Proposal for a Minor in
Health Information Systems Management
Kuang-Wei Wen, Information Systems Department
October 18, 2012
Synopsis
As an important milestone of its strategic repositioning initiative, the Information Systems (IS)
department is proposing to establish a new undergraduate minor program in health information
systems management (HISM). The potential students of this program will come from all non-IS
business majors and health-related disciplines on the UW-L campus. The objective of the HISM
minor is to infuse pertinent, up-to-date health information systems knowledge into the students
who will take on responsibilities in using information systems to manage medical practice and/or
make clinical decisions to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery. While graduates of this program will become more proficient in healthcare information technology and be
ready to join technology project teams in the healthcare industry, the program does not intend to
produce electronic medical record (EMR) or electronic health record (EHR) coders. EMR/EHR
coders and specialists are the main products of associate or bachelor degree programs in Health
Information Technology (HIT) or Health Information Management (HIM) programs.
By offering this minor program the IS department will not only directly use its newly developed
expertise in the health information area to benefit UW-L students, but also favorably position
itself to complement the Health Management program the CBA is developing. Since both the
HISM minor and the Health Management program have been identified as the top priority in the
CBA’s strategic plan, adequate resource support for developing and operating these programs
has also been committed by the College. To date, the IS department has, through its two-year
long participation in the establishment of the UW consortium online Health Information Management and Technology (HIMT) program, developed sufficient faculty expertise for offering
the proposed HISM program. In fact, the on-site versions of five out of the six courses the IS department has developed for the HIMT program will form the core curriculum of the HISM program; these courses have been cross-listed with IS course numbers in UW-L’s undergraduate
catalog. All the remaining courses for the proposed minor curriculum are existing courses. In
sum, the HISM program consists of all existing courses which either have been offered regularly
or can be offered immediately.
Drawing on its experience in having been successfully offering the IS minor since 2004 and the
recent faculty capacity building in helping to establish the HIMT program, the IS department is
able and ready to start a new minor program in HISM that is in high demand on the UW-L campus. This new initiative will provide the impetus to the IS department’s modernization effort,
strengthen the CBA’s expected Health Management program, and enhance the marketability of
many UW-L majors in the healthcare-dominated new economy.
1
The Need of the HISM Program
With an aging population, retirement of the boomers, and extended life expectancy the Americans have been experiencing a steady increase of healthcare consumption. In 2011, the share of
healthcare expenditure accounted for 17.2% of the national GDP, the highest level among all industrialized nations in terms of both real dollars and percentage. However, given the near $8,000
per capita healthcare cost, the quality of healthcare in the U.S. is still out-ranked by a few developed nations which spend less than $5,000 per capita. As the high cost and inefficiency of U.S.
healthcare have been widely recognized as a national crisis, the Federal Government has subscribed to using IT to help counter the problem through regulation and economic stimulation.
After the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) along with its Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) provision were signed into laws, tremendous resources
have been poured into improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the U.S. healthcare industry.
As a part of this trend, when healthcare-related organizations are required to adopt electronic
health record (EHR) in delivering care and managing practice, the professions of health information management (HIM) and health information technology (HIT) have been undergoing an etransformation. Nationally, the demand increase of the health IT professionals has been projected to significantly out-pace the supply1, thus fueling the trend of adding relevant academic programs in the areas by institutions of higher education.2 For the state of Wisconsin, the imbalance
of the HIM and HIT labor markets was carefully studied by the UW System in 2009, 3 and led to
the establishment of the online consortium Health Information Management and Technology
(HIMT) program which is offered the first time in fall 2012.4
If we liken the U.S. healthcare crisis to a chronic disease, the modernization of the HIM and HIT
professions to boost care delivery efficiency would be an energy shot. To date, quick and visible
improvement on the quality and portability of medical information has been made by the HIM
and HIT departments staffed by IT-proficient new professionals, mainly due to compliance pressure and reimbursement requirements. Yet, as a lead scholar in health informatics had pointed
out,5 the real solution to the U.S. problem entails an industry-wide e-transformation, which
amounts to strengthening the immune system of our body in the above analogy. In our view,
quick adoption and utilization of health IT by the medical records and technology departments
can lead the transformation of the healthcare industry, but the necessary impetus for completing
the transformation must come from raised information managing ability and IT competency of
healthcare workers. It is not difficult to see that practice management personnel must have working knowledge about the information systems they use in daily routines to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, availability and privacy of health-related information, which are the prerequisite
for all accurate, secure and timely transactions. On the other hand, it is also obvious that the clinical teams must be able to use reliable health records and relevant medical literature to help make
1
See The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES, 2010).
See Dean & Provost, Vol. 11, Issue 6, 2010, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
3
“Supply and Demand for Medical Informatics Education: Custom Research Report,” by Eduventure, 2009.
4
The IS department of UW-L has been a partner of this consortium since its formation in spring 2010, and has
committed to offering six courses to the program. However, UW-L does not confer degrees to the program.
5
“Integrating Carbon, Silicon, and Fiber for Health & Healthcare: Concept, Education & Training,” Keynote lecture
delivered by Don Eugene Detmer (U. of Virginia) in the 2010 Spring Health Informatics Workshop sponsored by
the Claremont Graduate University in California.
2
2
sound clinical decisions in practicing evidence-based medicine. Additionally, as the operating
environment of healthcare delivery has become increasingly complex due to occurrence of new
diseases, advances in medicine and technology, and ever-changing regulations, team-based IT
projects are used pervasively. Consequently, all healthcare personnel need to know how to manage a HIS project from a participant’s or the manager’s perspective. It is these fundamental requirements for improving healthcare delivery in the U.S. that motivate the development of the
proposed minor program in health information systems management.
HISM Minor Programs in the Region
While the need to increase HISM capability among all healthcare workers is running high, the
supply of academic programs to meet this demand has been low. Nationally, there are only a
small number of minor programs in HISM available, though there exist many specialized HIM,
HIT, and health informatics programs. Regionally, to our knowledge, there is no HISM minor
program being offered. Our extensive online research on academic programs at all UW system
universities, University of Minnesota systems, all Minnesota State Universities, and public universities in Iowa and Illinois did not turn up any minor programs of this nature. The closest
available program is the 24-credit Healthcare Informatics Certificate program offered by the College of Health Sciences and School of Information Studies jointly at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. However, given that this program is designed for working healthcare professionals to gain deeper knowledge in HIT, it is not an equivalent of the proposed HISM program. In
sum, our proposed minor program will be unique in the Upper Midwest region.
