Career Information on Health Information Technology
Healthcare information technology is a healthcare field that involves work with patient health information and records. There are a variety of positions available in the field of health information technology.
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Function
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Depending on their position, healthcare information technologists may be responsible for inputting and updating client information, recording information about diagnoses and treatments, submitting information to insurance companies or updating databases with statistical information.
Types
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Types of health information technologists include coders, medical billers, cancer registrars, medical records technicians and health information managers.
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Education
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Healthcare information technologists of all types are typically required to receive an associate's degree in health information technology or medical coding from a community college or trade school.
Certification
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Healthcare information technologists can receive certification as a Registered Health Information Technician by passing an examination offered by the American Health Information Management Association. Though this is not a federal or state requirement, many employers will only hire applicants with this certification.
Outlook and Compensation
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The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts the field of health information technology to grow by 18 percent over the next two decades, resulting in the creation of 30,000 new jobs. In May 2008, the average median annual salary for health information technologists was $32,960.
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