Despite the industry’s best efforts, hospitals and health systems are constantly playing catch up when it comes to implementing new technology. As health organizations slowly begin adopting new technology, new health IT roles are needed to manage these systems.
In fact, a report published by CEB in June 2014 predicted that, while the total number of IT jobs created in the technology field are expected to idle or decline through 2018, jobs in non-tech industries like healthcare are expected to grow.
This means IT roles that have been needed in other industries will now be needed in the health space. Here are some of the most important roles healthcare executives will need to add to keep pace with technology innovations:
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Tim Cannon Website Tim Cannon is the vice president of product management and marketing at HealthITJobs.com, the largest free job search resource connecting busy health IT professionals with relevant opportunities in the health IT field with minimal effort. He is a 20-year veteran of internet marketing with technical expertise and a focus in search engine […]
Data Warehouse Engineers
Data warehouse engineer was once a position that primarily existed in Silicon Valley. Startups needed IT professionals to manage data and storage in cloud-based systems. As hospitals and health systems have been slower to adopt cloud systems, the demand for these positions in health IT is starting to grow.
A data warehouse is a system that stores data from multiple sources and can be used to generate reports. Health organizations have more data than ever to store with a higher volume of patients and the adoption of EMR and EHR systems. Organizations now need data warehouse engineers to help store and manage the mountains of data collected.
Security Specialists
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
IT security specialists are in high demand after a number of major companies such as Target, Home Depot, and JP Morgan suffered data breaches in 2014.
Recent events have put the spotlight on security in health organizations as well. Anthem, the second largest health insurance company in the U.S., fell victim to a massive cyberattack that affected an estimated 80 million customers.
Anthem isn’t alone. A report from the Identity Theft Resource Center found that health and medical companies suffered the most breaches in 2014, accounting for 42.5 percent of reported cyberattacks.
Since more personal patient information is entered into the system as more organizations implement EHRs, protecting data should be a major concern for hospitals and health systems. Securing that data will require IT professionals who can create and maintain sophisticated security systems to keep hackers at bay. Hiring security specialists may be pricey, but protecting patient data is a necessary investment.
Mobile Specialists/Developers
The age of mhealth is upon us. With hundred of fitness and health apps available, wearable fitness trackers, and Apple’s open source ResearchKit, and despite a huge industry push, hospitals and health systems are still lagging behind in mhealth solutions. As healthcare organizations look for ways to minimize costs and improve patient health with a shortage of healthcare providers, telemedicine and mobile solutions will become more important to help manage health.
Healthcare systems need mobile developers to take advantage of existing programs and apps and integrate them into their systems. Organizations also need mobile developers to create new specialized apps to meet the needs of their patients.
Data Analysts
More healthcare organizations are implementing EHR systems and are reaching the second phase of meaningful use — optimization. With EHR systems up and running, organizations will need to start proving the results. To show the systems are actually improving patient care and health management, hospitals and health systems need data analysts to make sense of the information.
Organizations need IT professionals who specialize in big data and analytics and understand healthcare trends. With the right analysts, healthcare organizations can begin to assess systems to improve care, health outcomes, and profits.
Healthcare is evolving, and technology is an integral part of industry changes. Executives should look to hire IT professionals with these skills to keep ahead of trends and to offer better care and services to their patients.
Which positions in health IT do you think are the most important for organizations to fill?
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Tim Cannon is the vice president of product management and marketing at HealthITJobs.com, the largest free job search resource connecting busy health IT professionals with relevant opportunities in the health IT field with minimal effort. He is a 20-year veteran of internet marketing with technical expertise and a focus in search engine marketing, mobile applications & web analytics.
