What is public health informatics?

Public Health Informatics is defined as the systematic application of information and computer science and technology to public health practice, research and learning. It is the discipline that integrates public health and information technology.

Why is public health an important area for informatics specialization?

Principals of public health define a special set of informatics issues and challenges. The type, extensiveness, and presentation of data needed to address public health functions present unique requirements for acquisition, storage, analysis and presentation of large amounts of data about healthy people or patients. More than ever, there is a need for a cadre of professionals who can understand and apply information and computer science technology to public health practice and learning (i.e., public health informatics).

The Department of Biomedical Informatics at Columbia University offers public health as one of its four areas for specialization. Training and research opportunities with the Mailman School of Public Health, located on the same health sciences campus as the Department of Biomedical Informatics, enables students to generalize informatics methods and techniques for application to public health issues.

We invite you to learn more, by contacting the Coordinator of the Public Health Informatics Track

Rita Kukafka, MA, DrPH
Assistant Professor of Public Health and Medical Informatics
rita.kukafka@dmi.columbia.edu
212 305-9193