Health Informatics is a field with incredible growth potential, with career opportunities expected to expand significantly in the coming decade. Students of the Master of Science in Health Informatics program have the opportunity to find high-earning management and leadership positions within hospitals, government agencies and even software development companies. As technological innovations and the healthcare industry continue to evolve, health informatics career opportunities will continue to expand for professionals with the right experience and training.
The practice of health informatics often is motivated by the need to create innovative solutions that enhance the quality and safety of patient care while managing costs, promoting the advancement of public health and population health, and supporting biomedical research and population data.
Potential careers include those in computer science, information technology, clinical healthcare, data analytics, decision sciences, information systems, database management, organizational leadership and other key areas.
Healthcare
The online Master of Science in Health Informatics at University of Cincinnati is designed to equip healthcare professionals with the technical, data analytics, management and business knowledge needed to advance into the future with confidence. Focused study of informatics can be an advantage to anyone with experience in:
IT/Business
The online Master of Health Informatics degree blends vital healthcare concepts with the study of analytics, management and information technology. There is a strong job market for IT and business professionals who want to have greater impact in their current roles, which may include:
Health Informatics Industry Outlook
Demand for implementation specialists and clinical informatics managers is high. Job openings for medical and health services managers are expected to grow by 20%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The estimated total growth of 56,300 positions exceeds the availability of skilled professionals. Part of the reason for this increased demand is that the United States government set a 2015 deadline by which healthcare facilities must be paperless, in effect handing all medical data over to health information management and health informatics professionals.
Pursuing your online Master of Health Informatics from UC can help prepare you for continually emerging opportunities, as well as increased earning potential.
Health Informatics Job Titles & Salaries
The follow information about health informatics salaries for five common health informatics job titles is provided by the Monster.com.
Informatics nurse
Informatics nurses are responsible for bridging the gap between clinical health care and information technology. In a career as a health informatics nurse, you will evaluate health care facility operations to determine what clinical IT applications will help increase efficiency. Responsibilities may include training staff and on all new systems; ensuring all users are up to date on the latest technology; facilitating communication between IT, vendors and the staff regarding clinical IT applications. Education and experience: In order to become an informatics nurse, you will need at least a bachelor’s degree in nursing, but some roles might require a master’s degree.
Health informatics nurse salaries: Average $75,518; range $58,049 to $98,831 per year.
Health informatics specialist
Health informatics specialists have a similar role to that of an informatics nurse, but you will work more closely with the implementation of technology in a health care setting. In a career as a health informatics specialist, you may be responsible for training staff on systems and procedures in addition to troubleshooting and assisting staff when problems arise. Health informatics specialists must stay up to date on the latest compliance and regulatory standards. Education and experience: Requirements vary from high school diploma and experience with technology to master’s degree in health informatics, computer science or related field.
Health informatics specialist salaries: Average $61,141; range $40,760 to $91,021 per year.
Clinical informatics specialist
Clinical informatics specialists work with the systems used to digitize medical records. In a career as a clinical informatics specialist, you will be responsible for creating processes and improving procedures as well as documenting them for the staff; and overseeing the ongoing transition of paper documents to digital systems. Education and experience: bachelor’s or master’s degree in nursing, a registered nurse licensure and several years of experience in clinical setting; registered nurse credentials and licensure; plus experience in a clinical setting.
Clinical informatics specialist salaries: Average $74,013; range $49,888 to $103,820 per year.
Clinical analyst
Clinical analysts are responsible for closely evaluating data to help improve workflow and a health care facility’s overall clinical information systems. In a career as a health informatics clinical analyst, your responsibilities may include creating the database systems for a health care facility. Since health IT requires handling sensitive data, clinical analyst must strike a balance between efficiency and federal regulatory standards. Education and experience: Requirements range from a bachelor’s degree in life science, social science or a related discipline to a master’s degree for higher-level positions. Background in health care and technology experience is also needed.
Clinical analyst salaries: Average $66,795; range $47,207 to $91,961 per year.
Clinical informatics manager
Clinical informatics managers are responsible for overseeing daily operations of clinical information systems at a health care facility. In a career as a clinical informatics manager, you will manage and train staff, monitor budgets, direct staff and ensure all systems are in compliance with state, federal and professional regulatory standards. Education and experience: Bachelor’s to master’s degree; experience in health informatics or nursing informatics.
Clinical informatics manager salaries: Average $90,106; range $61,742 to $125,830 per year.
Sources: “5 Health Care Informatics Jobs and Salaries,” Monster.com; salary data, Payscale.com
Yes. Many of our students qualify for some type of financial aid.
Sources of aid:
There are a variety of payment options depending on your eligibility for Financial Aid. Please make sure you work with Financial Aid to understand your eligibility.
At UC Online, we pride ourselves in admitting highly qualified students and helping them achieve their dreams and goals. To do this, we assign a Student Success Coordinator to help each student navigate what is needed to get their degree. Our goal is always to get 100% of students to graduate, but ultimately graduation depends on the student and the amount of work they are willing to put in to get their degree.
The University of Cincinnati is one of the first institutions to offer online courses. Innovation in education is at the forefront of what we do. We have expanded the convenience and quality of our online learning to online degree programs. Today, we offer nearly 100 degrees from undergraduate to doctoral programs.
Connect with an Advisor
© 2019 University of Cincinnati Online Copyright Information
