SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
SPRING 2009
HMGT 6323: Healthcare Informatics
Course Outline

Instructor: Mark F. Thouin, Ph.D.
Office: SOM 3.217
Office Phone: 972-883-4011
Class Hours: Saturday 8:30 am \u2013 11:15pm
Office Hours: TBD
E-mail:ma rk.thouin@utdallas.edu

This is an approved core course for the M.S. degree in Healthcare Management. It is also an approved elective course for the M.S. degree in Information Technology Management and the MBA degree.

This course is intended for students in the M.S. in Healthcare Management degree program, as well as MBA students and other School of Management graduate students. Typical career paths would include (but not be limited to) positions as business analyst, IT systems analyst, IT project manager, management consultant, and/or healthcare administrator.

Having easy access to timely, complete, accurate and reliable information is critical to the core mission of healthcare organizations, providers, plan sponsors, and the patients they serve. As the demand for healthcare information has increased, so have advances in information technology and investments in these technologies by healthcare organizations. Such advances have the potential to

radically change how healthcare services are accessed and delivered in the future (Wager, Lee & Glaser, 2005). The purpose of information technology is to provide a robust resource for the building, compounding and sustaining of competitive advantage for organizations. As spending on healthcare consumes an ever-increasing percentage of our GDP, healthcare executives must have the knowledge and capabilities to effectively manage both clinical and administrative information within their organizations. As electronic medical records continue to proliferate and replace paper-based medical systems, healthcare managers must be able to develop strategic IT initiatives to leverage access to real-time, relevant administrative and clinical data.

This course has been designed to explore the strategic information technology planning and control issues associated with decision making in healthcare organizations. IT provides a framework to understand the types of information systems prevalent in healthcare organizations, evaluate specific strategies related to healthcare IT investments, and understand the ramifications of health data standards and privacy concerns on information management policies. In this course, you will learn how the core competencies of healthcare informatics can be developed and applied using real-world case studies. You will be exposed to specific concepts related to development of IT architecture, sourcing analysis, and valuation of IT investments in healthcare.

Upon completion of the course, you should be able to explain the key information requirements for effective health adapt management and decision support, plan and develop the governance and oversight requirements of healthcare IT projects, understand the specification and selection process of

Classes will include a mixture of lectures, case discussions, published articles, student participation, and class presentation by students. The textbook and readings articles will provide the basis for lectures on various healthcare informatics topics. Students will be evaluated based on a mid-term exam, final exam, group case analysis and presentation, and in-class participation.

Lecture notes will be provided electronically via WebCT. It is your responsibility to print and bring a
copy to class. Lecture notes are meant only for students who register for this course will not be
provided to students who are not registered. Students are expected to come prepared for the assigned
readings prior to class. Occasionally, I will invite guest speakers from industry to lecture on specific
topics related to healthcare informatics and discuss specific applications within their organizations.

1.Class participation (15%): You are expected to prepare beforehand for each class, participate actively in the discussion of cases and readings, and contribute to the learning experience of the class. Attendance will be taken.

2.Group case analysis and presentation (25%): The class will be split into groups. Each group will discuss an assigned case in class which I will provide at least three weeks prior to the presentation date. Case analysis and presentation is a group effort, and each presentation should be approximately 40 minutes in duration.