Weekly outline

  • Introduction

    The course will introduce the domain of health informatics. Students will examine how health information systems can help achieve universal healthcare. Through project-based learning, students will explore real world problems and challenges in health informatics, while making learning visible through lively forum discussions, tweets and blog posts.

    Course Learning Outcomes:
    At the end of the course, students should be able to -

    1.   Summarize key attributes and problems of the Philippine healthcare system.
    2.   Demonstrate how health informatics can potentially solve some healthcare problems.
    3.   Critique the Philippines’ national ehealth strategy.
    4.   Explain key health data and interoperability standards.
    5.   Examine real-world challenges in the field of health informatics.

    There will be no in-person meetings. This is a 3-unit course and students are expected to spend 8 hours a week on learning tasks. Consultation hours will be every Thursday between 9 am to 11 am via Zoom, depending on the professor's availability. Otherwise, there will be an asynchronous video discussion via Flip (join code 03b3c565) for flexibility.

    https://up-edu.zoom.us/j/91874757760

    Meeting ID: 918 7475 7760
    Passcode: 83321419

    The project to be done each week is guided by a driving question. This question captures and communicates the purpose of the project. There are required readings but the students should not limit themselves to these in answering the driving question. Guide questions are intended to help the students approach the readings.

    The weekly project submission should provide a clear and detailed answer to the driving question. The deadline for submitting on the VLE is every Thursday 8 am of the following week. Week 1 assignment will be due on Sept 15.

  • Week 1

    One of the interview questions for acceptance to the MS Health Informatics medical informatics track was why medical informatics? Think back on your answer and read up on the expected competencies for health informatics professionals. Is health informatics the same as medical informatics? How about biomedical informatics and bioinformatics? What did you get yourself into?

    The pandemic may have delayed the implementation of the Universal Healthcare Act, but the law must be followed. The implementing rules and regulations were released prior to the pandemic. Have you read it? How many times was ICT and health information systems mentioned in the document?

    This week’s driving question will let you situate yourself as a health informatics professional in the post pandemic scenario, as the Philippines implements universal healthcare.

    How can health informatics expertise help the Philippines attain universal healthcare?

    Learning outcomes:

    1. Define health informatics.
    2. Enumerate competencies expected of a health informatics professional.
    3. Explain the role of health informatics in achieving universal healthcare.

  • Week 2

    Luna et al (2014) identified six challenges in achieving sustainable implementations in health informatics in developing countries:

    • resource and infrastructure limitations
    • development of health IT agendas
    • overcoming uncertainty, ethics and legal considerations
    • lack of use of common interoperability standards
    • lack of a skillfully trained workforce
    • regional integration

    After you finish this program, you will join the workforce and take on these challenges. This week’s driving question is about looking at low-hanging fruit in bringing the field of health informatics forward in the Philippines.

    How will you solve what you think is the easiest health informatics challenge for the Philippines?

    Learning outcomes:

    1. Discuss health informatics challenges in developing countries.
    2. Examine recommendations to address health informatics challenges.

  • Week 3

    The Health Metrics Network (HMN) has identified six components of a country’s health information system (HIS): health information system resources, indicators, data sources, data management, information products and dissemination and use. What do you know about these six components in the context of the Philippine healthcare system?

    This week’s driving question will test your armchair analyst skills.

    Which HIS component is the most problematic in the Philippine setting and why?

    Learning outcomes:

    1. Discuss the components of a country health information system.
    2. Analyze the problems in the components of a country health information system.

  • Week 4

    The Health Metrics Network (HMN) has identified five guiding principles for health information system development.

    • Country leadership and ownership
    • Responding to country needs and demands
    • Building upon existing initiatives and systems
    • Building broad-based consensus and stakeholder involvement
    • Gradual and incremental process with a long-term vision


    This week’s guiding question invites you to examine how these guiding principles come into play in the move to harmonize health information systems in the Philippines.

    How can health information systems in the Philippines be harmonized?

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Discuss the guiding principles for health information system development.
    2. Explain how the Philippine Health Information Exchange (PHIE) should work.