Campus Demand for the Program
In order to know student reception of and demand for the proposed HISM program on campus,
the IS department administered an online survey to all UW-L students on September 26, 2012. A
cover message briefly explaining the objective, nature, and requirements of the proposed program along with a Qualtrics link was e-mailed to 10,174 student addresses. Within one week 869
questionnaires were completed, which overwhelmingly showed students’ keen interest in the
HISM program. Key numbers from the survey result are provided in the three tables below. (All
answers are based on 5-point Likert scale and tallied under the three UW-L colleges.)
Table 1: Awareness/Importance of HISM (Q6 in the survey)
Answers
Extremely Important (5)
Very Important (4)
Sub Total
CBA
18
117
135
CLS
13
60
73
SAH
47
297
344
Total
78
474
552
% all responses
9.0 %
54.6 %
63.5 %
Total
138
404
271
813
% all responses
15.9 %
46.5 %
31.2 %
93.6 %
Table 2: Extent UW-L Teaches HISM (Q15 in the survey)
Answers
Not at All (1)
A Little (2)
A moderate Amount (3)
Sub Total
CBA
69
106
57
232
CLS
15
53
55
123
3
SAH
54
245
159
458
Table 3: Interest in HISM Minor (Q16 in the survey)
Answers
Definitely (5)
Somewhat Likely (4)
Maybe (3)
Sub Total
CBA
45
40
79
164
CLS
15
19
31
65
SAH
74
117
180
371
Total
134
176
290
600
% all responses
15.4 %
20.3 %
33.4 %
69.1 %
Table 1 shows the numbers of students who think concepts of health information systems management (HISM) are very important (4) to extremely important (5) in the three colleges. Taken
together, 63.5 % of all respondents believe HISM is an important subject to study. On the local
supply side, Table 2 shows students’ perception about the lack of HISM education at UW-L.
93.6 % of all respondent feel UW-L teaches no (1) to a moderate amount (3) of HISM. The feeling is particular strong among CBA and SAH students. Finally, the most important result of the
survey is lucidly shown in Table 3, which summarizes the numbers of students in the three colleges who are interested in the HISM program. Overall speaking, 69.1 % of all respondents expressed some level of interest in the HISM minor. But what is remarkable is the 310 students
who showed significant interest (answered 4 or 5 to Q16) in the program. Among them, an impressive 62% came from the SAH and 27 % from the CBA. In fact, these favorable responses
have come from 48 different academic programs on campus, representing a vast majority of
UW-L departments. And the six most interested departments excluding IS are: Biology (55),
Health Professions (32), Exercise and Sport Science (26), Accountancy (20), Management (19)
and Health Education and Promotion (18). With all these encouraging numbers showing campus-wide interest, we are convinced of the popularity of the proposed program as well as its potential demand. Many very positive student opinions on the proposed program were also given as
comments in the survey; a sample of them is copied verbatim in Appendix C.
The survey results also serve to facilitate estimation of the initial size of the HISM program. Using a method akin to projecting actual sales from expressed purchase intent in marketing, we can
apply a conversion rate (CR) on the number of interested students to derive the rough size of the
program. However, since current seniors will almost have no chance to take the minor when it is
offered, they should be excluded from the calculation. And to be conservative, relatively low
conversion rates are used in the following pro forma estimation.
Table 4 Estimation of the Initial Program Size
Answers to Q16
Definitely (5)6
Somewhat Likely (4)
Maybe (3)
Total
Number
111
160
268
539
CR
20 %
10 %
3%
8.53 %
Expected Number
22
16
8
46
Even though many factors may affect students’ final decisions on taking the proposed minor after they have expressed various degrees of interest in the program, we believe the combined conversion rate of less than 9% is realistic and thus, the projection of 46 students joining the pro6
The most recent conversion rate of the online HIMT program was 20.6% for this category.
4
gram likely. Assuming it takes two years for the interested students to enter the program, we can
expect the size of the first class to be around 23.
Centrality of the Proposed Program to Institutional Missions
As the minor is designed to strengthen students’ knowledge in health information systems and to
foster their ability to better manage and use health information, graduates will enhance their
marketability for initial jobs in their respective disciplines, and also increase their chance of success in careers involving extensive use of health information systems. These program outcomes
support the following institutional missions:


UW-L Mission:
“[UW-L] … is fully engaged in supporting student success.”
“[UW-L] … prepares students to take their place in a constantly changing world
community.”
CBA Mission:
“[CBA] provides educational experience that fosters the professional … development of its students.”
Objective 5: Our teaching, scholarship, and program development is directed by
the need to provide well-trained candidates for positions of responsibility in local, state, national, and international organizations.
Given the geographical location of UW-L which is characterized by many health organizations
of varying sizes, our program outcomes are particularly meaningful because many graduates will
seek and be employed by these organizations and contribute to improving healthcare delivery in
the region.
The Proposed Minor Program
The HISM minor can be taken by non-IS CBA majors and majors in non-CBA colleges. For
CBA majors the minor program consists of 7 courses (6 required, one elective) totaling 19 credits:
Required courses Number
HP 250
IS 321
IS 340
IS 370
IS 420
IS 435
Elective (one from) IS 320
IS 360
Title
Credit Timing
Medical Terminology (Online)
Survey of IT in Healthcare
Ethics, Security and Compliance
Healthcare Systems: Analysis and Design
Healthcare Systems: Project Management
Data Communications & Networks in Healthcare
1
3
3
3
3
3
F,Su
F
F
F
S
S
Computer-based Decision Support Systems
Management of Information Technology
3
3
S
F
For non-CBA majors the minor program consist of 8 courses (7 required, one elective) totaling
23 credits:
5
Required courses Number
HP 250
IS 220
IS 321
IS 340
IS 370
IS 420
IS 435
Elective (one from) IS 320
IS 360
*
Title
credit Timing
Medical Terminology (Online)
Information Systems for Business Management
Survey of IT in Healthcare
Ethics, Security and Compliance
Healthcare Systems: Analysis and Design
Healthcare Systems: Project Management
Data Communications & Networks in Healthcare
1
4
3
3
3
3
3
F,Su
F,S,Su
F
F
F
S
S
Computer-based Decision Support Systems
Management of Information Technology
3
3
S
S
* Waived for non-CBA students who have taken this course.
