Health information management and physiotherapy faculty collaboration to discover the use of health informatics hiding in plain sight in an entry-level DPT program.

This article examines how a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at a large U.S. public university identified previously unrecognized health informatics (HI) content within its curriculum to better comply with accreditation requirements set by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). Using a mixed methods action research approach involving faculty questionnaires, interviews, and syllabus reviews, the study found that many faculty members were initially unfamiliar with CAPTE's HI definition, which emphasizes the use of health information technology to support clinical decision making rather than merely electronic record keeping. The collaboration between physical therapy and health information management faculty led to revisions and additions of student learning objectives (SLOs) that more accurately reflect existing HI content across multiple courses, thereby enhancing faculty understanding and supporting future reaccreditation efforts. The study highlights the importance of explicitly recognizing and integrating HI in health professions education to prepare graduates for data-driven clinical environments.