We are completely dependent on technology and electronic communications in our healthcare system across the board today. From hospitals to dermatologists, chiropractors, pharmacies, and pediatricians—medical offices use computers and technology to operate. Practically everything is digitized now from patient charts to x-rays and even prescriptions.
Medical professionals need hardware, software, networks, cloud computing/cloud storage, IT support, and everything that any other business needs for IT and more. They need to process billing and receive payments online. They need someone to do design work, content writing, and social media management.
Medical offices have patient information and business information requiring databases and administration. The healthcare field also needs the best in cybersecurity, encryption, and privacy for the data they need to transmit, manage, and store.
What Is Healthcare IT?
Healthcare IT (or health information technology) “is the use of computer hardware, software, or infrastructure to record, store, protect, and retrieve clinical, administrative, or financial information” according to www.healthit.gov.
Health IT jobs may require certain types of healthcare IT certifications, depending on the position and/or an associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree in a related field.
Health Information Technology (HIT)
Health information technology careers are growing exponentially as technology advances and the needs continue to increase.
What Is Health Information Technology?
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Health information technology (health IT) involves the processing, storage, and exchange of health information in an electronic environment.”
Healthcare IT Jobs
Healthcare jobs in the information technology field run an extremely wide gamut. You can find anything from sales to computer engineering, healthcare data scientist, IT project manager, social media director, or quality assurance IT analyst.
Many of these jobs are high-paying jobs with a very bright future. So taking the time to get the training and certifications you need can be extremely valuable. As long as we have electricity, the internet, and technology, jobs in this field will be in high demand. And as our population reaches retirement age, our medical needs will continue to increase.
Cybersecurity and Privacy
Every sector of business, healthcare, government, and other organizations depend on having secure networks. Certain information needs to be confidential and the organizations’ information needs to be safeguarded.
What Is Cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity jobs involve protecting computer networks from malicious attacks and viruses. Privacy is also especially critical in the healthcare field as patient health information is now protected by law under HIPAA. So any transactions relating to personal medical information must be carefully guarded.
Healthcare organizations need professionals with various certifications and degrees to help protect their patients and their systems from danger, abuse, fraud, and other potential problems.
What is privacy in the healthcare field and why is it necessary?
In 1996, Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA) to protect certain patient information from being disclosed without a patient’s consent. Personal Health Information (PHI) must legally be kept secure and confidential or medical offices and professionals can face hefty fines. PHI could include information like a patient’s medical test results, diagnoses, prescription medication information, and more.
Health IT must ensure patients’ privacy and HIPAA rights are consistently and effectively guarded.
Privacy and Cybersecurity Jobs
- Compliance auditor
- Risk analyst
- Medical records supervisor
- Security consultant
- Privacy officer
- Information security analyst
Health Informatics (HI)
Health informatics jobs come in a wide range of positions that require different skill and training levels. Some positions only require a health informatics certificate while others require a health informatics degree (B.S.) or even a master’s in health informatics.
What Is Health Informatics?
AMIA.org (American Medical Informatics Association ®) defines informatics as “the science of how to use data, information and knowledge to improve human health and the delivery of health care services.” Nursing informatics is part of this field, as well.
Informatics is used in numerous areas in healthcare, including online portal systems, smart devices that collect patient health information (glucometers, CPAP machines, heart monitors, etc…), email, and electronic health records.
Health informatics involves data collection, use, and storage. It analyzes the data so that it becomes useful in driving clinical decisions and patient care.
Health Informatics Careers
- Clinical informatics data analyst
- Health informatics and analytics
- Health informatics specialist/health informatics manager
- Health information technician
- Healthcare IT project manager
- Healthcare administrator
- Medical administrative assistant
- Medical coding specialist/certified coding specialist
- Nurse informatics specialist/nurse informatician/nurse informaticist
Health Information Management (HIM)
With so much health data coming in on numerous patients, organizations need systems and people to provide oversight.
What Is Health Information Management?
Health information management careers involve managing the people and processes that work with healthcare data. A good definition is “the process by which different professionals create, handle, store, and execute (patient health information) data.”
Health information management careers include a range of opportunities from analysts to coders. All of the people in this area of health IT work to make sure patient data is handled properly in the health management information system.
Health Information Management Jobs
- Data analyst
- Health information management clerk
- Health information manager
- Medical and health services manager
- Medical coder
- Medical records technician
- Outpatient coding compliance auditor
- Patient information coordinator
Health IT Specialists/IT Support/Health Information Technology (HIT)
Healthcare IT specialists (IT support jobs) allow for the technical support the healthcare industry needs to run all of the networks, software, hardware, and technology.
Health IT Career Training
There are different ways to enter this field and a variety of levels of training available.
- Health information technology degree
Health information technology associate degree
Health information technology bachelor’s degree - Health information technology certification
Health IT specialist jobs
- Information technology specialist/IT support specialist
- Health information technology specialist
- IT support services
- Remote IT support jobs
- IT security specialist
Healthcare IT Consulting
Some healthcare providers outsource their IT support to consultants. Others may hire consultants to work remotely for their organization or in-house.
What Is Health IT Consulting?
Healthcare IT consultant groups or individual contractors oversee IT strategies to help clients meet their business goals. They support the information technology needs of medical facilities, doctors’ offices, pharmacies, wholesalers, and other medical service and equipment organizations.
Some IT consultants may help organizations make decisions about hardware, software, networking, cybersecurity, privacy, informatics, and other technological equipment and services. The goal is to improve patient care and business efficiency and profitability.
Health IT Consulting Jobs
- Healthcare IT consultant
- IT healthcare EDI consultant
- Senior health IT consultant
Do You Need a Health IT Recruiter?
If you’re ready to start a new job in the world of health IT, a recruiter can help you find the perfect job for you. We can ensure your resume is in the exact format your potential employer prefers. We can help you get ready for your interviews. And we are glad to help make sure you find an employer that will be a great fit for your skills and needs.
Resources
Healthcare IT companies from www.statista.com
Health Information Technology Organizations from www.amcp.org
Largest Healthcare IT Consulting Firms list from www.modernhealthcare.com