Rationale for Program Design
As the HISM was conceived in parallel with the consortium online HIMT program, some program design ideas and activities were shared by the two programs. However, the programs were
developed for different purposes. The HIMT program uses two tracks to produce HIM and HIT
bachelor degrees separately, though the tracks do share a 16-course common core. The HISM
minor on the other hand targets business and health-related majors who will seek employment in
the healthcare or public health areas. Although some graduates might eventually work in the
HIM or HIT department in health organizations, they are not the focus of the program. With this
program orientation in mind, we have strived to identify the necessary knowledge and abilities
most future healthcare workers should possess. This task was accomplished by the aids of two
reference curricula, professional feedback, and a set of design principles.
References
While currently there does not exist any design paradigm for a HISM minor program, we resort
to employing two prominent curricula as the foundation of our program design. Since the essential HISM proficiencies the proposed program will deliver also lie in the areas of HIT and HIM,
we identify the following two relevant references: a) the Health IT Workforce Curriculum developed by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC)7 for Health Information Technology, Department of Health and Human Services under the HITECH program, and b) the Health Information Management Bachelor’s Curriculum defined by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).8
Professional Feedback
In the process of developing the common core (16 courses) for the HIMT program, which is a
super set of the HISM courses, Dr. Wen of the IS Department personally interviewed and discussed with three important local healthcare professionals about HIS competencies of healthcare
workers: the IT director of Gundersen Lutheran Hospital, the HR director of Winona Health, and
the president of Allergy Associates. A framework of the core based on the feedback of these pro7
8
The ONC of the HHS Department has been leading the U.S. in developing a standard HIT curriculum.
The AHIMA is the de facto accreditation body of the HIM profession and education.
6
fessionals and the two reference curricula was then defined by Dr. Wen and submitted to the
HIMT program development consortium led by the UW Extension. This framework was subsequently brain stormed by the consortium and commented by many additional healthcare professionals in clinics, managed care, insurance companies, education and training, and public health.
The ensuing rounds of revision had culminated in the final curriculum for the HIMT program. In
the end, many valuable industry feedbacks in this process have also helped us narrow down the
HIMT core to the HISM core (6 courses).
Design Principles
The IS Department has followed three principles in determining the curriculum for the HISM
minor program.
1. The program should have a core that focuses on enhancing the most important abilities
of healthcare workers for adopting, managing, and using information systems, while also
provide them additional options to build strength in decision making using knowledge or
in managing practice using IT.
2. The program will be forward-looking so as to better prepare students for new requirements called for by the healthcare environment of the future. One example is to train
students to take on work responsibilities defined by the forthcoming Stage III Meaningful Use requirements.9
3. Leverage the existing expertise of the IS department to build strong features in the program.
By having applied the design principles to the reference curricula and also incorporated professional feedback in coursework determination, we developed a compact program that logically
corresponds to the more general elements of the two reference curricula. The proposed program
maps into 10 out of 20 knowledge categories in ONC’s Workforce Curriculum (see Appendix A
for details) and partially maps into all five categories in AHIMA’s HIM curriculum (see Appendix B for details). Two strong features characterize the advanced design of the program: extensive training in project management and broad coverage of data communications in healthcare.
Students with these specialties will stand out even against graduates from existing HIT, HIM,
and health informatics programs.
Program Objectives and Learning Outcomes of the HISM Minor
Using IS to improve care quality, reduce flaws and frauds, and raise delivery efficiency is the
national strategy for transforming the healthcare industry. However, adoption of IS brings along
changes, and changes always meet resistance. Fourteen years after the passage of HIPAA, the
adoption rate of EHR (a major health information system) in the U.S. barely exceeded 50% by
the end of 2010.10 Without wide adoption and deep penetration of EHR, further significant improvement on healthcare through IS will be extremely difficult. Fortunately, as the anemic adoption of HIS seems insurmountable, a feasible solution to it exists on the user side. It is not novel
to the profession of information systems management that user participation and education could
effectively facilitate IS adoption. With this conviction, our overall goal of the HISM minor pro9
See “Meaningful Use Stage 3 Emphasizes Better Decision Support,” InformationWeek, August 6, 2012.
See “EHR Adoption Crosses 50% Threshold,” InformationWeek, December 13, 2010.
10
7
gram is set to preparing students to be knowledgeable health information systems adopters and
competent users. To be a knowledgeable adopter, the student must be able to understand, analyze, evaluate, and appreciate the health information systems that are used to perform or support
practice management and clinical tasks as well as related decision making. And to be a competent user, the student should know how to properly manage the data, software, and communications components of the systems that have been adopted. With this elaboration the three main
program objectives along with their more detailed learning outcomes are identified below.
OBJECTIVE 1: To prepare students to be knowledgeable HIS adopters
Learning Outcome 1: Understand basic healthcare terminology
Learning Outcome 2: Demonstrate knowledge of various health information systems for
practice management and clinical decision making
Learning Outcome 3: Demonstrate knowledge of the regulatory environment and compliance requirements of the healthcare industry
Learning Outcome 4: Demonstrate ability to analyze, evaluate and make adoption decision
for HIS in a team-based work environment
OBJECTIVE 2: To prepare students to be competent HIS users
Learning Outcome 1: Demonstrate knowledge of the basics of electronic health records
Learning Outcome 2: Demonstrate knowledge of the building blocks of information systems
Learning Outcome 3: Demonstrate knowledge of healthcare data collection, storage, maintenance, and exchange
Learning Outcome 4: Understand the process of HIS development and the role of end users
Learning Outcome 5: Demonstrate ability to apply principles of security, privacy, and ethical
issues in using HIS to handle health data
OBJECTIVE 3: To prepare students to be sound HIS managers and/or health-related decision
makers
Learning Outcome 1: Demonstrate knowledge of HIS outsourcing and project management
Learning Outcome 2: Demonstrate knowledge of the basics of health information exchange
(HIE) and inter-organizational data sharing standards
Learning Outcome 3: Demonstrate knowledge of strategic use of HIS
Learning Outcome 4: Demonstrate ability to use and integrate IS to support medical decision
making
Learning Outcome 5: Demonstrate ability to apply analytics to obtain knowledge from medical data
The following matrix provides the mapping of the HISM courses (in columns) to the learning
outcomes (in rows) stated above.
