Race to the Top Health Informatics

Race to the Top – Health Informatics

Background:

The Ohio Association of Career and Technical Superintendents (OACTS) was fortunate to secure a Race to the Top Grant (RttT) from the Ohio Department of Education to create a STEM hybrid CTE program. Integral to the development of the program was the design of a template that could be used to issue simultaneous credit in career and technical education and a rigorous academic subject.

The definition of health informatics is:

Health Informatics is the science that underlies the fusion of health care, information technology, and business administration, and guides its integration into all aspects of the patient health experience, at the individual or population level. It creates the infrastructure that connects and enables the flow of critical information to and from each of the stakeholders in a patient’s or population care. (Adapted from the University of Illinois at Chicago, 2009.)

Once a definition was created, consistent with industry needs, OACTS sub contracted with the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) to use their Advanced Career curriculum model to create the curriculum for the program.

Curriculum:

The curriculum consists of four courses. They are:

Course 1: Data and Use — This foundational course focuses on the use of data and databases within the health field. Students explore the following questions using project-based and problem-based scenarios. What are data? What are the sources of data in the medical and health informatics fields? How can we use data? How do we make sense of data? How may we apply data to our own lives? Students interact with professionals in the health informatics field through interviews or on-site and/or virtual field trips.

Course 2: Transforming Data into Information — In this course, students study ways to use data to address both patient and industry needs in the health-care field. Students use software such as Microsoft Access and Excel to collect and analyze data, develop a health-care registry, create a mobile app mockup and develop forms and systems to solve health-care problems. The following questions are addressed through project or problem-based scenarios: How can technology and analysis create better information to inform better decisions? How can we use technology tools to create information from data? How can we use technology to improve public and individual health? How can we use technology to protect patient privacy? Course 3: Transforming Information into Knowledge — This advanced course allows students to make improvements in the health-career field by designing solutions using the information, knowledge and technology tools available to health informatics professionals. Students are engaged in the following activities: building a system of sharing information among health-care facilities; using social media tools to reduce diseases in foreign countries; exploring voice recognition software; using a motion-based video gaming console for rehabilitation; and exploring clinical decision rules for improving patient care.

Course 4: Problems and Solutions — In this advanced course, students study and design solutions to problems facing health-care systems. Students explore the following questions through project or problem-based scenarios: How can the health-care system work more efficiently and economically? How do we address health-care issues in rural locations? How can various community organizations work together to improve the health of the community? Students interact with professionals in the health informatics field through interviews or on-site and/or virtual field trips.

The curriculum is 100% problem based learning much in the style of Project Lead the Way (PLTW). Each course is one semester in length and can be taught in a 90 minute daily block.

The first two courses are NOT sequenced and can be taught either concurrently or consecutively. The courses can be part of a larger career path or be their own career path. The courses can be offered in any grade level within high school and can be offered at the career center or an associate school. Courses 3 and 4 are available only to those students who have completed course 1 and/or 2.

The curriculum is a blend of business administration, health sciences and IT. Incorporated within the curriculum is a blend of rigorous academics including science, math and English/language arts.

Professional Development:

All instructors wishing to teach health informatics MUST attend an intensive summer professional development program.

The following chart outlines the dates for the training for the 2014-15 school year.

Calendar for Panel Meetings & Support Seminars 2014-15

Event Date Time Location Attendees Academic and Health Informatics Buck Institute –PBL 101 April 2014 TBD Columbus Instructors Fairfield Inn and Summer Teacher Training Institute: Ohio June 16-20, 2014 TBD Suites, Polaris, Teachers for Course 1 Health Informatics Course 1 Columbus Follow-up from OACTS, Ohio 2014-15, TBD TBD TBD Ohio Health Informatics Teachers Department of Education, and SREB Travel expenses are the district’s responsibility. However, a special rate for lodging will be available at the Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott. Lunch will be provided daily for those attending the professional development program.

A $5000 grant will be awarded to each Ohio district participating in the project to help defray travel and daily staff stipends per a district’s policy as well as other program expenses (see “Grantee Obligations, #1 below).

Grantee Obligations:*

The following is a list of obligations that the grantee (OACTS) assumes as part of the pilot site agreement.

1. Provide each Ohio site with a $5000 grant to assist in defraying travel and daily stipend costs and other costs associated with the program. 2. Provide the district with a state of the art curriculum reflective of the Health Informatics Industry. 3. Provide each Ohio site a notebook computer for the teacher, Windows or Mac based, compatible with the district’s computer system. The computer becomes the property of the school district once the district has completed two (2) years of the program pilot. Districts failing to complete two years of the program must return the computer and any software purchased as part of the grant to the grantee. 4. Provide professional development for instructor(s) teaching the health informatics curriculum. 5. Provide Ohio sites with materials (within grant guidelines and budget capabilities). 6. Waive the $2000 professional development fee for the first two years of the program pilot. 7. Waive the yearly $2500 site license fee for however long the site offers the health informatics program.

Site Requirements

A district wishing to be a site will ensure that:

1. School personnel attend all professional development activities. 2. All travel and daily stipends are paid by the district. 3. Instructor(s) sign the local district’s computer use agreement. 4. Significant effort is made to recruit students for participation in the program. 5. A plan is filed with OACTS on how the district plans to implement the Health Informatics program. 6. School participates in the Health Informatics program evaluation. 7. Instructor(s) are provided with internet access. 8. A computer lab is provided for the class. 9. The instructor and the class have access to the full Microsoft Office Suite or a similar Mac based software.

** All items within grantee obligations are subject to budget availability Teacher Qualifications:

Teachers of the health informatics program must hold a valid teaching certificate in health sciences field or IT. Additionally, the health informatics advisory committee has established the following characteristics of successful health informatics instructors.

“The teacher must have an aptitude for technical concepts. If the instructor is a technical person, they have to be able to ask questions and mix with the health person and help them solve problems with technology. The teacher must be inquisitive and able to take charge. Most of these people must be analytical, systematic, questioning. Everything in health informatics is changing quickly, so they must be adaptable. The teacher must be able to use computers, able to learn on their own, very flexible, have good teaching skills, similar to the teacher who works well with youth in student organizations. The teacher must be willing to do what it takes to get the project done.”

Credit:

Students completing the health informatics courses will receive CTE credit. The Ohio Department of Education is currently working on a process for the simultaneous awarding of academic credit, most likely in the math or science areas.

Student Qualifications:

In order to succeed in the health informatics programs students must have successfully completed the math courses consistent with their grade level expectation. Students must be self-directed and on track academically to graduate.

Please direct all questions and inquiries to: Thomas N. Applegate, Executive Director Ohio Association of Career and Technical Superintendents Suite 200 6628 Wild Rose Lane Westerville, Ohio 43082 512-797-7271 [email protected]