Health Informatics Workforce in the Digital Health Ecosystem

Abstract

Workforce development needs to align with the healthcare data ecosystem emerging from digital transformation in healthcare. Careers for health informaticists are emerging as translational agents between clinicians and data scientists. Digital tools and mechanisms in healthcare, through electronic health records (EHR), devices, capabilities including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), interoperability and health information exchange (HIE) allow clinicians and stakeholders to capture, store, access and use health data and information in ways unseen in years past, creating a new digital health ecosystem. This transformation is evolving both technologies and the strategies to influence health outcomes. Careers in health informatics are now part of this data ecosystem, and it is important to examine the current status and its implications for job seekers and for workforce development.