Clinical informatics: a workforce priority for 21st century healthcare
Susan E. Smith A B , Lesley E. Drake A , Julie-Gai B. Harris A , Kay Watson A and Peter G. Pohlner A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Prince Charles Hospital, Rode Road, Chermside, QLD 4032, Australia. Email: lesley_drake@health.qld.gov.au; gaiharris@health.qld.gov.au; kay_watson@health.qld.gov.au; pohlnerp@health.qld.gov.au
B Corresponding author. Email: susan_e_smith@health.qld.gov.au
Australian Health Review 35(2) 130-135 https://doi.org/10.1071/AH10935
Submitted: 10 June 2010 Accepted: 11 August 2010 Published: 25 May 2011
Abstract
This paper identifies the contribution of health and clinical informatics in the support of healthcare in the 21st century. Although little is known about the health and clinical informatics workforce, there is widespread recognition that the health informatics workforce will require significant expansion to support national eHealth work agendas. Workforce issues including discipline definition and self-identification, formal professionalisation, weaknesses in training and education, multidisciplinarity and interprofessional tensions, career structure, managerial support, and financial allocation play a critical role in facilitating or hindering the development of a workforce that is capable of realising the benefits to be gained from eHealth in general and clinical informatics in particular. As well as the national coordination of higher level policies, local support of training and allocation of sufficient position hours in appropriately defined roles by executive and clinical managers is essential to develop the health and clinical informatics workforce and achieve the anticipated results from evolving eHealth initiatives.
What is known about the topic? Health informatics is considered an emerging profession. There are not enough Health Informaticians to support the eHealth agenda.
What does this paper add? This paper considers the issues, barriers and facilitators of capacity building in the health informatics workforce with a special emphasis on Clinical Informaticians. The authors conclude that resources and awareness at the national, state and local health service levels is required to facilitate health and clinical informatics’ capacity building.
What are the implications for practitioners? Recognition and support of the health and clinical informatics workforce is required to improve the appropriate implementation and use of Health Information Technology for clinical care, quality and service management.
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