| The health care industry is getting more | | | | work as a healthcare administrator. In this position |
| technologically advanced every year. And with | | | | you will oversee (or as an entry-level job assist |
| those advances, comes a need for people who | | | | the person who oversees) the business of |
| not only understand how to use the technology, | | | | providing services to patients and manage the |
| but can help make innovations that will continue to | | | | health information systems that house the |
| advance the system. | | | | medical facility's patient-related documents, |
| One of the degrees that can put you at the heart | | | | insurance information, and business |
| of all the action is a health information technology | | | | documentation.o Medical Secretary. Medical |
| degree. This type of degree program will teach | | | | secretaries help maintain order in the office and |
| you how to use technology to collect, analyze, | | | | provide the support necessary for proper patient |
| monitor, maintain and report health data. If you're | | | | care. Some of the job responsibilities may include |
| interested in the medical field, a health information | | | | transcribing dictation, generating correspondence, |
| technology program offers a truly fascinating | | | | assisting physicians with reports, speeches, |
| point from which to explore your passions and | | | | articles, and conference proceedings, as well as |
| start your career. | | | | providing technological support and maintaining |
| In the classroom and in the field, when you're | | | | medical records. |
| enrolled in a health information technology | | | | The Job Outlook |
| program, you'll learn to process requests for the | | | | According to a 2006-2007 U.S. Bureau of Labor |
| release of personal health information, code clinical | | | | Statistics (BLS) report, employment for medical |
| information, process and use health data for | | | | records and health information technicians is |
| clinical quality management, bill patients for | | | | expected to grow much faster than average for |
| services (and provide reimbursement) and learn | | | | all occupations from now through 2014. |
| compliance while protecting patient privacy. And | | | | A few highlights of the BLS report include:o Job |
| frankly, the jobs you'll receive after you receive | | | | prospects should be very good; technicians with a |
| your health information technology degree will put | | | | strong background in medical coding will be in |
| you in a position of great responsibility and control. | | | | particularly high demand.o Those entering the field |
| Post-Health Information Technology Program Jobs | | | | will usually have an associate degree; courses |
| With the degree in hand, some of the positions | | | | include anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, |
| you can expect to work in include:o Health | | | | statistics, and computer science.o Most employers |
| Information Technician. Job responsibilities often | | | | prefer to hire Registered Health Information |
| include reviewing medical charts to check for | | | | Technicians (RHIT), who must pass a written |
| completion and accuracy, generating reports and | | | | examination offered by the American Health |
| assigning diagnosis codes to medical charts for | | | | Information Management Association (AHIMA). To |
| insurance claims and data collection purposes, plus | | | | take the examination, a person must graduate |
| gathering, analyzing and managing information | | | | from a 2-year health information technology |
| about patients so healthcare providers can | | | | program accredited by the Commission on |
| properly care for them.o Medical Coder. With a | | | | Accreditation for Health Informatics and |
| health information technology degree you can | | | | Information Management Education (CAHIIM). |
| enter the field as a medical coder, which, because | | | | Technicians who receive a Health Information |
| of its medical and business nature, is often a | | | | Technology degree from a non-CAHIIM-accredited |
| springboard for advancement opportunities within | | | | program or who are trained on the job are not |
| the healthcare sector. Some of the responsibilities | | | | eligible to take the examination.o Median annual |
| of a medical coder include reviewing medical | | | | earnings of medical records and health information |
| documents provided by physicians, then translating | | | | technicians were $25,590 in 2004. The middle 50 |
| the information into numeric codes and sequencing | | | | percent earned between $20,650 and $32,990. |
| diagnostic and procedural codes by using a | | | | The lowest 10 percent earned less than $17,720, |
| standard healthcare coding system. This work is | | | | and the highest 10 percent earned more than |
| crucial to the financial reimbursement of | | | | $41,760. |
| healthcare professionals by the insurance | | | | With a job outlook so bright - and an education |
| companies that provide policies for the patients.o | | | | that's both challenging and exciting - choosing a |
| Health Information Administrator. After completing | | | | health information technology degree program is |
| a health information technology program you may | | | | an intelligent step to a rewarding career. |