- This topic has 22 replies, 15 voices, and was last updated 4 days, 12 hours ago by
.
-
Posts
-
-
A professional in public health or health informatics (an informatician) requires knowledge and skills from multi-disciplines. According to your background, could you briefly discuss what kinds of knowledge and skills that you would need to gain in order to improve your profession in public health or health informatics.
-
With a background in both medicine and computer science, I already possess strong foundations in clinical knowledge and technical expertise, which are essential for health informatics. However, to further improve as a professional in public health or health informatics, I need to strengthen my understanding of public health statistics, public health system design and organizational development to effectively contribute to building resilient health systems. This includes learning how to design sustainable health programs, improve workflows, and align digital health solutions with organizational goals.
Additionally, I need advanced knowledge in epidemiology and population health to interpret disease trends and support evidence-based decision-making. Beyond technical skills, I must gain knowledge of health policies, governance, and regulatory frameworks to ensure ethical and secure use of health data.
Equally important are communication and leadership skills, which are critical for stakeholder engagement and effective collaboration between technical and clinical teams. By integrating expertise in technology, public health systems, organizational development, and communication, I will enable to design and implement innovative solutions that strengthen public health systems and improve public health outcomes.
-
With an academic background in human health and health policy, along with professional experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning, I have public health knowledge in both communicable and non-communicable diseases. In particular, I have worked extensively with communicable diseases such as HIV/TB, malaria, and COVID-19, and developed adequate skills in disease response and prevention. In addition, I have adequate knowledge of data and statistics, as well as in areas of data handling, security, and communication. However, I need to strengthen my knowledge and skills in IT and information science to effectively integrate my expertise and generate actionable insights for decision makers/policymakers in responding to public health threats. Since my role is limited to management, I need to expand my capacity in organizational behavior, human resources, and communication, particularly in collaborating with experts in epidemiology/public health officials, IT, web development, and in engaging stakeholders/targeted audiences. These competencies are essential for advancing public health informatics, as effective and efficient responses to health threats at individual, national, and global levels also depend on them. We can see that COVID-19 pandemic clearly demonstrated the importance of such capabilities.
Last but not least, I need to deepen my understanding of the contemporary political landscape and the priorities/interests of key stakeholders, including political leaders, policymakers, and experts from clinical and public health fields, to ensure that I can provide timely, relevant information to support public health decision-making and effective responses. -
-
To be a professional in public health or health informatic, I would need to gain the following knowledge and skills from this program.
(1) Health and Biological sciences
I have finished my bechelor degree in medicine and studied the public health for a period of time. And I am currently working in public health field and I am confident that I can learn the public health knowlege from this course and will get the professional skills
(2) Computational and mathematical science
As I am not familiar to computer science and information technology, I must focus on these topics to study and understand the concept and skills. As I have experience as a volunteer in statistics class and enthusiatics to learn the statistics, this will help to study the statistical course in this progrm.
(3) Management and social science
Currently, I am taking as a team lead in my organization and practically manage the staff. But I have a few experience in business administration and political science. So I think I will need more skill and knowledge in this competency when compared to others. -
I am a clinician with experience in health research, and am currently building up my knowledge in epidemiology and public health to gain a broader perspective on health. To improve my profession in public health/health informatics, I would need to gain knowledge and skills of the followings:
1. Computational and Mathematical Sciences: I have knowledge in medical statistics, but limited experiences with computer science and IT. I would need to develop skills in programming, database, data analysis and IT systems, so I can apply these tools in the public health settings.
2. Management and Social Sciences: Although I have experience leading research projects and working in teams, I would like to strengthen my skills in project management, business/organization administration, health policy, and regulations. These skills will help me apply clinical work with public health management on a broader scale.
3. Health Sciences: This is my area of expertise, given my background as a clinician and health researcher. I would like to learn health informatics to integrate it with my background in health science to solve more complexed health problems.
