Health informatics education – working across the professional boundaries

Examines requirements of information professionals in the health sector, and ways career development can be enhanced. Includes analysis of job descriptions, categorising skills and roles, mapping profiles to other criteria, including health sector, and two statements for standards in higher education. Interviews with nine professionals confirmed findings of the job description analysis. There is a spectrum of skills, with clumps of traditional library skills, information analysis skills and a growing need for specialist skills. The statement provides a good basis for skills required. Providers need to encourage students towards “lifelong learning” to meet changing requirements.