10x10 with OHSU in Conjunction with ACEP: Course Description

Curriculum and Dates

The following table outlines the curriculum with unit number, topic, date posted and date due. The course in general runs with two weeks in a row of posted materials and then a third week to finish the work. The due date for each unit is when the next cycle of material is posted. We are lenient about giving extensions but participants are strongly encouraged not to fall behind, since it can be difficult to catch up once one is too far behind. Materials for each unit must be completed by the specified due date.

Detailed Course Outline

The table below lists the segments covered within each unit.

1. Overview of Field and Problems Motivating It    

• 1.1 What is Biomedical and Health Informatics?
• 1.2 A Short History of Biomedical & Health Informatics
• 1.3 Problems in Healthcare Motivating Biomedical and Health Informatics
• 1.4 Who Does Biomedical and Health Informatics?
• 1.5 Resources for Field - Organizations, Information, Education

2. Computing Concepts for Biomedical and Health Informatics  

• 2.1 Types of Computers
• 2.2 Data Storage in Computers
• 2.3 Computer Hardware and Software
• 2.4 Computer Networks
• 2.5 Software Engineering  

3.0 Electronic and Personal Health Records (EHR, PHR)

• 3.1 Clinical Data
• 3.2 History and Perspective of the Health (Medical) Record
• 3.3 Examples of the EHR
• 3.4 EHR Data Entry
• 3.5 Clinical Decision Support
• 3.6 Personal Health Records

4.0 Standards and Interoperability

• 4.1 Standards & Interoperability: Basic Concepts
• 4.2 Identifier and Transaction Standards
• 4.3 Message Exchange Standards
• 4.4 Terminology Standards
• 4.5 SMART on FHIR

5. Data Science and Artificial Intelligence    

• 5.1 Data Science and Data Analytics
• 5.2 Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
• 5.3 Natural Language Processing
• 5.4 Imaging Informatics

6. Advanced Use of the EHR

• 6.1 Patient Safety and Medical Errors
• 6.2 Healthcare Quality measurement and Improvement
• 6.3 Health Information Exchange (HIE)
• 6.4 Population Health
• 6.5 From Meaningful Use to Promoting Interoperability

7.0 EHR Implementation, Security, and Evaluation

• 7.1 Clinical Workflow Analysis and Redesign
• 7.2 EHR System Selection and Implementation
• 7.3 Telemedicine and Telehealth
• 7.4 Privacy and Security
• 7.5 Evaluation of the EHR

8.0 Information Retrieval (Search)

• 8.1 Information Retrieval
• 8.2 Knowledge-based Information
• 8.3 Content
• 8.4 Indexing
• 8.5 Retrieval
• 8.6 Research: Evaluation and Future Directions 

9.0 Research Informatics

• 9.1 Overview of Biomedical Research
• 9.2 Clinical Research Informatics
• 9.3 Overview of Basic Molecular Biology
• 9.4 Translational Bioinformatics
• 9.5 From Clinical Genetics and Genomics to Precision Medicine
• 9.6 Genomics Data in the EHR and Other Information Systems

10. Other Areas of Informatics  

• 10.1 Nursing Informatics
• 10.2 Consumer Health Informatics
• 10.3 Public Health Informatics
• 10.4 Evidence-based Medicine
• 10.5 Clinical Practice Guidelines

The course is offered in two parts:

1. A 10-unit Web-based component starting July 5, 2023. The Web-based portion is provided through online lectures, readings, interactive discussion, and self-assessment tests. (Quizzes are required to be completed but grades do not count towards a final grade.)
2. An optional, one-day in-person session held in conjunction with the ACEP 2023 Scientific Assembly which runs from October 9-12, 2023. The session will bring participants together to integrate the material, allow presentation of course projects, and meet the instructor as well as other students in an in-person setting. The session runs from 9 am until 3 pm and the date is Sunday, October 8. (NOTE: Participants who are unable to attend the session for hardship reasons are allowed to opt out of attendance.)

