What is the Standard certificate for this program?
The Health Information Technology curriculum provides individuals with the knowledge and skills to process, analyze, abstract, compile, maintain, manage and report health information.
What type of work would I do if I studied this field?
Health Information Technicians (HITs) are professionals who:
- Ensure the quality of medical records by verifying their completeness, accuracy and proper entry into computer systems as directed by Federal and State regulations.
- Use computer applications to assemble and analyze patient care or controlling costs.
- Often specialize in coding and diagnoses and procedures in patient records for reimbursement and research. An additional role for HITs is cancer registrars - compiling and maintaining data on cancer patients.
With experience, the HIT credential holds solid potential for advancement to management positions, especially when combined with a bachelor's degree.
Although most HITs work in hospitals, they are also found in other healthcare settings including office based physical practices, nursing homes, home health agencies, mental health facilities and public health agencies. In fact, HITs may be employed in any organization that uses patient data or health information, such as ch as pharmaceutical companies, law and insurance firms and health product vendors.
What is the employment outlook for this field?
According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Handbook, "Employment of health information technicians of projected to grow 22% from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations. The demand for health services is expected to increase as the population rises."
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.