Health Information Technology Careers Page

Careers in Health Information Technology

The first step in your career planning process is to discover your interests and then match them to careers. If you have an interest in healthcare and information technologies, Health Information Management may be the right career choice for you. As one of the fastest growing occupations in one of the fastest growing industries, a HIT career places you right where the expanding arena of healthcare meets the cutting edge of technology.

Health Information Technology

HIT professionals play a critical role in maintaining, collecting and analyzing the data that doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers rely on to deliver quality healthcare. They are experts in managing patient health information and medical records, administering computer information systems and coding the diagnosis and procedures for healthcare services provided to patients. HIT professionals work in a multitude of settings throughout the healthcare industry including hospitals, physician offices and clinics, long-term care facilities, insurance companies, government agencies and home care providers.

Growth and Income
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of HIT professionals is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2008. On top of strong job prospects, competitive salaries also await HIT graduates. New HIT graduates with an associate’s degree can earn $20,000 to $30,000 annually. Five years out, many are earning $30,000 to $50,000 range. The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics lists health information technicians as an occupation expected to increase faster that the average for all occupations by 18% through 2016. With projected employment for 2016 at 200,000 jobs. (Reference taken from the Department of Labor Statistics: see http://www.bls.gov) In the August 2008 AHIMA Advantage the result of the 2008 salary survey indicated the following: Average Coder Salary for a CCA was $36,893 and the average salary for a CCS was $57,872. The average salary for the Associate Degree was $59,489. Higher salaries are reported in Acute Care Hospitals with over 27 employees.
How to Get Started on Your HIT Career

Education-
You need to complete an associate’s degree in Health Information Technology (HIT) from an accredited institution.

If you’ve already earned a college degree and possess the prerequisites, you can earn a postgraduate certificate or second degree in HIT.

High school students considering a HIT career can begin a foundation with the following courses: business, computer science, English, math, biology and chemistry.

Financial aid is available to qualified students, both loans and grants. Please contact the Financial Aid Office. Also, check with Collin’s Foundation Office concerning scholarship.

After completing your associate’s degree in Health Information Technology, the next step is to successfully complete a certification exam from the American Health Information Management Association, (AHIMA). A credential validates your competence as a HIT professional to employers and the public.

See www.ahima.org

Certification

After completing an associate’s degree in HIT and passing the certification exam you
will have the title of a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT).

Job Opportunities

HIT professionals enjoy a broad selection of job opportunities and options for professional growth. Based on skills, education and interests, some of the positions available with an associate degree are: Health Data Analyst, Insurance Claims Analyst, Records Technician Specialist, Clinical Coding Specialist, Physician Practice Manager, Patient Information Coordinator

Other HIT Job Opportunities

Health Information Specialist

It is an excellent opportunity as an entry point into the medical office field. A Health Information Specialist assists the physician and staff with administrative duties. The Collin curriculum is designed to give students the hands-on working knowledge necessary to analyze and record billing transactions and insurance claims, produce business correspondence, transcribe medical documents containing medical terminology and use appropriate office procedures in public relations. Students learn to work independently and as a team, demonstrating effective interpersonal and problem-solving skills, attitudes and work habits.

Billing and Coding Specialist

The Billing and Coding Specialization Certificate provides students with the specialized skills and knowledge to analyze health information and assign medical codes to index diagnoses and procedures to support clinical care, to assist medical research and to provide information for reimbursement purposes. These codes are used by institutions for quality improvement activities and case mix management.

Patient Information Coordinator

A coordinator provides clerical services that include answering telephones, scheduling, obtaining and reviewing patient demographic and insurance information, collection of payments, payment arrangements, and referrals to other physicians or services. Provide instructions for patients and insurance authorization. May supervise the work of others and is a resource for problem resolution.

Medical Facility Manager

Medical office managers plan and oversee the delivery of healthcare within their organization. The size of the practice, hospital, care center, or home health care center, dictates the manager's responsibilities. As health care evolves, medical facility managers must be ready to take on new technology, laws and care models. Most important, medical facility managers represent the office, and the physicians within it. Managers need to maintain the demands of office staff, physicians, patients, and outside vendors. Managers can oversee: Finances: This includes office cash flow, inventory, equipment, and short-term investments. Also may include organizing and implementing payroll and budgets.

Managed Care. Manager may be assigned coding and claims processing as a job duty.
Practice Administration. Dependant on individual practice's needs and existing staff.
Medical office managers may be required to perform data management and paperwork. Other duties may include reception - checking patients in, preparing files, etc.
They may also be in charge of all various aspects of human resources. Possibly developing employee manuals, implementing benefits, recruiting/hiring employees, maintaining files, and counseling/dismissing current employees.
Practice administration can also include risk management. Medical office managers can be responsible for ensuring the practice meets current medical laws, regulations and ethics. They can also manage records and monitor malpractice issues.
Marketing. The medical facility manager can also be a source for publicity for a growing practice. Managers often develop patient education materials, maintain community referral information, and create or oversee other marketing/advertising pieces.

Insurance Claims Analyst

To streamline and improve process efficiency of their claims management process, insurers have eliminated paper-based forms in favor of online processing. The objective of their efforts is to lower costs, while increasing output. Claims handling costs typically represent 10% to 15% of net earned premium; in contrast, claims payouts represent 40% to 65%. Claims analyst will:

Properly set reserves to maximize capital efficiency
Pinpoint fraudulent claims to avoid and deter false activity
Identify opportunities for subrogation and salvage to recover losses and forgone asset value
Consistently apply policy terms and conditions to eliminate unwarranted payouts
Savings that have been attained through Claims Management include:

Identified opportunities to improve subrogation collections by 35% to 50%
Reduced losses due to fraudulent claims across multiple lines of business from 20% to 50%
Reduced loss-adjustment expense by 20% to 25%
Allowed carrier to automatically review potential for fraud in up to 6 million claims per year

For more information on a HIT career, contact Pat Pierson at ppierson@ccccd.edu or Tori Hoffman at: thoffman@ccccd.edu.