Healthcare is one of the fastest growing fields today, and healthcare informatics is one of the fastest growing fields in the healthcare industry. The increased use of digital and electronic medical records has put healthcare informatics professionals very much in demand. This field has such a positive career outlook because it offers so many different jobs and career options. Learn more about the employment outlook and possibilities for health informatics professionals.
What is Health Informatics?
Also known as Health Information Systems, health informatics is a field that involves using information technology to access, analyze and organize health records to improve health outcomes. Health informatics deals with:
- methods
- devices
- resources
They’re used to used to acquire, store, use and retrieve information in medicine and health. Healthcare informatics provides electronic medical records to:
- doctors
- nurses
- administrators
- health information technicians
- insurance companies
Electronic medical records ensure that all parties can all be on the same page regarding the patient’s health care and medical information. This helps provide the best possible healthcare.
Ranking: 50 Most Affordable Bachelor’s Degrees in Health Informatics
Possible Jobs in Health Care Informatics
Health Informatics is such a large field that offers many potential jobs and careers. The type of jobs available to interested individuals depends on training and education. The possibilities are almost endless. Health informatics is utilized in almost every department of a medical facility in one capacity or another. Here are some possible jobs in healthcare informatics.
- Health Information Technician
- Clinical Data Analyst
- Nursing Informatics Specialist
- Clinical Informatician
- Chief Medical Information Officer
- Health Informatics Director
- Healthcare IT Project Manager
- Medical and Health Service Technician
- Medical and Health Service Manager
Education Programs for Health Informatics Professionals
Healthcare informatics certificate and degree programs are now available in many colleges and universities. They’re also available on campus and online. Individuals can find entry-level jobs in health informatics by earning associate degrees in this field or can advance their education as high as master’s or doctoral degrees depending on the type of career they wish to pursue. Here are some possible programs aspiring students may choose.
- Associate Degree in Health Information Technology
- Associate Degree in Health Informatics
- Associate Degree in Healthcare Informatics
- Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management
- Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management – Health Informatics
- Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Informatics
- Master of Science in Health Informatics
- Master of Science in Applied Health Sciences
- Master of Science in Computer Information Systems with Concentration in Health Informatics
Career Outlook for Healthcare Informatics Professionals
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) classifies health information and health informatics managers in the category of medical and health services managers. Jobs for these medical professionals is expected to grow about 20 percent between 2016 and 2026.
As of a May 2017 BLS wage report, medical and health services managers earned an average annual wage of $111,680. Wages can vary depending on the health informatics manager’s training, education, experience and geographic location. Wages for medical and health services managers ranged from about $58,350 to more than $176,130.
There is a constant need to provide better health care to everyone in need of medical care. Health informatics make this not only more possible but easier as well. As long as we rely on digital and electronic records to communicate with healthcare providers, the employment outlook for healthcare informatics will continue to grow.