Summary
Introduction
The emerging operational role of the “Chief Clinical Informatics Officer” (CCIO) remains
heterogeneous with individuals deriving from a variety of clinical settings and backgrounds.
The CCIO is defined in title, responsibility, and scope of practice by local organizations.
The term encompasses the more commonly used Chief Medical Informatics Officer (CMIO)
and Chief Nursing Informatics Officer (CNIO) as well as the rarely used Chief Pharmacy
Informatics Officer (CPIO) and Chief Dental Informatics Officer (CDIO).
Background
The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) identified a need to better delineate
the knowledge, education, skillsets, and operational scope of the CCIO in an attempt
to address the challenges surrounding the professional development and the hiring
processes of CCIOs.
Discussion
An AMIA task force developed knowledge, education, and operational skillset recommendations
for CCIOs focusing on the common core aspect and describing individual differences
based on Clinical Informatics focus. The task force concluded that while the role
of the CCIO currently is diverse, a growing body of Clinical Informatics and increasing
certification efforts are resulting in increased homogeneity. The task force advised
that 1.) To achieve a predictable and desirable skillset, the CCIO must complete clearly
defined and specified Clinical Informatics education and training. 2.) Future education
and training must reflect the changing body of knowledge and must be guided by changing
day-to-day informatics challenges.
Conclusion
A better defined and specified education and skillset for all CCIO positions will
motivate the CCIO workforce and empower them to perform the job of a 21st century
CCIO. Formally educated and trained CCIOs will provide a competitive advantage to
their respective enterprise by fully utilizing the power of Informatics science.
Keywords
Medical informatics/education - curriculum/standards - medical education - medical
graduate - nursing education graduate - nursing education post graduate - pharmacy
education graduate - dental education graduate - fellowships and scholarships/standards
