A Healthcare Information Technology degree can help bridge the gap between technology, healthcare teams, and patient care. With advancements in technology and healthcare, there is a growing demand for professionals who can effectively manage and utilize health information systems to improve patient outcomes. By earning a degree in Healthcare Information Technology, you can help ensure you’re prepared to fulfill a variety of different roles.
Before we explore the potential career paths you can pursue with this degree, let’s first explore the goal of health information technology.
What Is the Purpose of Health Information Technology?
Health information technology uses hardware, software, and electronic devices to help decrease healthcare costs while increasing the efficiency of current healthcare information delivery methods. This includes incorporating hardware, software, and systems into a healthcare team’s daily practices that holds these professionals accountable for proper health record maintenance. In turn, this can help reduce the chances of medical records being incomplete, illegible, or completed incorrectly. This can ultimately help:
- ensure physicians have access to the most current and accurate information
- streamlines how quickly providers and members of a healthcare team can access patient information
- coordinate patient care between multiple healthcare providers
- improve patient outcomes and satisfaction
Health information technology aims to ensure a patients’ health information — x-rays, lab results, medical histories, notes, etc. — remain secure, current, and easily accessible to the appropriate parties. Although this seems simple on the surface, there are many moving pieces involved that allow aspiring health information technologists to specialize in areas like electronic health records systems or data analysis.
What To Expect from a Healthcare Information Technology Program
Generally, Healthcare Information Technology programs can help you learn to collect health information, verify it for accuracy and completion, then upload it into the appropriate information system. They can also broaden your understanding of anatomy, pharmacology, and pathology. Additionally, they may expose you to the ethical and legal responsibilities of health information practitioners like medical billers, medical coders, and health information technologists.
In Miller-Motte® College’s Healthcare Information Technology program, the above topics are supplemented with courses on health information management and healthcare statistics. As you grow more comfortable with medical terminology, you can practice interpreting the results of healthcare research and translating medical records into diagnostic and procedural code. You can also study the role quality insurance plays in healthcare facilities.
Is Health Information Technology Hard?
Health information technology sits at the intersection of healthcare, information technology, and information management. As such, a Health Information Technology program helps you build a diverse skill set that can be applied to many different careers. While you may find some courses of Health Information Technology to be more challenging than others, with the proper support and hard work you can do well during your studies.
Although you may be exposed to various concepts throughout your studies, you won’t necessarily have to use all of that knowledge on the job. Depending on the role you choose to pursue, you may only use a specific set of skills. If you find you’re more drawn to the medical coding aspect of health information, you can pursue medical coding positions. If you prefer overseeing the maintenance and preservation side of things, you may find yourself drawn to careers as a health information manager or health information technologist.
Not all topics covered in a Health Information Technology program may appeal to you. While those may be more difficult than courses you do like, it’s important to put in the time and effort to understand those topics. This can help build a well-rounded understanding and prepare you for success in your chosen career path.
What Can You Do with a Degree in Healthcare Information Technology?
Even if you haven’t decided what you want to do after graduation, earning a degree in Healthcare Information Technology can help open many doors. With the diverse skills and knowledge gained from earning a degree in Healthcare Information Technology, you may be able to pursue several potential career paths. Graduates of Miller-Motte’s Healthcare Information Technology program have found entry-level work as:
- health information technicians
- medical billers
- medical coding technicians
- medical records
Although these are some pathways you can pursue, they may not be the only options available. As a Miller-Motte graduate, you can work with our Career Services team to explore potential openings based on your interests. Our team can also help you build a resume, refine your interview skills, schedule upcoming interviews, and more to make sure it’s appealing to employers.
Next Steps
Healthcare information technology can serve as a cornerstone of the modern healthcare landscape by offering transformative solutions. This can help reshape how healthcare professionals care for patients and manage their health records. This field strives to make a tangible difference in the lives of patients by improving the quality and efficiency of information delivery in the healthcare field.
Delving into healthcare information technology can prepare you to embark on a journey of endless possibilities. Through career-focused programs, you can begin to acquire a flexible skill set that covers data management, medical coding, and more. These skills can help open doors to a variety of rewarding career paths, each offering the chance to make a significant impact.
As technological advancements continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible, the demand for knowledgeable professionals continues to grow. This creates a unique opportunity for Healthcare Information Technology graduates to thrive in a dynamic job market, where you may become health information technologists, medical billers, and more.
Want to learn how our Healthcare Information Technology program can help you reach your career goals? Call us at 800-705-9182 or submit this form for more information.
Information within this blog is for general information purposes only. Miller-Motte does not assume or guarantee certification/licensures, specific job/career positions, income earning potential or salary expectations based on the programs offered at Miller-Motte. Career and program information statements in this blog do not guarantee that programs or other information mentioned are offered at Miller-Motte.
