Different health informatics specialties are a part of many of the degree possibilities for students looking to enter an in-demand, growing field in the medical and health industry. Whether interested in working with information technology, communications, patient care, or records, there is a specialization in health informatics that offers coursework in that area to prepare for the workforce.
Health Informatics Curriculum Overview
Whether looking to complete a bachelor’s degree or a graduate degree in health informatics, there are a number of courses students will complete to fulfill the general and major requirements for the degree. Examples of common course categories in the general education requirements include professional or business writing, biology, anatomy, chemistry, algebra, statistics, economics, and psychology.
For major coursework, students complete courses in categories such as health care, which include classes in health care data, project management, pharmacology, pathophysiology, and medical terminology. Management and administrative courses are also often a part of the curriculum, including courses such as leadership, health care systems management, and health care compliance. Students will also complete coursework in information technology and health care data.
Specialization Options for Health Informatics Degrees
Students in health informatics degree programs have several options to consider for concentrating coursework in a particular specialization in order to prepare for future career options and positions. Some of the benefits that are included in choosing to pursue a more specialized degree path instead of a general education are that employers are likely to view extensive coursework in one area as beneficial in the hiring process and can sometimes replace previous work experience requirements, particularly if an upper-level project or capstone course has been completed.
The health informatics field in itself is diverse, covering many areas of health care administration and services. Specific options for specializations and concentrations vary by institution, but there are some common categories for tailoring a degree to one particular area of health informatics. Some of the most common options include project management, health care policy, health care information systems, health service finances, and data analysis. Additional information can be found at the American Medical Informatics Association website.
Careers in Health Informatics
Changes in health care have necessitated the increase of digital storage, security, and recording, as well as increased reliance on technologies to handle these operations and others. Therefore, the demand continues to increase for professionals who are qualified to handle the various health informatics needs of hospitals, physician groups and facilities, rehabilitation centers, long-term care facilities, pharmaceutical companies, insurance firms, and more.
Within this field, qualified graduates with the most suited health informatics specialization might find positions as medical informatics specialists, health information technicians, health information managers, or health informatics specialists. More specialized positions might also include systems engineer, risk manager, compliance officer, clinical training manager, and informatics researcher. Executive and upper level management positions also include director of business systems, financial manager, chief privacy officer, chief technology officer, and other executive level and director positions.
A degree in health informatics opens up a number of career possibilities for individuals interested in working in the demanding and rewarding field of health and medicine. With different health informatics specialties, future professionals can best tailor an education to meet the future requirements of a specific area of health informatics.
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