Health Informatics Hiring Trends
The field of health informatics is so new that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not yet publish data for health informatics professionals, however they do predict a 22% rate of growth between 2012 and 2022 in open positions for two common categories within the health informatics profession – medical records and health IT technicians. BLS estimates a significantly lower rate of just 14% across all occupations over the same period of time.
Health Informatics Position Title Trends
The EMR mandate has also instigated a surge in new HI position titles, as employers grow familiar with the field and gain insight into its complexity. No longer do all informatics professionals fall under the umbrella of health informatics “technologist” or “specialist,” although those titles remain popular. Now, employers advertise for a broad range of position titles that demonstrates the variety of professional duties and areas of expertise that comprise the field. Some of these position titles include:
- Clinical Director of Informatics
- Compliance Officer
- Director of Health Information Management
- Director of Health Informatics
- Health Informatics Analyst (Analyst or Senior)
- Health Information Coder/Abstractor
- Informatics Data Analyst
- Informatics Report Developer
- Manager of Medical Affairs Informatics
- Medical Informatics Curriculum Specialist
- Medical Scheduler—Clinical Informatics
- Nurse Informaticist (Informatics RN)
- Patient Care Informatics Specialist (Specialist or Lead)
- Pharmacy Informatics Specialist
- Privacy and Security Officer
- Research Informatics Analyst
- System Analyst (Health Informatics)
Health Informatics Recruitment Trends
As employers seek more informatics professionals, recruitment strategies become more deliberate. Industry publication Healthcare Informatics notes that employers are increasing their use of technology when recruiting and interviewing prospective HI employees. Skype and video are especially popular.
Likewise, employers are mapping their future talent pool well in advance, seeking out informatics experts with ample experience and top credentials while remaining in active contact, even when top talent isn’t currently available. On the other hand, Healthcare Informatics also reports that the average HI employer isn’t putting candidates on ice, either. Many talented informatics professionals have turned down jobs from employers who let too much time lapse between interview and job offer, according to the report—so streamlining and enhancing internal processes and maintaining hiring momentum is becoming very important for today’s hiring managers.
