Length: one 1-month rotation
Informatics at UNM is often melded with clinical chemistry as a 3 month rotation with duties split into 2/3 chemistry and 1/3 informatics. Alternatively, informatics can be a 1 month rotation separate from clinical chemistry.
The informatics rotation offers an overview experience in various aspects of laboratory informatics. The resident contours a set of objectives with the attending faculty based on the level of sophistication the resident already has with regard to informatics. Rotation training is geared toward developing competencies and understanding of pathology information technology within the laboratory and hospital setting. The resident is expected to pick a project during the rotation and bring it to completion to demonstrate the skills learned while on the rotation.
Concepts covered during the rotation include strategies of extraction and organization of data from electronic records, computer hardware and software, instruction in programming principles relative to development and maintenance of a web site, utilization of software packages to manipulate data, networking and communication standards, literature searching, data standards and encoding schemes, and laboratory information systems. Residents are able to learn these concepts through settings to include both the University Hospital and TriCore Reference Laboratories.
