Every year, the technology used in health care is improving. With these technological advances comes the need for people who can not only use the technology but also help to make improvements that will improve the system.
A degree in health information technology is one of the most important degrees you can earn. This program will help you use technology to monitor, manage, report, and collect health data. A health information technology degree program is a great way to start your career in medicine.
You’ll be able to code and process personal health information requests, code clinical information and bill patients for services (and reimburse them), and you will also learn compliance and patient privacy. You will be able to control and take on great responsibility once you have your degree in health information technology.
Post-Health Information Technology Program Jobs
You can expect to find a variety of positions once you have your degree.
o Health Information Technician. The job entails reviewing medical charts and ensuring accuracy. Also, creating reports and assigning codes to medical charts for claims and data collection.
As a Medical Coder. A health information technology degree can lead to a career as a medical coder. This job is often an entry point for opportunities in the healthcare industry because it has both business and medical aspects. A medical coder’s responsibilities include reviewing medical records provided by doctors, translating that information into numeric codes, and sequencing diagnostic and procedural codes using a standard healthcare-coding system. This is vital to ensure that healthcare professionals are reimbursed by insurance companies.
Health Information Administrator. You can become a healthcare administrator after completing a program in health information technology. As a healthcare administrator, you will either oversee or assist the person in charge of the services provided to patients. You also manage the health information systems which house patient-related information, insurance information, business documentation, and other information.
o Medical secretary. The office is run smoothly by medical secretaries who provide support and assistance for patient care. The job may involve transcribing dictation, creating correspondence, helping physicians with reports, speeches and conference proceedings, assisting them with technological support, maintaining medical records, and providing technical support.
The Job Outlook
According to the 2006-2007 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report (BLS), medical records and information technicians are expected to grow faster than all other occupations between now and 2014.
The BLS report includes the following highlights:
o Excellent job prospects; highly-skilled technicians in medical coding are in high demand.
Associate degrees are required for entry into the field. Courses include anatomy, physiology and statistics.
o Employers prefer to hire Registered Health Information Technicians, or RHITs. They must pass a written exam offered by the American Health Information Management Association. A person must have completed a 2-year program in health information technology that has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education. Technicians who receive a Health Information Technology degree from a non-CAHIIM-accredited program or who are trained on the job are not eligible to take the examination.
