- Chief Medical Information Officer
- Health Informatics Director
- Nursing Informatics Specialist
- Health IT Project Manager
- Electronic Medical Records Keeper
Health informatics is a field that offers many high-paying jobs. With the increasing use of the Internet, digital media and electronic medical records, health informatics is used in various healthcare occupations. Health informatics (HI)is a specialized field that connects communications, information technology and healthcare for the purpose of improving patient care. Regardless of what career an HI professional chooses, it all has to do with patient care, ways to improve it and provide the best patient care at the least expensive cost. Here are five top-paying jobs in health informatics.
Chief Medical Information Officer
The chief medical information officer is the professional who oversees the information management of an organization and ensures the facility is providing the highest quality of patient care. Their duties may vary from one organization to another, but the one thing they all have in common is that they have huge responsibilities. They may work in hospitals, academic settings or in government agencies where they assist in setting policies and making policy decisions. Other duties of the chief medical information officers are participating in IT decisions, conducting data analysis to improve the infrastructure of the IT within the organization. This position requires extensive education and training. Chief medical information officers earned wages ranging from $186,291 to $379,192 according to a 2018 report by PayScale.
Health Informatics Director
Health informatics director is an executive position within a healthcare facility. The candidate must have not just a strong knowledge of technology but also excellent people and communication skills. They’re responsible for the proper integration and organization of data in every division. They also train IT teams, discuss technology protocol changes, meet with department heads and shareholders, and deal with and analyze any technological issues or challenges. Health information directors earn an average annual wage of $153,226 with the wages ranging from $140,164 to $172,733, although, the wages can vary by location, certifications and experience.
Nursing Informatics Specialist
When people acknowledge excellent healthcare in a facility, they seldom realize that the nurses are the professionals most responsible for providing it. Healthcare facilities everywhere are constantly looking for qualified RNs. Nursing informatics specialists handle both the clinical and administrative side of nursing. They’re in charge of an entire nursing staff, including the recruiting, hiring and training of the nursing staff. A nursing informatics specialist not only works alongside other nurses and providers but also initiates many of the policies to help improve the patient care. The nursing informatics specialist earns an average wage of $100,700 annually.
Health IT Project Manager
In addition to being a job that offers a good wage, it’s also a fast-paced job that offers many challenges. Health IT project managers supervise and oversee various projects within an organization. Typical projects might include devising a plan to improve emergency response time, hiring new physicians for a health specialty or building a new hospital wing. While health IT project managers may not be the ones who do the actual work, they are the ones who are in charge of seeing the project is completed as per specifications and on schedule. They identify problems, provide solutions, monitor progress and delegate jobs. They also communicate with hospital boards and department heads regarding the projects. Salary.com reports that health IT project managers earn an average annual salary of $84,381 with wages ranging from $49,689 to $125,183.
Electronic Medical Records Keeper
Since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, healthcare professionals have been transitions to using electronic medical records and electronic health records, which has put electronic medical records keepers very much in demand in many medical facilities. The EMR keeper is in charge of ensuring patient information gets entered into the system in a timely fashion and that it remains secure. They make sure that patient records are accurately filled out with the correct codes. The electronic medical records keeper gathers information for research and medical studies and also consults with other doctors to ensure the records remain accurate. Electronic medical records keepers earn wages ranging from $39,593 to $82,599.
Conclusion
Medical professionals who have an interest in technology, research and health are often choosing careers in health informatics, which is a driving factor in why this field is exploding. U.S. News & World Report states that there are more than 70 advance degree programs in health informatics. Many of these programs lead to graduates obtaining top-paying jobs in health informatics.
Related Resources:
- Top 10 Associate’s in Health Informatics Online
- 5 Great Health Informatics Jobs
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- How Do You Get a Job in Health Informatics?
- What is Health Informatics?
- Can You Get a Degree in Health Informatics?
- 5 Great Specializations in Health Informatics
- What Careers are in Health Informatics?