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HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYAssociate Degree Click here to update Alumni or Student Email and Contact Information |
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Reference
Form - Downloadable PDF Significant Points Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement Links to Professional Organizations
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It’s a fast-paced field that combines business and computer skills with a
wealth of medical knowledge. Pay is excellent and opportunities are increasing. Come catch
this wave of technology that’s sweeping through the healthcare profession. Play a
vital role on the healthcare team.
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| NATURE OF THE WORK Most Health Information Technicians work in hospitals, mental health facilities, nursing homes, health insurance organizations, rehabilitation facilities, large medical offices, outpatient clinics, research organizations, and consulting firms. Students interested in this field must be above average learners with a real desire to succeed. Individuals will need to be able to work with a wide variety of healthcare professionals in a fast-paced and ever-changing environment. Individuals in the Health Information field do not provide patients care, however they are an integral part of the healthcare team. They organize medical information and educate health professionals. Health information management personnel maintain and analyze medical information about patients so it can be used in evaluation and treatment. They organize the data and prepare statistical reports used in studying and planning health care. The medical record is a permanent document prepared for each patient at a health care facility. It contains the "who, what, where, when, why, and how" of a patient’s care. Maintaining these records is very important because the information is used to evaluate patient care, diagnose and treat illness and plan health care services. |
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| JOB OPPORTUNITIES Although most health information technologists work in hospitals, many work in other health care settings, including health maintenance organizations (HMOs), industrial clinics, skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation centers, large group medical practices, ambulatory care centers, and state and local government health agencies. Employment prospects through the year 2005 are excellent. The demand for well-trained health information personnel will grow rapidly and will continue to exceed the supply. This expectation is related to the health care needs of a population that is both growing and aging and to the trend toward more technologically sophisticated medicine and greater use of diagnostic procedures. Technicians with two-year associate’s degrees and RHIT status will have the best prospects, and the importance of such qualifications is likely to increase. Salaries, while influenced by the location, the size, and the type of the employing institution, will range between $27,000 and $35,000. An average salary for all RHITs is between $35,000 and $36,000. With more experience, and perhaps specialization in a particular area, technicians might earn more than $75,000 annually. Those with bachelor’s degrees can expect higher wages. |
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| TRAINING, OTHER QUALIFICATIONS, AND
ADVANCEMENTGraduates
of ECC's programs are eligible to apply to write the national qualifying examination for
certification as a Registered Health Information Technician. (RHIT). ECC graduates may
also transfer into a four-year Health Information program to increase their skills and
salary-earning potential. NOTE: Effective January 1, 2000, the recognized credentials for Accredited Record Technician (previously known as ART) was changed to Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) and Registered Record Administrator (previously known as RRA) was changed to Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA). Please note this change for anywhere ARTs or RRAs are referenced in your data search following January 1, 2000. The American Health Information Management Association approved this change at their October 1999 House of Delegates to more accurately reflect the changing scope and function of the credentialed personnel in the Health Information field . |
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| LINKS TO PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONSFor answers to many of your questions
related to the Health Information profession and /or the Health Information Technology
program, please visit the following websites given below. They are the home pages to our
national and state association. They will provide you with an array of information from a
national as well as state perspective. Hopefully, many of your questions can be answered
here.
American Health Information Management Association 233 North Michigan Avenue |
