Professor: Thomas A. Horan, Ph.D.
Phone: 909.607.9302
Office: ACB 213B
Office Hours: Thursdays 1PM-4PM or by appointment
Email: tom.horan@cgu.edu
Class Date/Location: Thursdays 7-10pm McManus Conf. Room, or other times as agreed upon

Teaching Assistant: Sue Feldman, RN, M.Ed.
Email: sue.feldman@cgu.edu

This course focuses on the dimension of health informatics that takes as its sphere of influence the community, public, and population health domains. Public Health Informatics focuses on the collection and utilization of data as related to a specific or general population to generate knowledge to influence or progress public health practices, policy decisions, research, and dissemination of information for the greater good. In a directed readings and discussion format, we will read policy pieces, understand national and international research studies, analyze case demonstrations, and explore other new and related developments, such as the Public Health Information Network (PHIN). In addition, the course will host several expert guest speakers (practitioners, researchers, etc.) for whom the use of data and information for public and population health issues is a concern.

Course Teaching/Learning Philosophy:

This course fulfills requirements for all doctoral and master degrees within in the School of Information Systems and Technology as an elective. It is intended to provide an overview and understanding of the use of data, information, and information systems in for public health needs. Students will come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences and it is the expectation that each of you will bring contributions that reflect that experience to each class session. The general expectations for each of you are:

--To attend all class sessions
--To contribute in class
--To complete all readings
--To apply concepts and frameworks in the readings to the research
--To contribute to Claremont Conversation

Course Learning Outcomes:

--Understand health care policy and reforms and the implications for PHI
--Apply learned concepts across a variety of case studies
--Understand Cyberinfrastructure and Health Information Technology (HIT) adoptions and utilization for public and population health benefit and the role in application and research
--Apply informatics concepts to the public health domain
--Consistently participate in dialogue about public health informatics research
--Cogently present results in oral and written forms