MS in Health Informatics

People who pursue a Master of Science (MS) in health informatics are suited to administrative positions within the field, helping doctors and nurses by collecting, storing and distributing information as quickly as possible without sacrificing quality. Health informatics professionals also use technology to make cost-cutting recommendations for healthcare facilities. Students pursuing an MS in health informatics will cover data analysis, patient record storage, healthcare ethics and law, business administration, medical coding and more while in graduate school. Once a master’s degree in health informatics is complete, graduates have the choice of starting their career or going on to pursue a doctorate in the informatics field.

Requirements for Earning an MS in Health Informatics

Requirements to become a health informatics professional, such as a clinical systems coordinator or a clinical information systems coordinator, can vary by state. Successful students generally complete the following steps:

Earn proper bachelor’s degree (requirements vary by state). A BS in health informatics is the minimum education requirement for health information managers.
Earn proper master’s degree (requirements vary by state). Master’s degree graduates can oversee the information systems work of a staff of health informatics professionals.
Earn credentials. Health informatics graduates can take the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) certification exam to become a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA).

Average Salary and Career Data

The expected salary, career growth, and work environment for a clinical information systems coordinator might include:

Clinical Information Systems Coordinator – Median expected salary: $73,505, according to Salary.com.
Job Prospects – Employment is expected to grow faster than average because health informatics professionals will continue to be needed to oversee the computerization of patient medical records, according to The Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Job Setting – Health information managers find employment in hospitals, private practices, home healthcare services, nursing care facilities as well as in outpatient care.

Job Duties and Responsibilities for a Clinical Information Systems Coordinator

An administrator in the health informatics field is typically responsible for the following job responsibilities:

Ensuring the accuracy of patient’s records, reviewing for completeness and entering data into records, such as demographic information, history and treatment of disease, and diagnostic procedures.
Keeping up with current computer and software technology as well as legislative requirements for patient records security.
Creating information policies and procedures to ensure health care facilities run as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
Coordinating the implementation, design and maintenance of clinical information systems.
Working with IT to guarantee the effective integration of clinical systems with other institutional applications.