Clinical Informatics: Emergence of a New Profession

Clinical informatics has evolved over the last 50 years, along with computing and communications technology and with our healthcare system and its financing. In the last decade a new profession has emerged, with formal curricula for trainees and certification examinations for physicians who work in the discipline. In the coming years, new certification options will become available for non-physicians and others who may not be eligible for the current medical subspecialty certification. Career options are diverse and the demand for well-trained clinical informaticians is strong, with increasing recognition of the practical and strategic importance of the field and its practitioners.