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eHealth Workforce Capacity

AMIA is engaged in a number of activities to address issues related to workforce development. eHealth is the use of information and telecommunication technologies (ICT) for health care, education, and research for health professionals, patients and the public. Capacity building is defined broadly by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as "the creation of an enabling environment with appropriate policy and legal frameworks, institutional development, including community participation, human resources development and strengthening of managerial systems." (http://www.undp.org).

eHealth capacity building refers to the development of a trained workforce capable of developing and dealing effectively with eHealth projects over time. The objective is for workers to develop and sustain their careers within their countries of origin.

Building the Work Force for Health Information Transformation AMIA and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) convened a Task Force to address issues related to work force needs in the era of the electronic health record and hosted a work force summit meeting in November 2005. In February 2006, AMIA and AHIMA released a report entitled, Building the Work Force for Health Information Transformation, which outlines a national action agenda to address work force challenges related to electronic health records (EHR) and the nationwide health information infrastructure.

Core Competencies for Health Information Management and Informatics In 2007, AHIMA and AMIA convened a Joint Workforce Task Group (WF-TG) to address one of the recommendations: the need for basic core competencies expected of a healthcare workforce that uses EHRs in their daily work in the era of electronic health information technology. In addition to the report, the Task Force developed a tool for use by various educational and training programs, healthcare organizations and professions. We envision several specific purposes, including: (a) supporting the design of in-service and on-the-job training programs for the current workforce who encounter and use the EHR; (b) serving as a reference for healthcare workforce job descriptions; (c) planning professional development activities; (d) building specific professional competencies (after review and expansion by various health professions); (e) developing new employee orientation programs; and (f) improving formal health professional academic curricula.

Digital Patient Record Certification The Digital Patient Record Certification exam and study guide is tailored specifically for healthcare workers and novice clinicians who must input, retrieve, and understand digital patient records that are contained in a health information system (HIS). Information concerning examination criteria, costs, fees, and other questions should be sent by e-mail to: info@drpcertification.com

Global Health and Bioinformatics Workforce Capacity As part of a project support grant funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, AMIA in conjunction with IMIA convened a week long meeting in August 2008 that focused on eHealth Capacity Building. The AMIA conference was part of the Foundation's Global eHealth Connection: Bellagio Series on eHealth in the Global South. The four week conference series was designed to provide answers to key eHealth issues and encourage investment commitments and build consensus about how to use eHealth to improving the access, efficiency and quality of health services, particularly in low-resource settings. Outcomes from the conference are intended to inform both national and international eHealth agendas. 

Public Health Informatics Workforce Development. Public health informatics is the systematic application of information and computer science and technology to public health practice, research, and learning." (O'Carroll P, Yasnoff WA, Ward ME, Ripp LH, Martin EL, eds. Public Health Informatics and Information Systems. NY, Springer; 2003:5.) As part of a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), AMIA is providing informatics education and training to federal, state and local public health workers.

AMIA's Academic Forum

AMIA's Academic Strategic Leadership Council

Other Related Presentations and Publications

Information and Communications Technology & the Future Health Workforce: Transformative Opportunities & Critical Challenges
Don E. Detmer & Elaine B. Steen. From Education to Regulation: Dynamic Challenges for the Health Workforce. Denise E. Holmes Editor. Association of Academic Health Centers 2008. This chapter appears in Out of Order, Out of Time: The State of the Nation's Health Workforce a report undertaken by the Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC) to focus attention on the critical need for a new, collaborative, coordinated, national health workforce planning initiative.

Meryl Bloomrosen presents eHealth workforce issues at the Capitol Hill Steering Committee April 2008

Don Detmer presents informatics workforce issues to the AHIC Electronic Health Records Workgroup
September 2007

“Training a Health Information Technology Workforce: Addressing Pending Worker Shortages as Healthcare becomes “e-enabled” May 2006 Presentations at the Capitol Hill Steering Committee.

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