Draft Definitions for Public Health
Informatics Competencies' Target Audience
Public Health Informatician
(PHI): Public health professional who works in practice, research,
or academia, and whose primary work function is to use informatics to
improve the health of populations.
The PHI should be capable
of developing innovative applications of information technology and
information systems that address public health priorities, studying
how information is organized and used, and evaluating this work to contribute
to the scientific field. While such specialists may develop expertise
in a given area, all PHI should have core competencies in both informatics
and public health. Examples of public health informaticians include
project managers for information technology implementations in public
health settings, program managers with primary responsibility for operation
and maintenance of major public health information systems, and researchers
working to develop innovative new information systems to support public
health activities.