10 Best Online Courses in Health Informatics 2021

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The healthcare industry is booming. As the population gets older, more and more patients require medical care. With more patients comes more medical information. That’s where health informatics comes in.

Health informatics is critical to the delivery of modern healthcare services. The data that’s collected from patients can help improve procedures. Likewise, it can help advance healthcare practices to minimize risk and maximize value.

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Disclaimer: Some courses may include an affiliate link. Courses were chosen first based on the methodology with affiliate links only added after the ranking was complete.

For example, using health informatics can:

Help coordinate care more efficiently
Decrease costs
Support clinical decision making
Improve reporting on public health

So, how does one get into this line of work?

A good place to start is by taking a health informatics online course.

There are many course options. As you’ll see in our rankings, online health informatics with certificates are available as well. Whether you take a standard course or one with a certificate, it’s a good way to get an introduction to health informatics.

To help you narrow down your choices, we’ve ranked the ten best online courses. These courses are varied on a number of measures. Some of them are free. Others require payment. Some have certificates. Others are focused on a specialty in healthcare.

Our rankings are based on a three-factor method. This method takes the following features into account:

Affordability
Learning Level
Accessibility

In the next section we’ll discuss each of these factors in detail.

Methodology to Determine the Best Online Courses in Health Informatics

It’s easy to get on Google and search “online health informatics with certificates” or “health informatics online course.” The results will get you many different options.

But the goal is to find the best options. Most courses might seem equal when you scan through them in the search results. However, some courses are far more valuable than others.

To determine value to students, we’ve evaluated each of the courses in our rankings based on the factors mentioned earlier: affordability, learning level, and accessibility.

Obviously affordability is a huge deal for most students. It is often the most important factor when choosing a health informatics online course. The cost of a course is only part of the picture, though.

Instead, you also need to take courses that are appropriate for your learning level. If you are brand-new to this field of study, a beginner course is likely most appropriate. If you have years of experience, an advanced course is a better option.

And while online courses are pretty accessible by their nature, not all online health informatics with certificates courses are equally accessible.

Below is a more detailed explanation of each of these three factors.

Affordability

As noted earlier, the price of a health informatics online course is often the first thing students look at. It makes sense, too. Education can be very expensive!

Since affordability is so important, it is worth the most points in our rankings. In fact, it’s worth more than the other two factors combined.

We prioritize free and low-cost courses when assigning points, as you can see here:

Free: 6 points
Up to $50: 5 points
$51-$100: 4 points
$101-$150: 3 points
$151-$200: 2 points
$201 and above: 1 point

This factor is all about cost. It does not necessarily evaluate the educational value of a course. For example, there are many excellent health informatics online courses that require a fee. Just because they require an output of money doesn’t mean they should be overlooked. In other words, sometimes the best option for you is not the free course.

Then again, the free courses in our rankings are all high-quality classes. Sometimes free courses are viewed as being less valuable. After all, a free course can’t provide the same educational value as a paid one, right? Wrong! The free courses we’ve included here are definitely among the best online courses in health informatics.

Learning Level

The level of learning a course offers is a critical feature to evaluate. If you’re exploring health informatics to see if it’s a good fit for you, a beginner course is ideal. Starting out with an intermediate or advanced course will likely lead to confusion and frustration. This, in turn, will result in you having a negative opinion of this field of study.

On the other hand, if you are a healthcare professional and you have some experience in health informatics, you’ll likely want to focus on higher-end courses. There is no sense in taking beginner courses and rehashing things you already know!

We’ve scored this factor as follows:

Advanced: 3 points
Intermediate: 2 points
Beginner: 1 point

This point breakdown is intended to reflect the depth of learning. Beginner courses offer a breadth of topics, but none are very in depth. By contrast, advanced courses dive deep into topics that really help you develop targeted skills. This isn’t to say that beginner courses don’t have value. Quite the opposite. But for our purposes, courses with higher learning levels are given more points.

Accessibility

Your ability to access a course is vital. While online courses offer many of the same access points, there is still a lot of variation in the accessibility a course can provide to you.

For example, some courses are offered only online. Some courses can also be accessed via mobile apps. Some even offer access on TV.

Likewise, some courses provide you with offline learning materials. This might be in the form of textbooks or downloadable resources. Access can also be increased by offering a longer period of time to finish the course. Some of the courses in our rankings have full lifetime access. Others put you on a time table to complete the course.

