Is higher education ready for the information revolution?

Abstract

Background: The management of chronic conditions has evolved to include tele-rehabilitation systems but are these changes being realised in practice and is the increasing adoption of networked environments refected in pre-registration health education? This paper outlines a scoping exercise which explores current health informatics education in regional higher education institutions for medical, nursing, and allied health professions pre-registration curricula in England. Aims: to establish whether health informatics (HI) competencies are integral to regional higher education (HE) health care programmes and whether graduates would be equipped to work safely and effectively within networked primary care, secondary care and rehabilitation centres. Methods: a mixed research model was adopted; generating data from a regional sample of education providers offering pre-registration medical, nursing, and/or allied health professional programmes. Data collection was by way of online survey and interviews. From 27 identified regional programmes, academics (n=14) representing nine different medical and health professions responded via interview and online questionnaire; a response rate of 51%. Students representing eight health professions (n=186) responded to online questionnaires. Findings: Basic information communications technology (ICT) skills, information literacy, and knowledge management are well supported within the identified programmes of study. However, several endorsed informatics standards are not fully integrated. Time constraints and a shortage of expertise were identified as barriers to integration. Sixty-one percent of students would value more access to, and training on clinical information systems. Conclusions: The report revealed limitations in the provision of informatics education; within HE health care curricula and offers recommendations to improve practice.