The Data Science of Health Informatics from Coursera

What's inside

Syllabus

Introduction to Databases and Data Types

In this module, we will begin by introducing and defining databases, and placing the role of databases within the context of clinical informatics. We will continue by introducing the common health data types such as demographics, diagnosis, medications, procedures, and utilization data. We will finish this module by reviewing the emerging health data such as lab orders/results, vital signs, social data, and patient-generated data.

Data Sources and Data Challenges

In this module, we review the data specifications extracted from insurance claims and electronic health records. We will then discuss the common challenges in using health data, specifically issues with data quality, data interoperability, and data system architectures. Finally, we will describe the “Big Data” challenges of health data and explain some of the data problems that may hinder analytical efforts.

Formulating Data Questions

With this understanding of the data available, it’s time to see how to turn questions you and your colleagues will have into queries the database can understand. Besides getting rules of thumb for doing this translation, you will also be introduced to three online tools available to test some of these skills. You will also watch an interview with Sam Meiselman, course instructor and the data manager in charge of the Johns Hopkins Enterprise Data Warehouse, who has to use these skills on a daily basis.

Real World Applications of Data Science in Health Informatics

To send home the recurring message on the challenges and art of translating questions into queries, you will see interviews with two professionals: One who comes from the data management side of the equation, and one who comes from the domain. They will give you perspectives that are both similar (the need to understand the problem for which the data are being retrieved) and different (the multiplicity of data available vs the richness of the domain problem).

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Designed for those with experience in healthcare

In-depth understanding of health data

Taught by experts in the healthcare field

Examines real-world applications of data science

Introduces emerging health data

Teaches how to formulate data questions

Reviews summary

Informative health informatics

Learners say this informative course provides a solid foundational understanding of data science in health informatics. Key takeaways include the importance of data integration, understanding discrepancies in healthcare data, and the real-world application of data analysis in healthcare planning and patient care.

Challenging yet valuable assignments

"The course content has rich of information and practical oriented. I felt more confidence after completetion of the course."

Builds a solid foundation in data management

"Allows you to have an insight on the importance of data in the Health department!"

Led by excellent instructors

"Very Good. I Enjoy So much this course. It is really easy to understand and the presenter are excellent. Very recommended."

Involves helpful peer review

"Good course! Have enjoyed all the presenter's lectures. The peer-reviewed assignments are a little frustrating. In two courses now have had to wait a long time for grading in order to complete the course. Some peer grades have marked the assignment down with no feedback to understand why. Personally, I would like to know if I'm doing something wrong on the assignment so would like to get feedback. Overall though, the experience has been good."

Offers practical applications

"This course is learning by doing. The assignment at the end is really beautiful approach to handle Database Research approaches."

Includes some outdated course material

"The course was wonderful! However, some of the sites used for the "responding to a data request" assignment have updated. This made follwing the instructions on the assignment difficult."

Contains limited course resources

"I´m very disappointed! I´ve been waiting my final grade for a week now. I just can´t conclude this because I need someone to review my report. That´s a big flaw - there must be someone from Coursera´s team to review it! I really regret the money I spent on this."

Delayed grading can be an issue

"The part where we need to submit the assignment and peer review the submissions, that part is NOT user friendly , you need to improve the textual help and instructions for the students"

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in The Data Science of Health Informatics with these activities:

Review Statistics Refresher

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Strengthens foundational knowledge for data interpretation.

Browse courses on Statistics

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Review the 'Statistics Refresher' provided by the course.
Complete the practice problems at the end of the refresher.

Data Types Review

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Review common health data types, such as demographics, diagnosis, medications, procedures, and utilization data.

Browse courses on Data Types

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Find an online tutorial on health data types.
Watch the tutorial.
Complete the exercises provided in the tutorial.

Review Database Management Systems

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Clarifies fundamental database concepts.

View Database Systems: The Complete Book on Amazon

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Read the first three chapters of the book.
Summarize the key concepts of each chapter.

Nine other activities

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MySQL Database Tutorial for Beginners

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Gain a solid understanding of MySQL, database structure, and SQL queries to enhance your data analysis skills.

