THESIS CONDUCTED BY STUDENT IN MEDICAL INFORMATICS FIELD BASED ONHEALTH INFORMATICS COMPETENCIES FRAMEWORK:ASTUDY IN IRAN

One of the challenges of multidisciplinary disciplines such as Medical Informatics, is the lack of familiarity with research fields. Due to the specializations and clinical facilities concentrated in each university, research is being done differently and with variety. Therefore, in this study, in order to identify the most researched fields and the neglected fields of research, the dissertations done in the field of medical informatics in Iranian universities were studied based on the health informatics framework.

Defended dissertations available to master and doctoral students of medical informatics during 2011 to 2019 in the universities of Tehran, Iran, Tarbiat Modares, Shahid Beheshti, Shiraz, Tabriz and Mashhad were collected. Three medical informatics expertsassigned dissertation titles to a competency and an area of skill based on health informatics competencies framework. The second stage of the study was performed by two other experts (different from the previous three experts). Each dissertation title was assigned to a specific competency anda specific area of skill by the majority opinion method.

The results showed that the most of master and doctoral dissertations were in the field of information science and methods, in which area of skill of data analysis and visualization, whichdecision support systems and informatics for participatory healthwere more than others. AmongPhD students, the area of skillof decision support system and architecture of health information systems weremore popular. PhD students at the universities of Mashhad, Tehran and Shahid Beheshti worked in the field of methods and basic principles of activities more than other areas, information and communication technology, biomedical science and health were not considered.

Results of this research could be helpful forfield researchers in terms of conducting new research in the field and can help to design useful, scientific and effective research projects.