A rapidly growing field, a career in Health Informatics has unlimited potential. In an attempt to improve the quality of health provided to patients, Health Informatics jobs include the collection, analysis and storing of data in electronic health records or digital patient records. A wide range of Health Informatics careers is in the market, some of which are mentioned below.

Clinical Informaticist

Usually found in clinical settings, a Clinical Informatics Analyst, or a Clinical Informaticist ranges from an entry-level Health Informatics job to a more advanced opportunity. Clinical Informaticists usually compile and analyze health data, using that data to adjust the organizations’ practice and making it available to the entire staff, and hence improve patient care. In a larger organization, the Clinical Informaticist may be responsible to train and assign duties to a staff of junior informaticists, educating them on ways to operate the systems while integrating information technology in the medical facility.

Pharmacy or Nutrition Informaticist

An important Health Informatics career pathway is the Pharmacy and Nutrition Informaticists, whose main responsibility is to collect and organize patient and prescription records, to make medication efficient and safe to use. The data is used to monitor dosing and adverse reactions, and ensure that more accurate and detailed prescriptions are used to improve patients’ results.

Similarly, Nutrition Informaticists use patient data to accurately decide ways to prevent food allergies, fulfil nutritional needs and otherwise make informed decisions about food planning.

Chief Medical Information Officer

Health Informatics career opportunities are not limited to entering data into the system. The Chief Medical Information Officer is an executive responsible for efficiently running every department’s information management teams. The individual oversees all the initiatives related to Health Informatics and patient records. They are involved in various duties, including software launches and process developments, as well as drafting and implementing strategic plans, related to the organization’s long term IT infrastructure.

Nursing Informaticists

A fundamental part of the healthcare system, nurses are medical professionals that take care of patients, while also performing various administrative duties. Hence, the Health Informatics career cluster includes Nursing Informaticists, who are the liaisons between the nurses and the developers. The Nursing Informatics Specialists or Nursing Informaticists, usually oversee the nursing staff, while educating them on recording procedures and the importance of accuracy. They study workflows to help developers build tools for the ease of the nursing staff, relay concerns and limitations to find solutions for both programmers and users, as well as design systems and build functions that allow nurses to make the most efficient use of data.

Electronic Medical Records Keeper

Health Informatics career path is best started by working as an Electronics Medical Records Keeper, who ensures that all the relevant data is entered into the system. It is their responsibility to convert medical records into digital format, by assigning different medical codes to different patients’ information and entering it into the company’s database. However, the most important duty assigned to them is the security of the medical records and training the staff in its security as well.

Health Informatics Consultant

Health Informatics Consultants are often employed by healthcare organizations, either project or contract basis, and are responsible to advise the organization on all informatics related challenges and initiatives. The organizations hiring these professionals, usually do not have an internal informatics staff and need help in the process of digital transformations.

Health Informatics Manager

The Informatics Managers sole responsibility is usually to verify that all systems are working when needed. They facilitate access to data, determine the accuracy of the data and make sure that all data is in compliance with the law of the land.

Conclusion

Starting a career in Health Informatics may be a daunting thought, especially considering it is a relatively new field. However, it is important to note that most of these jobs are often open for application, and are usually higher paid than the national average. So, if you want to make a career in a unique field, be sure to glance at Health Informatics!