  • Week 5

    National health information system efforts have been classified according to five stages. These HIS stages are based on five dimensions: data flow and collection, data utilization and integration, resources and capacity, scope and scale. Good governance is needed to move the national health information system forward.

    This week’s driving question will introduce you to COBIT5, an IT governance framework.

    How can the adoption of an IT governance framework like COBIT5, ensure eHealth success in the Philippines?

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Discuss the national HIS stages.
    2. Explain why an IT governance framework is essential for eHealth success.

  • Week 6

    Enterprise architecture is a tool that creates a connection between business functions and information technology. You would think that IT investments in healthcare would be aligned with creating value, but because tech is shiny, often new and exciting, this may not always be the case.

    This week’s driving question will introduce you to TOGAF, an enterprise architecture framework.

    What is the role of enterprise architecture in the national health information system?

    Learning Outcomes:
    Define enterprise architecture.
    Explain the role of enterprise architecture in the national health information system.

  • Week 7

    In an ideal world, health data can be shared seamlessly whenever, wherever to whomever. Instead, health data are trapped in silos which can compromise care.

    This week’s driving question gives you a glimpse into health informatics’ enduring challenge.

    How can we use standards to ensure interoperability in health information systems?

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Define interoperability as it applies to health information systems.
    2. Explain why standards are essential in achieving interoperability.

  • Week 8

    Much of Philippine healthcare still runs on paper. Many physicians keep paper charts and give patients prescriptions that are handwritten or sometimes printed on paper.

    This week’s driving question will take you through the steps of shifting from paper charts to electronic health records. It may be a difficult and daunting task, but it’s certainly not impossible.

    How can healthcare institutions transition from paper charts to electronic health records?

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Discuss the steps in transitioning from paper charts to electronic health records.
    2. Explain how to plan for the introduction of electronic health records.

  • Week 9

    Some patients keep copies of their lab results and prescriptions. Some leave their lab results with their physicians and don’t keep a copy. These lab results and prescriptions are often in paper format. Having such health information at hand is vital to helping patients manage their conditions, especially for those with chronic disease.

    This week’s driving question invites you take a look at electronic health records, but this time in the shoes of the patient.

    How can personal health records empower patients?

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Discuss interoperability of personal health records with electronic health records.
    2. Describe challenges in the implementation of personal health records.
    3. Explain how personal health records can help patients in the self-management of chronic disease.

  • Week 10

    In the US, confidentiality and security of protected health information (PHI) in electronic health records is addressed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The Philippines does not have a health data-specific regulation like HIPAA, but it has the Data Privacy Act.

    Does the Philippines need a HIPAA-like regulation or is the Data Privacy Act enough? This week’s driving question invites you to take a closer look.

    How can the Data Privacy Act of 2012 protect health data?

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Differentiate privacy and confidentiality.
    2. Analyze how the Data Privacy Act of 2012 provides for the protection of health data.
    3. Explain the ways in which the security of electronic health records can be ensured.

  • Week 11

    The Philippines is the texting capital of the world. Many Filipinos have mobile phones. This week’s driving question looks at how mobile phones can be leveraged for healthcare.

    How can mobile technology be used for chronic disease?

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Discuss the challenges for mhealth in low- and middle-income countries.
    2. Examine the role of mobile phones for self-management in chronic disease.

  • Week 12

    Telehealth has always been needed in the Philippines, be it from the lack of human resources or poor access in geographically-isolated areas.

    This week’s driving question is a second look at telehealth, which has been brought to fore again by the CoVID-19 pandemic.

    How can telehealth support the delivery of healthcare in the Philippines?

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Discuss the challenges for telehealth in developing countries.
    2. Examine the lessons for sustainable implementation of telehealth projects.

  • Shark Tank Pitch

    In lieu of a final exam, submit a shark tank pitch for a health informatics solution to a problem that you will choose. The solution should reflect what you have learned in HI 201 in the past weeks.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Prepare a pitch around a health informatics solution for a real-world problem.
    2. Defend the pitch.