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Part of Western Governors University
Healthcare Careers Health Information Management
What is health information management?
Health information management (HIM) careers involve collecting, analyzing, storing, and protecting health information and medical records. This is another important healthcare profession that doesn't directly involve patient care but is extremely vital for success in health and wellness. Technology and software systems rely heavily on data experts to help them run smoothly and effectively. As electronic health records (EHR) have created a greater need for health information professionals, health information management has boomed. This career involves helping drive decisions, improve patient outcomes, and work toward a better healthcare future.
Health information management job description.
So what does a health information management job entail? These jobs involve many specific duties including:
- Reviewing paper and electronic health records to ensure they are accurate and complete
- Organizing and maintaining clinical databases for patients
- Tracking patient outcomes
- Organizing medical records to help share them with other providers
- Working to optimize patient privacy
- Managing staff members in health information positions
- Reporting patient data as part of analysis
- Exploring new software as part of health information maintenance
- Researching compliance to ensure health records have proper privacy and safety
Health information management job titles.
Health information management professionals can have many job titles depending on where they are working. These professionals are needed in hospitals, clinics, offices, and other health settings. All of these roles are critical to success in the health journey.
- Health information manager
- Health information technician
- Compliance officer
- EHR specialist
- Director of clinical informatics
- Health systems manager
- Clinical data analyst
- Chief medical information officer
How much do health information managers make?
There are so many factors that impact your salary range, especially in management positions. The location where you choose to work, your specific job title, your responsibilities, and your education and experience are all important in determining your salary. Entry-level health information technician positions start with an average of $40,000 per year. But after just a few years of experience and promotions, health informatics management careers land at about $75,000 per year. And health informatics jobs overall have an average annual salary of more than $90,000. Additionally, this career is seeing great growth in salary, with the average salary today up 9% from 2017.
How can I get started in health information management?
If you're interested in a career in healthcare management or are already on the path, there are some important steps that can help you boost your résumé and be better equipped for this exciting healthcare role. A degree in health information management is an important step in being prepared for this career. A bachelor's degree adds an important credential to your résumé and gives you training and knowledge in medical settings, patient care, terminology, anatomy, pharmacology, compliance, and more. It also dives into health information technology systems, HR resources, health data, and more. All of these information technology and healthcare courses work together to give you a comprehensive understanding of what is needed to make health information meaningful for an organization. If you're ready to take the next step in health information management, a bachelor's degree can help you get important training and credentials that will prepare you for your next career move.
When searching for a degree program, accreditation and recognition is important. WGU’s Health Information Management bachelor's degree program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). The CAHIIM accreditation means this program prepares you in the health information areas you need—and also includes credentials that will boost your résumé even more, such as qualifying you to sit for the Registered Health Information Administrators (RHIA) exam. According to the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), an RHIA certification stands out to potential health information employers because it shows that you have a solid grasp on managing patient information systems and that you understand the healthcare system.
The American Health Information Management Association characterizes health information management as one curriculum encompassing multiple disciplines: medicine, management, finance, information technology, and law. This unique combination opens up an exceptionally wide array of job possibilities for HIM graduates.
Health information management career outlook.
Health information management is expected to grow 8% by 2028, much faster than the national average. This is largely due to increasing changes in health information technology and health systems. Health information management professionals are critical to continued advancement, growth, and security in the healthcare system. Additionally, as healthcare is always needed in good economic times and bad, health information management careers will also be needed to help keep regulation and privacy at the forefront of health.