Health Care IT Jobs

Health IT technicians are in charge of maintaining patients' health records, as well as keeping track of medical history, symptoms, examination results, diagnostic tests and treatments. They make sure that all paperwork for each patient is correctly identified, signed and filed, and accessible to healthcare providers. IT in health is necessary for insurance purposes and ensures that healthcare professionals get a complete picture of each patient's health status.
 
Candidates for health IT jobs must have excellent oral and written communication skills, as they interact with patients, doctors and insurance providers on a daily basis. A familiarity with computer software and medical technology is a plus, since many healthcare providers are now using electronic health records.

Job Description

When a patient checks into a medical facility, the healthcare IT technician reviews the patient's chart to make sure it is accurate. Before the patient checks out, the technician updates it with new information about the patient's illness.
 
The healthcare IT technician may also put the information into code to make it easier to find and cross-reference files, and some will gather statistical information from patients� files in order to help doctors and scientists conduct research.

Salary Guide

The median health information technology salary in the US is $30,610 a year. Most health IT technicians make between $24,290 and $39,490 per year, but salaries vary depending on employer. Jobs in health IT for the US federal executive branch tend to be the most lucrative, with hospitals close behind. Private doctors' offices generally offer the lowest salaries to health IT technicians. Employment opportunities for health IT technicians are expected to increase by 20 percent through 2018, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Education, Training and Work Experience

Most health IT jobs require an associate�s degree and certification in healthcare IT. Coursework in the degree program consists of:
  • Anatomy and physiology
  • Clinical classification and coding systems
  • Data analysis
  • Database management
  • Healthcare reimbursement
  • Health data requirements
  • Medical terminology.
 
After graduation, aspiring IT technicians must pass a credentialing exam in order to be certified, and then must earn continuing education credits every two years to maintain their credentials. Additional training is available on the job.

Career Advancement

With more formal education, health IT technicians may go on to become a health information manager, a position that requires a bachelor�s or master�s degree. Others may choose to become certified in a specialized field, such as medical coding or cancer registry.

Related Associations and Groups

Health IT technicians have access to membership in several organizations. They include:
  • American Academy of Professional Coders
  • American Health Information Management Association
  • Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
  • The Professional Association of Healthcare Coding Specialists.
 
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