| rbush@SanDiego.edu | |
| ORCiD | 0000-0002-1610-132X |
| Phone | (619) 260-7731 |
Biography
Dr. Ruth Bush, PhD
Leader in Health Informatics and Patient-Centered Research
Dr. Ruth Bush is an expert in health informatics, with over two decades of experience shaping the healthcare landscape through data-driven insights and innovative research. Her extensive work spans various healthcare settings, including military treatment facilities, academic hospitals, specialty and community clinics, and pediatric programs. She contributes significantly to our understanding of human-computer interaction and healthcare outcomes.
Professional Achievements:
Innovative Research Initiatives: Dr. Bush has been instrumental in conceiving and developing clinical research studies across diverse domains, from patient-centered outcomes to women's health, traumatic brain injury, and birth defects. Her groundbreaking work in leveraging large healthcare databases has paved the way for evidence-based decision-making in healthcare.
Funding and Leadership: Dr. Bush's research funding includes AHRQ (K99/R00 HS022404) and Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) grants, which have focused on patient-centered outcomes and electronic health record (EHR) utilization, particularly among vulnerable populations. As the Principal Investigator of the Adolescent Disease Autonomy using Patient Portal Technology (ADAPPT) study, she explored the impact of patient portal use on patient engagement, demonstrating her commitment to enhancing healthcare accessibility for adolescents.
Patient-Centered Approach: Dr. Bush's dedication to patient-centered research is exemplified by her work on transitioning to adult medical care among teenagers with Spina Bifida. She brought together an interdisciplinary team, including patients, parents, caretakers, and researchers, to address this critical healthcare issue, showcasing her passion for improving healthcare experiences.
Current Projects: Dr. Bush's current research portfolio focuses on digital health education, patient-centered responses in the EHR, and structured electronic data capture.
Leadership Roles: Dr. Bush's contributions extend beyond her research, actively participating in the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) Academic Forum and as Chair-Elect of the AMIA Nursing Informatics Program Director Committee. Additionally, she has served as a reviewer for PCORI, the United Kingdom Research Council, and the Israel Science Foundation.
Authorship: Dr. Bush's expertise is well-documented through numerous peer-reviewed articles spanning the realms of health informatics, patient engagement, military health, adolescents' healthcare, and patient portal use.
Recognition: In 2018, Dr. Bush was honored as a member of the inaugural cohort of the AMIA Fellows program, recognizing her exceptional contributions to the field of health informatics.
Education: Dr. Bush earned her bachelor of arts degree cum laude from Princeton University, her master of arts degree from the University of London as a Rotary International Fellow, and her master of public health degree from the Graduate School of Public Health at San Diego State University, where she received the Outstanding Epidemiology Student award. Dr. Bush received her Ph.D. from the UCSD/SDSU Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health, supported by an NIH National Center for Research Resources M01 grant (5M01RR000827-25).