In today’s data-driven healthcare system, the job of health informatics workers is more important than ever. They’re the pros in charge of managing patient medical data, analyzing that data, and making sure it’s secure. They work with clinicians, administrators, tech designers, and IT professionals to make sure data is used effectively between departments and outside health organizations.
To put it simply, health information management helps keep our hospitals and health organizations running smoothly and securely.
With massive amounts of healthcare data being generated every day, there’s a lot of responsibility and trust placed on health information managers (HIM). If you’re ready to pursue a career in health information, it’s important to have the right education, training, and skills to ensure you’re not only prepared for the job, but can excel in it.
3 Key Skills Needed in Health Information Management
1. Project Management
Effective HIMs are also skilled project managers. They’re able to manage not just multiple tasks, but people, departments, and resources, ensuring all projects are organized and on time. With a health information management degree from WGU, you’ll learn how to develop the skills necessary to manage an entire project life cycle, from development to delivery. Your coursework will also teach you how to apply best practices in areas including project planning, scheduling, risk management, reporting, and more.
2. Compliance
One major responsibility of health informatics pros is ensuring all data collection and recording is in legal compliance with federal, state, and regulatory groups. To be successful in this role, you’ll need to have a solid understanding of these laws. WGU’s Health Information Management degree program prepares students to manage health information in compliance with legal guidelines and teaches how to respond to questions and challenges if legal issues occur.
3. Collaboration
The ability to collaborate with others is an important skill to have in any work environment, but especially for health information managers. They work as liaisons between different departments and people, connecting medical professionals, the information they gather to track patient data, and the patients themselves.
What Credentials Are Important for Health Information Managers?
A bachelor’s degree in health information management, combined with credentials, will help you stand out to potential health information employers. WGU’s health information management degree program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). CAHIIM accreditation is important because it means the program will prepare you in the health information areas you need.
This degree program also includes credentials that can boost your résumé even more, such as qualifying you to sit for the Registered Health Information Administrators (RHIA) exam. Given by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), the RHIA is the certification most often required by employers, and it’s a popular choice for health information managers who want to be experts in data management. Your health information management degree from WGU also comes with the CompTIA Project+ certification as part of your coursework, a certification that proves your IT knowledge. Together, these certifications can show that you have the knowledge, skills, and dedication to excel in a health information management role.
If you’re considering a career as a HIM, WGU is ready to help you earn your degree and make your move into the rewarding (and growing!) field of health information management.
