Is a Healthcare Informatics Degree Right for Me?

A degree in healthcare informatics may be the right degree choice for you if you want to use computers, technology, and data to aid in healthcare services.

Information technology and health data have become so interconnected that a new industry has arisen called health informatics. Health informatics is a field of study that focuses on using data science and information systems to assist healthcare professionals in their daily work.

A graduate degree in healthcare informatics might be the right degree for you if you enjoy using technology and data analysis to review medical records and make sure people receive the healthcare they need.

What Is a Healthcare Informatics Degree?

A health informatics degree is usually a master's degree. The Master of Science in health informatics combines elements of information technology, computer science, data science, and healthcare into a unique degree and career plan.

Because healthcare informatics is a graduate degree program, students need to earn a bachelor's degree before applying to a health informatics program. Although many degrees can qualify, most graduate schools prefer to see a degree in a related field such as health services, computer science, data science, public health, or even nursing.

A full-time student can complete a master's degree program in a year or two, while part-time students will often take longer. There are also a growing number of fully online master's degrees for aspiring healthcare informatics professionals. Some schools may offer accelerated programs, which can decrease the time it takes you to earn your degree and allow you to start working in the industry sooner.

What Does a Healthcare Informatics Major Study?

Healthcare informatics is a highly technological career, and the study programs offered by most colleges reflect this. If you're working toward a degree in healthcare informatics, you can expect your coursework to include topics like:

learning patient care best practices
using data analytics and data management
understanding electronic health records (EHR) to track patient data
learning how to use data to impact patient outcomes
gaining soft skills like real-time problem-solving and decision-making
understanding clinical informatics
learning healthcare management strategies

Why You Should Consider a Degree in Healthcare Informatics

Health information technology is a field that combines multiple aspects of healthcare, data science, and technology. If you're undecided about whether this career path is for you or not, consider these reasons.

Work in Healthcare Without a Medical Degree

Many people want to work in the healthcare system because of the tangible outcomes of this industry. However, medical degrees can often be a deterrent due to the extensive coursework and extended degree programs. Having a job in health informatics will allow you to pursue work in the medical industry without having to earn a healthcare degree or provide direct patient care while still knowing you're helping the process that saves lives.

Growing Career Path

Since the methods for storing and recording patient data continue to expand, the demand for people who understand medical informatics data is expected to grow. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of health informatics jobs will grow by roughly 16% by 2032, which is over five times the growth rate expected for all careers.

New technologies are constantly being developed to help healthcare organizations store and analyze this data, resulting in an increasing number of jobs for people who know how to operate these systems.

High Salary Potential

The knowledge required to work in a health informatics career is highly specialized, which often leads to higher average salaries for trained professionals. Depending on where you work, salaries can vary. Generally, having a master's degree provides a higher salary than those with a bachelor's degree.

Opportunities for Lifelong Learning

Because the technology used in health informatics is constantly changing, professionals in this field will have many opportunities for ongoing education. Many technology professionals supplement their degrees with post-graduation certification programs focused on emerging technology. Students can also take advantage of conferences and other learning options outside of classroom opportunities.

Transferrable Skills

Data analytics isn't confined to healthcare administration. The skills learned in the field of health informatics can easily be applied to other data storage and analysis roles, including those in business or governmental settings. If you want to prepare yourself for roles outside of the healthcare industry, choose an undergraduate degree that is general, such as data science, computer science, or even business administration.

Challenging But Rewarding Work

Although this career choice can be demanding and challenging work, it is also a very rewarding industry. Knowing that your data work is being used to help patients often makes the hard work worth it. Health informatics also has room for professional development in the larger administrative team of a healthcare organization, which also can help make the work rewarding.

Job Opportunities for Healthcare Informatics Degree Majors

To become a healthcare informaticist, you must pursue a master's degree. Once you've earned your degree, many career options will be available to you, from a health informatics consultant to a chief medical information officer.

Some of the most common job titles held by health informaticists include:

Healthcare Informatics Degree: Questions To Ask Yourself

You should ask yourself a few questions about your education and career goals before enrolling in a graduate program. If you are considering a career in healthcare informatics, ask yourself questions such as:

Do I want to work with large databases of healthcare information?
Do I like managing systemwide workflows?
Am I passionate about health information management and its applications?
Am I open to ongoing education in the form of certification programs?
Do I want to work in a healthcare facility in a non-patient-facing role?
Do I want a career that is highly regulated in terms of patient privacy laws?
Do I want to learn transferrable skills that can be applied to other industries and career paths