8
Objectives - Outcomes
OBJECTIVE 1
Leaning Outcome 1
Leaning Outcome 2
Leaning Outcome 3
Leaning Outcome 4
OBJECTIVE 2
Leaning Outcome 1
Leaning Outcome 2
Leaning Outcome 3
Leaning Outcome 4
Leaning Outcome 5
OBJECTIVE 3
Leaning Outcome 1
Leaning Outcome 2
Leaning Outcome 3
Leaning Outcome 4
Leaning Outcome 5
F: full mapping
Core Courses
Electives
HP 250 IS 220 IS 321 IS 340 IS 370 IS 420 IS 435 IS 320 IS 360
F
F
F
F
P
P
F
P
F
F
P
F
P
P
F
P
P
P
F
F
F
F
P: partial mapping
While assessment of the learning outcomes will be carried out in the mapped courses, the IS 420
course will be used as a quasi-capstone course to assess the overall outcome of the program. By
requiring the students to demonstrate their knowledge about and competency in performing various activities in managing a HIS project, this course is the ideal choice for program assessment.
Coursework Sequences
The following two diagrams show planned paths through the minor program for non-IS CBA
majors and non-CBA majors respectively.
Typical Coursework for Non-IS CBA Majors
Junior
Fall
Senior
HP 250
120
IS 340
IS 321
IS 370
IS 435
IS 420
Spring
IS 320/360
9
Required Course
Elective
Typical Coursework for Non-CBA Majors
Junior
Fall
Senior
HP 250
120
IS 340
IS 220
IS 370
Required Course
Elective
IS 321
IS 435
IS 420
Spring
IS 320/360
Description of Courses11
HP 250
Medical Terminology for Health Professions (1 credit)
Students in various allied health fields will learn to use medically related terms in their professional communication. This covers the study of the language of medicine used in clinics, hospitals, and other health agencies. The student will develop a working knowledge of terms, word
roots, and abbreviations with emphasis on spelling, definitions, and pronunciation. An introduction to health care records, disease process, operative, diagnostic, therapeutic, and symptomatic
terminology of body systems will be covered as they pertain to medical practice. Online course.
Offered Fall, Summer.
IS 220
Information Systems for Business Management (4 credits)
This course provides the basic level of management information systems literacy. Students will
be exposed to the building blocks of computer-based information systems, the various organizational aspects of utilizing information systems, and the role of information technology in the digital economy. To stress the importance of user participation, the systems development life cycle
will be introduced from end-users' perspective. Additionally, students will acquire essential skills
of personal productivity tools through hands-on training in small classes. Offered Fall, Spring.
IS 320
Computer-based Decision Support Systems for Management (3 credits)
An examination of how various software application packages such as spreadsheets, database
management systems, and other software tools, are employed to support decision making in
business environments. Topic areas include modeling, decision-support systems, data ware11
All courses are listed and described in the UW-L Undergraduate Catalog, 2011-2013.
10
houses, on-line analytical processing, and data mining. Prerequisites: CS 120; IS 220. Offered
occasionally.
IS/HIMT 321
Survey of Information Technology in Health Care (3 credits)
In this course essential information technologies in health care (HITs) will be surveyed. Many
important health care information systems (HISs) are built upon three categories of HITs: data
processing technologies, information reporting technologies, and decision supporting technologies. Specific subjects pertaining to these technologies will be identified and introduced. (Crosslisted with HIMT 320; may only earn credit in IS or HIMT.) Offered Fall, Spring.
IS/HIMT 340
Ethical Issues, Security Management and Compliance (3 credits)
This course introduces three broad subjects: 1) evidence-based medical ethics pertaining to
health care information management; 2) framework of health care information security management including security principles, policies and procedures, security management models, risk
assessment, and protection mechanisms; and 3) health care regulations and compliance with focuses on the legislative systems, policies, and legal environment of health care in the U.S. and
the existing health information laws, regulations and standards. Also addressed are the elements
and development of compliance programs. (Cross-listed with HIMT; may only earn credit in IS
or HIMT.) Offered Fall, Spring.
IS/HIMT 370
Health Care Systems: Analysis and Design (3 credits)
This is the first course in a two-course sequence that addresses methods and techniques of health
care information system (IS) analysis and design as performed within the system development
life cycle. Included will be the definition of the problem, fact gathering, analysis, logical design,
selection and evaluation of alternative health care information systems solutions from the point
of view of the health provider and user. The course focuses on the problem solving process that
leads to the development of logical IS solutions to applied health care problems. Prerequisite: IS
220 or HIMT 300. (Cross- listed with HIMT; may only earn credit in IS or HIMT.) Offered Fall,
Spring.
IS/HIMT 420
Health Care Systems: Project Management (3 credits)
This course addresses the phenomenal impact information system (IS) projects have had on
health care delivery. Students learn how IS health care projects affect organizations, doctors, patients, and chronic-illness treatments, as well as individuals interested in managing their own
health care. Concepts and tools for IS health care project management, process reengineering and
work redesign are introduced. The purpose of this course is to expose students to IS project management activities in health care settings. Topics covered include recent IS health care project
trends, budgeting, scheduling, resource management, scope, risk analysis, and deployment controls. The genesis of health care project management is covered using specific cases and examples. (Cross-listed with HIMT; may only earn credit in IS or HIMT.) Offered Fall, Spring.
11
IS/HIMT 435 Data Communications and Computer Networks in Health Care (3 credits)
This course provides fundamentals of data communications and networking techniques, and examines the linkage of information technology strategies and technological solutions enabling effective communication within and between health care organizations. Major topics include fundamental concepts of data communications and applications, network communication devices,
basic technologies of the Local Area Network, Wireless Local Area Network, Wide Area Network, Internet and the Web, the OSI stack, health care information system standards, and the
HIE, RHIN, and the NHIN. Prerequisite: IS 220 or HIMT 320 (Cross-listed with HIMT; may
only earn credit in IS or HIMT.) Offered Fall, Spring.
IS 360 (MGT 370)12 Management of Information Technology (3 credit)
An examination of issues that both MIS and non-MIS managers face in managing information
and information technology within an organization. The course is a topics course and will, of necessity, vary from semester to semester to stay current with the technological changes which
managers would face in the workplace. Topics include strategic uses of information technology,
technological trends and their implications, the relationship between organizational structure and
information technology, evaluation of the effectiveness of information technology, end user
computing, management of new and existing systems and ethical and international issues. Prerequisite: junior standing. Offered occasionally.
Relationships of the Proposed HISM Minor to Other UW-L Programs
Through regular course offering the HISM program will directly support the two existing IS programs as well as the Healthcare Management program under development in the CBA. To date,
due to resource constraints the IS department has not been able to offer more than one elective
course to its major and minor programs. However, the HISM minor will re-activate two important courses that are on the IS elective list: IS 320 (Computer-Based Decision Support Systems for Management) and IS 360 (Management of Information Technology), but have not been
offered for many years. As the subject areas of these two courses remain highly relevant to the
two existing IS programs, up-to-date contents will be provided once they are offered again. In
fact these courses will also benefit students in the Computer Science programs and the Management Department as many of their students will be interested in the topics and able to harness the
knowledge acquired from these courses to advance their future career.
