Introduction
Information Technology (IT) and Health care are two fields that are known to post some of the best-paying jobs. Information Technology permeates every industry and healthcare is no exception to this. The intersection of these two fields breeds a lot of opportunities you may want to consider. This blog post will explore the best-paying Information Technology jobs in the Healthcare Industry. It will highlight the job description, skills, salaries, etc, and some basic facts you need to know about these jobs.
Why Healthcare?
In relative terms, Health care is still decades behind in terms of adopting Information Technologies. Only recently has the digital transformation begun in Health care delivery. There is a lot of “catching-up” that needs to happen in Health care IT. These provide huge opportunities for those who are willing to use their IT skill in this industry. There is much room for growth careerwise, relatively less competition, and the satisfaction that such jobs will directly impact Health care delivery (and save lives).
There is an increasing demand for IT professionals in healthcare delivery but it seems there is a gap in those roles being filled. According to research, 74 percent of Health care Industry leaders have difficulty in filling the shortages of IT professionals in the Industry.
Top Information Technology Jobs in Healthcare for 2024
The following is a list of the top IT jobs in healthcare for 2024. The salaries indicated for the different jobs can vary significantly depending on the location and a host of other factors.
1. Health Informatics Technician/Health Informatics Specialist
Health Informatics Technicians are IT professionals within the Healthcare industry who specialize in the management and maintenance of Health Information Systems. Principally, Electronic Health Records. Electronic Medical Records or other similar health informatics systems. These systems make the delivery of health care services faster, and more efficient, and reduce human errors. They are the custodians of medical records. It is often an entry-level job requiring little to no prior job experience but does require some soft skills such as attention to detail, analytical skills, good communication, and interpersonal skills.
Health Informatics technicians should be knowledgeable in Electronic Health Records and Health Information Exchanges, and also familiar with all the Healthcare standards.
Some of the Job descriptions of Health care Information Technicians include;
- Entry and retrieval of patients’ Electronic records from the Informatics systems.
- Assist healthcare professionals and staff using health informatics systems
- Protect Patients’ information from unauthorized access.
The more experienced roles are the Health Informatics Specialists with significantly higher salaries. The salary range of a Health Informatics Technician in the US is between $46,000 – 72,000/year. while that of a Health Informatics Specialist can be as high as $133,000/year (ZipRecruiter)
2. Medical Database Administrator
The Medical or Health care Database Administrator is in charge of maintaining the healthcare facility’s clinical and operational database. These largely will comprise Electronic Health Records (EHR) which can be shared with other facilities, in-house Electronic Medical Records (EMR), Administrative records, Financial records, etc. They also work to update and secure the systems that house these databases and make them available for use when needed.
In addition to having skills in database management systems (DBMS) such as Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, etc., the Medical Database Administrator must also be familiar with Healthcare data privacy regulations such as HIPAA.
Other common Job Descriptions of a Medical Database Administrator include ;
- Administer the hospital database and ensure its smooth operation
- Manage all database systems security, and coordinate system usage.
- Creating and managing Database backups in case of emergencies such as natural disasters or Cyberattacks
- Planning and executing database upgrades and regular maintenance to keep the database systems up-to-date.
The salary per annum for a Medical database administrator in the US is between $97,000 – $145,000/yr (Glassdoor)
3. Clinical Data Analyst/Healthcare Data Analyst
The Clinical Data Analyst is a data analyst role within the healthcare industry. They work with large volumes of medical data. They collect, input, manage, secure, and analyze medical data to draw useful insights that can help in making data-backed decisions. Given that over 80 percent of healthcare data are unstructured, the Healthcare Data Analyst (and Clinical Data Analyst) does have lots of roles related to handling and analysis of medical data. Clinical Data Analysts are often also employed in research assistance, for example, in Pharmaceutical trials.
The Clinical Data Analyst should be very knowledgeable with Databases and possess skills in the use of analytics tools and technologies e.g. Excel, SQL, Power BI, and Programming languages such as Python and R. They must also understand the regulations as regards medical or clinical data.
The description of the job of a Clinical or Healthcare Data Analyst may include some of the following;
- Data Analysis – They collect, process, analyze data, and present them in a form that can be accessed or used by other professionals
- Reporting – They create reports and dashboards to communicate data analytical findings to healthcare professionals, researchers, and other stakeholders for better decision-making.
- Data Quality Control – They ensure the accuracy and reliability of clinical data by implementing quality control measures.
- Compliance – They ensure data handling and analytics comply with relevant regulations and standards, e.g. HIPAA ((Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).
- Treatment Effectiveness – They can also help monitor the effectiveness of treatment or similar tasks.
The salary range for a Clinical Data Analyst in the US is $73,000 -$109,000/year. (Glassdoor)
4. Healthcare Systems Analyst/Clinical Systems Analyst
A Healthcare systems analyst oversees and maintains the computer systems of the healthcare facility. They evaluate a hospital computer system to see if there is a need for an upgrade or increased capacity. They may also research new pieces of equipment or technologies and make recommendations to hospital management to adopt new technologies. The Healthcare Systems analyst will often work with other IT professionals to improve the overall system infrastructure in the facility.
There are different specialties in the Healthcare/Clinical Systems Analyst career depending on the medical facility. e.g. Radiology System Analyst (within radiology), Pharmacy Systems Analyst, etc. They must be knowledgeable of the applications within their domain and must be able to do systems upgrades, troubleshooting, and general maintenance of computing systems.
