Electronic Health Reporter

Careers that combine specialized skills in health care and data are on the rise. It is estimated that by 2030 healthcare-related jobs could grow by 80 million to 130 million, and equipping these health workers with the latest technology and data skills is critical. To help meet this need, UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education has partnered with the online learning education platform, Coursera, to launch a new program, Health Information Literacy for Data Analytics. This three-month, online program is intended for professionals who work in data and technology with no experience in health care learn how to work with healthcare data and apply their existing skills to the healthcare industry.

Instructors for the specialization are Brian Paciotti, a healthcare data scientist, and Doug Berman, director of data acquisition and architecture, both with the Research IT Department at UC Davis Health System.

“Experience in health care is a critical qualification for people I hire,” said Berman. “This specialization allows people with experience in general IT systems to change or advance their careers in healthcare IT. They are able to demonstrate an understanding of the nuances of working in healthcare information systems and appreciate the unique challenges and opportunities healthcare data systems present.”

The Health Information Literacy for Data Analytics Specialization on Coursera complements the existing Healthcare Analytics Certificate Program offered by UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education. While the certificate program is designed for those with health care and clinical experience to learn the skills of data analytics, the Coursera program is designed for tech and data professionals to learn the terminology and types of data found in health care.

What you’ll learn

The Coursera specialization covers the various types and sources of healthcare data, how to understand and interpret the values of these data, how to assess the quality of data, and how to compare and contrast the common data models used in healthcare systems. Courses in the specialization include:

• Healthcare Data Literacy
• Healthcare Data Models
• Healthcare Data Quality and Governance
• Analytical Solutions to Common Healthcare Problems

“The courses in the specialization fill an essential need for data and technology professionals interested in a career in health care,” said Misty Avila, Health Sciences program manager at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education. “With the knowledge and experience of the UC Davis healthcare data scientists, we are able to help bridge this gap and prepare professionals for a career in healthcare data.”

As the demand for robust healthcare data analytics grows, so do the career opportunities. If you’re a technology or data science specialist looking for a career change into health care, consider if this three-month, online program is right for you. Learn more about the specialization at Coursera.org.

For more information or to enroll, call (800) 752-0881, email cpeinfo@ucdavis.edu or visit our website.

For nearly 60 years, the UC Davis Division of Continuing and Professional Education has blended the distinctive academic expertise of UC Davis with practical training that immediately improves capability and job performance. This “Career Curriculum” supports working professionals as they refresh and expand job skills over the course of their careers.

With 63,000 annual enrollments in classroom and online university-level courses and more than 220,000 students on Coursera, UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education serves lifelong learners in the growing Sacramento region, all 50 states and more than 100 countries.