Programs

Data Science

Healthcare informatics involves the implementation and evaluation of communication systems that improve healthcare. Such communication systems include electronic health records, decision-support tools, the health information exchange standards such as Health Level 7 (HL 7), medical terminologies such as the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms (SNOMED-CT), and portable medical devices used for the collection of health data.

Health Services Research

Health services research, sometimes termed outcomes research, studies how social factors, health policy, financing systems, organizational structures and processes, and personal behaviors affect access to health care, the quality and cost of health care, and quantity and quality of life. The intent of this research is to identify shortfalls in practice and to develop strategies to improve care. It seeks to study and optimize the end results of healthcare in terms of benefits to the patient and society. The results of outcomes research are used to inform the decisions of legislative bodies that make decisions related to healthcare, as well as of financial bodies (governments, insurers, employers) who seek to minimize cost and waste while ensuring the provision of an acceptable level of care. Patients also have a significant stake in outcomes research because it facilitates their decision-making, both in deciding what intervention is best for them given their circumstances, and as members of the public who have ultimately to pay for medical services.

Implementation Science

Implementation Science is the study of methods to promote the integration of research findings and evidence into healthcare policy and practice. Implementation science facilitates integration of effective interventions into diverse practice settings while emphasizing direct engagement with the institutions and communities where health interventions are introduced.

APPLY FOR A CHIME FELLOWSHIP

VA Advanced Postdoctoral Fellowship in Women's Health

The VA Advanced Fellowship in Women's Health is a two-year research fellowship in women's health sponsored by the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The overarching goal of the fellowship is to provide focused, structured, mentored research training for individuals across diverse disciplines who are committed to becoming leaders in investigating health issues of women and to pursuing a career in women's health. Research focuses improving the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of relevant women's health issues.