Introduces student to informatics and the use of technology in health care delivery systems. This includes a review of hardware and software, and an in-depth look at hospital/health care-based user interfaces, data bases, telecommunications and networks, and healthcare-based information systems. Also includes research methods and patient education via computers.

Familiarizes student to the health care delivery system including an introduction to the organization, structure, function and issues related to the health care environment. Emphasis placed on the importance of effective communication skills for health care professionals, team building, professionalism and diversity in the health care center.

Provides students an opportunity to observe selected occupations within a health care setting. The student will attend 13 two-hour sessions under the supervision of the instructor and departmental specific mentors. Prerequisite: Prior or concurrent enrollment in HSC 105 with a grade of C or better, or one semester of high school anatomy with lab with a grade of C or better.

Emphasizes the origin and the basic structure of medical words, including prefixes, suffixes, word roots, combining forms and plurals. Offers pronunciation, spelling, and definition of medical terms based on the body systems approach. Emphasis on rendering a professional vocabulary required for work in the health care field.

Examines the mechanism of action of the major medication groups as they relate to the physiology and pathology of disease. Identifies examples in each major pharmacological category in order to understand pharmacological activity within each group. Addresses areas of drug action, clinical application, and adverse events for each medication discussed. Intended for students in allied health majors. Prerequisite: Prior or concurrent enrollment in BIO 135, BIO 260 or HSC 112 with a grade of C or better.

Introduces the legal and ethical issues that pertain to various health care delivery settings. Discusses how these issues impact the health care practitioner in a diverse culture. Practices and standards are discussed as they relate to professional behavior and ethical decision-making.

Provides an introduction to the study and application of concepts and theories from Linguistics and Health Communication. Focuses on practical applications of effective communication strategies across diverse patient populations by discussing case studies from different healthcare settings, and by analyzing actual provider-patient interactions to understand how specific language choices contribute to constructing meaning in health communication. Includes a strong focus on patients’ perspectives regarding language use and culture-specific characteristics surrounding illness and personal identity, patient advocacy, cooperation, and consent. (Also listed as LNG 225. Credit will be given for LNG 225 or HSC 225, but not both.)