Health Informatics is the use of information systems to secure, analyze, manage and integrate medical records and other health information in order to provide quality healthcare, engage patients, and promote wellness.
The electronic health record is still a relatively new practice. Prompted through legislative actions (HITECH, ARRA), significant contributions have been made to promote the establishment and use of electronic health records in the provision of healthcare. By 2015, over 85 percent of hospitals were using electronic health record systems. Implementation has also increased significantly for physician practices. However, much work remains to be done, particularly in the areas of interoperability (sharing records across practices), use of technology to promote healthcare equity, securing health information systems, and increased use of consumer-generated health information (personal fitness devices, smartphone, apps, etc). The Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics contains coursework that tackles these issues and more in order to provide the knowledge base and analytical capability that makes Coastal Georgia graduates successful.