Opportunities Explode for Healthcare Informaticians
by Megan Malugani
The integration of computer technology into healthcare has resulted in a booming demand for professionals known as healthcare informaticians.
Informaticians represent one of the fastest growing specialties in healthcare, according to a recent forecast, and the need is so great that some informatics students are recruited before they even complete their education. "The job market is so hot right now that employers are trying to hire folks before they even get out of our program," says Patricia Abbott, PhD, RN, an assistant professor and coordinator of graduate programs in nursing informatics.
A healthcare informatician with a master's degree or PhD can earn an annual salary of $50,000 to $150,000 or more, industry sources say. One of the major reasons healthcare informaticians are so valuable is because they're "bilingual," Abbott says. Healthcare informaticians with clinical backgrounds know both healthcare and information technology lingo, so "they're almost like interpreters," she says.
Healthcare informaticians work in a variety of domains, including hospitals, vendor organizations, and consulting firms, Abbott says.
Hospitals
In acute care facilities, healthcare informaticians help develop clinical information systems -- from computerized patient records to decision support systems -- and ensure that these systems run smoothly. Hospitals seek out informaticians with extensive clinical backgrounds because their knowledge is instrumental in developing and instituting technology that will improve patient care and save clinicians time, according to Linda Fischetti, MS, RN, informatics coordinator for patient services at Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
"Healthcare informaticians need to have a vision of how to improve clinical information handling," Fischetti says. "There is no need to put out a computer system that simply replaces what is on paper. It needs to be better than the paper-based system," Fischetti says. Ultimately, "we don't want clinicians managing the computer, but managing the patients. The computer should provide clinical information at the right place, at the right time to support clinicians in spending more time with patients," she says.
In addition to informatics positions for clinicians, there are "tremendous opportunities" for general knowledge programmers and information technology specialists in hospitals, says Michael Hogarth, MD, medical director of the Applied Medical Informatics Group, Davis Health System. Such jobs are similar to IT positions in other industries, Hogarth says, except that hospitals are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. "The hospital never closes, and the venue is a little different because hospital IT specialists are at least, in some way, helping patients. They may have a sense of commitment they wouldn't have in a bank or other setting," he says.
Vendor Organizations
Healthcare informaticians can also find abundant opportunities working for the vendors that develop, install and manage information systems for healthcare clients. McKesson HBOC, SMS Corp., EDS, Science Applications International Corporation and NDC Health Information Services are the five biggest health information systems vendors (by revenue), according to an annual Top 100 list published in Healthcare Informatics magazine.
Vendors hire clinicians to provide the specifications for clinical information systems during the design phase, Hogarth says. Clinicians also work in sales and training roles for vendors, he says. "The companies generally don't hire many MDs for these positions because they're so expensive. I've seen many more nurses in this area," he explains. "Obviously companies prefer nurses with some background in computing, but they're looking for aptitude more than experience."
Consulting Firms
Consulting firms are also major employers of healthcare informaticians. "I like that you get to do a little of everything. You can work on a project for three months, or you can position yourself for a year or more at the same place," says Emily Welebob, MS, RN, who travels all over working for First Consulting Group, which serves clients in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry. Welebob consults with clients on issues related to clinical information systems, strategic planning, process redesigns and more.
Healthcare consulting firms look for a variety of professionals with health industry experience, Welebob says, including former laboratory technicians, pharmacists and pharmaceutical industry professionals, and people with health plan experience. Generally, the staffing needs of consulting firms are dictated by "what the market is looking for," Welebob says. For example, medication errors and patient safety are hot topics right now, so "if you developed a whole patient safety program at your hospital, we would probably hire you," she says.
Are You Cut Out for a Career in Healthcare Informatics?
Employers will hire qualified candidates for healthcare informatics roles even if they don't have an advanced degree in the field or formal training, industry sources say. You can get your foot in the door if you have:
- Clinical experience
- An interest in and aptitude for technology
- Project management skills
- A commitment to lifelong learning
- The ability to adjust to (and even promote) constant change
- A proactive approach to work
- Good communication and presentation skills