ISlands in Health-IT: A Look at the Current Status of IS-Health Academic Programs Vance Wilson University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Presentation to the AIS SIG-Health 8/4/2006 Business Meeting

What Defines an IS-Health Program Im using the term IS-Health to refer to interdisciplinary health-IT programs that are located primarily within information systems, information science, or computer science academic units rather than in health-related units These programs tend to adapt a fundamental emphasis on analysis, design, production, and management of IT to meet needs of the healthcare domain rather than augmenting health topics with discussion of technology

Why Focus on IS-Health Programs? 1. Faculty in IS programs must meet specific tenure and promotion requirements that are qualitatively different from those of faculty in health-related programs 2. IS researchers use different theories, methods, and research traditions than researchers in health-related disciplines; resulting papers can be difficult to publish in health-IT outlets 3. AIS SIGHealth is well-positioned to support unique needs of faculty and researchers who work in IS programs, adding to the professional support provided by other health-IT organizations, e.g., AMIA, IMIA, HIMSS

Results of Initial RFI RFI sent to ISWorld list and to SIGHealth list during mid-July 21 responses, including one in planning stages and five who wrote to describe programs that are housed in health-related academic units Summary of 15 IS-Health programs Location: USA = 10Intl. = 5 Unit type:CS/IS = 7Intdsc. = 4Bus. = 4 Degrees:BS = 5MS = 9Doc = 1 List is located at:

A Very Diverse Mix University of Michigan: Offers dual degree grad programs in conjunction with business, medicine (MD), law (JD), social work, public policy, and nursing Dakota State University: Currently focuses on undergrads at Associate and Bachelor degree levels Stevens Institute of Technology: Incorporates an IT in Pharmaceutical Industry track Brunel University (UK): Emphasizes IT to support e-health and telemedicine applications De Montfort University (UK): Website states that "Course contents [are] oriented toward the needs of the National Programme for IT, so that graduates are immediately employable."

Implications Relating to SIGHealth IS-Health programs are isolated, making it difficult for faculty to support their teaching and research and hard for new Ph.D.s to identify employment opportunities SIGHealth can provide a forum for discussion and socialization within the field IS-Health programs are diverse and poorly categorized, leading to dilution of these programs contributions in the larger health-IT community SIGHealth can promote publication outlets for study and standardization of the IS-Health field