Miles to go before we sleep: education, technology, and the changing paradigms in health information

Purpose: This lecture discusses a philosophy of educating health information professionals in a rapidly changing health care and information environment. Discussion: Education for health information professionals must be based upon a solid foundation of the changing paradigms and trends in health care and health information, as well as technological advances, to produce a well-prepared information workforce to meet the demands of health-related environments. Educational programs should begin with the core principles of library and information sciences and expand in interdisciplinary collaborations. A model of the health care environment is presented to serve as a framework for developing educational programs for health information professionals. Conclusion: Interdisciplinary and collaborative relationships—which merge health care, library and information sciences, and other information-related disciplines—should form the basis of education for health information professionals.