HINF 4020 Gap Analysis for Continuous Improvement (4 Credits)

This course is designed to address the gaps faced in healthcare between existing workflows, programs, and technologies and our desired future state of care delivery. In this course, students will investigate the foundations of the current state of the delivery model, what improvement methodologies are critical to addressing the recognized gaps, how this aligns to the business needs of an organization, and considerations for proposing solutions and managing change.

HINF 4210 Data Platforms in Healthcare (4 Credits)

Data Platforms in Healthcare focuses on widely used data platforms in data collection, storage retrieval, and use in healthcare and healthy-industry settings. Students will learn the flow of data from data entry to data storage, and they will learn to query, process, and present healthcare data for actionable use. Students will also learn common pitfalls of healthcare data solutions and the legal restrictions involved with personal healthcare information. Recommended prerequisite: ICT 4007 (if student has no prior programming experience).

HINF 4230 Healthcare Statistical Dynamics of Machine Learning (4 Credits)

HINF 4230 focuses on data cleaning, statistical analysis, and machine learning using healthcare data. Students will use Python to clean, prepare, and interpret a large dataset and then train and evaluate a machine learning model. Finally, students will debug their models and iterate to make improvements.

HINF 4240 Health Data Science Reporting (4 Credits)

This course will focus on best practices for health data science reporting to improve healthcare into the future. The learner will explore various ways to develop effective reports, inform healthcare leaders, and make appropriate recommendations. Upon completion of this course, students will understand the difference between data and how information provides key insights that allow healthcare leaders to draw conclusions, make decisions, and improve clinical and business outcomes. Preferred prerequisite: HINF 4210.

HINF 4315 Digital, Virtual, and AI in Healthcare (4 Credits)

With the widespread availability of health-oriented digital and virtual devices and software (apps), healthcare organizations are shifting their approaches to recognize how patients wish to communicate, access healthcare, and access/share their health information. The shift in digital and virtual health is designed to improve healthcare access and quality—particularly in underserved populations, geographies, and specialties. This course will present the current and emerging digital and virtual health services, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of these technologies. This course will address various forms of telehealth, apps, portable devices, and remote monitoring strategies, as well as the role of artificial and augmented intelligence in enhancing digital and virtual experiences. After a broad review of the digital and virtual health field, this course will focus on evaluating, sustaining, and leading a digital or virtual program. Each lecture will discuss regulatory issues such as privacy, security, FDA review/approval. In addition to these regulatory issues, the course will instruct how to conduct a needs assessment, evaluate digital and virtual health products, implement different business models, and evaluate best practices for implementation and adoption.

HINF 4325 Values and Outcomes in Digital Health (4 Credits)

This course covers the major healthcare information technologies and topics other than electronic health records systems. Electronic health records systems represent a large focus in healthcare technology; however, many other important systems form the complete framework of modern connected healthcare. These include electronic practice management (EPM/PMS) systems, scheduling, billing, diagnostics/labs, reporting, payment interfaces, and business intelligence in healthcare. This course focuses on the fundamentals of how to be an analyst of health IT technology.

HINF 4600 Healthcare Data and Delivery by Perspective (4 Credits)

This course evaluates the environment of the U.S. healthcare delivery system and introduces the 4P (patient, provider, payer, population) perspective framework. This framework is generated from the natural flow of healthcare delivery starting with the patient, moving to the provider, towards the payer, and evolving into population health. Students will learn about the associated data that is generated from the patient as a consumer, from the provider through clinical operations, from the payer perspective, and finally how all of these contribute toward population health data. This course will cover the basics of U.S. healthcare research and clinical intervention, and students will have the ability to model the conceptual as well as practical application of health informatics.

HINF 4610 Healthcare Data Ethics (4 Credits)

This course discusses research investigator training and outlines the progression of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) process. In addition, this IRB process will be compared with the business process improvement cycle. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) as well as data governance issues are surveyed from the patient, provider, payer, and population perspectives. The connections between these topics and ethics are explored, and the principles of biostatistics are discussed. Common statistical packages used within healthcare research and business applications are covered, and this course concludes with an analysis of resulting ethical implications of short- and long-term healthcare data.

