Health information management

Health information management is one of the fastest growing careers in the country, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

There are three reasons why this is: first, the health industry itself is becoming one of the largest sectors of the economy.

Second, both computers and medicine are becoming more complicated and third, we're all living longer and so needing more health care. All these added together mean that health information management is booming as a career option and is likely to continue to do so.

If this sounds like something interesting then you'll want to consider the training, whether school or a degree, that is necessary to joining the field.

Health information management training

You might think a degree in computers would be a good introduction or perhaps just general training or school in information management.

No, it doesn't work that way, the requirements of health information management are so specialized that you need to have a degree in the actual subject, not just a more general training or degree.

There are 45 accredited schools that can provide that degree. On top of this training you will also need to get the Registered Health Information Administrator certification (RHIA).

Is the training worth it?

It does look like a lot of training just to manage the computer systems: but there are an awful lot of laws about how patients' records need to be stored, who can see them and so on. It is a specialty all of its own, health information management, and it pays like one: average wages are over $67,000 a year.

Source Bureau of Labor Statistics.