A Comprehensive Guide to Health Informatics - How You Can Make an Impact on Patient Outcomes

Sep 14, 2026

A comprehensive career guide to health informatics explains how disciplined use of information technology improves patient care through reliable data collection, digitization, storage, and analysis. It outlines measurable impacts on outcomes, including reduced inpatient mortality, shorter hospital stays, and lower 30-day readmission rates, supported by cited research and implementation results. The guide then connects these benefits to practical systems such as EHRs and summarizes roles, skills, and pathways for building a health informatics career, including evaluating whether a master’s degree is worthwhile.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatPDF

Pages36

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

The Impact of Health Informatics on Patient Outcomes

EHR Systems: Health Informatics Technology That Improves Patient Outcomes

What Can You Do With a Health Informatics Degree?

How to Break Into Health Informatics

Is a Master’s in Health Informatics Worth It?

Take the First Step Toward a Health Informatics Career

A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO HEALTH INFORMATICS How You Can Make an Impact on Patient Outcomes TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Introduction 2 The Impact of Health Informatics on Patient Outcomes 3 EHR Systems: Health Informatics Technology That Improves Patient Outcomes 4 What Can You Do With a Health Informatics Degree? 5 How to Break Into Health Informatics 6 Is a Master’s in Health Informatics Worth It? 7 Take the First Step Toward a Health Informatics Career [bouve.northeastern.edu /health-informatics-guide](bouve.northeastern.edu /health-informatics-guide) 1 INTRODUCTION The healthcare industry is currently undergoing significant technological transformations, which are largely driven by the innovative work of health informatics professionals. Health informatics is a multidisciplinary field that combines the principles of information science, computer science, and healthcare to create cutting-edge solutions that improve patient outcomes and streamline healthcare delivery. In this career guide, we answer some of the most common questions, including: • How does health informatics impact patient outcomes? • What are EHR systems and how do they improve patient outcomes? • What can I do with a health informatics degree? • What are some careers I can get in health informatics? • How can I become a healthcare informatics professional? • Is a master’s in health informatics worth the investment? Continue reading to have these and other questions answered, and learn the steps you need to take to advance your health informatics career. [bouve.northeastern.edu /health-informatics-guide](bouve.northeastern.edu /health-informatics-guide) 2 THE IMPACT OF HEALTH INFORMATICS ON PATIENT OUTCOMES [bouve.northeastern.edu /health-informatics-guide](bouve.northeastern.edu /health-informatics-guide) In today’s rapidly evolving world, the role of technology in improving patient outcomes cannot be overstated. Healthcare informatics—a field that focuses on the efficient and effective use of data to optimize patient care—has transformed the landscape of the medical industry. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, the use of health informatics can reduce inpatient mortality rates by up to 15 percent. In addition, facilities that leverage health informatics tools have experienced a 25 percent decrease in the duration of patient stays, and a 19 percent reduction in the likelihood of readmission within 30 days. Results of Health Informatics Implementation Reduction of inpatient mortality rates Decrease in the duration of patient stays Reduction in patient readmissions within 30 days Source: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association [bouve.northeastern.edu /health-informatics-guide](bouve.northeastern.edu /health-informatics-guide) If you’re interested in having an impact on patients’ overall health, here’s an overview of health informatics’ role in healthcare, the many ways it improves patient care, and how you can leverage this knowledge to become an effective leader in the industry. WHAT IS HEALTH INFORMATICS? Health informatics (HI) is a discipline that straddles the information technology and healthcare industries. It is considered a subfield of information technology focused primarily on the collection, digitization, storage, and analysis of patient data and records across systems, networks, and devices. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF INFORMATICS IN HEALTHCARE? Health informatics plays a crucial role in healthcare by combining information technology, computer science, clinical knowledge, and management science to improve patient care, enhance efficiency, and reduce overall costs. “Informatics professionals are responsible for getting health data together, moving it into the right place, and making it accessible to anybody who needs it in the healthcare system.” -Jay Spitulnik Associate Teaching Professor and Director

FAQs

How does health informatics improve patient outcomes?

Health informatics improves patient outcomes by using data effectively to optimize patient care. It can reduce inpatient mortality, shorten hospital stays, and lower the likelihood of readmissions within 30 days.

What role do EHR systems play in health informatics?

EHR systems are a key health informatics technology that supports patient outcomes. They help reduce errors and improve clinical access to medical histories, which can improve diagnosis accuracy and reduce unnecessary testing.

What career steps are recommended for someone pursuing health informatics?

The guide outlines what you can do with a health informatics degree, how to break into the field, and how to take the first step toward building a health informatics career. It also addresses whether a master’s degree is worth the investment.

Sep 14, 2026

Uploaded by Oliver Hayes