This factor is scored as follows:

High accessibility: 2 points
Moderate accessibility: 1 point

Note that courses with low accessibility were omitted from our rankings.

With a better idea of how our rankings were created, let’s have a look at the courses that made the cut.

Ranking the Best Online Courses in Health Informatics

#10: Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist

This course from Udemy prepares you to take the Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist (CEHRS) exam. The exam requires an additional cost.

This is a beginner course. It is aimed at students that wish to gain skills needed for entry-level positions. The course focuses on real-world exercises. These exercises allow you to use software that will be used in medical settings. This includes:

Using electronic health records (EHR)
Lab reports
Medical notes
Code settings

This top health informatics course also includes a study of legal considerations in healthcare. This includes patient confidentiality. It also includes the policies governing disclosure of medical records.

This course comes with a completion certificate. However, as noted above, to become a Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist, you must pay for and pass a separate certification exam.

Visit the course website.

Points: 6

Affordability: $139.99

Learning Level: Beginner

Accessibility: High. This course offers full lifetime access. Study materials include on-demand video and downloadable resources. The course can be accessed on mobile and on TV.

#9: Biology Meets Programming: Bioinformatics for Beginners

This is a beginner-level course. It was developed by the University of California at San Diego. It is offered online by Coursera.

If you’re interested in learning Python programming in a scientific setting, this course is for you. It’s a basic introduction to bioinformatics, so there are no prerequisites. The course is gently paced so you can really learn the needed skills without getting stressed out.

Learning topics include:

How to program using Python
A study of real biological problems
How to develop algorithms

This is a four-part course. Most students complete the class in four weeks. The course includes an interactive textbook, a discussion forum, and weekly quizzes.

This is a good course to take before taking the Bioinformatics Specialization on Coursera. This specialization is a collection of seven courses.

Visit the course website.

Points: 8

Affordability: Free to enroll. A fee (usually around $50) might be required. Other costs are involved if you participate in a specialization (usually $39-$79 per month). Learn more about Coursera pricing. This is scored as a paid course.

Learning Level: Beginner

Accessibility: High. This course is very easy to access. You can study any time day or night. You can adjust due dates as needed as well. You can begin the course immediately upon enrollment too.

#8: The Outcomes and Interventions of Health Informatics

This beginner course was developed by Johns Hopkins University. It is offered online by Coursera. It is focused on helping students identify the best technology to use to improve health care.

In this course you will learn how to:

Identify opportunities for using health informatics
Design a knowledge acquisition system for healthcare decision support
Outline solutions for supporting health-related decisions

You will also gain the skills needed to describe how to best get the needed data. Understanding how to monitor data is a big part of this course as well.

This is an online health informatics with certificates course. It is a completion certificate. This is the most basic kind. However, it is still valuable. It shows employers that you are continuing your education.

One of the best features of this course is its length. Most students can finish it in about seven hours of coursework.

If you wish, you can take this course as part of Coursera’s Health Informatics Specialization.

Visit the course website.

Points: 8

Learning Level: Beginner

Accessibility: High. This health informatics course was designed for online delivery. You can begin right away when you enroll. Deadlines are flexible. Videos come with multiple language support.

#7: Introduction to Clinical Data

This beginner course is offered by Coursera. It was developed by Stanford University. It offers a look at a framework for data mining. You’ll learn how to do so successfully. You’ll also learn how to do so ethically.

By the end of the online health informatics course, you will be able to:

Apply a framework for data mining
Use data to make healthcare decisions
Identify good research questions
Construct a data mining workflow

This course also evaluates issues of bias. You’ll learn how to avoid bias and make appropriate decisions about patient care.

This is a short online course. You should be able to finish it in about 12 hours of study. A completion certificate is available.

You can use this class to fulfill part of the requirements for Coursera’s specialization in AI in Healthcare. The specialization includes four other courses as well.

Visit the course website.

Points: 8

Learning Level: Beginner

Accessibility: High. You can begin the course immediately upon enrollment. Multiple language support is available. Courses are accessible any time of day and night.

#6: Learn Excel for Health Care Professionals

This basic course from Udemy will teach you essential skills for Excel. Specifically, you’ll learn how to master Excel for use in healthcare settings.

After completing this class, you will be able to:

Create datasets in Excel
Perform basic statistical analyses
Use Excel for quality improvement projects

What’s great about this class is that you don’t need experience with Excel to take it. Instead, you’ll learn all the skills you need to use this program for health informatics.

