How Advances in Health Technologies Are Building Careers - CareerAlley

How Advances in Health Technologies Are Building Careers - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. The health information management (HIM) profession is recognized as one of the fastest growing occupations in the US health industry, with a growth of almost 50 percent over the last 10 years. Even with this rapid growth rate, it is clear that demand still exceeds supply, as most organizations report that there is a shortage of qualified applicants to fill available positions. This means that the field is wide open, and is an ideal career choice for those with the right aptitudes and qualifications. The reasons for this phenomenal growth in the health information management field lie mainly in the changes that have taken place in health care systems over the past couple of decades. The process started with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which came into effect in 2001 and contained comprehensive new provisions for the privacy and security of patients health data. The aim was to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the nations health care systems, by making the use of electronic data transmission as widespread as possible. This legislation created a surge in demand for HIM professionals during the first decade of the 21st century, in order to work on the implementation of these provisions. Many providers of health care have found that they have to make major changes in the way they operate, in order to accommodate these changes. Digital Patient Records Another major procedural shift that is fueling the demand is the move to digital patient records from handwritten notes. The US Department of HHS (Health and Human Services) has mandated that every American patient should have an EHR (electronic health record) by 2014, and by 2011, this was only halfway to completion. To achieve this move, it is estimated that the current HIM workforce will need to double in size. Health Information Infrastructure This change forms one aspect of a wider national strategy, which aims to build an infrastructure that enables health information to be shared among consumers, providers, and insurers as efficiently as possible in a way that puts the patient first. To facilitate this, health care consumers are encouraged to make use of personal health records (PHRs), to manage their own information, and ensure it is shared with the correct people. In addition, there is a push towards national and local health information exchange (HIE) systems, so that information can be accessed instantly in real time. Health Information Management Professionals Health information management professionals clearly have an essential role in implementing the changes on all these fronts. HIM professionals are needed for work within a whole range of settings not only hospitals and medical groups, but nursing homes, mental health facilities, and public health agencies. Their basic task is to capture and analyze the information, which is taken by the health care personnel who treat the patients, concerning the observations they have made, and the treatment the patient has received, as well as tests, x-rays, and diagnoses. Following on all the latest developments, as well as selecting and implementing the new software and hardware systems, they have the task of optimizing the systems so that they can be easily adapted and used by medical staff in these different environments, with their specific and individual requirements. Although health information professionals are working towards the 2014 deadline for adopting electronic health records, their career prospects after that date will continue to be very robust. Health information technology is moving forward all the time, and HIM professionals will be on the front line of implementing these advances in their day-to-day work. The medical community relies on these professionals more than any other to create a quality system that is fit for the 21st century. Author Bio Sarah Daren is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to health. This article was written to discuss how technology is building health related careers and to promote further study in this field with a Health Information Management Degree. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Visit me on Facebook