Exploring health informatics as a career

As a health informatics specialist, you help regulate many of the IT processes that improve efficiency in healthcare. Working in a healthcare setting, you help create and implement IT strategies that make a practitioner’s role more efficient.

Your role might differ from one day to the next. For example, one day you might educate doctors in a particular department about new platforms that deliver medical records. Another day you might spend time upgrading a healthcare facility’s computer systems, or research technology that directly supports patient care.

Notably, a career in health informatics is different from a career in health information technology. Unlike informatics, health information technology means using technology to support every aspect of patient care, including patient health data, facility transactions, and other print or digital information that helps a healthcare facility run. Health informatics can include health information technology, but it mainly focuses on using health information to make informed decisions to improve health. 

Depending on your employer, you could work in a wide variety of locations. Many health informatics specialists are hired by a single healthcare facility or healthcare provider. In other cases, you might be hired by a private medical research facility or healthcare organization.

Typically, a health informatics specialist needs to work near healthcare providers. You might be employed at a hospital, outpatient clinic, nursing home, surgical center or other healthcare facilities. In some cases, you might work for a government agency or a government-sponsored organization.

Finding the right healthcare degree is often the first step toward a rewarding career in health informatics. To enter this field, you’ll need to gain the core skills in information technology (IT) and administration to understand how to incorporate data and technology into health leadership.

You might choose to begin your journey with the pursuit of a bachelor’s degree focused on healthcare, such as a Bachelor of Science in Health Administration (BSHA), or Bachelor of Science in Health Management (BSHM). At University of Phoenix, our BSHA has a health information systems elective track option that aligns to the CAHIMS certification, which could be a great start for this career path.

After obtaining a bachelor’s degree, you might choose to continue your education by obtaining a master’s degree in health administration (MHA). This degree can help provide the foundation for the leadership side of healthcare, teaching students the skills to better understand and manage patient data and clinical records to improve patient care. 

Health informatics can also be a career option for registered nurses (RNs) who want to transition into the informatics side of healthcare. RNs with an undergraduate degree in nursing might choose to continue their education with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a focus on informatics. This degree focuses on analyzing data to influence quality of care delivery. 

In addition to fulfilling the educational requirements, you may be interested in additional healthcare certificates. Certificates can help deepen your understanding of a particular field and further qualify you for a health informatics specialist position.

Some available certificates include:

• Health Information Systems Certificate — A 10-month undergraduate certificate that further improves IT skills relevant to the healthcare industry.
• Graduate Health Care Informatics Certificate — A five-month online certificate that helps you implement IT systems with greater efficiency in a healthcare environment.

The following industry certification may be available through the certification bodies indicated below. Such certifications are not offered at University of Phoenix, nor do University of Phoenix programs lead to such certifications:

• Certified Associate in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CAHIMS) — A HIMSS certification designed specifically for relatively new employees in the informatics field, one that introduces you to a wide variety of informatics basics.
• Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CPHIMS) — A HIMSS certification for more-advanced informatics professionals, one that deepens your already advanced knowledge of healthcare management and IT integrations.
• Informatics Nursing Certification — An ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center) certification created specifically for nurses who want to broaden their understanding of informatics integrations into a healthcare workspace.

After one becomes a health informatics specialist, the exact salary might depend on a few factors. Employer, place of work, education history, active certifications and other factors will likely influence earnings.

The salary of a health informatics specialist ranges from $29,130 to $105,690, according to May 2020 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The salary ranges are not specific to students or graduates of University of Phoenix. Actual outcomes vary based on multiple factors, including prior work experience, geographic location and other factors specific to the individual. University of Phoenix does not guarantee employment, salary level or career advancement. BLS data is geographically based. Information for a specific state/city can be researched on the BLS website.

Depending on your career aspirations, experience and other factors, a job as a health informatics specialist might be ideal for you.

Choosing a career is easier when you’ve chosen the right college program to prepare you. Identifying the right degree program isn’t always easy, but the way can be smoothed when you align your interests with your talents.

Ultimately, finding the right career path  sometimes requires trial and error. Try working with a counselor — or with your university’s career center — to help align your interests and your strengths and identify potential employment opportunities.

If you’re interested in a career in healthcare that allows you to help others and exercise a love for technology, health informatics deserves your attention as a potentially rewarding career option.

If you’re interested in pursuing a certificate in health informatics, learn more about the Undergraduate Health Information Systems Certificate and Graduate Health Care Informatics Certificate at University of Phoenix.