Update on informatics-focused certification and accreditation activities

Informatics as a field is maturing both in the range of educational programs and the number and type of positions for informatics professionals. Although there has been an expansion of the traditional masters and PhD programs, there are an increasing number of novel programs serving the entire pipeline—high school students, college students, medical students and professionals. For professionals, we see new positions in which informatics is a key component—C-level decision makers, practitioners implementing these systems, and related informatics professions seeking education to help lead their organizations.AMIA has been leading the way to assure the public that educational programs that teach informatics have high quality programs and are teaching the science and practical use of informatics through our accreditation activities. AMIA has also been working to develop new ways to recognize informatics expertise through certification and testing.It is important we understand the distinctions between certification for individuals, and …