Clinical Informatics Manager Career Guide
How to Become a Clinical Informatics Manager
As technology continues to develop, information technology and data specialists, such as clinical informatics managers, are finding themselves in more central roles.
Data is essential to the healthcare industry. The information collected can help healthcare operations treat diseases more effectively, serve patients better, hire more qualified staff, and lower costs. The specialists who organize and analyze this data are in high demand.
What Is a Clinical Informatics Manager?
A clinical informatics manager acts as the bridge between the IT department and the rest of the healthcare facility. This position requires knowledge of healthcare operations, computer science, and information technology. Additionally, it demands a good understanding of business and leadership.
A clinical informatics manager seeks to implement systems and processes to collect, transfer, and store healthcare facility data in the form of electronic health records. They then use their database management skills to make the data accessible to the right people at the right time. They may also analyze the information flow to find trends and correct inefficiencies.
What Does a Clinical Informatics Manager Do?
A clinical informatics manager's duties vary, depending on the exact job description and the setting. However, below are some of the common responsibilities of clinical informatics managers:
- Collecting and analyzing patient data
- Using data analysis results to develop solutions to improve the delivery of healthcare
- Collaborating with various other departments to improve cost efficiency and collect feedback on the user-friendliness of IT systems
- Bridging the gap between the IT department and other staff members
- Helping the IT department understand the needs of end-users to build better tools for them
- Supervising and directing other clinical informatics specialists working under them, depending on the size of the organization
What Education Does a Clinical Informatics Manager Need?
Jobs in this career typically require a mix of educational qualifications and relevant work experience. Most employers look for candidates with at least a bachelor’s degree, and health information management can be a great option for that degree program. In a health information management degree, students will learn about healthcare data, analysis processes and strategies, and how to interpret and report on health information. These skills are crucial in preparing you to work as a clinical informatics manager.
Candidates are also typically required to have at least two years of experience working in a healthcare setting. For many employers, master’s degrees are preferred. After earning a bachelor’s degree, it’s ideal to get some work experience in health information to prepare you for the next steps in your career.
For many current nurses, a master’s degree in nursing informatics can help them make the career pivot toward clinical informatics. You can capitalize on your RN experience and move quickly through an MSN program, focusing on the data and analysis elements of nursing informatics. This credential and the skills you will learn can help you move into a clinical informatics management role.
Best Degrees for a Clinical Informatics Manager:
Nursing – Nursing Informatics (RN–to–MSN) – M.S.
A nursing program that empowers data-driven nurses to go from RN...
A nursing program that empowers data-driven...
A nursing program that empowers data-driven nurses to go from RN to MSN, earning their BSN along the way:
- Time: 90% of RN-to-MSN grads finish within 36 months.
- Tuition and fees: $3,795 per 6-month term during undergraduate portion, $4,385 per 6-month term during graduate portion, plus a Health Professions Student Fee of $350.
Some careers and jobs this degree will prepare you for:
- Chief Nursing Informatics Officer
Informatics Director
Nursing Informatics Specialist
Informatics Analyst
The trajectory of data and informatics in healthcare will continually open opportunities for registered nurses who take this path.
College of Health Professions
Nursing – Nursing Informatics (BSN-to-MSN) – M.S.
A nursing degree program that empowers data-driven nurses who...
A nursing degree program that empowers...
A nursing degree program that empowers data-driven nurses who already have a BSN but seek the success only a master's can bring:
- Time: 72% of grads finish within 18 months.
- Tuition and fees: $4,385 per 6-month term, plus a Health Professions Student Fee of $350.
Some careers and jobs this degree will prepare you for:
- Chief Nursing Informatics Officer
Informatics Director
Nursing Informatics Specialist
Informatics Analyst
The trajectory of data and informatics in healthcare will continually open opportunities for nurses who take this path.
College of Health Professions
Health Information Management – B.S.
A program designed for future leaders in HIM:...
A program designed for future leaders in HIM:...
A program designed for future leaders in HIM:
- Time: 60% of grads earned this degree in 36 months or less.
- Tuition and fees: $3,795 per 6-month term, plus a Health Professions Student Fee of $350.
Some careers and jobs this degree will prepare you for:
- Director of informatics
- HIMS chief
- Information systems auditor
- Outpatient coder
- Health records manager
This CAHIIM-accredited program makes you eligible for the RHIA exam.
College of Health Professions
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What Certification Does a Clinical Informatics Manager Need?
While it is not strictly necessary to have certifications, earning one can improve your career prospects and communicate to potential employers that you are hardworking and committed to your profession.
There are several available certifications, depending on your interests and career paths. Here are a few certifying bodies and the certifications they offer:
- Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS): This organization offers two certifications. One is the Certified Associate in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CAHIMS), and the other is the Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CPHIMS).
- American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA): This body offers the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) certification, which demonstrates your ability to manage and analyze patient data, as well as administer IT systems.
- American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA): This body offers the AMIA Health Informatics Certification (AHIC) for informatics professionals with lots of experience in the field.
While there may be other available certifications, the above are the most common and relevant among professionals in this field.
What Skills Does a Clinical Informatics Manager Need?
As a clinical informatics manager, you will need a few hard and soft skills to excel in your field:
- Analytical skills to solve data-related issues and come up with solutions
- Database management knowledge to create and oversee the storage and dissemination of data
- Knowledge of clinical terminology, workflows, and processes to tailor the data systems specifically for use in a healthcare setting
- Communication skills to work with or train staff members, discuss the needs of medical professionals, and present ideas and findings to upper management
- Collaboration to work with medical professionals and team members to create informatics systems
- Leadership to oversee team members on informatics projects
Internships during your studies are a good option for developing both hard and soft skills.
How Much Does a Clinical Informatics Manager Make?
$104,280
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, clinical informatics officers are under the Medical and Health Service Managers category. This category had a median salary of $104,280 as of May 2020. The highest 10% earned over $195,000, demonstrating the extremely lucrative options within the field. Your exact salary may depend on education, years of experience, location, and type of employer.
What Is the Job Outlook for Clinical Informatics Managers?
32% Growth
Employment opportunities for medical and health service managers are expected to grow by 32% between 2019 and 2029. As life spans increase and the population grows older, there will be greater demand for long-term care facility administrators.
Similarly, as technology and data analysis methods continue to become more sophisticated, demand will increase for skilled staff to manage the IT systems and deliver data-driven solutions to clinical problems.
Where Do Clinical Informatics Managers Work?
Varies
Given the versatility of this role, many places might need the services of a clinical informatics manager:
-Physicians’ offices
-Outpatient clinics
-Public health institutions
-Public and private hospitals
-Pharmaceutical companies
-Insurance agencies
-Government agencies
-Psychiatric institutions
-Rehabilitation facilities
These are only some of the places where a clinical informatics manager might work. Ultimately, any institution in the healthcare industry that deals with patient data will need the services of a clinical informatics manager.