Course Descriptions

The curriculum for the Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI) program is based on the 10 foundational domains determined by the American Medical Informatics Association that are components of competencies by which graduates from applied health informatics programs can be assessed for competence at the time of graduation. All students will complete a Capstone research project. The MSHI full-time and part-time degree plans outline the order in which the classes are taken.

HI 5000 Clinical Thinking

Fall Semester Orientation
0 credit hours
Course Director: Jonathan Reeder, M.D.

This course is designed for students entering their first year in the Health Informatics master's program. This course provides an overview of the field of health informatics. Students will also learn about the latest advancements and research in health informatics, with a particular focus on the work being done at UT Southwestern and the UTSW Clinical Informatics Center (CIC). It covers essential topics related to the curriculum, research, the capstone project, and introduces the faculty members involved in the program. The course aims to familiarize students with the key concepts and current trends in health informatics, preparing them for their graduate coursework and ultimately, their future careers in the field.

Upon completion of the course, students will gain confidence and basic knowledge to successfully begin their graduate studies in health informatics.

HI 5100 Capstone Project Plan

Summer Semester
1 credit hour
Course Director: Catherine Chen, M.D. and Jonathan Reeder, M.D.

The goal of the Health Informatics capstone project is for students to acquire real life experience and translate newly acquired academic knowledge into an informatics-related research project. Students will either create an original project idea or will work on an aspect of an existing project being undertaken by a department, lab, program, or other relevant area of the UTSW institution. Projects can also be completed outside of UTSW as approved by the course directors.

This course provides students with the necessary learning and time to prepare their capstone project ideas and create a project plan. Students will identify potential faculty mentors and stakeholders, select a problem to address, and begin a needs assessment or literature review. Similar to independent study, students will spend time exploring their topic and developing their project proposal. By the end of the course, students will have a solidified project idea, identified mentor, list of stakeholders, and a comprehensive proposal with a timeline to be followed for implementation of the capstone project.

HI 5101 Ethics in Clinical Informatics

Summer Semester
1 credit hour
Course Director: Carolyn Petersen, M.S.

This course is a systematic review of ethical concepts and standards of responsible conduct for a Clinical Informatics professional including the code of ethics developed by the American Medical Informatics Association. The course will review changes in power and influence introduced by clinical systems and a redistribution of work. Review of the governance process for data and clinical decision support will be paired with practical exercises in evaluating the effect of health information technology on health care workers and patients. Principles of respect for autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and justice will be addressed as well as the effect of computers in the exam rooms. Other topics include ethics around patient portals and social media in health.

Upon completion of the course, students will develop a broad understanding of current health care issues with ethical dimensions in informatics. Students will recognize and apply approaches for analyzing ethical questions and situations such as privacy and confidentiality, social media use, and artificial intelligence in clinical decision support. Additionally, students will gain experience examining and presenting case studies and develop skills in facilitating academic discussions.

HI 5200 Practicum

Summer Semester
2 credit hours
Course Director: Jonathan Reeder, M.D.

Students will design an experience to learn the practical aspects of a career in health informatics. Students may identify opportunities curated by the Health Informatics program, inside the UTSW community, within partnering health systems, health IT operational teams, health information technology companies, start-ups, or health information consulting companies based on expressed interests and career goals. Other experiences to utilize may include participation in additional specialized training, the pursuit of a technical certification and attendance at conferences related to the field of health informatics. All experiences must be pre-approved and congruent with the program objectives.

Upon completion of the course, students will gain measurable experience and a better understanding of careers in health informatics. Deliverables for the course are related to the individual practicum proposal created by the student and approved of by the course director.

HI 5301 The U.S. Health Care System

Fall Semester
3 credit hours
Course Director: Donald Taylor, MHA

This course provides an introduction and overview of the American healthcare system, highlighting its advanced innovations in information science, medical education, research, and health technology, while also addressing its shortcomings in health improvement. Students will explore the history of health system design, the influence of social and cultural factors, and the complexities of the current system. Discussions will include public health issues, quality and cost of care, medical innovation, legal and regulatory frameworks, and emergency preparedness. Additionally, it explores the impact of new technologies across the continuum of care, focusing on transitions and home care, and concludes with the opportunities and threats posed by rapid technological advancements.

Upon completion of the course, students will acquire fundamental knowledge of the US healthcare system and its broader societal context. They will understand the need for coordination among various groups and a comprehensive approach to health informatics organization, governance, and policies. By exploring healthcare financing, quality and cost of care, public health issues, and medical innovation, students will be prepared to address career challenges and opportunities.

