Preceptor: Paul Testa, MD and Gavriil Ilizarov, DO
Contact Email: gavriil.ilizarov@nyulangone.org, paul.testa@nyulangone.org
Telephone: Paul Testa, MD (646) 524-0533 / Gavriil Ilizarov, DO (646) 530-1982

Prerequisites: None

Description

Background
At the intersection of health care and technology lies one of the fastest growing fields in our modern era: clinical informatics. As the technology sector continues its exponential expansion into everyday life for the modern individual, health care also seeks to integrate these advances into practice by satisfying the Triple Aim: improving patient experience, improving the health of populations and reducing the cost of health care.

There is an obvious gap in medical student education across the country as there is little to no exposure to the field of clinical informatics. As generations become increasingly familiar with various aspects of technology, it stands to reason that this is where leaders for the field of informatics should be developed. A physician who receives training on health care technology and its implementation receives the foundation on which to innovate in all aspects of healthcare.

One of the most important steps in this process is the development of a curriculum that weaves clinical informatics in from the beginning, starting with pre-clinical years. This initiative is one that many schools have undertaken and was recognized as early as 1998. It has become crucial to have more explicit exposure to the field necessitating a clinical informatics elective.

Elective Description
This elective will serve as an introduction to the field of clinical informatics at NYU Langone Health (NYULH). Medical students will be directly integrated with residents and will be given the same didactics and reading assignments. Aside from connecting with their peers offline and in real time over the course of the elective, all elective participants will be asked to join a “Introduction to Clinical Informatics Alumni Network”. This will provide a powerful platform for all alumni to connect and continue to explore their interest in informatics, with multiple opportunities for guidance, education and further participation.

Students will shadow various informaticists and participate in health information technology (HIT) related activities across four departments at NYULH: Institute for Innovations in Medical Education (IIME), Digital Health Innovation and Entrepreneurialism, Clinical Informatics, and MCIT/Overview. One student and resident will be integrated with a department for each week of the elective, rotating each week. This will expose the learner to some of the breadth of HIT while also providing ample opportunity for the development of mentor-mentee relationships, which can be further solidified as the student requires an informaticist point-of-contact for the elective project. Afternoons will be reserved for didactics to be given to all students and residents on the elective. Time not used for didactics is to be used for self-reading, journal club, and completion of their project.

Objectives of the Elective

1. Exposure to multiple sectors of Healthcare Informatics at NYU
2. Didactics
3. Seminal paper readings and journal club
4. Formation of alumni network
5. Project

Objective 1: Scope / Exposure

• Educational informatics - IIME (Marc Triola, MD)
  • Shadowing and on the job learning opportunities.
  • Observe career opportunities.
• Clinical Informatics and Innovation - Digital Health Innovation and Entrepreneurialism (Sarah MacArthur, MD).
  • Shadowing and on the job learning opportunities.
  • Observe career opportunities
• Clinical Informatics (Jonathan Austrian, MD / Adam Szerencsy, DO / Eduardo Iturrate, MD /Gavriil Ilizarov, DO).
  • Shadowing and on the job learning opportunities.
  • Observe career opportunities
• MCIT/Overview (Paul Testa, MD)
  • Shadowing and on the job learning opportunities.
  • Participation in various informatics related meetings/conferences will give the student insight into the decision making process involving HIT.
    • Meetings that students attend will be decided on a case-by-case basis by Dr. Testa
  • Observe career opportunities.

Objective 2: Papers

• Self-reading
• Journal Club every Friday

Objective 3: Alumni Network

• All participants required to sign in through Qualtrics database.
• Newsletter - work in progress.
• Networking opportunities to be facilitated by contacting other alumni of the elective through the Qualtrics database.

Objective 4: Project (simple but meaningful!)

• Decided in first week.
• Tailored to personal goals.
• Physician informaticist mentor.
• Presented to other students / residents and elective leader at end of month.

Key Responsibilities of the student while on Elective

1. Participation in aforementioned activities.
2. Choosing and developing an HIT project.
3. Joining the elective alumni network.
4. Reading and presenting assigned papers.

Method of Evaluation

Students will be graded Pass/Fail based on attendance/participation (80%) and project presentation (20%).

Scheduling Information

Months Offered: All year
Duration: 2 weeks
Report To: Gavriil Ilizarov, DO, gavriil.ilizarov@nyulangone.org
Students per Period: 1