Healthcare Workers Who Can Advance Their Careers
- Medical Records Clerks
- Medical Coders
- Nurses
Health informatics is a growing career field, and not only for new entrants. Are you an established healthcare professional in skilled and clinical roles? You can boost your career by earning a degree or certification in health informatics or health information technology. Here are three types of healthcare professionals who can benefit from training in healthcare informatics.
1. Medical Records Clerks
Traditionally, medical records clerks have been among the lowest skilled professions in health informatics. The job often requires only a high school diploma to enter the career. Unfortunately, it’s also the one health informatics role that is actually seeing declines in opportunities rather than job growth.
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The lack of demand for the job puts workers currently employed in medical records clerk roles in a difficult position. They have valuable experience with filing and organizational duties and at least some familiarity with medical terminology. But without a degree or certification, they can’t advance to more in-demand careers with better job security.
The quickest way for today’s medical record clerks to advance is to earn a Certified Coding Specialist (CCS). This designation enables them to move into a medical coder role. On average, achieving this certification takes just one year of studying for a national examination, Jobs for the Future reports.
2. Medical Coders
In the past, medical coders have also been lower skilled roles. Today, opportunities for medical coders are increasing, but so are the job requirements. More than 60 percent of medical coder job postings express a requirement or at least a preference for candidates who have the Certified Coding Specialist credential. This is according to Jobs for the Future.
Current medical coders who don’t yet have this certification could find it difficult to advance their careers, until they attain the credential. However, medical coders who envision themselves in a higher-level healthcare role in the future could find the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) certification to be an even better pathway to career success.
Becoming an RHIT can pave the way for mid-level technical and management roles. These jobs can lead to high-level information management and analyst positions, Jobs for the Future reported.
Getting certified as an RHIT takes somewhat more effort than earning CCS certification, because it requires an associate’s degree. However, the effort is worthwhile for candidates who want to open more doors to future advancement opportunities.
3. Nurses
Even healthcare professionals who work in clinical roles can advance their careers by acquiring skills in health informatics. A number of health informatics roles combine direct patient care experience with knowledge of information technology. This is often used in clinical treatment and decision-making. These roles require a nursing education and experience.
For current registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs), getting training in health information technology can open new doors to jobs like informatics nurse and clinical informatics specialist, according to job search site Monster.com.
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