Knocking on Doors - How Healthcare Workers Informally Develop Expertise in Biomedical and Health Informatics.

With digital systems permeating the healthcare sector, the healthcare workforce (clinical and administrative) need insight in biomedical health informatics (BMHI) to some degree. This study shows how novices in BMHI had to knock hard on several doors to find and become part of a community of practice to gain such expertise within BMHI. While it may be generally understood that gaining access to expertise is important, our findings suggest that more attention is needed to how such access is gained. The study exemplifies that the needed skills and competencies are difficult to identify in the individual projects and are highly situated - not least because it requires access to various experts in communities of practices. Therefore, there is a continued need to reframe the necessary education and training. Knowing when to knock on doors, which doors to knock on, and keeping doors open is central to becoming - and keep on being - a part of a community of practice centring on health information technology and BMHI.

Access to Development Opportunities in Biomedical and Health Informatics.

In between users and trained informaticians, we find a group of people carrying out important work in implementing and further developing health information technology, without access to formal biomedical and health informatics (BMHI) training. Study findings show what is required of novices in BMHI to gain access to communities of practice through which expertise can be developed.

Capacity Building in Preparing the Health Workforce to Deliver the Digital Future.

Programs supporting the necessary combination of digital, organizational, and cultural transformational change, motivating and engaging the workforce, are scarce. This discussion paper reports on the initial experiences from a competency development program aiming at building capacity within the workforce, leaders, and organization in secondary healthcare to navigate and facilitate digitally transformative healthcare systems. The program aims to support employees and leaders who i) understand digitalization in and of practice, ii) reflect and approach digitalization in a critical and ethical way, iii) are curious and maintain a growth mind-set, iv) engage in development and implementation of digitalization, and v) can convey and communicate digitalization. The insights from the prototype can be useful in further promoting sustainable digitalization within healthcare and supporting leaders in their conduct and management of digital health initiatives.