The proposed HISM curriculum will provide a significant component for the future Healthcare
Management program. Depending on the design and focus of this new program, two to four of
the required courses of the HISM program can serve as core or elective courses. 13 If the design
does not focus on information technology management, then the HISM will be a viable minor
program to complement the Health Management program.
12
The LX process is under way to change course designation from MGT 370 to IS 360.
Based on our survey of existing programs in healthcare management/administration, courses similar to IS 321 and
340 are typically in the core curriculum, whereas IS 370 and 420 are electives in general, but are required by programs with an emphasis on information technology management such as the UW-Milwaukee program.
13
12
With its potential benefits to the IS department, the CBA and other academic units, the proposed
HISM program will be a valuable, synergistic addition to the program array of UW-La Crosse.
Faculty Readiness
On recognizing the need to reposition the IS department for the changing economy of the U.S.
and under the encouragement of the last UW-L provost and the CBA dean, the four ranked IS
faculty have been engaged in developing new expertise in health information management and
technology areas through active participation in the development of and teaching in the UWExtension’s consortium online HIMT program. The strategic goals of this undertaking are 1) to
offer on-site academic programs in the emerging areas of health information systems, and 2) to
train faculty for online course development and teaching.
IS Faculty capacity building activities have begun in April of 2010. Through attendance of workshops, conferences and symposiums, plus diligent self-study of materials as well as taking online
courses14 in the healthcare-related areas, the four tenure-track IS faculty have been gradually developing expertise in their respective teaching subjects in the HIMT program. Also by closely
working with the UW-Extension’s instructional media specialists the Department is on schedule
to develop six robust online courses for the HIMT program by fall, 2013. Until then, three IS
faculty will have taught four different HIMT courses which are cross-listed with the proposed
coursework of the HISM minor. With this new faculty experience and capacity the IS department will be on the launch pad to start the proposed HISM minor, support CBA’s anticipated
health management program, and collaborate with area healthcare or IT organizations on research projects in the new program areas.
Resource Requirements
Even though seven additional courses per year must be offered to sustain the HISM minor program, only one full-time tenure-track position will be required. By carefully balancing the course
demand from its three programs (the IS major and minor programs and the HISM minor) and
optimizing class size and sections offered, the IS department will be able to fully utilize the requested position to simultaneously satisfy the operational need of the proposed program and
maintain or even enhance the quality of the existing programs. This inter-program synergy will
continue to exist until the HISM program reaches its economic limit of 40 to 45 students. Program size beyond this level will require additional faculty resource to sustain.
Since all current IS faculty have developed subject area expertise for certain courses in the HISM
program, they will offer the set of new courses initially. Consequently, six out of the seven sections of existing IS courses left behind by them will be taught annually by the new hire at assistant professor level. The new faculty will be strongly encouraged to also develop expertise in the
health information area so that the Department could have the flexibility in covering all courses
required by the academic programs. This back-filling approach will allow the CBA to economically allocate an existing healthcare-related GQA FTE position to the proposed program without
needing extra budget to hire a high-value Ph.D. in health informatics from a business program.
14
All courses were taken from the AHIMA with completion certificates. These credentials are kept in the IS Office.
13
Appendix A: Mapping of HISM Coursework to ONC’s Health IT Workforce
Curriculum Components
I. ONC Health IT Workforce Curriculum Components15
1
Category
Health
Component Name
Introduction to Health
Care and Public Health in
the U.S.
2
Health
The Culture of Health
Care
3
Health
Terminology in Health
Care and Public Health
Settings
4
IT
Introduction to Information
and Computer Science
5
Health IT
History of Health Information Technology in the
U.S.
6
Health IT
Health Management Information Systems
7
Health IT
Working with Health IT
Systems
Component Description
A survey of how health care and public health are
organized and services delivered in the U.S. Covers public policy, relevant organizations and their
interrelationships, professional roles, legal and
regulatory issues, and payment systems. Must
also address health reform initiatives in the U.S.
For individuals not familiar with health care, this
course addresses job expectations in health care
settings. It will discuss how care is organized inside a practice setting, privacy laws, and professional and ethical issues encountered in the workplace.
Explanation of specific terminology used by workers in health care and public health. Note that this
is NOT a course in data representation or standards.
For students without an IT background, provides a
basic overview of computer architecture; data organization, representation and structure; structure
of programming languages; networking and data
communication. Includes basic terminology of
computing.
Traces the development of IT systems in health
care and public health, beginning with the experiments of the 1950s and 1960s and culminating in
the HITECH act. Introduces the concept of meaningful use.
A “theory” component, specific to health care and
public health applications. Introduction to health IT
standards, health-related data structures, software
applications; enterprise architecture in health care
and public health organizations.
A laboratory component. Students will work with
simulated systems or real systems with simulated
data. As they play the role of practitioners using
these systems, they will learn what is happening
“under the hood.” They will experience threats to
security and appreciate the need for standards,
high levels of usability, and how errors can occur.
Materials must support hands-on experience in
computer labs and on-site in health organizations.
15
Appendix C of “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Information Technology Professionals in
Health Care: Program Guidance and Funding Opportunity Announcement, Fiscal Year 2010” published by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Department of Health and Human Services.
14
8
Category
Health IT
Component Name
Installation and Maintenance of Health IT Systems
9
Health IT
Networking and Health
Information Exchange
10
Health IT
Fundamentals of Health
Workflow Process Analysis & Redesign
11
Health IT
Configuring EHRs
12
Health IT
Quality Improvement
13
Health IT
Public Health IT
14
Environment
Special Topics Course on
Vendor-Specific Systems
15
Environment
Usability and Human Factors
16
Soft Skills
Professionalism/Customer
Service in the Health Environment
17
Soft Skills
Working in Teams
18
Soft Skills
Planning, Management
and Leadership for Health
IT
Component Description
Instruction in installation and maintenance of health
IT systems, including testing prior to implementation. Introduction to principles underlying configuration. Materials must support hands-on experience
in computer labs and on-site in health organizations.
More in-depth analysis of data mobility including
the hardware infrastructure (wires, wireless, and
devices supporting them), the ISO stack, standards, Internet protocol, federations and grids, the
NHIN and other nationwide approaches.
