Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42066252›Full record

ArticleJMIR medical education2026

Value, Structure, and Curriculum in US Graduate Health Informatics Programs: Cross-Sectional Study.

Suhila Sawesi, Diane M Dolezel, Pranitha Presingu, Michael Irungu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR medical education, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Suhila SawesiHealth and Bioinformatics Program, Department of Information Sciences and Technologies (IST), College of Computing, Grand Valley State University, 333 Michigan Street NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, United States, 1 616-331-7827 ext 17827.ORCID 0000-0002-3510-8543
Diane M DolezelDepartment of Health Informatics & Information Management, Texas State University, Round Rock, TX, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-6588-4957
Pranitha PresinguHealth and Bioinformatics Program, Department of Information Sciences and Technologies (IST), College of Computing, Grand Valley State University, 333 Michigan Street NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, United States, 1 616-331-7827 ext 17827.ORCID 0009-0009-6240-9606
Michael IrunguHealth and Bioinformatics Program, Department of Information Sciences and Technologies (IST), College of Computing, Grand Valley State University, 333 Michigan Street NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, United States, 1 616-331-7827 ext 17827.ORCID 0009-0005-4029-5741

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Graduate health informatics programs in the United States differ widely in cost, curriculum, and program design. However, it is unclear how these differences influence affordability, accreditation signaling, and preparation for a data-driven workforce. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the value (tuition and affordability), structure (delivery format, credit load, culminating experience, and accreditation), and curriculum (technology content emphasis) of US graduate health informatics programs. It examined how accreditation and modality relate to program design, and whether tuition-normalized curriculum breadth differed by accreditation status. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 107 US graduate health informatics programs was conducted using publicly available data collected between January and May 2025. Tuition was standardized to cost per credit. Curricular content was coded for technology density and mapped to the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education domains. Comparative statistics, regression models, and exploratory cluster analyses were used to assess relationships between tuition, credit requirements, accreditation, delivery format, and curriculum characteristics. Results: Programs varied by delivery format, with 37 of 107 (34.6%) online, 32 of 107 (29.9%) hybrid, 23 of 107 (21.5%) in person, and 15 of 107 (14.0%) flexible. Credit requirements most commonly fell between 31 and 39 credits. Culminating experiences included capstone (54/107, 50.5%), internships (21/107, 19.6%), and thesis (7/107, 6.5%). Required credit hours showed modest variation by delivery format but not by accreditation status. Accreditation was not associated with differences in the tuition-normalized curriculum breadth structural proxy in this program-level analysis. Programs requiring internships had significantly higher mean credit loads than programs without internships (39.0 vs 31.3 credits; P=.005). Cluster analysis revealed 4 descriptive program configurations differentiated by cost, modality, credit requirements, and culminating experiences. Conclusions: In this program-level descriptive analysis, accreditation status was not associated with differences in tuition-normalized curriculum breadth structural proxy. Instead, delivery format and internship requirements were descriptively associated with variation in credit load and cost. Improving transparency in tuition models and aligning program structure with curricular scope may support efforts to enhance equity and value in graduate health informatics education.

Indexed as

CurriculumMedical InformaticsAccreditationCross-Sectional StudiesHumansUnited Statesaccreditationcurriculumeducationgraduatehealth informaticsHuman Capital Theorytuition

Identifiers

PMID42066252
PMCPMC13134824

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.