# Career Change - IT to Health Informatics?



## strewth (15 Jan 2009)

I'm thinking of re-training to improve my career prospects. I'm currently working in IT but not hopeful for my future with my employer. I have a good basic ARTS degree as well as a H.Dip in Computer Science. I'm very interested in healthcare and am cosidering doing a Diploma in Healthcare Informatics in either Trinity or UCD. Has anyone out there done either course? Can anyone tell me what the jobs prospects are like? I get the impression from researching this online that it's an area which will grow in the future. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thx


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## iandublin2 (16 Jan 2009)

Hi, Im currently on the Msc in health informatics in Trinity. Its a very interesting course, with about half the people being from an IT background and half from a health background. Ireland apparently lacks enough people with expertise in the area. National and EU regulations and directives should mean more investment in healthcare systems. Some jobs are now specifically looking for qualifications in the area. You would have the chance to work directly for the health service or for other vendors to the health service.


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## eamonn123456 (17 Jan 2009)

Sounds like an interesting course alright.  I have experience in health informatics - I was wondering if there are any job prospects for this in the west of ireland?  Or is it more Dublin based?


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## AlbacoreA (18 Jan 2009)

What sort of jobs does it lead to?


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## yop (20 Jan 2009)

What is it roughly, I am in IT myself.

Thanks


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## Eblanoid (20 Jan 2009)

yop said:


> What is it roughly, I am in IT myself.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_informatics


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## AlbacoreA (20 Jan 2009)

Looks interesting alright.


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## Towger (21 Jan 2009)

AlbacoreA said:


> What sort of jobs does it lead to?


 
Programming in MUMPS


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## pinkyBear (21 Jan 2009)

My background is a nurse who did a degree in programming. I worked in a major hospital in Ireland in the IT department, to be honest I left almost 4 years ago (completely disheartned), very few hospitals will be hiring now. 

It was near to impossible even back then to get some sort of permancy in my job, I was getting 3 month contracts at the time. What the course will give you is an overview of Healthcare and the (IT) issued that are faced within Ireland. The course would be good to give you contacts, however it would not guarentee a job. And Towger is right the likley hood is that you will be maintaining an old MUMPS system. I am one of about 40 developers in Ireland with experience in QUIZ!!!!

All the best P


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## coskar79 (7 Feb 2009)

My background is nursing too. I have done the Trinity course in Informatics. The first year gives you the Diploma in Informatics and the second year gives you the masters. I stopped after the first year. I then went and completed a Diploma in Project Management. The informatics course was good and it gave me a good idea as to where it can go in the future.

First thing Ireland has to do is create the foundations is I don't think it is there yet. It will take a long time because when you are implementing information systems, you are also changing the culture. People have to change their processes and workflow.

The project management course was brilliant. You learn a methodology which can be used so well when you implement a health information system.

I am working in Health Informatics myself and I definately believe that there will be a lot of opportunity for people in this field in the future. When will these opportunities arrive- who knows. There are other countries that are implementing big HI systems such as the UK and AUS.

In summary, Health Informatics is a great area to work in. There are lots of challenges and you will never have a boring day!!


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## eamonn123456 (7 Feb 2009)

Interesting posts.  

Just to add that the HI system being implemented for the NHS in the UK (NPfIT) is an approximately 12 to 20 billion stg project.  

It is suffering HUGE overruns in time and budget terms and is massively controversial in terms of cost versus benefits.

It has been called the biggest civil IT project in the world, but also the biggest disaster.

Lots more detail here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NPfIT

I worked on part of the project for 2 years.

To be honest, I sincerely doubt that Ireland will have any money in the foreseeable to implement anything like this, even on our smaller scale.

I also doubt whether we could manage it, given how badly some mickey mouse public projects have turned out.

So don't hold your breath for anything on a national level to be implemented.


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## coskar79 (25 Feb 2009)

I have been tuning into the media reports re the IT projects in the UK. Like any media report - do we ever get the full picture??
How much work was done in the planning phase of the project. I believe Ireland could do something like it but in a very phased approach!Don't bite off more that you can chew.
Implementing the correct project management methology is so important. Another essential aspect is having people on the team who have experience. Then your chances of success are greater.


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## coskar79 (25 Feb 2009)

Hi Guys,

Questions: Has anyone done the Masters in Informatics. Did you find it of benefit? i have done the Diploma but I am unsure as to what Masters I want to do.


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## eamonn123456 (7 Mar 2009)

coskar79 said:


> I have been tuning into the media reports re the IT projects in the UK. Like any media report - do we ever get the full picture??
> How much work was done in the planning phase of the project. I believe Ireland could do something like it but in a very phased approach!Don't bite off more that you can chew.
> Implementing the correct project management methology is so important. Another essential aspect is having people on the team who have experience. Then your chances of success are greater.



There was plenty of plannng done, and lots of hugely experienced people involved.  The programme is still experiencing MASSIVE problems.  In the unlikely event that such a programme would be funded, I can't see it going any smoother in Ireland.  Small implementations and maintenance is much more likely to be the order of the day.


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## niffle (21 May 2009)

glad to have found this discussion. i am currently working in nursing but being strangled by old fashioned management structures and am considering a change in direction. I love computers so feel this area would be a good fit. are there still jobs in this area, have applied to do trinity course and would welcome any advice from current students. is the work load very big, diploma vs Msc etc 
thanks in advance


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## blutack (21 May 2009)

Interesting, I  work in Hospital IT Management  and have been for the last 5 years and IT industry for the last 14 years.

There's a shortage of Meditech people in Ireland, this software is used in several large hospitals in Ireland, and they rely on support from the USA, as there is nobody good enough in Ireland.

Job prospects are good but you need the right contacts in the field.

I wish you the best of luck.


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