The course is an adaptation of the on-line Introduction to Biomedical Informatics class currently taught in the OHSU biomedical informatics education program. This survey course provides a broad overview of the field, highlighting the key issues and challenges for the field. The course is taught in a completely asynchronous manner, i.e., there are no "scheduled" classes. However, students must keep up with the course materials so they can benefit from the interactive discussion with faculty and other students. The course uses the following teaching modalities:

• · Voice-over-PowerPoint lectures - The lectures are provided in MP4 format via the OHSU learning management system. The content is easily accessed by any type of modern device connected to the Internet.
• · Interactive threaded discussion - Students engage in discussion on important issues using the on-line threaded discussion forums. An on-line faculty moderator helps keep the discussion on track.
• · Optional reading assignments - The syllabus suggests optional readings from a textbook for students.
• · Homework/quizzes - Each of the units is accompanied by a 10-question multiple-choice self-assessment that aims to have the student apply the knowledge from the unit.

The on-line part of the course is accessed via OHSU's Sakai learning management system (LMS). At the onset of the course, each student is provided a login and password by the OHSU distance- learning staff, who also provide technical support for the course. The course has no required textbook; with all assigned readings either freely available on-line or provided by OHSU. Students are expected to keep up with the materials each week and participate in ongoing discussion. They should anticipate spending 4-8 hours per unit on the course. All online activities are asynchronous, so there is no specified time that a student must be on-line.

The on-line portion of the course will run from July through October. The in-person session will take place in conjunction with the ACEP Scientific Assembly 2023 from October 1-4, 2023 in Philadelphia , PA. The date of the in-person session is Sunday, October 8.

Even though the 10x10 course is on-line, it provides a great deal of interaction among the faculty, teaching assistants, and students. A discussion forum is set up for each unit of the course, where students can pose questions, comments, and opinions related to the course materials. The instructor poses 1-2 questions to kick off the discussion but students are encouraged to post their own questions and engage in discussion with their classmates.

Course Project

Students must complete a course project to obtain the AMIA 10x10 Certificate of Completion. The goal of the project is to identify an informatics problem in your local setting (e.g., where you practice or work, or otherwise have access) and propose a solution based on what is known from informatics research and best practice. The project write-up is due by July 19, 2023.

If you do not have access to a health care setting, you can do the project in another setting, such as a company or organization. The instructor can help if you have a challenge with this. The problem and solution should be written into a succinct 2-3 page (please no longer!) document that should include references and justify the framing of the problem and the proposed solutions. This is submitted in a Word document uploaded to Sakai. Here are the details of the assignment:

• · You should assess some local setting (work environment, practice, hospital, etc.) to identify an informatics-related problem or a problem that could be improved by an informatics solution.
• · Based on your knowledge of research and best practices in informatics, you should propose a solution to the problem.
• · The problem and solution should be written into a 2-3 page document that should include references that justify the framing of the problem and the proposed solutions. This should be submitted in a Word document by the specified due date at the end of the course.
• · The room at the in-person session has round tables, and you will break into small groups around the tables. Each group selects one individual to present an overview of the group's discussion. The remaining people in the group will serve as discussants in a short (10-15 minute) panel presentation at the session.

The final in-person component aims to bring students, faculty experts, and the materials together where they will present their assessment to their fellow students and faculty, gaining new insights into the required elements for such an undertaking.

Optional Final Exam

The 10x10 course has no final exam, and those who complete all of the online coursework will receive the AMIA 10x10 Certificate of Completion. At the end of the course, an optional final exam is given for those who are eligible and desire graduate-level academic credit for the course from OHSU. The exam is an open-book, online final exam that is completed during a one-week window at the end of the course. Credit is typically sought by those desiring further study in biomedical and health informatics or for those requiring an academic transcript for tuition reimbursement. More information about the final exam and how to enroll at OHSU to receive academic credit is provided once the course has started.

Readings

There is no textbook for this course. All assigned readings are freely available online or supplied by OHSU.