The modern healthcare sector faces unprecedented challenges, ranging from rising costs to administrative burdens and disparate access to care. Thankfully, leaders now enjoy access to a wide range of tools and technologies that can be leveraged to address these challenges in new and exciting ways. Therein lies the value of health information technology (HIT), which draws on electronic health records (EHRs) and health data analytics to produce powerful insights and promote informed decision-making.
As a growing field, health information technology brings the power of data to patient care and revenue cycle management. Many hospitals are actively seeking IT experts to give clinical professionals the in-depth insight and technical resources needed to improve patient outcomes.
This practice is not merely valuable in the hospital environment, however. Across numerous settings, HIT professionals bring actionable insights that can elevate care at the community level while also addressing major financial or compliance concerns.
This is great news for aspiring HIT professionals, who can uncover a wide array of compelling opportunities in this rapidly expanding field. However, it also means that careful career planning is necessary.
Earning a health information management associate degree online should provide a strong start, but it’s also important to explore HIT niches. To help, we will explore some of today’s most compelling health information technology careers, including several options deemed “non-traditional.” We will also explain how earning a degree in health information technology can make it easier to find and thrive in these diverse roles.
What Is Health Information Technology?
Health information technology (HIT) uses large volumes of data and advanced digital tools to collect, manage, and analyze health information. This field aims to leverage data-driven insights to make healthcare delivery more efficient and, ultimately, improve patient outcomes.
The Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology defines this as “electronic systems [that] healthcare professionals – and increasingly, patients – use to store, share, and analyze health information.” In addition to EHRs, this field relies heavily on health information exchanges (HIEs), clinical decision support systems (CDSS), and telemedicine platforms.
Traditional vs. Non-Traditional HIT Job Settings
Among the many advantages of working in HIT is versatility, with compelling job opportunities available within many types of facilities and even on a hybrid or remote basis. Although many HIT professionals work in hospitals or clinics, there are many other ways to contribute to this innovative field. We’ve divided these opportunities into two main categories: traditional and non-traditional.
Traditional Settings
Although HIT jobs are not clinical, they tend to involve extensive collaboration with healthcare professionals, including clinical experts as well as medical billers or coders, healthcare administrators, and revenue cycle managers. For this reason, HIT professionals can often be found in hospitals or physician clinics, where their oversight ensures that advanced technological systems are as efficient, reliable, secure, and compliant as possible.
Non-Traditional Settings
In HIT, “non-traditional” settings involve locations beyond expected clinical environments, such as the aforementioned hospitals or clinics. To be deemed non-traditional, these jobs must exist outside the confines of clinical environments. Corporate settings, government agencies, and even nonprofit organizations qualify as non-traditional employers. In these areas, HIT professionals may use their extensive healthcare knowledge to provide a valuable perspective to teams or leaders not as well-versed in healthcare technology or policy.
Health Information Technology Jobs Beyond the Hospital
Playing a valuable role in shaping the use of health data in aligned fields (such as public health and insurance), HIT is an increasingly diverse field that provides ample opportunities for passionate professionals to make a difference. Jobs beyond the hospital can be wonderfully rewarding, and because many involve niche pursuits, these roles may be more closely aligned with HIT professionals’ unique skills or interests. We have grouped these diverse opportunities into a few subcategories, as highlighted below:
Career Opportunities in Government Agencies
At the federal and state levels, many agencies rely on HIT professionals to help inform policies, which, in turn, could have a huge impact on access to care and the dissemination of health information across vast populations. Examples include:
- Public Health Departments. HIT systems can provide powerful insight into outbreaks along with general indicators of public health. Increasingly, public health departments rely on these solutions to gather relevant health data from a wide range of sources, including not only hospitals and clinics, but also community health assessments or even collaborations with research universities. HIT professionals help to build data systems, implement surveillance solutions, and analyze large data sets to support public health programs.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Leveraging HIT systems for epidemiological modeling and many other public health functions, the CDC hires HIT professionals to help manage data so that it is effectively collected and disseminated. Many compelling roles are available in informatics and aligned fields.
- Veterans Affairs (VA). As one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive health information systems, the VA’s VistA EHR system promotes the seamless sharing of veteran health data with the goal of promoting coordinated care for a vulnerable population. The VA hires many HIT professionals to keep VistA running seamlessly, including informatics specialists, systems administrators, and health information managers.
HIT Careers in Health Insurance Companies
Many HIT professionals bring data-driven insights to the insurance industry, where advanced solutions can expedite claims processing while improving risk assessments, fraud detection, and general compliance. Insurance-oriented HIT jobs include:
- Medical Claims Analyst. Reviewing insurance claims to verify accuracy and compliance, medical claims analysts promote prompt processing while also pinpointing potential discrepancies.
- Healthcare Data Analyst. Supporting informed decision-making within the insurance industry, healthcare data analysts look to vast data sets to reveal healthcare trends and predict risks.
- Utilization Review Coordinator. Verifying that healthcare services are medically necessary, and that they adhere to strict policy guidelines, utilization review (UR) coordinators rely on HIT solutions for analyzing clinical records.
Opportunities in Technology and Software Companies
Many healthcare experts bring their industry-specific knowledge to software development projects, helping teams understand how software and applications can serve the unique needs of clinical professionals or patients. Innovation-oriented HIT roles include:
- Healthcare IT Consultant. Software companies may have big goals but may struggle to navigate the nuances of healthcare policy. Many work with healthcare IT consultants to help ensure that their proposed software solutions comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other relevant healthcare regulations. They may also offer insight into preferred strategies for deployment or integrations.
