Information Systems and Informatics

The primary duty of information systems and informatics professionals is to develop, design, implement, manage and support information systems such as electronic health records (EHR). This job can be done in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, product vendors or third-party consulting companies.

There are roles within informatics to suit several different personality types. Extroverts who like working with people make great trainers for health information systems. For those who are more analytical and systematic, designing, configuring and supporting information systems may be a better career option. You may prefer being a project manager if you like structure and organization.

“The human-computer interaction is fascinating in terms of how technology supports much of daily health care operations,” says Lauren Pulino, MSHI, RHIA, program manager for provider learning and usability at The University of Kansas Health System. “I would recommend this area of health information management because it has grown tremendously in the last 10 years and offers numerous job opportunities.”

According to the American Health Information Management Association, information systems and informatics positions are in high demand, including the following specific employment opportunities:

• EHR implementation specialist
• Implementation support specialist
• Data, application or system analyst
• Data integrity analyst