This is also a short class. It should only take a couple of hours to finish. You get full lifetime access, so if you need to refresh your skills, you can do so at any time.

Upon successful completion of this top course for health informatics, you will receive a completion certificate.

Visit the course website.

Points: 8

Affordability: $11.99

Learning Level: Beginner

Accessibility: High. There are online and offline learning tools. You can access the course on mobile or TV. You also get lifetime access to the class.

#5: Intro to Health Insurance Terminology and Patient Engagement

This is a beginner course from Udemy. It focuses on the basics of health insurance. This includes terminology and the differences between different types of healthcare providers.

Specifically, you’ll learn about:

HMOs
PPOs
HSAs
Types of medical specialists

You’ll also learn some simple strategies for working with patients. This discussion is framed as though you’re the patient. However, it can help you communicate better with patients as a health worker as well.

Since this is an introductory course, there are no prerequisites. It is a good option for students that are considering a career in health informatics, but who have little or no experience with the healthcare system.

This is a very short health informatics course. Most students complete it in about an hour. You get a certificate of completion once you finish.

Visit the course website.

Points: 8

Affordability: $9.99

Learning Level: Beginner

Accessibility: High. This is a self-paced course. You get lifetime access. Resources include online and offline study materials.

#4: Health Informatics: A Current and Historical Perspective

This is a basic course in health informatics offered by edX. It was developed by Georgia Tech University.

Students without much experience in this field will benefit from this class. It offers a look at healthcare challenges. In particular, you’ll study problems within the U.S. healthcare system.

#3: Healthcare Data Literacy

This is an intermediate course. It was developed by the University of California at Davis. It is offered online by Coursera.

The purpose of this course is to give you a good understanding of healthcare data. You will come away with the skills and knowledge to begin a career as a healthcare data scientist.

There are many learning outcomes you’ll achieve. This includes:

Understanding healthcare drivers
Developing healthcare data
Working with clinical data
Gaining a working knowledge of drug vocabularies

You will also learn about different types of data. The complexity of data will be examined too. The means by which data can be integrated into the healthcare process is a primary topic as well.

This online health informatics course is short. Most students complete it in about 13 hours of study. It is the first course in a specialization from Coursera. That course, Health Information Literacy for Data Analytics, is a four-part intermediate course.

Visit the course website.

Points: 9

Learning Level: Intermediate

Accessibility: High. You can access this course any time of day or night. The course is available immediately upon enrollment as well. Course deadlines are flexible to meet the needs of your schedule.

#2: Health Informatics and Technology in Decision Making

This is an intermediate course from Doane University. It is available on edX.

The focus of this class is on health informatics technology. You’ll learn how to:

Acquire data
Store data
Retrieve data

You’ll gain these skills in the context of addressing challenges in the healthcare system. For example, you’ll learn how data can be used to improve clinical workflows. Likewise, you’ll explore how health data can enable better evidence-based decision making.

This class mostly discusses the U.S. healthcare system. However, the lessons learned in this course can be used to improve healthcare systems around the globe.

Since this is an intermediate course, there are some prerequisites. You need a bachelor’s degree. If you don’t, a minimum of five years of work experience in healthcare will do. You also need a basic understanding of medical terms.

Visit the course website.

Points: 10

Affordability: Free

Learning Level: Intermediate

Accessibility: High. You can begin this course any time. It is self-paced. You can access the class any time of day.

#1: Data Analytics and Visualization in Health Care

This advanced course is offered by edX. It was developed by Rochester Institute of Technology.

You will begin with a study of the U.S. healthcare system. Specifically, you’ll examine key parts of the system related to data and analytics. You’ll explore evidence-based medicine and the role of health information technology.

Topics of study for this best online health informatics course include:

Population health
Consumer health
Clinical process improvement

This course will explain the parts of a good data analytics program. You’ll learn about the value of standardization of data. You’ll also learn how data can be used for healthcare innovation.

The end of the online health informatics course involves a study of visualizations. You’ll see how creating visuals of data can build a better process of improving healthcare.

This best online course is divided into four parts. Most students take about eight weeks to complete the class. It is an online health informatics with certificates course. The certificate costs an additional $249.

Visit the course website.

Points: 11

Affordability: Free

Learning Level: Advanced

Accessibility: High. Access the course any time of day or night. The course is self-paced. You can take as much or as little time as you need.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is health informatics a good degree?