HI 5302 Health Information Technology

Fall Semester
3 credit hours
Course Director: DuWayne Willet, M.D.

Students will learn about the current state of health information technology in a variety of clinical settings through a review of systems and tools in practice, the interactions and relationship of various information systems, and the overall architecture of health information systems, data networks, and data flow. Learners will understand the types and structure of health data, as well as principles of data exchange, interoperability, and data integration. HIS accreditation and quality assessment will be taught.

An important aspect of the course will be institutional and local data governance. Key concepts of data security and privacy will be taught. This course will further address the use of information technology in health and its impact on care delivery and the health care marketplace.

Specific topics include the history of health informatics, electronic health records, consumer portals, health information exchange, effect of health information tools on quality and safety, clinical decision support, provider order entry, knowledge management, clinical documentation, dashboards, the role of registries (such as immunization registries), and the development and successful execution of new care delivery models using health information technology (e.g., IT- enabled communication, collaborative workspaces, population health tools).

HI 5303 Evidence-Based Medicine and Clinical Decision Support

Fall Semester
3 credit hours
Course Director: Joseph Schneider, M.D.

This course equips advanced healthcare professionals with skills to design, evaluate, and implement clinical decision support (CDS) systems using evidence-based medicine principles. Students learn to appraise medical evidence and develop CDS interventions that enhance patient care. Topics include artificial intelligence applications, such as machine learning and predictive analytics, which improve clinical decision-making. The course also covers change management and usability, ensuring effective technology adoption in complex healthcare environments. Through readings, hands-on projects, and expert lectures, participants gain practical experience and strategic insights, preparing them to lead innovations in healthcare informatics and drive quality improvement.

HI 5304 Data Analytics

Spring Semester
3 credit hours
Course Director: Joe Beauchamp M.S., CPM, CGCIO

Students will be exposed to scientific methods and processes to extract knowledge and insights from structured and unstructured data in this course. This course will leverage advanced statistics, data analysis, machine learning, and related data methodologies to analyze, understand, model, and gain novel knowledge from data. The topics covered include an introduction to clinical epidemiology, predictive analytics, comparative effectiveness and health services research, clinical prediction rules, and patient-centered outcomes research. Students will learn to apply health care analytics, including using methodologies to extract, transform, and load data while maintaining data quality, performance improvement, and innovation projects. An introduction to research informatics tools such as REDCap, i2b2, and TriNetX will be presented during the course. The OMOP Common Data Model will be introduced. Students will learn database design and modeling using hands-on experience with a specific focus on the conceptual model: the logical structure of the entire database. The course will address conceptual schemas, database design, entity-relationship diagram (ERD), external and internal models, normalization, and data independence (logical and physical). This course will have a heavily applied aspect, with students utilizing Python, JavaScript, HTML5/CSS, API Interactions, SQL, Tableau, R, and Git/GitHub.

Upon completing the course, students will know how to describe and utilize the basic and essential tools of fused data analysis, epidemiology, and statistics.

HI 5305 Biomedical and Basic Science Informatics

Spring Semester
3 credit hours
Course Director: Andrew R. Jamieson, Ph.D. and Julia Kozlitina, Ph.D.

This course will introduce the methodology and thinking required for approaching biomedical and basic science informatics research problems. Students will learn to independently clean, organize, analyze, explore, visualize, and model data using the programming language R. Additionally, this course should prepare students to have the confidence and capability to break down, understand, and interrogate scientific code and analytical workflows found in literature. Beginning with the basics of R programming, the course will develop foundational knowledge in statistics, numerical analysis, and data modeling, including elements of machine learning.

HI 5306 Workflow Process Analysis System Development, Human Factors, and Usability

Spring Semester
3 credit hours
Course Director: Mujeeb Basit, M.D., MMSc.

This course teaches the students necessary terminology and how to apply workflow process mapping, analysis, and process (re)design in clinical environments in the scope of electronic health records and other clinical systems. The course will leverage structured system analysis and design and object-oriented analysis and design with associated modeling frameworks. Students will be able to define workflow and system requirements using process modeling notation. The stages of health information system development are taught. Students are introduced to human factors engineering, human-computer interaction, and usability evaluation with the goal of enhancing quality, patient care experience, efficiency, safety, and satisfaction and to reduce costs. This course will teach qualitative, quantitative, and computational methods used for the design, implementation, and evaluation of health information technology in ambulatory, hospital, home health, and other locations where care is delivered.

