Growth if IT in medical field impacts job demand

The digitizing of medical records is not just impacting the way doctors and health professionals share data, it is also changing the type of worker that is needed in today’s growing healthcare field.

 

Health information technology professionals are increasingly needed as more and more health systems are during to various computer and cloud programs to store medical records and communicate with other health professionals.

 

Cerner Corp. co-founder and chief executive Neal Patterson recently spoke at the annual Cerner Health Conference and spoke about the growth in health information technology, which is an area is company focuses.

“As a country, we’re making progress, but not fast enough,” Patterson said at the event.

 

“Open is happening,” Patterson said of health IT interoperability, reported the Kansas City Star, which was fueled partly by federal “meaningful use” legislation, partly by technology innovation and partly by multifaceted efforts to lower health care costs and improve the quality of care.

 

“’Meaningful use’ refers to Medicare and Medicaid programs that provide financial incentives for electronic health records users that meet thresholds indicating improved patient care, such as fewer hospital readmissions,” the KC Star added. “The incentives grew from the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.”

 

As systems like these continue to grow the demand for health information technology professionals will also increase. There is a demand for workers who have professional training and experience in the types of new IT systems that are bing implemented at health facilities across the country.

 

There is also an increase in the use of health monitoring devices, which will require trained health IT workers.

 

John Glaser, chief executive of Siemens Health Services, “focused on the ‘Internet of things,’ the plethora of sensors that make GPS possible and could help improve the integration and availability of health monitoring devices,” at the conference, the Kansas City Star reported. “Such devices include floor pads that can tell monitors whether an elderly person has gotten out of bed in his or her home and is walking normally. The Fitbit type of bracelet is one activity monitor that already is helping people pay attention to their exercise levels, he said. Looking forward, he said, nanotechnology may sit in a pill capsule that will send information to tell if the pill is digested after it’s swallowed.”

 

The future of healthcare will involve more technology and computer programs. This means there will be an increased need for information technology professionals who have specific training in health IT.

 

The health information technology field will only continue to grow in the coming years and those applicants with training and experience in this area will have the best chances at landing a job. Hospitals are modernizing their health record systems, which is contributing to the growing demand for health information technology professionals. However, there are a variety of new technologies and systems still being developed that will reshape the way medical care is delivered in ways that are hard to predict today. That is why employers are looking for applicants who not only have relevant training from a school like A-Technical College, but are also able to adapt and learn on the job as new systems are incorporated.

 

The medical field is growing and there is a demand for workers in all types of positions, including doctors, nurses and medical assistants. However, there is also a growing need for workers who have training and experience in the specific information technology programs that used in the healthcare sector, which includes digital heath records and computer- and cloud-based programs. The use of technology in the medical sector is only going to get bigger, which means the demand for health IT workers will continue to grow, also.

 

If you are looking to launch a long-term career in a growing industry then the medical sector deserves your attention. If you have a passion for technology and can complete the training program at A-Technical College, then you could be on your way to landing a great career as a health information technology professional at one of many healthcare facilities across the country. This is a growing industry with a growing demand for workers, and now is the perfect time to launch a new health IT career.