Foundations of Health Informatics

This unit introduces the healthcare ecosystem, core health IT concepts, professional organizations, and key regulatory frameworks (HIPAA and HITECH). Students build foundational vocabulary, understand clinical and administrative workflows, and learn how to find reputable resources to support continued learning and safe, compliant practice.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze the roles, workflows, and stakeholder relationships within clinical and administrative healthcare settings and identify where health IT integrates to support care delivery and operations
• Apply foundational computer and health IT terminology, common medical terms, and color/code conventions to interpret documentation and communications used in healthcare environments
• Demonstrate understanding of HIPAA and HITECH requirements by summarizing Title II provisions, business associate responsibilities, breach notification procedures, penalties, and minimum-necessary principles for common scenarios
• Evaluate professional organizations, regional resources, trusted blogs, and government sources to create a personal plan for staying current in health informatics and locating guidance for compliance and best practices