-
-
-
According to my background, I already have clinical knowledge and experience working directly with patients, including working in the community for inclusion of children with disabilities. However, I would like to advance in the field of public health and health informatics, I would need to strengthen my skills in these following areas:
1. Data Science and analytics: I would like to learn the skills on how to collect, manage, and analyze health data to generate insights and support evidence-based decision making.
2. Public Health Knowledge: I need to gain knowledge about how population health, epidemiology, disease surveillance works to be able to connect the informatics skill with public health knowledge.
3. Information technology skill: As I came from the medical science background, I need to develop the technical skills in database management, statistical analysis, and programming languages that are commonly used in health informatics.
4. Ethics, policy, and management: Understanding data security, privacy, and health policy will make me able to ensure that health informatics solutions are ethical and align with the public health goals. -
According to the background, I believe I have basic knowledge and skills in the following disciplines:
1. Information Science – I have professional experience in data and information management. These experiences enable me to collect, organize, store, manage, and disseminate the data and information. However, in relation to big data and statistical analysis, I need to enhance my capabilities in these fields.
2. Computer Science: I have basic knowledge in computer science. But, I have low knowledge in algorithms, data structures and programming languages, AI, and machine learning.
3. Management: I have experience in human resources management, strategic management, project management and information management. But I believe my knowledge and skills in management settings are basic.
4. Organizational theory: I am familiar with my organizational structure, strategic directions, behaviors, and change.
5. Public health, epidemiology, and statistics: As my academic background is in community health, I have basic knowledge in public health, epidemiology, and statistics.In conclusion, I need to enhance all disciplines. Additionally, I believe this program will enable me to enhance my existing capabilities and learn new things, especially in information science, statistics, public health, epidemiology and political science, and computer science.
-
Based on my background with clinical experience and public health, I recognize the need to strengthen my skills in the key areas:
1. Data Science and Analytics
I need to learn how to effectively collect, manage and analyze health data. This includes big data analysis using python or other programming to find key trends and insights that can support evidence-based decision-making.
2. Public Health Knowledge
While I have experience in public health, I need to deepen my knowledge of specific areas like epidemiology, disease surveillance and health policy that is strongly linked with my career.
3. Computer Science
As a medical professional, my technical skills in IT are limited. I have limitations in areas like database management, statistical analysis and programming languages that are commonly used in health informatics. -
I have been working in the public health field for around 8 years, first as a public health associate then as a public health nutritionist. The skills that I must improve on to become a professional in public health are the following:
Vision and System Planning
As a public health nutritionist, my focus at work is more on nutrition and dietetics. I need to have a more broad knowledge of public health practice in general.Health Data Standards and Integration
I recently completed a diploma in Computer Science and have taken a courses on Information Technology and Healthcare IT offered by IBM and Google on Coursera, so I have knowledge and skills on computer science, including database design management. However, I do not consider myself an expert, so I have to work hard in order to be an expert on health data standards and integration.Data Privacy and Security
I have basic knowledge on information technology security functions and health data privacy. I need to improve my knowledge on the subject and learn more about data privacy and security guidelines in a global setting.Systems Design and Implementation
I need to enhance my skills in managing information technology systems development and increase my knowledge on health systems and data interoperabilityVisualization, Analysis, and Reporting of Health Data
I need to learn how to use an analytic software for health data. I also need to work on my business intelligence and decision-making skills. -
-
Based on my background in medicine, I am not familiar with either public health or informatics. According to the required competency in health informatics, I need to gain more knowledge and skills in all three domains as follows.
In aspect of health and biological sciences, I have background in medicine. I need to expand my knowledge into public health field eg. health prevention, disease surveillance or concept on public health system. This would help understand more of the whole system of public health.
In aspect of management and social sciences, I need to gain more knowledge and skills in business administration, as well as laws, ethics and human resources. This would enable me to be better in managing projects and make it more effective.
In aspect of computational and mathematical science, In need to learn about basic programming, information technology, statistics as well as health data standard, databases, data visualization and data privacy. This is the important basic knowledge to be an expert in this informatics field.
