The Commission on Excellence and Innovation in Health (CEIH) have supported multiple groups of candidates to undertake CHIA certification since May 2020 and have sponsored over 125 people till date. We caught up with Tina Hardin, Executive Director of Clinical Informatics at CEIH to get her take on the importance of digital health certification for the South Australian health community.
1. What made you choose the CHIA certification program for your staff members?
The CHIA certification sets the framework for the essential knowledge required to support data driven healthcare. We need to build capability, knowledge and expertise across the health sector in digital and data literacy to prepare for a future that will be all about people and data – the delivery of insights to augment our decisions. Putting insights into the hands of those with the power to make decisions is key. We need to enable the health system to do this safely, effectively and efficiently.
And that is why CEIH has been supporting people in the health sector to undertake CHIA. The vast majority of the people we’ve sponsored don’t work for the CEIH.
2. What parts of the business did the candidates come from and what were their professional backgrounds?
Candidates have come from across the health sector and from all aspects of the business. From digital health experts through to front line clinicians, administrative support staff and management roles.
3. What feedback have you received from staff who are successful CHIAs today?
Most of the people I’ve talked to have been able to put a lot of what they’ve learnt into practice almost immediately. Other feedback that we’ve received includes:
- Being formally recognised for the depth of knowledge they bring to their organisation
- Being able to influence key decisions about information systems and how information is delivered and packaged
- Being invited to the table to change how the organisation thinks about and uses data
- Being able to change or steer conversations in directions they might not have been able to before
4. What benefits have you experienced by having your staff certified in health informatics?
Reflecting on the health system in South Australia, we can clearly see conversations changing. Investment in data governance, business intelligence solutions and use of data to support decisions is becoming more and more evident.
5. Do you have any advice for other organisations or individuals considering health informatics certification?
Undertaking CHIA certification can be intense but it’s also rewarding. It can help you really make a difference to your organisation, to healthcare and to achieving better health outcomes.