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HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYAssociate Degree Click here to update Alumni or Student Email and Contact Information |
| For information or to join HITSSA (H.I.T.
Society for Students & Alumni)
Reference
Form - 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 2016 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 of new HIT graduates, while influenced by the location, the size, and the type of the employing institution, will range between $35,000 and $48,000 in NC. The average salary for all directors with an associate degree (RHITs) is $59,000.* With more experience, and perhaps specialization in a particular area, technicians might earn more than $75,000 annually. Those with bachelors degrees can expect higher wages. |
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| TRAINING, OTHER QUALIFICATIONS, AND
ADVANCEMENT Graduates
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. |
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| LINKS TO PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS For 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 |
