Distance learning techniques for medical informatics

A growing number of health care professionals (e.g., physicians, nurses, librarians, and administrators) desire to enhance their skills and knowledge in medical informatics. These individuals are usually in established careers with limited time as well as inability to relocate to one of the small number of health science universities which offer informatics training. As a result of inquiries about distance learning in medical informatics and a market survey which documented and detailed such interest, a distance learning program was launched by the medical informatics program at Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU). In the 1999-2000 academic year, two graduate-level medical informatics courses in the OHSU program have been taught by distance learning. In the 2000-2001 academic year, an eight-course certificate program will be launched. Further information can be found at: http://www. ohsu.edu/bicc-informatics/distance/