Work it baby: Careers in Healthcare IT

Healthcare IT and Innovation Careers

I work in Healthcare IT and have watched how technology has been integrated into healthcare and medical practice over the last 20 years. Technology and healthcare are merging in unexpected ways as technology advances to bring better patient care, which is ultimately the goal.

Electronic Health Records

The implementation and integration of large Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems gave hospitals and physician practices a vehicle to move away from paper medical records to manage health records electronically. This effort was expedited by an incentivized “meaningful use” requirement launched by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in 2010. CMS is the federal agency and provides healthcare coverage for over 160 million Americans through Medicare and Medicaid. This requirement was the key to adoption and use of electronic medical records.

The EHR is a specific area in healthcare that requires technical expertise to support clinical staff. The EHR requires IT professionals, titled Clinical Informaticist, who support clinicians and streamline the clinical operation.

Big Data and Population Health

The adoption of EHRs enabled the ability to electronically capture patient health data. The data is aggregated and analyzed to identify key areas that require targeted intervention. These areas may include demographics that show higher occurrences of specific diseases, increases in disease depending on location or lifestyles and genetic indicators that may affect treatment efficacy.

Clinical Data Warehouses and Population Health registries require specific database and analytical skills to extract, aggregate and correlate data. Database Engineers and Data Analysts are in demand for database management and population health analytics.

Robotic Process Automation

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is also enabled by the EHR. RPA is used to automate repetitive manual tasks. There are many applications of RPA in healthcare. RPA is typically implemented in hospital operations like automating scheduling and billing processing and clinical care like prior authorization evaluation and pharmacy refills. 

RPA design and development is a specific skill for software programmers and designers because it requires a deep understanding of operational workflows and productivity techniques in the healthcare field. Software developers who have focused on healthcare standards, processes and clinical operations will have a strong career in Healthcare RPA.

Careers in Healthcare IT

These are just a few of the applications of technology in healthcare and as demand for technical advancement grows, so will the need for technically trained individuals who want to build a career in technology. Technology expertise is typically transferrable from one industry to another but focusing on an industry that fits an individual's interest will allow professional growth through engagement, excitement and innovation. 

References

CMS Newsroom factsheet (2010). Electronic Health Records at a Glance. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS AT A GLANCE | CMS