Fundamentals of health workflow process analysis
and redesign as a necessary component of complete practice automation; includes topics of process validation and change management.
A practical experience with a laboratory component, addressing approaches to assessing, selecting, and configuring EHRs to meet the specific
needs of customers and end-users.
Introduces the concepts of health IT and practice
workflow redesign as instruments of quality improvement. Addresses establishing a culture that
supports increased quality and safety. Discusses
approaches to assessing patient safety issues and
implementing quality management and reporting
through electronic systems.
For individuals specifically contemplating careers in
public health agencies, an overview of specialized
public health applications such as registries, epidemiological databases, biosurveillance, and situational awareness and emergency response. Includes information exchange issues specific to
public health.
Provides an overview of the most popular vendor
systems highlighting the features of each as they
would relate to practical deployments, and noting
differences between the systems.
Discussion of rapid prototyping, user-centered design and evaluation, usability; understanding effects of new technology and workflow on downstream processes; facilitation of a unit-wide focus
group or simulation.
Development of skills necessary to communicate
effectively across the full range of roles that will be
encountered in health care and public health settings.
An experiential course that helps trainees become
“team players” by understanding their roles, the
importance of communication, and group cohesion.
For those preparing for leadership roles, principles
of leadership and effective management of teams.
Emphasis on the leadership modes and styles best
suited to IT deployment.
15
19
Category
Other
Component Name
Introduction to Project
Management
20
Other
Training and Instructional
Design
Component Description
An understanding of project management tools and
techniques that results in the ability to create and
follow a project management plan.
Overview of learning management systems, instructional design software tools, teaching techniques and strategies, evaluation of learner competencies, maintenance of training records, and
measurement of training program effectiveness.
Note: Shaded entries are fully or partially covered by HISM coursework.
II. Curriculum Mapping
ONC Cat. #
2
3
4
5
6
9
10
15
17
19
HISM #
IS 340
HP 250
IS 220
IS 321
IS 340
IS 321
IS 435
IS 370
IS 370
IS 370
IS 420
IS 420
Course Title
Ethics, Security and Compliance
Medical Terminology
Information Systems for Business Management
Survey of IT in Healthcare
Ethics, Security and Compliance
Survey of IT in Healthcare
Data Communications and Computer Networks in Health Care
Health Care Systems: Analysis and Design
Health Care Systems: Analysis and Design
Health Care Systems: Analysis and Design
Health Care Systems: Project Management
Health Care Systems: Project Management
16
Appendix B: Mapping of HISM Coursework to AHIMA’s HIM Curriculum
AHIMA 2011 Curriculum Competencies and Knowledge Clusters for Health Information Management (HIM) Education at the Baccalaureate Degree Level
HIM Entry-Level Competencies (Student Learning Outcomes)
I. Domain: Health Data Management
I.A. Subdomain: Health Data
Structure, Content, and
Standards
1. Manage health data (such as
data elements, data sets, and
databases).
2. Ensure that documentation in
the health record supports
the diagnosis and reflects the
patient’s progress, clinical
findings, and discharge status.
I.B. Subdomain: Healthcare
Information Requirements
and Standards
1. Develop organization-wide
health record documentation
guidelines.
2. Maintain organizational
compliance with regulations
and standards.
3. Ensure organizational survey
readiness for accreditation,
licensing and/or certification
processes.
4. Design and implement clinical documentation initiatives.
I.C. Subdomain: Clinical Classification Systems
1. Select electronic applications
for clinical classification and
coding.
2. Implement and manage applications and processes for
clinical classification and
coding.
3. Maintain processes, policies,
Knowledge Clusters
(Curricular Components)
HISM
Courses
Health Data Structure, Content, and Acquisition
 Capture, structure, and use of health information
(Evaluating, 5)
 Health information media (paper, electronic) (Evaluating, 5)
 Data quality assessment and integrity (Evaluating, 5)
 Secondary data sources such as registries and indexes (Applying, 3)
 Healthcare data sets (such as HEDIS, UHDDS, OASIS) (Analyzing, 4)
 Health information archival and retrieval systems
(Evaluating, 5)
 Data capture tools and technologies (such as forms;
data input screens; templates, other health record
documentation tools) (Evaluating, 5)
Healthcare Information Requirements and Standards
 Standards and regulations for documentation (such
as Joint Commission, CARF, COP) (Evaluating, 5)
 Health information standards (such as HIPAA, ANSI, HL-7, UMLS, ASTM ) (Applying, 3)
 Patient Identity Management Policies (MPI) (Applying, 3)
Clinical Classification Systems
 Healthcare taxonomies, clinical vocabularies, nomenclatures (such as ICD-9-CM, ICD-10-CM/PCS,
CPT, SNOMED-CT, DSM-IV, LOINC) (Understanding, 2)
 Severity of illness systems (Analyzing, 4)
 Data integrity, coding audits (Analyzing, 4)
 CCI, electronic billing, X12N, 5010 (Applying, 3)
17
HP 250
and procedures to ensure
the accuracy of coded data.
I.D. Subdomain: Reimbursement Methodologies
1. Manage the use of clinical
data required in prospective
payment systems (PPS) in
healthcare delivery.
2. Manage the use of clinical
data required in other reimbursement systems in
healthcare delivery.
3. Participate in selection and
development of applications
and processes for
chargemaster and claims
management.
4. Implement and manage processes for compliance and
reporting.
5. Participate in revenue cycle
management.
II. Domain: Health Statistics,
Biomedical Research, and
Quality Management
II.A. Subdomain: Healthcare
Statistics and Research
1. Analyze and present data for
quality management, utilization management, risk management, and other patient
care related studies.
2. Utilize statistical software.
3. Ensure adherence to Institutional Review Board (IRB)
processes and policies.