Typical job descriptions of a Clinical or Systems analyst include;
- Maintains the computer Systems in the health facility.
- Troubleshooting computer system (medical equipment) errors.
- Educating staff on how to use the different computing systems in the course of their job
- Software application developments, upgrades, and installation in computer systems to support the health facility.
The salary range for a Healthcare System Analyst in the US averages about $91,890/year (according to ZipRecruiter)
5. Clinical Application Trainer (or Clinical Educator)
The Job of a Clinical Educator is to develop a curriculum and train healthcare professionals on how to use clinical software and applications like EHR. They are also known as Learning and Development Consultants or Clinical Applications Trainer. The Clinical Educator creates instructional materials and provides support to ensure the effective use of healthcare technology. They usually work for vendors or manufacturers of medical devices.
The job requires you to have a good understanding of the different medical applications products and have good communication skills to teach healthcare professionals the technical skills required to use these software. It is not unusual that a sales role is added to this job. In that case, the job will also include making sales presentations to the Managers of Healthcare facilities on behalf of the vendors.
The job description of a Clinical Educator/Clinical Software Application Trainer is as follows;
- Developing a curriculum to train healthcare professionals on how to use medical IT products/equipment
- They are middlemen between the healthcare facilities and the vendor of medical equipment, passing vital feedback for software improvement.
- They may also be actively involved in sales.
The salary of a Clinical Educator can vary widely depending on the vendor they work for. The typical range in the US is $74,097 – $95,125/year (Salary.com)
6. Healthcare IT Project Manager
Healthcare Project is in charge of managing large, often complicated projects within Healthcare. The project management will include selecting the right technology that will produce the best results, suit the needs of the healthcare facility, and save costs. They plan, monitor, and execute IT projects within the healthcare Industry. The Healthcare IT project manager works with other IT professionals to ensure the implementation of an IT project and services are completed on time.
The Healthcare IT project manager is an emerging discipline. It requires that they understand the different technologies in healthcare e.g. Electronic Health Records systems and excellent project management skills. They must also be good at communication and interpersonal skills.
The Job description for a Healthcare IT Project Manager includes the following ;
- Implementing IT solution – Coordinating the implementation of Healthcare IT systems such as Telemedicine, Electronic Health Records, etc.
- Quality Assurance – They ensure that IT solutions and technologies meet quality and regulatory standards of the Healthcare Industry
- Team Management – They manage a team of other IT professionals and report back to management on the progress of IT projects.
- Project Planning – They develop a detailed blueprint for a project, including the resources needed, scope, and timeline for its completion.
- Problem Resolution – They tackle challenges that may arise during the project implementation, finding effective solutions to overcome them.
The salary range for a Healthcare IT Project Manager in the US ranges from $97,931 – $138,105/year (According to Salary.com)
7. Healthcare Chief Information Officer (CIO)
The Healthcare CIO is a top-tier Information Technology job in healthcare, overseeing the overall IT needs of a healthcare facility. They are at the intersection of patient care and technology used by the healthcare facility. They are also actively involved in the overall cybersecurity posture of the health facility. Healthcare CIOs are also actively involved in purchase decisions as regards IT equipment.
The job is for experienced industry experts who have spent considerable time in the industry, incorporating both managerial and technological skills in the management of IT infrastructure. They will work with other IT staff to achieve the facility’s IT needs optimally.
Some of the Job descriptions of a Healthcare CIO include;
- Information System Management – They help in the adoption and management of the various Information systems – EHR, Telemedicine, Remote Patient monitoring.
- Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity – They plan for unforeseen circumstances like cyberattacks, and natural disasters and ensure continuous running of the IT resources.
- Budget management – They promote cost-effectiveness and optimal allocation of resources to meet the facility’s needs.
- Compliance – They ensure compliance of the health facility with regulatory requirements (HIPAA acts) as well as ensure Data Privacy and security.
The Salary of a Healthcare Chief Information Officer in the US ranges from $162,000k – $290,000/year (Glassdoor)
8. Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
The Chief Technology Officer is at the apex of the Information Technology jobs in healthcare. They head the IT department of Healthcare facilities and have all other IT professionals reporting to them. They oversee how a medical facility uses technology and are involved in all major decisions as regards technologies in healthcare. All major technological overhauls or improvements in the health facility are under the direction of the Chief Technology Officer.
They set the standards for how the facility uses technology and ensure compliance with relevant regulations. They make plans for improving the facilities with technology and ensure that there are no failures in technologies
The salary of a Chief Technology Officer averages 222,198/year
Conclusions
Information Technology Jobs in healthcare provide very niche opportunities with good salaries and remunerations. They range from basic entry-level to top-level IT jobs. It is important to note IT experts working in healthcare be aware of some of the regulatory frameworks that govern the handling of Health records. Some of the best-earning Information Technology jobs in healthcare include Health Informatics Technicians/Specialist ($46k-133k/yr), Medical Database Administrators ($97k-$145k/yr), Clinical Database Analysts ($73k – $109k/yr), Healthcare Systems analysis ($92k/yr), Clinical Educator ($74k – 95k/yr.) Healthcare IT Project Manager ($98k -138k/yr.) Healthcare CIO ($162k – 290k/yr.) etc.
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