HINF 4620 Healthcare Methods and Programming (4 Credits)

This course presents the basic study designs of epidemiology and illustrates the field’s benefit to the healthcare industry. Randomized control trials (RCT) through correlation studies are explained through case studies as well as practical application. Informatics tools such as machine learning, clinical decision support, and natural language processing (NLP) are categorized with respect to their relative positions in the 4P (patient, provider, payer, population) perspective framework. This framework is generated from the natural flow of healthcare delivery starting with the patient, moving to the provider, progressing on to the payer, and evolving into population health. This course concludes with the many benefits of auditing as a check and balance for healthcare methods and programming.

HINF 4630 EHR and Health Data Concepts (4 Credits)

This course explores the history and current use of the electronic health record and core concepts in healthcare data analytics. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of the electronic health record through interactive experiences with an electronic health record simulator. They will explore how healthcare data is collected, managed, and interpreted, and how data supports clinical decision-making, quality improvement initiatives, and organizational growth. In addition, this course articulates the value of mapping relationships between data points and workflows. This process determines the level of integration of disparate data sources. Once the data sources are integrated, the focus becomes on how to turn this data into information, knowledge, and insight. This course wraps up by exploring best-use case scenarios for interpreting data through visualizations and predictive analytics.

HINF 4640 Healthcare Database Applications (4 Credits)

This course covers the growing functions of security in healthcare data and specifically elaborates on the vulnerabilities and emerging solutions for dealing with data once it is stored. Database architecture is surveyed, which transitions into an exploration of terminologies and standards and how these impact interoperability of data in warehouses. A significant portion of this course focuses on the specifics of medical coding and how coding is affected by the 4P perspectives. This framework is generated from the natural flow of healthcare delivery starting with the patient, moving to the provider, progressing on to the payer, and evolving into population health. The course wraps up with a compilation of Structured Query Language (SQL) capabilities and a study of the influence of their practical application.

HINF 4701 Topics in Health Informatics (1-4 Credits)

This is an advanced special topics seminar course. The focus is on specialized areas of interest. Topics courses may be used as electives within the Health Informatics degree and certificates, and, with advance approval from Academic Director, may substitute for core courses in the degree or certificate programs.

HINF 4901 Capstone Project (4 Credits)

The Capstone Project provides students the opportunity to research a topic, problem, or issue within their field of study, and work individually with a Capstone advisor. Similar in weight to a thesis, but more flexible, this final project will synthesize and apply core concepts acquired from the program. The student will select an appropriate Capstone advisor who is knowledgeable in the field of study to work closely with and whom can guide the research project. Evaluation will be focused on the quality and professionalism of applied research and writing; critical and creative thinking; problem-solving skills; knowledge of research design, method, and implementation; and contribution to the field and topic of study. Please see the Capstone Guidelines for additional details. Prerequisites: A Capstone Proposal that has been approved by both the Capstone Advisor and the Academic Director, acceptance as a degree candidate, completion of at least 40 quarter-hours (including all core courses) with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.

HINF 4980 Internship (0-4 Credits)

The Health Informatics Internship is designed to offer students a purposeful experience in a practical, industry related setting. The internship is an individualized learning experience. A training plan is created for each student in conjunction with the internship site supervisor to provide experiences related to the skills and knowledge covered in the certificate and master’s programs as well as professional goals. Students are responsible for finding their own internship site and proposing their internship ideas. University College will send notification to all Healthcare students if they hear of internship possibilities. Students may also work through the DU career center, to explore opportunities for internship experiences.

HINF 4991 Independent Study (1-4 Credits)

This is an advanced course for students wishing to pursue an independent course of study. The student must be accepted in a degree program, have earned a grade point average of 3.0 or better, obtained the approval of the department director, and have completed the Independent Study form and filed the form with all appropriate offices before registering for the independent study. Independent Study is offered only on a for-credit basis.