Research Alert: November 13, 2015

Access to Health Information Technology Training Programs at the Community College Level

Successful implementation of health information technology (HIT) in rural areas depends on the availability of a well-trained HIT workforce, and community colleges are key educational resources for producing this workforce. This study examined HIT workforce development programs in community colleges in order to increase understanding of the types of programs offered, describe the characteristics and sources of community college HIT curricula, highlight how these programs may be reaching underserved populations and students with limitations to accessing classroom-based courses, and identify barriers faced by these programs in achieving their HIT education goals. Information about the strengths and needs of the nation's community college HIT education programs should help inform future HIT skills training programs and contribute to growing and strengthening the HIT workforce.

Additional Resources of Interest:

• More information about the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
• More information from the Rural Health Information Hub's topic guides: Education and Training of the Rural Healthcare Workforce, Healthcare Workforce