title: The health information technology workforce: estimations of demands and a framework for requirements.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is increasing recognition that a competent and well-trained workforce is required for successful implementation of health information technology.
  
  
  METHODS
  New and previous research was gathered through literature and Web searching as well as domain experts. Overall themes were extracted and specific data collated within each.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There is still a paucity of research concerning the health information technology workforce. What research has been done can be classified into five categories: quantities and staffing ratios, job roles, gaps and growth, leadership qualifications, and education and competencies. From several countries it can be seen that substantial numbers of individuals are needed with diverse backgrounds and competencies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Additional research is necessary to determine the optimal organization and education of the health information technology workforce.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University , Portland, OR, USA.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hersh
keywords: Health information technology; biomedical and health informatics; clinical informatics; workforce