Students will demonstrate their ability to review workflows, understand requirements, and synthesize implement and evaluate systems.

HI 5307 Health Information Management

Fall Semester
3 credit hours
Course Director: Diann Smith, MS, RHIA, CHP, FAHIMA

This course offers a comprehensive overview of health information management, focusing on the various elements that influence health records. Topics include data governance, coding and reimbursement systems, data generation methods, and quality management. Students will also explore policy, environmental factors, regulatory agencies and the impact of legal precedents in healthcare delivery and public health reporting. The course emphasizes the significant responsibility held by health Information management professionals as the custodian of the health record.

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to identify the external factors that influence clinical data capture and informatics efforts in a healthcare system. In addition, students will demonstrate a thorough understanding of data and information management, with the ability to recognize the importance of quality improvement and health information exchange in transforming healthcare delivery. Students will gain the knowledge and skills to actively contribute to healthcare planning, resource allocation, and executive decision-making as health informatics professionals.

HI 5308 Project Management & Clinical System Life Cycle

Fall Semester
3 credit hours
Course Director: Vikas Chowdhry, M.S., M.B.A.

This course provides a practical understanding of how to manage the complete life cycle of clinical and operational technologies in healthcare settings (e.g., health systems, payers, community services). Students will learn to use tools and processes such as agile management, resource prioritization, balancing innovation with day-to-day operations, project scoping, and stakeholder responsiveness. Additionally, the course will explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance healthcare innovation, including ways to evaluate and integrate AI-driven solutions into clinical workflows.

Through a real-world example of implementing a clinical application to address a critical need in a healthcare setting, students will:

Develop and apply project management methodologies and toolkits.
Understand the importance of leadership, influence, and navigating organizational complexities for successful clinical informatics projects.
Align project goals with organizational values while employing systems thinking to manage complex healthcare initiatives.
Examine ethical and practical considerations for incorporating AI tools into project workflows and decision-making processes.

HI 5309 Application Development

Spring Semester
3 credit hours
Course Director: Jonathan Reeder, M.D.

This course will provide students with knowledge and skills for the development of web and mobile computer applications. Learners will acquire an understanding of wireframes and prototypes, the languages and frameworks commonly used, and fundamental skills in programming and design through immersive project-based courses.

The goal of the Application Development course is to expose students to the process of developing software applications specifically in the context of health care systems. We will focus specifically on development built on the “Substitutable Medical Applications and Reusable Technologies” (“SMART”) and “Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources” (“FHIR”) standards, as they allow for rapid development and deployment of applications designed to operate on health care data.

Students will acquire knowledge of the design of user interfaces and software systems and networking, hosting infrastructure, and security. Upon completion of the course, students will:

Learn the steps of the software development life cycle ("SDLC") and how to perform each.
Learn the basics of JavaScript development.
Design, develop, and deploy a functional SMART on FHIR application in a group setting.

HI 5500 Capstone Project Implementation and Evaluations

Final Semester
5 credit hours
Course Director: Catherine Chen, M.D. and Jonathan Reeder, M.D.

The Health Informatics capstone project is a culmination of knowledge, skills, and experiences acquired throughout the program. The goal of the Health Informatics capstone project is for students to obtain real life experience and translate newly acquired academic knowledge into an informatics-related research project.

Students will work with a selected faculty mentor, project sponsor and other stakeholders on the capstone project team to develop a feasible, implementable intervention or applicable solution to solve a real-world problem or address a significant challenge in the field of health care. Students will create an original project idea or will work on an aspect of an existing project being undertaken by a department, lab, program or other relevant area of the UTSW institution. Projects can also be completed outside of UTSW as approved by the course directors.

Leveraging the project plans, students will initiate and implement the project. Students will employ planning, data analytics, evaluation, testing, and other project management methodologies in the creation and execution of the capstone project. Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze complex health care data, design effective informatics solutions, and communicate findings or recommendations effectively in the form of a manuscript ready for publication in a scientific journal. At the conclusion of the final semester, students will submit the finalized manuscript and present their results to faculty and fellow students.

Upon successful completion of the course, students will:

Design and execute a real-world informatics capstone project.
Build project management skills to plan and manage timelines.
Develop methods of communication to work effectively with diverse stakeholders.
Increase skillsets in data analysis and evaluation.
Expand knowledge of writing techniques according to manuscript format guidelines.
Gain experience and confidence in public speaking.
The MSHI capstone project serves as a valuable opportunity for students to demonstrate their mastery of informatics concepts and techniques while making a meaningful contribution to the field of health care.