Frequently Asked Questions

Clinical Informatics (CI) is a field dedicated to enhancing healthcare by leveraging technology and data. The discipline is probably best summarized by “The Fundamental Theorem of Clinical informatics” represented above - that physicians work safer, faster, and better with the aid of technology and information. The role of a clinical informaticist is to uphold this principle across the healthcare system—whether through the design and optimization of electronic health records (EHRs) or the evaluation and integration of innovations like artificial intelligence (AI) into clinical workflows. CI is a specialty-neutral discipline formally recognized by the ACGME, with board certification offered through the American Board of Preventive Medicine and professional representation through the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA).

Pursuing a Clinical Informatics fellowship is a strategic investment for physicians who wish to lead the transformation of healthcare through technology.  A fellowship provides structured, hands-on training in electronic health record optimization, decision-support design and workflow analysis, ensuring that graduates possess the technical, operational and leadership skills required to drive meaningful improvements in patient care.

One of the most compelling reasons to complete an ACGME-accredited fellowship is board certification eligibility. While a temporary “practice pathway” has allowed experienced clinicians to sit for the exam, that option has ended. Fellowship completion remains the primary and now only route to formal recognition in Clinical Informatics.

Fellows engage directly with real-world projects, collaborating with IT analysts, quality leaders and frontline clinicians. This immersive experience in EHR implementation, data governance and quality improvement can rarely be replicated, and it builds a portfolio of tangible achievements that propels one’s career.

Employers are more commonly valuing fellowship trained and board certified informaticians so it will likely keep more options open for informatics work in the future. Finally, joining a fellowship connects physicians to a vibrant professional network through organizations like AMIA and ACIF. Fellows benefit from mentorship, collaborative research and ongoing professional development, laying the groundwork for sustained impact long after training ends.

Physician informaticists are medical doctors who practice clinical informatics and use their medical knowledge along with technology to improve healthcare practices. They bridge the gap between medical staff and IT departments, helping design systems that make healthcare more efficient. By understanding both clinical workflows and the technical side of healthcare, physician informaticists play a crucial role in shaping the future of healthcare delivery.  Clinical informatics fellows are physician informaticists in training.

A clinical informaticist plays a crucial role in integrating information technology into healthcare to improve patient care and operational efficiency. Their responsibilities can vary depending on the specific role and setting, but generally include supporting IT systems, data analysis and utilization, workflow optimization, clinical decision support, technology compliance and security, and patient engagement. Overall, a clinical informaticist bridges the gap between healthcare and technology, striving to enhance the quality and efficiency of patient care through effective use of information systems. 

Bioinformatics and clinical informatics are both fields that involve the use of data and technology in healthcare and biology, but they focus on different aspects and have distinct goals. Bioinformatics primarily deals with the analysis and interpretation of biological data, particularly large-scale data from genomics, proteomics, and other molecular biology fields. Conversely, clinical informatics focuses on the management and use of information in clinical settings, including electronic health records (EHRs), decision support systems, and patient data management. While bioinformatics is more research-focused and deals with large-scale biological data, clinical informatics is centered around improving healthcare delivery and managing patient information.

Our organization, ACIF, is for physician informaticists who have an MD or DO and have pursued further training in CI, but informatics as a whole is open to many people with healthcare-related degrees, including pharmacologic (PharmD), or nursing (RN, NP, or CNS). Masters programs are offered in biomedical informatics across the country, but are not required. Additionally, other degrees in complementary fields (e.g. computer science, public health, or business) can also be helpful. For physicians, an ACGME-accredited fellowship for Clinical Informatics is available and can be pursued following completion of any residency specialty. Eligibility to be board certified in clinical informatics is now only possible through the fellowship pathway. There is no longer a clinical practice pathway.

Physicians who are finishing their residency training can apply to CI fellowship. It is also possible to do CI fellowship after a clinical fellowship, and some programs even offer dual-fellowships. For more information on applying to fellowship, check out our roadmap to application and consider reading this paper Characteristics of the National Applicant Pool for Clinical Informatics Fellowships (2018-2020)

Clinical informatics conducts its own match through AMIA. The process is similar to residency and fellowship matching. For more information on the match process, check out the AMIA page on the topic and read this paper Creation and Evaluation of a Clinical Informatics Match: Initial Findings

A clinical informaticist can work in various roles, including optimizing EHRs and health IT systems as a Clinical Informatics Specialist, managing IT projects as a Health IT Project Manager, and developing clinical decision support tools as a Clinical Decision Support Analyst. They might also consult on IT system improvements as a Health Informatics Consultant, focus on EHR implementation as an EHR Implementation Specialist, or analyze clinical data for quality improvement as a Clinical Data Analyst. Leadership roles like Health Informatics Director/Manager or CIO/CMIO involve overseeing IT strategies and aligning them with clinical goals. Other roles include improving clinical systems as a Clinical Systems Analyst, enhancing patient engagement through technology as a Patient Experience Specialist, managing research data as a Research Informatics Specialist, and ensuring data accuracy and security as a Health Information Manager. They might also educate others on informatics principles, manage health information exchanges, or coordinate telemedicine programs. Learn more about what past Clinical Informatics Fellows have gone on to do here!

Preference for each term varies regionally. The term "informaticist" is generally preferred over "informatician" in the field of health informatics. "Informaticist" is more commonly used in professional and academic contexts to describe individuals specializing in informatics.