II.B. Subdomain: Quality
Management and Performance Improvement
1. Provide support for facility-
Reimbursement Methodologies
 Clinical data and reimbursement management
(Evaluating, 5)
 Compliance strategies and reporting (Analyzing, 4)
 Chargemaster management (Analyzing, 4)
 Case mix management (Analyzing, 4)
 Audit process such as compliance and reimbursement (Evaluating, 5)
 Payment systems (such as PPS, DRGs, APCs,
RBRVS, RUGs, MSDRGs) (Analyzing, 4)
 Commercial, managed care, and federal insurance
plans (Analyzing, 4)
 Revenue cycle process (Analyzing, 4)
Healthcare Statistics and Research
 Statistical analysis on healthcare data (Applying, 3)
 Descriptive statistics (such as means, standard deviations, frequencies, ranges, percentiles) (Analyzing, 4)
 Inferential statistics (such as t-tests, ANOVAs, regression analysis, reliability, validity) (Applying, 3)
 Vital statistics (Applying, 3)
 Epidemiology (Understanding, 2)
 Data reporting and presentation techniques (Evaluating, 5)
 Computerized statistical packages (Understanding,
2)
 Research design/methods (such as quantitative,
qualitative, evaluative, outcomes) (Applying, 3)
 Knowledge-based research techniques (such as
Medline, CMS, libraries, web sites) (Applying, 3)
 National guidelines regarding human subjects’ research (Analyzing, 4)
 Institutional review board process (Understanding,
2)
 Research protocol data management (Understanding, 2)
Quality Management and Performance Improvement
 Quality assessment, and management tools (such as
benchmarking, Statistical Quality Control, and Risk
18
IS 320
wide quality management
and performance improvement programs.
2. Analyze clinical data to identify trends that demonstrate
quality, safety, and effectiveness of healthcare.
3. 3. Apply Quality Management tools.
III. Domain: Health Services
Organization and Delivery
III.A. Subdomain: Healthcare
Delivery Systems
1. Evaluate and implement national health information initiatives in the healthcare delivery system for application
to information systems policies and procedures.
2. Interpret, communicate, and
apply current laws, accreditation, licensure and certification standards related to
health information initiatives
at the national, state, local,
and facility levels.
3. Analyze and respond to the
information needs of internal
and external customers
throughout the continuum of
healthcare services.
4. Revise policies and procedures to comply with the
changing health information
regulations.
5. Translate and interpret health
information for consumers
and their caregivers.
III.B. Subdomain: Healthcare
Privacy, Confidentiality,
Legal, and Ethical Issues
1. Coordinate the implementation of legal and regulatory
requirements related to the
health information infrastructure.
2. Manage access and disclosure of personal health information.
3. Develop and implement organization-wide confidenti-
Management) (Analyzing, 4)
 Utilization and resource management (Analyzing, 4)
 Disease management process (such as case management, critical paths) (Analyzing, 4)
 Outcomes measurement (such as patient, customer
satisfaction, disease specific) (Evaluating, 5)
 Benchmarking techniques (Creating, 6)
 Patient and organization safety initiatives (Applying,
3)
Healthcare Delivery Systems
 Organization and delivery of healthcare systems
(Evaluating, 5)
 Components and operation of healthcare organizations including e-health delivery (Evaluating, 5)
 Accreditation standards (such as Joint Commission,
NCQA, CARF, CHAP, URAC) (Evaluating, 5)
 Regulatory and licensure requirements such as COP,
state health departments (Evaluating, 5)
 Federal initiatives: ONC, CCHIT , Red Flag Rules,
Meaningful Use (Evaluating, 5)
IS 340
Healthcare Privacy, Confidentiality, Legal, and Ethical
Issues
 Legislative and legal system (Analyzing, 4)
 Privacy, confidentiality, security principles, policies
and procedures (Evaluating, 5)
 Identity management (Evaluating, 5)
 Health information laws, regulations, and standards
(such as HIPAA, HITECH, Joint Commission, State
laws) (Evaluating, 5)
 Elements of compliance programs (Evaluating, 5)
 Professional ethical issues (Evaluating, 5)
 Legal Health Record, e-Discovery guidelines (Eval-
19
IS 340
ality policies and procedures.
uating, 5)
4. Develop and implement pri-  Information security training (Understanding, 2)
vacy training programs.
5. Assist in the development of
security training.
6. Resolve privacy issues/problems.
7. Apply and promote ethical
standards of practice.
8. Define and maintain elements of the legal health
record.
9. Establish and maintain eDiscovery guidelines.
IV. Information Technology and Information and Communication Technologies
Systems
 Computer concepts (hardware components, network
IV.A. Subdomain: Information
systems architectures, operating systems and lanand Communication
guages, and software packages and tools) (AnalyzTechnologies
ing, 4)
1. Implement and manage use
 Communications technologies (networks—LANS,
of technology, including
WANS, WLANS, VPNs) (Understanding, 2)
hardware and software to en
Data interchange standards (such as NIST, HL7,
sure data collection, storage,
5010, Reference Information Modeling (RIM)) (Ananalysis, and reporting of inalyzing, 4)
formation.
 Internet technologies (Intranet, web-based systems,
2. Contribute to the developstandards – SGML, XML) (Analyzing, 4)
ment of networks, including

Data, information, and file structures (data adminintranet and Internet applicaistration, data definitions, data dictionary, data modtions to facilitate the eleceling, data structures, data warehousing, database
tronic health record (EHR),
management systems) (Evaluating, 5)
personal health record

System interoperability, data sharing, Health Infor(PHR), public health, and
mation Exchanges (Evaluating, 5)
other administrative applica Nation-wide Health Information Infrastructure
tions.
NHIN (Applying, 3)
3. Interpret the use of standards
to achieve interoperability of
healthcare information systems.
IV.B. Subdomain: Information Information Systems
Systems
 Leading development of health information re1. Apply knowledge of datasources & systems (Analyzing, 4)
base architecture and design

Database Architecture and Design (Evaluating, 5)
(such as data dictionary, data
modeling, data warehousing)  Human factors and user interface design (Applying,
3)
to meet organizational needs.

Systems Development Life Cycle (systems analy2. Monitor use of clinical vosis, design, implementation, evaluation, and maintecabularies and terminologies
nance) (Evaluating, 5)
used in the organization’s

Clinical, business, and specialty systems applicahealth information systems.
tions (administrative, clinical decision support sys3. Manage clinical indices/ datems, electronic health record and computer-based
tabases/registries.
20
IS 435
IS 370
4. Apply appropriate electronic
or imaging technology for
data/record storage.
5. Apply knowledge of database querying and data mining techniques to facilitate
information retrieval.
6. Implement and manage
knowledge-based applications to meet end-user information requirements.
7. Design and generate administrative reports using appropriate software.
8. Apply appropriate electronic
or imaging technology for
data/record storage.
9. Participate in system selection processes (RFI and
RFP).
10. Evaluate and recommend
clinical, administrative, and
specialty service applications
(RFP vender selection, electronic record, clinical coding).
11. Apply appropriate systems
to life cycle concepts, including systems analysis, design, implementation, evaluation, and maintenance to the
selection of healthcare information systems.
