If you’re interested in majoring in Healthcare Informatics, you’ll be happy to know that there is a large amount of demand for workers in this field. This is likely due to the fact that the health care industry is having to follow a number of new rules and regulations related to the collection and storage of patient data, so individuals with a background in healthcare and IT are needed.
According to Healthcare Informatics, these job openings take longer to fill than the national average. Therefore, if you graduate with a major in Healthcare Informatics, you’re liable to find a number of open positions that your degree qualifies you for, including:
Health Informatics Consultant
If someone is a Health Informatics Consultant, their work is done for healthcare facilities as a contractor, and people may do this as freelance work or through an agency. Individuals may be brought in to help a facility with a variety of tasks, including installing or updating networks and systems, troubleshooting computer systems and training employees on how to use them. Consultants are normally used when facilities are in need of keeping labor costs down, but projects may still be large, especially if a healthcare center has not yet transitioned to electronic medical records.
Clinical Analyst
Even if a system has been set up to collect and store patient information in a way that complies with government standards, it is likely that improvements can still be made. The job of a clinical analyst is to look at data and determine ways to optimize systems and how they are used. In some cases, a system will need to be redesigned or a new one created from scratch. Individuals in this position will have to find a middle ground between ensuring sensitive patient records are secure and reducing the amount of time it takes to enter information.
Chief Medical Information Officer
The position of Chief Medical Information Officer is a fairly new one that has become necessary due to increasingly stringent standards for how patient records are entered and stored. The requirement to transition to and maintain electronic medical records for patients is one of the driving forces behind the creation of this role. Individuals with this job are tasked with ensuring that data is accessible across a variety of networks, and designing and implementing software to make this possible is often necessary. Once systems are in place, this person is responsible for analyzing data on a regular basis to improve programs and processes.
Health Informatics Specialist
The job of a Health Informatics Specialist is to work with other individuals, usually coders and IT specialists, to come up with ways for a healthcare facility to manage data. Individuals in this role need to stay on top of compliance and regulatory standards, and they will need to ensure that systems developed to manage patient records comply with them. This role also frequently requires people to create training and reference documents, and it may also involve training staff on procedures and how to use systems that record patient data.
Electronic Medical Record Keeper
Electronic Medical Record Keepers normally work in medical facilities and input patient data, but there are also positions that involve entering information about medical research and studies. However, this role is not just data entry because it requires that individuals ensure the accuracy of patient records by consulting with physicians. They are also responsible for verifying that data is entered accurately and is secure. Additionally, people with this job work with insurance companies to distribute sensitive patient data.
Since nearly all medical facilities are required to follow government regulations for data handling, openings for people with Healthcare Informatics degrees are found throughout the country. Additionally, as people gain experience in this field, senior positions, like Health Informatics Director, will also become open to them.
See also: Top 10 Best Colleges for a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Informatics
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