医疗保健信息学的定义是理解和促进医疗保健中信息的有效组织，分析，管理和使用。根据美国医学信息学协会的说法，该领域将技术用作帮助组织和管理医疗保健信息的不可或缺的工具。来自多个学科的工具和技术汇集在一起​​，以在此管理过程中提供帮助。有助于医疗保健信息学的学科包括计算机与信息科学，统计学，健康科学，健康管理和工程学等学科。从历史上看，医疗保健信息学已经通过医疗保健交付中的计算机化努力得到了认可。卫生保健中信息管理的示例包括电子病历（EMR），护理质量的度量以及对患者感知的健康结果的研究。尽管难以枚举信息学在
Healthcare informatics is defined as the understanding and promoting the effective organization, analysis, management and use of information in healthcare. According to the American Medical Informatics Association, this field uses technology as an integral tool to help organize and manage healthcare information. Tools and techniques from a number of disciplines are brought together to help in this management process. Disciplines contributing to healthcare informatics include such disciplines as computer and information science, statistics, health sciences, health management, and engineering. Historically, healthcare informatics has been identified with the computerization efforts in healthcare delivery. Examples of information management in heathcare include Electronic Medical Record (EMR), the measurement of quality of care and the study of patient-perceived health outcomes. While it is difficult to enumerate all of the possible uses of informatics in healthcare, they include the use of computers in many decision making situations including those required during clinical trials for new drugs, the design of an experimental research, or the evaluation of a healthcare program. At least 18 credit hours from courses listed below are required for the completion of the certificate. Based on the student's background, a minimum of two courses from each of the listed areas must be chosen.