Health Informatics Career Pathways in the U.S. (Part 2)

Last time, we discussed studying health information management programs (H.I.M.) in the U.S. Today, I would like to talk about two other areas of study which are health information technology (H.I.T.) and health informatics (H.I.).  I also plan to focus on some common features as well as differences between ALL THREE disciplines to expose variety of options existing for people interested in health informatics professions, in order to help them to make the right decision in terms of their potential study programs and career aspirations.

Similarities between the fields
When we just pronounce the names of these fields, we immediately catch two key words, like health and information that can be found in titles of all three majors which shows their close relationship to each other. More information about their common features will come out as soon as we start reading the disciplines’ descriptions. We will see that there are three spheres of industry, like information technology, clinical practice and business management are playing a great role in H.I., H.I.M. and H.I.T. emerging, evolving and current functioning. The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), which aims to develop and maintain standards for students studying and professionals working in these fields, describes health information professionals as those who use their knowledge of information technology and records management to form the link between clinicians, administrators, technology designers, and information technology professionals. Check out the AHIMA  site to learn more similarities between the fields as well as about pathways to becoming specialists in the sphere of health information fields of study.

If we imagine HIT, HIM and HI in the form of spheres, we will see that they are overlapping in the center.

Below is the list of some common features which can be found in those intersections:
• They are fast growing career fields offering a variety of employment opportunities and high pay;
• Programs in the fields are offered at undergraduate and graduate levels and both onside and online. The admission requirements for entering U.S. colleges and universities is more or less similar for all three disciplines (see my previous post) as well as degrees (A.S. B.S. and M.S.) offered;
• There are some common courses which health information students may take, like introduction to basic medical terminology, health care system and services, information technology and information systems, etc.,
• They all fall under the umbrella of AHIMA that plays a great role in developing and maintaining standards for students studying and professionals working in these fields.


Differences between the fields
We know that H.I.T., H.I.M. and H.I. are all connected with information and health but each field focuses on different aspects of those spheres and require professionals with different skills.

Look at the scheme below that is provided by Applied Educational Systems. Inc.

You will notice that H.I.M. and H.I.T. are presented as separate fields of study and H.I. is depicted as an intersection of those two.  Read a brief history of health informatics (H.I.) available at University of Illinois at Chicago site  to learn more about the emerging and development of H.I. not just a separate major but a whole science.

Now let us look at captions within the scheme and refer to the definitions of H.I.M., H.I.T and H.I. which are available at AHIMA site (link) to find distinguishing features of those fields. Below are short abstracts from their descriptions as well as my brief comments focusing on the key words I wrote in capital letters related to professionals working in each discipline:

“Health information management (HIM) is the practice of acquiring and protecting digital and traditional medical information vital to providing quality patient care. They are vital to the daily operations management of health information and electronic health records.”  There are two key words here, like SYSTEMS and MANAGEMENT which come up to our minds when we talk about HIM specialists. They are managing technological systems (i.e. patents databases, etc.) using them as bridges to connect different stakeholders: physicians, patents, administrations, insurance companies, etc.

“Health information technology (HIT) refers to the framework used to manage health information, and the exchange of health information in a digital format. Professionals who work in health IT are focused on the technical side of managing health information, working with software and hardware used to manage and store patient data.”  Simply speaking HIT professionals are the ones who have TECHINCAL KNOWLEDGE and give other specialists (HIMs and HIs) with TOOLS they can use to fulfill their jobs.

“Health Informatics (HI) is a science that defines how health information is technically captured, transmitted and utilized. Health informatics focuses on information systems, informatics principles, and information technology as it is applied to the continuum of healthcare delivery.” H.I.s are specialists who CREATE and DEVELOP the tools and systems allowing the health information construction to live and function as one whole organism. Specialists in this field must possess outstanding ANALYTICAL skills, enabling them to conduct RESEARCH and to continuously improve the system.

Useful Links:

• The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) - What is Health Information
• Why Choose a Career in Health Information? 
• Health Informatics: What sets it Apart from Other health care tech degrees?
• What is the difference between Health Informatics and Health Information Management? 

Next time, I plan to briefly discuss potential topics for future posts to be published in 2016. You can also find all the relevant information on new programs, scholarships, and upcoming events on our social media pages: Facebook, Vkontakte, YouTube, Twitter.