Data analytics and health care are combined in health informatics. Learn more about this multidisciplinary area that is becoming more and more relevant.
The systems and goals of the healthcare sector are combined with the tools and techniques of data analytics in the field of health informatics. Health informatics has contributed to some of the largest developments in healthcare during the past two decades, including the improvement of patient care, the modernization of treatment regimens, and the containment of public health outbreaks.
Jobs are frequently in demand and pay higher than average salaries due to the influence that health informatics has had on healthcare and the specialized skill set that professionals must possess. Continue reading to find out more about the area, some of the typical occupations that characterize it, and how to get started.
Health informatics: salary, job outlook, and roles
The job prospects and anticipated salaries for data-oriented healthcare workers are favorable because the area blends data analytics with healthcare. You will discover some of the positions that make up the field, the salary range you may anticipate from them, and the general career outlook in this part.
Health informatics salary
- Health informatics specialist: $92,398
- Nursing informatics specialist: $109,685
- Health informatics analyst: $104,091.
- Data analyst: $96,325
Health informatics job outlook
The BLS does gather statistics on the healthcare industry as well as data-oriented occupations, although it does not expressly collect data on health informatics. The future of data-driven health care is particularly bright when the outlooks for these two sectors are combined.
The BLS predicts that between 2020 and 2030, the number of people employed in healthcare occupations will increase by 16 percent, or 2.6 million additional jobs [5]. In a similar vein, the BLS predicts that the number of job opportunities for operations research analysts, which is the job category in which data analysts are classified, will increase by 25% over the same period [6]. In essence, it is safe to expect that the field of health informatics will continue to grow in the near future.
Health informatics roles
It includes a variety of vocations because it is a multidisciplinary field with a wide range of applications in the health care sector. Typical jobs include:
- expert in health informatics
- experts in clinical informatics
- analyst for health informatics
- analyst for data
- technical analyst
- Analyzing databases
- A nursing informatics expert
Health informatics definition
An interdisciplinary subject called health informatics employs data analytics to generate new ideas for the healthcare sector. The big data generated by the digitization of healthcare records, systems, and processes is used by experts in the field to enhance patient care, public health, and overall health outcomes.
There are numerous applications. Health care informatics is used to develop new medical technology, devise public health policies, and tailor treatment plans, in addition to enhancing patient portals and developing cloud-based health care systemsg cloud-based health care systems. By streamlining the delivery of healthcare and centralizing crucial data like electronic health records, the field is also poised to enhance patient outcomes and increase the effectiveness of healthcare systems.
Health informatics programs
The qualifications and educational requirements for various health informatics roles vary. The appropriate programs must be completed in order to pursue a career in health informatics. Some of the most typical credentials for those working in health informatics are listed below:
Health Informatics Certificate
The qualifications and educational requirements for various health informatics roles vary. The appropriate programs must be completed in order to pursue a career in health informatics. Some of the most typical credentials for those working in health informatics are listed below:
- The Certified Health Data Analyst (CHDA) certification is offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). You need a bachelor’s degree or higher from an approved university, a RHIT or RHIA accreditation, or both, in order to sit for the CHDA exam. AHIMA advises course participants to have three years of prior experience working with healthcare data.
Professionals who pass a 150-item multiple-choice exam are eligible for the AMIA Health Informatics Certificate (AHIC), which is offered by the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA). You need a master’s degree or above to be eligible for the certificate, while the requirements vary depending on your level of education and professional job experience.
- Participants in Yale’s Health Informatics MasterTrack program get certificates at the end of the seven-month course. The course, which is intended for people who already have a bachelor’s degree and some basic coding skills, covers a wide range of subjects, such as using health information within healthcare systems, public health informatics, and health data analytics.
Health informatics associate degree
The core ideas needed to enter the field are covered in associate degrees in health informatics or a related discipline. You can use these courses to get ready for various entry-level jobs, like medical coding.
Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Health Information Technology and Health Information Management Associate Degree are two common designations for associate degrees in this area.
Health informatics bachelor’s degree
A bachelor’s of science (BS) in health informatics or a similar degree, such as computer science or health science, is probably beneficial if you’re aiming to enter the field. Some employers might also favor applicants with bachelor’s degrees in addition to training pupils in profession-specific skills.
Master’s in health informatics
Your chances of being hired for more senior roles can increase if you have a master of science (MS) in health informatics or a closely related discipline, like public health. A master’s degree is frequently required for or advantageous for certain typical positions in the industry, such as informatics director, pharmacy informaticist, and nursing informatics expert.
Get started with Coursera
If you have the right education and work experience, you can pursue a career in health informatics. You might think about enrolling in an online course to increase your skill set and employability, regardless of whether you are already established in the industry or are only thinking about a future career in which it plays a role.
Caretakers can examine cutting-edge methods for data and knowledge management in a real, simulated setting while taking courses for the Yale School of Public Health’s Health Informatics MasterTrack Certificate. Graduates of MasterTrack who are accepted into Yale’s Master of Public Health program will receive two credits toward their overall degree requirements.