In all, I need to expand my knowledge in all of these aspects, more specifically knowledge and skills related to the data issues as I have very limited knowledge. I believe this would enable me to understand more and incorporate these skills solve health problems more effectively.
-
According to my background, I got my bachelor’s degree in medicine with experiences from clinical settings and public health care settings.
Related to health informatics – I have some knowledge about EMR and DHIS2. Currently, I am leading my organization in digital health transformation, with the help of technical experts, from where I have got valuable knowledge and insights about health information systems.
To improve my profession in public health and health informatics, I think I need the following knowledge –
1. Information technology – as health informatician is the bridge to link people, IT and information systems. I would need to strengthen my expertise in Information technology.
2. Information systems – key concepts, policy and platforms relating to information systems
3. Data security and ethical issues – Even though health information systems have enhanced the quality of health care from many aspects, it is also an opportunity for data breach. Also, we all are focusing on interoperability and data sharing among different organizations and departments, data protection/security is an important thing to consider.
4. People management and communication skills – I have acknowledged from the previous lectures that it is a vital skill of health informaticians to collaborate with different stakeholders.
5. Statistical knowledge – to analyze and utilize data obtained from information system
6. System strengthening – I think this skill is important as developing information systems needs context-specific solutions. In addition, to get the most out of the developed systems, we need to integrate HMIS with LMIS, HRIS etc.-
Hi Phyoe! Thanks for sharing. Although I have been away from DHIS2 for quite a long time, I am curious to know that DHIS2 is still utilized in Myanmar. In saying DHIS2, I suppose it will be focused on ATM (HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria). Also, it’s curious to know how far it has gone with the impact of DHIS2, as it was initiated in early 2017.
-
Dear Wah, TBH I do not know much about DHIS 2 use case in Myanmar. I happened to learn about it from DHIS 2 academy as one of the technical support consultants suggested me, as an option to choose for my organization. However, I do heard about it from my colleagues that it is used in some INGO also. (HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria as you mentioned)
-
-
-
Regarding as a public health informatician, there are core skills that are enhancing to be a professional especially public health, IT skills, conceptual knowledge and critical thinking.
1) Public Health
I have foundation of public health knowledge because my bachelor focus on public health. I am also familiar with data collection, data processing and application in the output based projects.
2) IT skills,
I need to improve IT skills especially how dynamic database and dataset are constructed to generate the information in real time event.
3) Conceptual Knowledge and critical thinking
I also need to get the skill sets to create a road map or solution based on public health issue. I haven’t experience in resolving public health issue deeply. -
Based on my educational background and work experience in health, I have knowledge of public health basic concepts. But to excel as a public health informatics, I would need to learn biostatistics, epidemiology and research more details for conducting research, presenting, and advocating the results to the stakeholder and policy makers based on the evidence-based findings.
Even though I have been using many data tools such as Python and automation tools (e.g., n8n) in my work, I would need to gain communication skills to be able to present the process and findings effectively and clearly to the stakeholders and decision-makers for the changes.
In my work, I have developed some application and automation workflows such as disease surveillance reporting in local context. For the further improvement, I want to learn health information systems like EHRs and interoperability standards such as HL7 and FHIR to be seamless data integration in working with other platforms or systems. Additionally, I would need to explore on data privacy regulations (e.g., HIPAA) in handling sensitive health information. Lastly, as a public health informatics role, project management and teamwork skills will be required to be able to work across different units including clinical, public health, and IT domains.
-
-
With academic background of Medicine and community development, to improve in Health informatics, I think that I need all that this course can deliever such as GIS, Web and Mobile App, Data Visualization, Ai in healthcare as well as all the core subjects in the course.
Even though I had experiences using FUCHIA of MSF, QGIS, DHIS2, RHC-LS and some Microsoft apps, the technology are advancing in enormous speed in this Ai era and we need to update and upgrade our knowledge as the demands increase.
However, I believe current courses by MU-informatics will fulfill these market demands sincerely. -
-
You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login here