Health Informaticists

Data about patient care, medical staff performance, health care facility operations, and other related topics has been collected and studied in some manner or another since the first organized health care services were provided. The development of computers and databases and analytical software has allowed much more information to be collected and analyzed. In response to the large amounts of data being collected, demand grew for specialized information technology (IT) professionals known as health informaticists to create and manage data management/analysis software and study data. Demand also increased for health informatics professionals as a result of the passage of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, which required hospitals, clinics, and private physician offices to maintain digital medical records for patients by 2015. Today, the majority of health care providers have created digital records for patients, and technology continues to allow the health care industry to collect massive amounts of data. The emergence of wearable medical technology and telehealth, as well as the use of advanced artificial intelligence, have created even stronger demand for medical informaticists.