Courses
The Drake 100% online master’s in health informatics and analytics program consists of 30 credit hours. All six-week courses are asynchronous, which means you can study when and where it works best for you.
Required courses – (6 courses; 18 credit hours)
HSCI 201– Introduction to Health Informatics and Analytics (3 credit hours)
This course provides an overview of the roles of informatics and analytics within a healthcare organization. Various aspects of health informatics, which represents the convergence of information technology, information management, and healthcare, will be explored, including electronic health records, data standards and interoperability, clinical decision support, and healthcare data analytics. The knowledge and skills presented in this course will offer students a framework for deeper understanding of the concepts in subsequent coursework.
HSCI 260 – Survey of Evidence-Based Healthcare (3 credit hours)
Survey of Evidenced-Based Healthcare is designed as a background and introductory course for the Evidence-Based Medicine Certificate program. The information presented is applicable to anyone who works in a healthcare related field. Students will learn the definition of evidence-based health care (EBHC) and its history. Students will receive instruction in basic biostatistics and clinical trial design. They will learn how to read and critique the medical literature, including meta-analyses and systematic reviews. Students will learn how discern misuse of the medical literature and how to apply the principles of EBHC to answer patient related health question at the individual or system level.
IS 231 – Data Management and Visual Analytics (3 credit hours)
A study of database concepts and technologies used in managing and using data within modern organizations: defining data needs; using modern database tools; understanding database design; and creating applications. Class time is also devoted to the topic of visualization and visual analytics tools.
STAT 240 – Statistical Modeling (3 credit hours)
This course will focus on the analysis of data for statistical modeling. Statistical methods for analyzing and displaying data will be used as well as concepts related to model assessment and diagnostics.
One of the following:
HLTH 264 – Beyond Ethics: Policy & Healthcare (3 credit hours)
This course will investigate a basic understanding of ethics as a pursuit and expand into the integration of basic ethics and public policy and healthcare. Basic ethical concepts will be integrated into an expanded investigation into the ethics of policy with an emphasis on the healthcare environment. The course is designed to combine lecture, group discussion, and individual investigations.
OR
HLTH 266 – Healthcare Regulation, Law, and Advocacy (3 credit hours)
In its broadest sense, health law is the area of law pertaining to healthcare and the healthcare environment. It relates to the interaction of many players and relationships within and external to the healthcare arena. This course is meant as an introduction to this cast and complex area and will focus on these relationships as they pertain to the healthcare administrator and manager. Key topics will include patient rights and protection, facility responsibility, payer and patient relationships, healthcare provider and patient legal relationships.
HSCI 285 – Practicum/Capstone (3 credit hours)
In this course, students will apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired from their coursework in the program by completing a non-thesis capstone project that requires them to critically analyze and solve a problem encountered in health informatics. Using their skills in data acquisition and analytics, project management, data presentation, and evidence-based healthcare principles, students will select an area of interest and complete a health informatics capstone project. Students will also develop and submit an electronic portfolio that contains key examples of work they have generated during their time in the program along with a self-reflection of that work. Prerequisite courses: All other courses in the program should be completed before registering for the capstone course.
Elective Courses – (4 courses; 12 credits)
Students may complete the Data Analytics Leadership concentration by completing IS 210, 220, and 260, or the Evidence Based Health Care Concentration by completing HSCI 261 and 262.
IS 210 – Business Analytics, Teams, and Projects (3 credit hours)
In this course, students will be introduced to business analytics concepts. Specifically, students will explore all aspects of business analytics projects focusing on how businesses use data to solve problems. Class topics will address data analytics teams, working together, and leadership, including concepts of team formation, problem analysis, requirements gathering, and other project management concepts.
IS 220 – Information Technology Legal and Ethical Issues (3 credit hours)
This course provides an overview of ethical and legal issues associated with business information technology usage, data collection, data sharing, and data-driven decision making. Topics include ethical and legal perspectives on privacy and information rights, organizational computer usage policies, cybercrime, and intellectual property.
MBA 245 – Leading with Data (3 credit hours)
This course will focus on the role of data in today’s fast-paced, competitive, data-rich, global business environment. Emphasis is on developing the habits of mind necessary for data-driven leadership. You will learn to seek data, to understand variation and the pitfalls of sampling, to question assumptions, and to think critically about reports and data displays. You will be exposed to the terminology necessary to communicate with analysts. You will develop data-driven management skills such as formulating value-adding questions, directing the collection and selection of data, working with analysts, working with management dashboards, operationalizing insights from data, and telling stories with data.
MBA 254 – Leadership & Human Capital Development (3 credit hours)
This course will provide students with the opportunity to experience the full life cycle of a data analytics project. Students will collaborate with team members on a full-scale data analytics project to utilize the skills learned throughout their degree program. An emphasis will be placed on data analytics as well as communication skills.
QUAN 270 – Quantitative Analytical Methods (3 credit hours)
This course examines the quantitative side of the management decision making process. Commonly used mathematical techniques with a view to problem formulation and the critical interpretation of quantitative analysis will be discussed. Methodologies covered include optimization, sensitivity analysis, simulation, forecasting, and decision analysis. This course makes extensive use of spreadsheets.
HSCI 261 – Review of Statistics for Evidence-Based Healthcare (3 credit hours)
Review of Statistics for Evidenced-Based Healthcare is a course designed to provide a background and introduction to statistical concepts used in published research and is a part of the Evidence-Based Medicine Certificate program. Information presented in the course is applicable to anyone who works in a healthcare related field desiring to better understand research. Moreover, students will learn about general analytic approaches used in evidence-based health care (EBHC) and associated concepts. Students will receive instruction on basic (bio)statistics, trial design, and sources of bias. The course will be delivered online as part of the Evidence Based Health Care Certification.
HSCI 262 – Critical Appraisal in EBHC (3 credit hours)
Systematic summaries of the literature are an informative means to synthesize a body of research and identify possible explanations for results that differ across studies within a topic. The course aims to provide healthcare professionals with a structured training in designing, conducting, and interpreting high-quality systematic reviews in healthcare. Students will develop sufficient skills to conduct systematic reviews independently.
HLTH 261 – Healthcare Policy (3 credit hours)
Examination of the roles played by government in the development of the healthcare system in the United States using policy analysis. Focus on the interaction between public policymakers and healthcare providers in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Policies for study include Medicaid, Medicare, National Health Insurance, and health planning.
HLTH 263 – Healthcare Administration (3 credit hours)
This course provides a conceptual empirical and problem-solving framework for dealing with the administration and management problem-solving skills as well as develops, implements, and evaluates organizational and management goals. Emphasis is on understanding the functioning of hospital and healthcare organizations.