In short, yes, this is a good degree.

There are many reasons why health informatics is a good degree. This is a rapidly growing field. Workers in this area are in high demand. They should remain in high demand for the next decade or so, if not longer. That’s because there is more health data that needs to be organized, analyzed, and secured.

Not only that, there is good income potential for many jobs. If you major in health informatics, chances are you will be able to find a job, and a good-paying one at that. Pay varies from one employment area to the next. However, overall pay is pretty good.

Speaking of employment areas, there are all kinds of places you might be able to work with a degree in this area. Some people work in hospitals and other medical settings. Others work for government agencies like the Centers for Disease Control. Yet others go the IT route and develop healthcare-related software.

Another reason why this is a good degree is because there are so many ways to get your degree. You can study in-person. Online is also an option. In some cases, a hybrid of the two might work best. Likewise, you can pursue two-year, four-year, and graduate degrees. In some cases, you might even find that employers are willing to pay for some or all of your schooling to get a degree.

This is a good degree for yet another reason – in some cases, it can be done quickly. For students that can handle a larger class load, you could shave a semester or more off of your degree. For example, if you attend school full-time year-round, you might be able to finish a bachelor’s degree in three years rather than four.

You find people entering this field from a wide range of employment backgrounds as well. For example, some workers have clinical health experience. Others have a background in medical lab services. Some get their start in dentistry, occupational therapy, or another health-related job.

An equally large part of the workforce has a background in information technology. IT coordinators and application specialists can pursue a degree in health informatics. So too can systems analysts, data quality managers, and IT coordinators.

The point is there are many opportunities for many different people. If you want to advance your career or change your career path altogether, this is a good option.

How do I become a health informatics specialist?

As healthcare industry jobs become more and more in demand, students are increasingly choosing to major in fields that lead to careers in health informatics. One such career is health informatics specialist.

Health informatics online courses are important for getting this degree. In many cases, online health informatics with certificates courses can also help you complete the credits necessary to become a specialist in this area.

Though there are many different paths you can take for this career, the most common is to start with a bachelor’s degree. In most cases, specialists in this field have a degree in nursing or a closely related career. Typically, a bachelor’s degree takes four years to complete. It usually requires about 120 semester credits of study.

The next step is to get a master’s degree. A degree in health informatics is ideal. However, a master’s in health administration is another option. For most students, a master’s degree takes 2-3 years to complete. This depends on whether you study full-time or part-time. Depending on the program, you might need to complete anywhere from 30-60 semester credits.

Another way to enter this field is if you already have a bachelor’s degree in a non-healthcare discipline. Many schools offer master’s programs for students without work experience in healthcare. In many cases, these programs result in a Master’s of Health Administration (MHA).

If you want the best job prospects, it makes sense to get a certificate as well. For example, some health informatics specialists are Certified Associates in Healthcare Information and Management Systems. This certification is offered by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). The credential requires applicants to:

Have a high school diploma or GED
Have at least 45 hours of continuing education in one or more of the following areas:
- Healthcare information technology
- Digital health
- Informatics
Achieve a satisfactory score on the CAHIMS exam

This certification is not required. However, it could help you stand out among other applicants for a position in health informatics.

Can I study health informatics completely online?

Yes! Health informatics online courses are pretty common. Additionally, degrees in this area are available in online formats. You can get an associate’s degree in health informatics online. You can also get a bachelor’s degree online. You can even get a master’s degree online if you wish.

Learning online is not all that different from on-campus learning. The major difference is that you have greater flexibility for studying than on-campus learners.

For example, on-campus students might have three class sessions each week for one hour each. But online learners might not have any formal class sessions at all. Instead, you might have more independent learning and on-demand video lectures in lieu of class meetings online. This means that you can study according to your schedule. So, if you work full-time, you can work on your studies in the evenings after work.

Online learning has come a long way in the last 20 years or so. Online learning back then was little more than message boards and e-mails. But today, health informatics online courses offer robust learning environments. Some courses have video conferencing. Others use online learning platforms to keep you engaged with your classmates and teacher. Yet others make use of online learning materials like videos, quizzes, flashcards, and so forth to give you a more traditional classroom experience.

As noted in the previous question and answer, there is a set procedure for getting a degree in this field. Online learners must earn the same number of credits to get their degree as those who study on campus. In many cases, online classes are taught by the same professors as in-person classes. And online classes often have the same course requirements, texts, assignments, and tests.

