Informatics and Analytics

Annual Reflections at the End of 2021

By William Hersh MD – As is the tradition with this blog, I end each year with a reflective look at the year past and what the future may hold. The year 2021 is not ending quite like I anticipated. At the beginning of the year, there were stirrings of optimism.



Musings on a Tool Every Academic Should Use

By William Hersh MD – I often muse that there are few computer applications that truly save me time. For all the fun and productive things that computers enable me to do, they are just as often a time sink rather than a time saver, especially when hardware or software go wrong.


Certification for the Rest of Informatics

By William Hersh MD – After several years of planning, professional certification is coming to the rest of the informatics field, i.e., moving beyond just board certification for eligible physicians. The AMIA has now rolled out the AMIA Health Informatics Certification (AHIC, formerly Advanced Health Informatics Certification).


Scientific Rankings for the Informatics Professor

By William Hersh MD – While I agree with those who argue that scientific rankings, especially based on bibliographic citation indicators, are limited in their measurement of a scientist’s impact, I must admit a certain fascination with them. Perhaps that stems from my interest in dissemination and retrieval of scientific information generally.



Response to NIH RIF

By William Hersh MD – In addition to its public health problems, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed other fault lines in society, not the least of which is systematic racism that still pervades American society. A more equitable society would ensure diversity and inclusion in all aspects of life, including in healthcare and in biomedical research.