- Software Development for Health IT. Software developers with a background in healthcare are uniquely equipped to create applications tailored to meet the needs of patients and healthcare providers. They may be involved in creating solutions for telemedicine or patient management, often bringing a thorough understanding of relevant regulations to the table so that all development projects maintain maximum compliance.
- Health Informatics Specialist. The interdisciplinary field of health informatics demonstrates how data can be leveraged to boost healthcare delivery. Informatics specialists may be involved in implementing various IT systems or ensuring that they are properly integrated to promote seamless communication. This role may also emphasize quality improvement, with specialists identifying errors or inefficiencies and working with cross-collaborative teams to address these issues.
Careers in Pharmaceutical Companies
HIT has a promising role to play in the pharmaceutical industry. Insights produced via HIT systems could accelerate drug development and even help optimize the pharmaceutical supply chain. Pharmaceutical opportunities for HIT professionals include:
- Clinical Data Manager. Overseeing data collection efforts during and after clinical trials, clinical data managers may maintain clinical databases, perform queries to ensure accuracy, or conduct audits for compliance purposes.
- Health Information Specialist. Helping pharmaceutical companies integrate health information into drug development, health information specialists ensure that all health data used for research purposes is properly stored and safeguarded. They play a crucial role in bridging the gap between the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, especially from an IT perspective.
- Medical Coding Specialist. Turning diagnoses into standardized codes, medical coding specialists play a key role in facilitating accurate billing and reimbursements. Within the pharmaceutical industry, effective coding boosts financial integrity and may play into approval processes.
HIT Roles in Legal and Compliance Sectors
Compliance is a priority across the full scope of the broad HIT profession, playing into the many roles identified in this guide. That said, some health information technology jobs are almost exclusively committed to compliance or may even involve working for law firms.
- Healthcare Compliance Officer. HIT aims to improve efficiency and decision-making without compromising data privacy and security. This can be difficult to navigate, so healthcare compliance officers provide extensive oversight. They may play a role in policy development or may conduct audits to ensure compliance with HIPAA and other crucial regulations.
- Health Information Manager. A health information manager primarily oversees medical records systems. They may be involved in aspects of litigation, including medical malpractice, risk, and cases involving sensitive health information.
- Medical Record Auditor. Reviewing patient records for accuracy while promoting detail-oriented documentation for billing and insurance, medical record auditors identify problem areas so that potential issues can be addressed, resolved, and prevented in the future.
Careers in Telehealth and Remote Healthcare Services
Many aspiring HIT professionals are drawn to this field because they hope to improve telehealth systems, which, in turn, could greatly expand access to care while also cutting costs.
- Telehealth Coordinator. Promoting effective communication between patients and healthcare providers, telehealth coordinators handle everything from virtual appointment scheduling to technical troubleshooting.
- Patient Data Manager. Offering valuable oversight as patient data is collected and managed, patient data managers promote compliance with data privacy regulations and ensure the integrity of patient data, especially when telehealth services are required.
- Remote Coding and Billing Specialist. Medical coding and billing are closely aligned with HIT, which provides the critical infrastructure through which documenting healthcare services and seeking reimbursements can be streamlined. Remote coding and billing specialists translate patient records into standardized codes using systems like ICD-10, CPT, and HCPCS. This role is frequently available on a remote basis, bringing enhanced flexibility to an already compelling field.
Health Information Technology in Consulting Firms
We have touched on the potential for HIT professionals to act as consultants, and while many prefer to carve their own paths in the consulting space, others enjoy working for dedicated consulting firms. Opportunities include:
- Healthcare Consultant. Revealing opportunities for improvement within existing HIT systems, healthcare consultants draw on their extensive understanding of IT and compliance to ensure that HIT infrastructure is properly adopted and utilized.
- Health Data Project Manager. Health IT projects can be difficult to implement due to budgetary constraints and other obstacles. Health data project managers oversee this process, coordinating diverse teams and vendors to ensure optimal system integration.
- Compliance Consultant. Offering a valuable outside perspective on compliance concerns that may otherwise be poorly understood (or missed altogether), compliance consultants can perform assessments or guide the strategic implementation of necessary policies or protocols.
Freelance and Entrepreneurship Opportunities
In addition to working for corporations, government agencies, or nonprofit organizations, HIT professionals can chart their own course, enjoying enhanced flexibility and autonomy as they bring their expertise to a variety of settings.
- Independent Medical Coder. Often functioning as contractors, independent medical coders can work with a variety of clients to provide targeted coding services without maintaining traditional employment. This is a great option for coders who desire extra career flexibility or a stronger work-life balance.
- Health IT Consultant. Health IT consultants provide valuable outside perspectives to healthcare providers and other organizations. They analyze workflows and compliance efforts to identify weaknesses and recommend improvements for digital solutions.
- EHR Trainer. Working closely with clinical or administrative professionals to ensure that they understand the safe and secure use of EHR systems, EHR trainers provide helpful insights into the processes that underscore the documentation and retrieval of patient information. They may also offer troubleshooting services or even assist with configuration to ensure that EHR systems meet the unique needs of various healthcare facilities or teams.
Start Your Health Information Technology Degree at Baker
Are you eager to make your mark in the rapidly growing field of health information technology? Consider earning your Associate of Applied Science in Health Information Technology. This degree will set you up for success in an exciting field. Comprehensive coursework should provide a thorough overview of the many concepts covered in the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) exam. Get in touch today to learn more about this degree and how it can elevate your career prospects.