Career Outlook
by Editors
editors@ccgmag.com
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
H
ealth information technology, a relatively new career field, is exploding with opportunities for many people with varied backgounds and interests.
Computers coupled with healthcare created the need to store information, utilize, and analyze and protect that information. The field encompasses law, finance, health diagnoses, medicine, pharmacy, business, nursing, and the patient. It is perfect for those who want to be a part of the healthcare field without direct patient care. The health information technologist is a part of hospital electronic record keeping as well as small family practice office record keeping and billing. Health information technologists (HIT) work with the govern- ment, the armed services, insurance companies, as well as research entities to name just a few.
Health information technol- ogy can include any of the following:
• Electronic health records • Electronic prescriptions • Medical coding • Insurance billing • Computerized support systems • Medicare compliance • Information downloads to hand held gadgets • Patient charting • System troubleshooting • Working with the government • Working in the private sector • Connecting systems across the country or via satellite for military bases
• Maintaining healthcare expenses • Teaching the system • Selling the system • Maintaining and upgrading the system
The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists this field as one of the top growing fields. Enter the field via: • Certification • Associate degree (2 year degree) • Bachelors degree (traditional 4 year college program • Advanced degrees (graduate programs in a University)
There are many and varied examples of the role the healthcare technologist might play. This is one example:
The popular retail medical clinics placed in pharmacies are each managed by a nurse practioner who works with patients by utilizing an electronic medical record. A physi- cian is available and coded into that record. Prescriptions are electronic and sent to the patient’s pharmacy of choice. Information is standardized and evidence based. The system is monitored centrally via a mainframe computer in order to comply with privacy as well as for safe keeping of patient records. Every system is backed up and checked for security. The health infor- mation technologist assists with the design by embed- ding medication-calculating devices and updating billing codes. The structuring of the program saves the patient the provider, the pharmacist, and the next waiting patient, time. The HIT is as much a part of the team as the nurse practitioner seeing the patients.
Is this the field for you?
If you love technology, computer programs, organizations, helping people, and want to have a positive effect on the healthcare industry as a whole and on individuals indirectly, then yes, you will be happy in this choice with lots of room to grow.
Consider the following just a starting point for funding or training information:
•
http://www.technical-vocational-schools.com/Health- Information-Technology/
•
www.Collegescholarships.org •
http://education-portal.com/health_information_ technology_school.html
•
www.schoolsgalore.com/ •
http://itt-tech.edu/teach/list/ahit.cfm •
http://www.ny.gov/governor/press/press_0328081.html
Being part of the future is exciting, especially when you are doing it in the present.
38 HISPANIC ENGINEER & Information Technology | 2011
www.hispanicengineer.com
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