulation of flows and processes within healthcare (patient flows, hospital planning etc.), simulation of illness processes and spread of diseases, simulation for medical and psychiatric evaluation, diagnostics, treatment and rehabilitation and methods for modeling of medical processes and flows.

3. Scientific research methods

4. Project 2 (from specification to product)

5. Case studies 2

Most of the courses in the second and third terms have a theoretical focus. The aim of the case studies are to permit students to apply theoretical skills obtained from these courses on problems in real life projects in health informatics. Case studies 1 and 2 are scheduled in parallel with other courses during the semester. A case study typically lasts for a few weeks. In a first session, students will be introduced to a real, recent and relevant project containing a challenging problem. Topics of the case studies are selected to roughly match what is currently being studied in the parallel courses, but is also dictated by the project themselves. The task for the students may be to analyze a scenario and propose a possible solution. Typically, students prepare a solution individually and discusses this in the study group. This is where much learning is achieved. At the end of a case, it is being discussed in a final seminar. To the extent possible, persons involved in the projects will take part in the introductory and final seminars.

Course outline - Term 4

Degree project in health informatics