NSU Newsroom
SharkBytes
Horizons
This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.
This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.
NSU Medical School Offers Florida’s Only Degree Program for Electronic Medical Records
FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE Fla. —- Nova Southeastern University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine (NSU-COM) is offering individuals across Florida and around the world a master’s program that teaches, among other things, how to develop and implement electronic medical record systems.
The Master of Science in Biomedical Informatics program trains the leaders in dealing with the effective use of information technology in health care, including the development and implementation of an electronic medical records system. The 43-credit program, which is the only such program being offered at a Florida medical school, also offers certificates in clinical medical informatics and public health informatics.
NSU’s Biomedical Informatics Program is designed to meet the needs of a health care community that is going paperless. Mandated by former President George W. Bush, patient records nationwide must become standardized and electronic by 2014. Demand for individuals trained in the health information field has skyrocketed with President Obama’s initiative and incentives to urge all health care providers to make a timely transition to electronic medical records.
Many medical errors have occurred under the current system of paper medical records. In fact, approximately 100,000 people in the U.S. die each year as a result of medical errors. In addition to lives lost, the current system is taxing the nation’s health care system in terms of dollars.
In today’s challenging health care environment, the quality of patient care is often compromised by shrinking resources. The emerging field of biomedical informatics provides a viable means for improving patient safety, enhancing quality of care, and saving billions of dollars.
While the technology for widespread implementation of electronic health records, e-prescribing, clinical decision support systems, and electronic patient management systems is readily available, there is a lack of qualified professionals that can lead efforts to modernize the U.S. health care system.
NSU-COM’s biomedical informatics program is designed to meet the needs of working professionals around the world by offering an online curriculum that uses state-of-the art technology. By training health information technology professionals, NSU-COM’s biomedical informatics program is contributing toward the critically important modernization of the global health care system.
Students and graduates of this program are already working in various hospitals, clinics, and ehealth companies to help doctors and hospitals convert their patient records to an electronic medical records system.
For more information, please contact Jennie Lou, M.D., M.Sc. at 954-262-1619 jlou@nova.edu or Scott Colton at 954-262-5147, scottc@nova.edu.
Media Contact:
Ken Ma, NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5354 Office, 954-830-4177 Cell, kennma@nova.edu