Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #120697

Janise Richards, MS, MPH, PhD, Office of Workforce and Career Development, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS E91, Atlanta, GA 30333, 404-498-3612, jrichards@cdc.gov

Public health informatics is an emerging discipline that combines the knowledge domains of information, computer and management science with public health. Like the definition of public health, definitions of informatics can be vague or unclear to newcomers to the discipline. Because the discipline comes from the blending of many different disciplines and quickly changing technologies, informatics definitions are fluid at best. However, all definitions for informatics include computer science, information science, and information technology components. As the discipline continues to be incorporated into the daily activities of all public health practitioners, they must be able to better understand what the discipline is and what skills and knowledge within informatics will improve their practice of public health.

Learning Objectives:

• Define public health informatics
• Explain the importance of competency development
• Describe public health informatics competencies needed by public health informatics specialists and the public health workforce

Keywords: Public Health Informatics, Health Information Systems

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.