This is a really interesting question. Especially since the healthcare IT world has gone through a long period of rapid change. The bull EHR market that was created thanks to $36 billion in EHR incentive money is mostly over and we’re entering a new market with new opportunities and new challenges. Plus, the healthcare world is going through its own dramatic changes thanks to things like value based reimbursement and ACOs.
Here are a few areas where I see major job growth:
Full Time EHR Managers – I use the term manager quite broadly. Every system uses a different term. Some say EHR analyst. Some say EHR project manager. etc etc etc There are a lot of terms. However, the concept is the same, hospitals are hiring full time people to handing EHR upgrades, EHR optimization, EHR training, etc.
Health Data Scientists – This one also goes by a whole lot of different names. However the core job duties are the same. Get a handle on a healthcare organizations data. Wrangle all the data and turn that data into something valuable for the organization. This person is going to become such an important part of every healthcare organization.
ICD-10 Coding – It’s no surprise that if you have skill with ICD-10 that you’re going to be in high demand. Many organizations can’t get enough quality coders and that’s created its own job market. I expect this trend will continue for a while or at least until all the ICD-9 coders get trained on ICD-10.
HIM Managers – I say this with one small hesitation. Most healthcare organizations are looking for a new breed of HIM manager. Sure, you have to understand common HIM functions such as release of information and medical coding. However, the HIM managers in demand today need to be well versed in much more. They need to truly understand information governance and be an active part of a team’s EHR, health analytics, and data governance teams.
Patient Experience Officer – It takes a progressive organization to look for this person, but we’re seeing more and more organization looking for someone to ensure they provide a great patient experience. This shift started with HCAHP scores and will continue as patients start being more selective with where they go for their healthcare needs.
Those are a few of the popular ones I’ve seen. I’m sure there are some that we’ve missed. Let us know what other healthcare IT jobs you’ve seen become popular recently.