Electronic health records (EHRs) have been around for more than 30 years. Yet, according the Centers for Disease Control, only 38% of office-based physicians in the U.S. were using some form of e-records in their practices as late as 2008. In order to encourage wider use of EHRs, the federal government passed regulations and provided incentives for providers to adopt electronic systems. These changes are expected to eventually lower the cost of health care. By 2013, the number of physician offices using EHRs had risen to 78%.

The steep rise in the use of EHRs coupled with the rapid pace of health care technology development has spawned big changes (and opportunities) for health care IT professionals on many fronts. Nearly 40,000 attendees participated at the 2015 HIMSS Conference, underscoring the importance of health care and information technology’s intersection.

 

5 Trends in Health Care IT

A primary theme of the conference was connectivity and the critical need for people who can lead and manage change in this arena. In particular, there are 5 major connectivity trends that health IT professionals should pay attention to in order to support the growth of health care technology:

  • Interoperability. Compatibility between EHR systems is part of the push toward greater information sharing. This year, efforts are expected to greatly improve the ability of one health care IT system to understand another one. That’s important when patients receive care from several different health care facilities. It’s a mammoth undertaking, but it’s one that will be at the forefront for hospitals, clinics, and other health care facilities until it’s completed.

 

  • Digital Tools. How often do you cash a check with a human bank teller? While e-based systems have been commonplace in industries such as financial services for years, digitally-based interaction in health care is relatively new, although rapid growth is expected. One indicator: investment in telemedicine companies is expected to grow 315% this year.

 

  • Transparency of Information. Also gaining traction is a drive to make information more widely shared for the sake of gaining efficiencies. When individuals don’t know how much something should cost or what the likely results of a procedure are, it’s hard to make smart choices. The emphasis on making health care accessible and affordable for all means this will be a trend for the foreseeable future.

 

  • Patient Engagement. Patients are looking for deeper engagement—digitally—with their physicians. Some clinics offer secure ways of scheduling and communicating with physicians and health care staff by way of a patient e-portal or secure email/messaging system. Additional technology systems on the forefront of this change in health care include:
    • Syncing fitness trackers with health care professional records and systems.
    • Telehealth visits.
    • Personal health IT programs or systems.

 

  • Leadership. As changes continue in health care, the industry is looking for leaders who can drive the use of technology to connect with patients. Leaders in areas of health care technology will be strategic thinkers who can not only use new technology systems, but who are able to get them implemented and accepted.

 

Career Opportunities in Health Care IT

There are a variety of career paths at the intersection of health care and IT. With connectivity as a central topic and area for expansion, professionals with an understanding of technology as it specifically relates to health care will have great opportunities to make it even more of a reality. For example:

  • Health Information Technician. Organize and manage patients’ health information data. This may include paper records, but more so, electronic records. These technicians can play a vital role in connectivity making sure records are accurate, secure, and accessible as needed to both patients and doctors. Additionally, jobs for health information technicians are predicted to grow much faster than average for all occupations over the next 7 years.

 

  • Data Architect. Design and create the architecture of data within a health care organization. Data architects can have a key role in patient-to-physician communication in the way information is deployed or made available through various technology channels.

 

  • Clinical Systems Architect. Design and build networks for health care records, staff records, and general communication for a health care organization. This position helps solve connectivity problems through the implementation of clinical systems technologies.

 

  • Health Care Network Systems Administrator. Responsible for daily monitoring of operations, keeping tabs on the overall performance of an organization’s health care system, and providing strategic direction for the future. The general outlook for network architects and systems administrators is also great; the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 15% growth through 2022.

 

Professionals with a degree in the field of health information technology will find themselves in the middle of this challenging and fascinating field—one that is likely to see new developments for decades to come.

 

Learn more about online information technology programs from Capella University.

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