Why Informatics is Important: The Intersection Between People, Technology and Information
From businesses to government and healthcare, all aspects of society and business rely on technology to solve problems, make informed decisions, and stay competitive. In our digital world, informatics is the intersection of people and technology, considering the interaction between information systems and users. When determining why informatics is important, especially today, it’s essential to understand that professionals in this applied science focus on how people interact with information and technology — and apply that knowledge to solve real-world problems.
Here’s what you need to know about this increasingly vital field, how it impacts our world, and how a master’s level education can advance your career.
Why Informatics is Important
Because it includes the study, design, and development of information technology that generates, stores, processes, and presents information, informatics is being applied across all sectors. Experts in this field do everything from designing human-centred information systems and handling data and information security to creating mobile applications. Their technical expertise plays a role in solving various challenges, including usability, reliability, privacy, and safety and security of information. This involves data collection, information systems, user needs, knowledge creation, and data-driven decisions.
Many people are familiar with health informatics, which focuses on enhancing patient care and is leading the medical technological revolution. Professionals in this sector may improve patient portals, create cloud-based healthcare systems, and help personalize treatment plans. Their expertise manages costs, improves access to care, and ensures patient safety.
Those with non-healthcare informatics jobs in Ontario, for example, may work in various positions across all business areas. In cyber security, they may work to protect sensitive information or analyze data for more innovative solutions. Others may work directly with data. However, unlike data analysts who extract insights from data through processes such as statistical analysis, informatics professionals take it a step further. They integrate data management, system design, and workflows to support decision-making and operational efficiency. They focus on building and managing data systems to ensure accessibility, scalability, and reliability. The last section of this article has more information about jobs.
How a Master of Informatics Takes You Further
Because this field includes many subspecialties, such as computer science, information systems, information technology and statistics, it requires an in-depth education. That’s why a master-level program can help you launch a meaningful career, making an immediate impact.
Northeastern University in Toronto, the Master of Professional Studies in Informatics offers the type of training today’s employers seek. Rather than solely focusing on technical skills, it helps students develop leadership abilities to be prepared for C-suite roles.
The program connects computing and management skills and applications to real-world challenges of information strategy, data governance, ethics and business intelligence. Students become competent in information technology management, system design and development, information security, human-computer interaction, data analytics, cloud computing and web services, and enterprise architecture.
An emphasis on experiential learning through real-world projects and optional co-op experience also plays a significant role in preparing learners for the realities of the field. Faculty members are equally eager to connect students with mentorship, collaboration, and job opportunities.
To ensure Northeastern University in Toronto’s Master of Informatics reflects the industry’s latest needs, the school regularly updates the curriculum to include emerging topics such as artificial intelligence, cloud, cybersecurity trends, and cutting-edge technologies.
Helping to realize this program’s goal to provide students with relevant learning, experiential opportunities, and professional network growth is the university’s location in the heart of Toronto, one of North America’s most prominent tech hubs.
The Various Informatics Job Ontario Offers
A quick Indeed job search for Informatics jobs in Ontario reveals over 100 current opportunities. Of those positions, over 50 are in the Greater Toronto Area. All of them can be applied for with a master’s degree. Among these positions are IT specialist, risk analyst, business intelligence architect, networking engineer, cloud or data engineer, cyber security specialist, and project manager in digital health.
The diversity of roles perfectly reflects how informatics is applied to all areas of business and society, from startups, banks, and other financial institutions to telecommunication companies. As technology and human interactions with information evolve, so will informatics, opening it — and your career options — to even more possibilities.
By: Izabela Shubair
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_informatics
https://www.egnyte.com/guides/life-sciences/what-is-informatics
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-informatics-lori-r-stone-mpm-pmp/
https://ca.indeed.com/jobs?q=informatics&l=ontario&from=searchOnDesktopSerp&vjk=df6b489798cfae10