Earn an Online Health Informatics PhD

Earning an online health informatics PhD could help you refine the healthcare computer knowledge that you developed in a master’s or bachelor’s degree. With this degree, you could help ensure patients’ needs are met by streamlining digital medical systems. You can learn a skill set to help doctors easily access accurate records to better serve those in their care. An online health informatics PhD could greatly affect the quality of life of those that are on the hospital floor .

Online Health Informatics PhD

Earning an Online Health Informatics PhD

An online doctorate in health informatics helps students gain skills and knowledge to improve and create healthcare communication systems. But, the degree might go by many different names. You may know it as the following.

  • PhD in Health Information Technology
  • PhD in Healthcare Informatics
  • PhD in Health Informatics

Despite different names, these degrees have the same purpose. Their goal is to teach methods and techniques to simplify the transition-of-care systems used by places such as hospitals. In short, healthcare informatics makes sure medical records get from point A to point B. And, they make sure it’s easy and accurate.

Potential PhD in Health Informatics Curriculum

PhD in health informatics curriculum has a lot to do with understanding healthcare systems and then managing them with technology. For example, courses instruct students about basic medical practices. This includes looking at things like lab tests, routine checkups, and billing. Then, that information is applied to the IT side of things. This way, computer systems designed by students work hand-in-hand with their end users. Some potential curriculum is listed below.

  • Data Structures & Algorithms
  • Human Computer Interaction
  • Database Management
  • Computer System Security
  • Electronic Health Records
  • Biostatistics
  • Biomedical Datamining

Courses may differ by school. So always check with them for more subject information.

Fun Fact!

Health informatics also includes bio, nursing, health information, and public health informatics.

Dissertation Requirement

Like many doctoral programs, online health informatics PhDs require students to write a dissertation. This is the climax of the informatics degree. Essays should show students’ knowledge of computer systems. Students could complete this requirement in two ways.

First, students could publish works in peer-reviewed journals. These essays could focus on things such as health information research or how to develop new computer systems. The second option has students create a “monograph.” This is a detailed essay that looks at how a specific informatics system works. A monograph dissertation could include things such as literature reviews, research options, and how to gather data.

Dissertation criteria may vary from school to school. Speak with potential universities for more details.

Length of Study

Due to intense curriculum and dissertation requirements, online health informatics PhDs generally take longer to finish than other graduate programs. Typically, students are required to complete 70 to 90 credit hours to graduate. Program length may vary by institution.

Online Health Informatics PhD Admissions

Typically, PhD in healthcare informatics applicants hold a master’s degree in health informatics or in a related STEM field. Students applying may be required to submit a 3.0 to 3.3 graduate GPA. In addition, students may be asked to supply GRE exam scores.

It’s important to note that some schools do accept students with bachelor’s degree. In these cases, students may be required to submit additional GRE subject test scores to demonstrate their knowledge.

Find a Perfect Online Doctorate in Health Informatics

Earn a PhD in health information technology and start constructing digital pathways to ease patients’ healthcare experience. You’re in the right place to find a perfect program!

To continue, browse the list of potential programs on this page. To read more information about a certain program, click its associated link. Or, click the “request info” button. Good luck!