The growth within the medical technology field is anticipated to increase by 22% by the year 2022, according to US Department of Labor. There is a national push to advance the health information technologies to include an approximate ten year prediction of transferring existing medical records from paper versions to electronic, and as we advance, the need for additional information technology professionals in the medical vertical will continue to grow.
The top five careers in medical and health information technology fields are becoming some of the most concentrically focused. At the head of the pack are the medical billing and coding professionals:
Medical Coders: These are the professionals that review physician documents and translate the information into the specified numeric codes for procedures and sequenced diagnostics. Using the standard healthcare coding, these positions are critical as a combination of both business and medical requirements and the information that they convey affect reimbursement for healthcare professionals.
Medical Billing/Medical Secretaries: Within a medical professional environment, the primary function of these positions are often administrative and clerical but they also require a high level of duties involving dictation transcribing, updating medical records, health insurance billing, health insurance rules, billing methods and laboratory/medical procedures.
Healthcare IT: The increased demand for EHR (electronic health records) and EMR (electronic medical records) has been caused by the passing of the HITECH act. This has allowed an expansion of positions to include management, database administrators, network administrators, and implementation and training specialists.
Healthcare Information Managers: The role of this professional involved administration and management of all of the health information systems that hold medical insurance information, documents and health care facility documentation.
Health Information Technicians: The performance of reviewing and checking medical charts for accuracy and completion is crucial for complete follow through for patient treatment. Knowledge of all medical processes allows them to assign medical chart diagnosis codes and generate reports that are used for data collection and insurance claims.
As we move into the future of automated technology within the medical and healthcare realms, there will be a requirement for professionals to fill the high tech jobs for efficiency and excellence of patient care in private as well as hospital environments.
About
Ashworth College offers a 100% online program in Medical Billing & Coding which can be completed in as little as four months. The course prepares for the National Healthcareer Association’s (NHA’s) Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) exam.
Sources
http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/rankings/best-healthcare-jobs
http://learn.org/articles/What_are_Typical_Jobs_in_the_Field_of_Health_Information_Technology.html
http://www.worldwidelearn.com/online-education-guide/health-medical/health-information-technology-major.htm
http://healthcareers.about.com/od/healthcareerprofiles/tp/Technology-Careers-In-Healthcare.htm