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Enroll in the online tutorial
Watch the video lessons and complete the exercises
Build a sample database and practice writing queries
Refer to the tutorial documentation for additional support

Complete the Data Types Tutorial

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Reinforces understanding of different health data types.

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Follow the steps in the 'Data Types' tutorial provided by the course.
Complete the practice exercises at the end of the tutorial.

Formulate Data Queries

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Practice interpreting questions and translating them into queries the database management system can understand.

Browse courses on Data Queries

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Read the user question.
Identify the data needed.
Write the query.
Test the query.

Practice Formulating Data Questions

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Improves ability to translate questions into queries.

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Read the 'Formulating Data Questions' module.
Complete the online exercises provided in the module.

Participate in a Study Group

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Facilitates discussions and clarifies concepts.

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Form a study group with classmates.
Meet regularly to discuss course material.

Create a Data Visualization

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Reinforces data interpretation and presentation skills.

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Choose a dataset from the course.
Use a data visualization tool to create a visualization.
Write a brief report interpreting the visualization.

Become a mentor for students in a health data course

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Help others understand the concepts and develop their skills in health data management and analysis.

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Join a mentorship program or reach out to students directly
Provide guidance and support to students on course material
Share your knowledge and experience in health data analytics
Provide feedback and encouragement to help students succeed

Compile Course Notes and Resources

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Organizes learning materials for easy access.

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Create a folder for the course.
Save all lecture notes, assignments, and other resources in the folder.

Develop a Health Data Analysis Project

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Applies learning to a real-world health data analysis scenario.

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Identify a health data analysis problem.
Collect and clean the necessary data.
Perform data analysis and interpretation.
Present the findings in a report.

Career center

Learners who complete The Data Science of Health Informatics will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Healthcare Data Analyst

Healthcare Data Analysts use their knowledge of data analysis to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery. The Johns Hopkins University course, Data Science of Health Informatics, provides a strong foundation in the concepts and techniques of data analysis. Students who take this course will learn how to collect, clean, and analyze data, as well as how to interpret and communicate the results of their analysis. This course is specifically designed for individuals who want to work as Healthcare Data Analysts.

See salaries and explore the career path for Healthcare Data Analyst

Health Informatics Specialist

Health Informatics Specialists use their knowledge of health data and information systems to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery. The Johns Hopkins University course, Data Science of Health Informatics, provides a strong foundation in the concepts and techniques of health informatics. Students who take this course will learn how to design, implement, and evaluate health information systems, as well as how to use data to improve patient care.

See salaries and explore the career path for Health Informatics Specialist

Data Scientist

Data Scientists use their knowledge of data analysis and machine learning to solve complex problems. The Johns Hopkins University course, Data Science of Health Informatics, provides a strong foundation in the concepts and techniques of data science. Students who take this course will learn how to collect, clean, and analyze data, as well as how to build and evaluate machine learning models. This course may also be helpful for Data Scientists who want to specialize in the healthcare industry.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Scientist

Healthcare IT Manager

Healthcare IT Managers are responsible for the planning, implementation, and management of health information systems. The Johns Hopkins University course, Data Science of Health Informatics, provides a strong foundation in the concepts and techniques of health informatics. Students who take this course will learn how to design, implement, and evaluate health information systems, as well as how to use data to improve patient care. This course may also be helpful for Healthcare IT Managers who want to specialize in data analytics.

See salaries and explore the career path for Healthcare IT Manager

Public Health Analyst

Public Health Analysts use their knowledge of public health data to identify trends and develop recommendations for improving the health of populations. The Johns Hopkins University course, Data Science of Health Informatics, provides a strong foundation in the concepts and techniques of data analysis. Students who take this course will learn how to collect, clean, and analyze data, as well as how to interpret and communicate the results of their analysis. This course may also be helpful for Public Health Analysts who want to specialize in data analytics.

See salaries and explore the career path for Public Health Analyst

Healthcare Administrator

Healthcare Administrators are responsible for the planning, implementation, and management of healthcare organizations. The Johns Hopkins University course, Data Science of Health Informatics, provides a strong foundation in the concepts and techniques of health informatics. Students who take this course will learn how to design, implement, and evaluate health information systems, as well as how to use data to improve patient care. This course may also be helpful for Healthcare Administrators who want to specialize in data analytics.