So, if you’re worried about learning online, don’t be. Online learning in health informatics is a great option for busy students that need a more flexible schedule.

Are there options for online health informatics with certificates?

Yes. In fact, there are many different options for online health informatics with certificates.

You can take any number of individual courses in online health informatics that come with a certificate. Usually, individual courses come with a completion certificate. As the name suggests, this certificate is earned after successfully completing a course. It is the most basic kind of certificate.

But, just because it’s basic doesn’t mean that it isn’t valuable. Completion certificates show your dedication to expanding your knowledge and skills in this field. Potential employers might look favorably on an applicant that has taken a number of courses and earned certificates for each. Likewise, if you’re already employed in this area, your employer might count an online health informatics with certificates course toward continuing education requirements.

You can also get an educational certification online. An educational certification has stricter requirements than a completion certificate. For example, the University of South Florida (USF) offers an Online Graduate Health Informatics Certificate that requires 12 credits for completion. Once the coursework is done, you’ll have an official certificate that you can put on your resume.

This particular certificate is for graduate students. All 12 credits will count toward a graduate degree in this field at USF if you choose to continue your studies.

However, not all educational certificates are at the graduate level. There are many bachelor’s certificates and even some associate’s certificates as well. Usually these certificates require 12-15 credit hours, though that depends on the type of certificate.

Remember as well that there are professional certificate options. As mentioned earlier, the Certified Associate in Healthcare Information and Management Systems is a popular certification for workers in this field.

What careers are good for transitioning to health informatics?

Workers in health informatics come from many different backgrounds. However, the most common careers to transition into health informatics are healthcare and information technology.

Many healthcare professionals, like nurses, transition to health informatics. Their knowledge of healthcare and experience in using health informatics makes it a natural fit for a career change. What’s more, registered nurses can become a nurse informaticist. This job is a blend of nursing and information management.

Pharmacists are also well-prepared for health informatics careers. The knowledge of drugs and their uses is a great asset to have as a health informaticist. Likewise, they can combine these experiences to focus on things like drug production or pharmacy informatics.

As noted above, information technology prepares you well for a career in this area. For example, IT specialists have a wealth of knowledge regarding data collection, management, and analysis. Just like healthcare professionals will need to be educated in information technology, people in IT will need additional education to become versed in healthcare. It will take some additional time to complete this schooling, but it could be well worth the time and effort for a career in health informatics.

What is the salary for health informatics?

According to the BLS, Medical Records and Health Information Technicians earn a median annual wage of $45,630. The pay range is quite wide, though. The top 10 percent of earners make more than $71,150 per year. The lowest 10 percent of earners make less than $27,820.

There are different reasons for this wide pay range.

First, your level of education influences your earnings. As noted above, there are many different jobs in health informatics for all levels of education. But a common theme is that the more education you have, the more money you are likely to earn.

Second, your level of experience can greatly determine your salary. If you’re fresh out of college, you can’t expect to earn as much as someone with 10 years of experience. Similarly, someone with 10 years of experience is not likely to make as much as someone with 30 years of experience.

A third factor that impacts your wages is the specific field in which you work. For example, workers in state, local, and private hospitals have the highest median earnings in this field at $45,710. In contrast, workers in doctor’s offices have a median yearly salary of $38,040.

Of these factors, your level of education is likely to have the greatest impact on your salary, at least at the start of your career. So, someone with no experience and an associate’s degree will not earn as much as someone with no experience and a master’s degree. Then, as your career advances, your level of experience is likely to become the primary factor in determining your salary.

What is the job outlook for health informatics?

The growth of health informatics is expected to be strong through the end of the 2020s. In fact, the BLS estimates that employment in health informatics will grow by eight percent through 2029. This isn’t as fast as some other careers. However, it is still a much higher than average rate of growth.

There are several reasons why demand is expected to grow.

First, the population of the United States is getting older. As people age, they often seek more and more healthcare services. This being the case, health informatics is becoming more and more important. With more health and medical data, there is a greater demand for workers that can organize and analyze that information.

Second, electronic health records (EHR) are becoming the norm. With healthcare providers of all kinds using EHR, there is a greater need for trained technicians to manage all that healthcare data

A final reason for the growth of this field is advancements in healthcare. As the quality of services and access of services improve, more people will seek out care. This only adds to the amount of medical data that needs to be stored, managed, organized, and analyzed.

OCR Staff

January 2021

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