Career Guide: What are some health informatics jobs?
Discover the benefits of pursuing a Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI) degree with this comprehensive guide for health informatics jobs.
Career Guide: What are some health informatics jobs? Heading link
The health informatics field isn’t new, but the way it’s transforming healthcare is. Health Informatics is reshaping healthcare through technological advancements, like data analytics and cloud computing, consumer health devices and wearables, and Artificial Intelligence that make it possible to analyze information and use it in a meaningful way to promote positive health outcomes.
Whether you’re a seasoned healthcare professional seeking to augment your knowledge or a tech enthusiast eager to make a difference in the healthcare sector, a Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI) degree provides a solid foundation for success. Explore the various career opportunities available to MSHI graduates in this comprehensive career guide.*
What is health informatics?
Health informatics optimizes patient care through innovative technology and methodologies, aiming for efficient communication and collaboration among healthcare stakeholders. It involves designing smart systems for seamless interaction between patients and providers, facilitating real-time collaboration and knowledge sharing. This interdisciplinary field focuses on the adoption and application of IT-based innovations to enhance healthcare delivery, management, and planning.
What industries do MSHI graduates work in?
In the next three to five years, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the healthcare industry will need nearly 50,000 new health IT professionals to accommodate the government-led shift toward electronic health records (EHRs). As the number of healthcare facilities making this shift increases, so do the opportunities for health informatics professionals.
From the more traditional settings, like hospitals and clinics, to non-traditional settings, like public health offices and insurance companies, there are plenty of environments to consider when entering or seeking to advance in the health informatics field.
Some of the industries HI professionals commonly find employment include:
Industries Heading link
| Traditional: | Non-traditional: |
|---|---|
| Academic | Community Outreach |
| Care facilities | Health informatics consulting |
| Clinics | Healthcare software vendors |
| Group practice | Insurance companies |
| Health systems | Non-healthcare tech companies |
| Hospitals | Pharmaceutical industry |
| Medical Organizations | Public health offices |
| Nonprofits | Public policy and government |
| Nursing homes | Cyber security & blockchain technology |
| Private practice | Life sciences research |
What are some health informatics job opportunities? Heading link
What are some health informatics job opportunities?
Health informaticians play a critical role in enhancing access to health data, shaping transformative processes within the healthcare sector, and elevating the standard of patient care worldwide.
Equipped with an MSHI degree, graduates are poised to advance their careers while advocating for patients and the future of healthcare. According to the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), individuals with a master’s degree in health informatics earn an average of $20,000 more annually than those with only a bachelor’s degree.
Here are some key roles for MSHI graduates with data sourced from Glassdoor and Ziprecruiter:
Careers Heading link
| Position | Salary | Job Description |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical Database Programmer | $118,962 | Play a critical role in the development, enhancement, and management of healthcare products and solutions. This role requires an understanding of user research and analysis, UX strategy development, and usability testing. |
| Clinical Informatics Director | $125,000 | Implement processes and train staff on how to use platforms. This role is instrumental in keeping an eye on the trends in healthcare technology and recommending changes as needed. |
| Healthcare IT Project Manager | $88,397 | Oversee the launch of large-scale technology projects — including the supervision of all team members involved in the project. Their goal is to improve business processes and maximize efficiency by driving quality results with a measurable impact. |
| Health Informatics Consultant Technology | $90,000 | This role ensures that an organization complies with federal regulations and supports internal staff to train them on new procedures or technology integrations. |
| Epic Consultant | $97,760 | Uncover and tackle challenges in fast paced environments where flexibility, adaptability, and resilience are key skills. Consultants listen, analyze and identify root causes of pressing issues. |
| Healthcare User-Experience Strategist | $110,000 | Develop and manage healthcare products and solutions. This role requires an understanding of user research and analysis, UX strategy development, and usability testing. |
| Predictive Analytics Lead | $110,783 | This role is essential in today’s information-heavy healthcare environment. They combine strong data exploration, statistical modeling, communication and collaboration skills to deliver analysis and models. |
| Healthcare Product Manager | $130,649 | Development, enhance, and manage healthcare products and solutions. This role will lead the vision, strategy, and advancement of the product. |
| Director of Information Technology | $122,338 | Develop and deploy healthcare technology with leadership. Professionals in this role oversee technical projects based on benchmarks they set and managing IT system performance. |
| Physician Informaticist | $143,698 | Analyze current processes and identify flaws. This role is tasked with presenting reliable solutions that fulfill the needs of clinicians. |
| Chief Medical Information Officer (CMIO) | $322,929 | Evaluate an organization’s IT systems, analyze health data to improve operations and train a variety of healthcare professionals in IT systems and applications. |
An online MSHI Program Heading link
An online MSHI Program
If you’re already committed to your career in health informatics, take the next step by earning your MSHI degree online from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). As a program graduate, you’ll be poised to lead your respective organization in the development and implementation of health informatics strategies to improve patient care and ensure access to information.
Healthcare data accounts for nearly 30% of global data production. Choosing to pursue a MSHI degree makes you an asset in the information technology movement. MSHI courses allow students to develop a multifaceted skill set that include:
- Competency Skills: Analyze, apply, evaluate, create, divergent thinking, and solutions for undefined problems
- Hard Skills: Coding, statistics, computer science, data visualizations, and data analysis
- Soft Skills: Communication, teamwork, leadership, conflict resolution, and adaptability
- Domain Knowledge: Textbook readings and lectures foundation
If you’re ready to advance your career and make a meaningful impact on patient care, consider enrolling in UIC’s online MSHI program. To learn more, contact an enrollment specialist.
*Information is sourced from UIC’s Health Informatics Career Guide.