See salaries and explore the career path for Healthcare Administrator

Healthcare Consultant

Healthcare Consultants use their knowledge of the healthcare industry to help healthcare organizations improve their performance. The Johns Hopkins University course, Data Science of Health Informatics, provides a strong foundation in the concepts and techniques of health informatics. Students who take this course will learn how to analyze healthcare data, identify trends, and develop recommendations for improvement. This course may also be helpful for Healthcare Consultants who want to specialize in data analytics.

See salaries and explore the career path for Healthcare Consultant

Data Analyst

Data Analysts use their knowledge of data analysis tools and techniques to help businesses make informed decisions. The Johns Hopkins University course, Data Science of Health Informatics, provides a strong foundation in data analysis concepts and techniques that are essential for success in this field. Students who take this course will learn how to collect, clean, and analyze data, as well as how to interpret and communicate the results of their analysis. This course may also be helpful for Data Analysts who want to specialize in the healthcare industry.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Biostatistician

Biostatisticians use their knowledge of statistics to design and analyze studies that investigate the effects of medical treatments and interventions. The Johns Hopkins University course, Data Science of Health Informatics, provides a strong foundation in the concepts and techniques of data analysis. Students who take this course will learn how to collect, clean, and analyze data, as well as how to interpret and communicate the results of their analysis. This course may also be helpful for Biostatisticians who want to specialize in the healthcare industry.

See salaries and explore the career path for Biostatistician

Business Intelligence Analyst

Business Intelligence Analysts use their knowledge of data analysis to help businesses make informed decisions. The Johns Hopkins University course, Data Science of Health Informatics, provides a strong foundation in the concepts and techniques of data analysis. Students who take this course will learn how to collect, clean, and analyze data, as well as how to interpret and communicate the results of their analysis. This course may also be helpful for Business Intelligence Analysts who want to specialize in the healthcare industry.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Intelligence Analyst

Epidemiologist

Epidemiologists use their knowledge of epidemiology to investigate the causes and spread of diseases. The Johns Hopkins University course, Data Science of Health Informatics, provides a strong foundation in the concepts and techniques of data analysis. Students who take this course will learn how to collect, clean, and analyze data, as well as how to interpret and communicate the results of their analysis. This course may also be helpful for Epidemiologists who want to use data to improve public health.

See salaries and explore the career path for Epidemiologist

Medical Researcher

Medical Researchers use their knowledge of science and medicine to conduct research on new treatments and cures for diseases. The Johns Hopkins University course, Data Science of Health Informatics, provides a strong foundation in the concepts and techniques of data analysis. Students who take this course will learn how to collect, clean, and analyze data, as well as how to interpret and communicate the results of their analysis. This course may also be helpful for Medical Researchers who want to use data to improve patient care.

See salaries and explore the career path for Medical Researcher

Medical Writer

Medical Writers use their knowledge of medicine and writing to create educational and promotional materials for healthcare professionals and patients. The Johns Hopkins University course, Data Science of Health Informatics, provides a strong foundation in the concepts and techniques of health informatics. Students who take this course will learn how to write clearly and effectively about medical topics, as well as how to use data to support their writing. This course may also be helpful for Medical Writers who want to specialize in the healthcare industry.

See salaries and explore the career path for Medical Writer

Clinical Research Associate

Clinical Research Associates are responsible for managing clinical trials. The Johns Hopkins University course, Data Science of Health Informatics, provides a strong foundation in the concepts and techniques of data management. Students who take this course will learn how to collect, clean, and analyze data, as well as how to interpret and communicate the results of their analysis. This course may also be helpful for Clinical Research Associates who want to specialize in data analytics.

See salaries and explore the career path for Clinical Research Associate

Health Economist

Health Economists use their knowledge of economics to analyze the costs and benefits of healthcare interventions. The Johns Hopkins University course, Data Science of Health Informatics, provides a strong foundation in the concepts and techniques of data analysis. Students who take this course will learn how to collect, clean, and analyze data, as well as how to interpret and communicate the results of their analysis. This course may also be helpful for Health Economists who want to use data to improve healthcare policy.

See salaries and explore the career path for Health Economist