If you have been looking for opportunities in the healthcare sector but you are interested in working behind the scenes, you may want to consider going to school to become a health information manager. Unlike nursing professionals, medical assistants and x-ray technologists who work directly with patient, a healthcare management professional focus on performing duties in an office environment. Life other fields in the sector, the demand for educated and experienced health information managers is predicted to rise. In fact, with many new health reform laws taking effect, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the field will grow by 22% by 2020. If this information just solidifies your desire to enter the field, read on and learn just what a health information manager does in the healthcare sector.
The Roles of a Health Information Management Professional
Health information managers work in a variety of different healthcare settings from hospitals and clinics to doctor offices and nursing homes. The roles and responsibilities of the professional will depend entirely on the setting in which the professional works. In a general sense, a health information manager, also known as an HIM, will use technology to keep medical records safe and secure. All of the patient’s information that is in the facility’s database is protected by HIM professionals. Because the job is so important, the manager must sit down with other office personnel to come up with procedures and policies that will keep confidential patient information private. The health information manager will formulate the policies, oversee staff and provide regulatory guidance to staff to ensure that security measures are not breached.
Requirements to Become a Health Information Manager
You will need to know how to use query software, office database software, and other technology when you are an HIM professional. With technology advancing on a regular basis for organizations in the healthcare sector, there are degree specialties focused just for individuals pursuing a career in health information management. It is common for employers to require that applicants have an Associate’s Degree in Health Information Technology or a related subject. In order to compete with applicants who have a degree, it is in your best interest to earn a degree. While there is a chance that you can get hired without a degree, the chances are much slimmer with all of the competition that is out there today.
What to Expect in the Work Environment
Working conditions for HIM professionals may vary from organization to organization, but the average professional will work a 40-hour work week. Managers will work in an office setting, and they may have the opportunity to work from home in some cases. In more flexible settings, you may have the opportunity to work weekends or night hours.
Maintaining medical information and keeping it safe is a huge responsibility, but you can earn between $30,000 and $80,000 per year if this is the career path you travel. Review your options, choose a school program that will prepare you for the fast-growing field, and join the sector that is growing faster than any other sector in the nation.