IV.C. Subdomain: Data Security
1. Protect electronic health information through confidentiality and security measures.
2. Protect data integrity and
validity using software or
hardware technology.
3. Implement and monitor department and organizational
data and information system
security policies.
4. Recommend elements that
must be included in the design of audit trails and data
quality monitoring programs.
5. Recommend elements that
should be included in the design and implementation of
health record systems, nursing, ancillary service systems, patient numbering systems at master and enterprise levels) (Evaluating, 5)
 Regional Health Information Exchange (RHIO
RHIE?), Health Information Exchanges (HIE), Regional Health Extension Centers (RHEC) (Evaluating, 5)
 Project management (Evaluating, 5)
IS 435
Data Security
 Data security protection methods (such as authentication encryption, decryption, firewalls) (Analyzing,
4)
 Data security (audits, controls, data recovery, esecurity) (Evaluating, 5)
21
IS 340
risk assessment, contingency
planning, and data recovery
procedures.
V. Organization and Management
V.A. Subdomain: Human Resources Management
1. Manage human resources to
facilitate staff recruitment,
retention, and supervision.
2. Ensure compliance with employment laws.
3. Develop and implement staff
orientation and training programs.
4. Develop productivity standards for health information
functions.
5. Monitor staffing levels and
productivity, and provide
feedback to staff regarding
performance.
6. Benchmark staff performance data incorporating labor analytics.
7. Develop, motivate, and support work teams.
8. Analyze and report on budget variances.
9. Evaluate and manage contracts.
10. Apply principles of ergonomics to work areas.
V.B. Subdomain: Strategic
Planning and Organizational Development
1. Apply general principles of
management in the administration of health information services.
2. Assign projects and tasks to
appropriate staff.
3. Demonstrate leadership
skills.
4. Apply project management
techniques to ensure efficient
workflow and appropriate
outcomes.
5. Facilitate project management by integrating work ef-
Human Resources Management
 Employment laws (Analyzing, 4)
 Principles of human resources management (recruitment, supervision, retention, counseling, disciplinary action) (Evaluating, 5)
 Workforce education and training (Creating, 6)
 Performance standards (Evaluating, 5)
 Labor trends, market analysis (Analyzing, 4)
 Cost benefit analysis of resource needs (Applying,
3)
Strategic Planning and Organizational Development
 Organizational assessment and benchmarking (Analyzing, 4)
 Critical thinking skills, emotional intelligence, employee engagement (Analyzing, 4)
 Project management (Evaluating, 5)
 Process reengineering and work redesign (Analyzing, 4)
 Change management (Analyzing, 4)
 Facilitation of teams and meetings (Applying, 3)
 Principles of management (Evaluating, 5)
 Negotiation techniques (Analyzing, 4)
 Communication and interpersonal skills (Evaluating,
5)
 Team/consensus building (Evaluating, 5)
 Professional development for self and staff (Creat-
22
IS 420
IS 370
IS 370
IS 420
forts, as well as planning and
executing project tasks and
activities.
ing, 6)
 Problem solving and decision making processes
(Evaluating, 5)
Biomedical Sciences
 Anatomy (Applying, 3)
 Physiology (Applying, 3)
 Medical Terminology (Evaluating, 5)
 Pathophysiology (Analyzing, 4)
 Pharmacotherapy (Analyzing, 4)
HP 250
Bloom’s Taxonomy: Revised Version
1=
2=
3=
4=
Remembering: Can the student recall or remember the information?
Understanding: Can the student explain ideas or concepts, and grasp the meaning of information?
Applying: Can the student use the information in a new way?
Analyzing: Can the student distinguish between the different parts, break down information, and infer to
support conclusions?
5 = Evaluating: Can the student justify a stand or decision, or judge the value of?
6 = Creating: Can the student create new product or point of view?
23
Appendix C: Sample Student Comments from Survey
CBA

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




This is a great idea! As said above, I am an Accounting major. I debated on changing my major to a health
related major, but UWL does not provide anything but pre-nursing which would require me to change college locations and I do not want to do that.
I am very interested and have been thinking about transferring to a school with a minor in something along
these lines, so if UW-L offered a minor degree in health information systems management, I would be delighted to give it a try!
It is too late for me to add a minor like that now, but if I had the option I would have chosen Health Information Systems Management as a minor over Information Systems, which is my current minor.
I would have definitely had this as my minor if I would have had time to complete it before I graduate.
I am graduating in May 2013, but if I had the opportunity to minor in this, I would have.
Many students get jobs in the medical field and this would be a very beneficial minor for those students.
This would be a great opportunity to have! I'm surprised it hasn't come up sooner! I would definitely add
this as a minor!
Having worked for a branch of Mayo Health System, I could see this degree as being of benefit to students.
Sounds like a good thing to bring to the university especially with many hospitals going with computerized
records.
I think this opens another part of business to students. Many people with business backgrounds go into
health fields. A minor such as this would be beneficial mostly because our business program only looks exclusively at businesses as corporations however little interest in hospitals which are businesses as well.
CLS

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

I believe that as a Communication Major one of the fields we are being prepped for is maybe eventually
working in a hospital in the administrative sector making this knowledge very useful.
I think it would be a good program to have at the university. I have worked in the healthcare field and there
is high demand for qualified individuals in the rapidly growing field.
It sounds very beneficial to those who strive to go into business and/or medical fields.
As someone who works part time in healthcare and understands that this is an extremely important part of
the field and that it will only continue to get bigger. This minor would be an excellent addition to the education here at UW-L.
SAH
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









I think this is a great idea to make me a more competitive student. I would strongly consider this program if
it were available.
I think it’s a great idea for people going into health care or for ITS people.
I think it would be a very good program to have here at UWL especially with the greater and greater need
in our health care. I would have loved to take a class or two from this area if it were have been able to be
offered as a general education course, or if it was in my major requirements.
I think this would be a great minor and very beneficial to those of us in the health field
These classes would be a great addition to health profession graduate programs such as Physical Therapy,
Occupational Therapy, and Physician Assistant.
Please offer this!
I'd love to be one of the first ones involved!!! One of my friends back home has a great job as an HISM
manager position. Please let me know as soon as it's available!!
This is a huge part of any community health hospital, managing systems and being trained in that system.
This is something definitely needed consider doing.
Extremely beneficial to enter the health field with these skills.
I feel this would be very beneficial for a Pre-Med student such as myself. I would much rather take this minor than the standard Chemistry minor.
This seems as though it would be very useful for pre-med students, which are plentiful at UWL.
24