IT Careers in Healthcare
Emerging opportunities for IT professionals
Prof. Vance Wilson
Arizona State University
IT in Healthcare
What’s New in Healthcare?




Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of
1996 (HIPAA) mandates
 Standardization of health information systems
 Increased focus on privacy and security of data
Mergers, acquisitions, and search for cost reductions are
driving massive IT integration in healthcare
Reduced insurance coverage (e.g., higher co-pay) gives
patients more incentive to comparison shop
E-health gives patients more information, creating a
population of informed consumers who want online
access to their doctors, pharmacists, and insurers
IT Careers in Healthcare
Why Should We Care?


Healthcare is a HUGE
industry, accounting for at
least 16% of U.S. GDP in
2009 and projected to
grow at 7.3% per year
through 2013
IT investments are
growing FASTER than
overall healthcare, with
some sectors growing
over 15% per year
IT Careers in Healthcare
Healthcare IT
Investment
Projection
$35
billion
$16.4
billion
2005
BCC Research
2011
Areas of Healthcare IT
Transaction
Systems
Clinical
Systems
Patient-Connected
Systems
IT Careers in Healthcare
Areas of Healthcare IT
• Admissions / Releases
• Insurance Claims
Transaction
Systems
• Patient Billing
• Payment Processing
• Inventory Management
• Workflow
• Administrative Reports
• Electronic MedicalHealth-Patient Records
(EMR, EHR, EPR)
IT Careers in Healthcare
Transaction Systems
“A person can walk into an electronics store and use a credit
card to buy a $1,200 television within a matter of minutes.
That same person can walk into a doctor's office for a $50
medical test, but neither the doctor nor the patient knows
whether insurance will cover it.
At the end of the month, the doctor's office files a claim.
Then, several weeks later, the insurance company
acknowledges receipt of the claim. After two months, the
office is reimbursed. And finally, after a total of three months,
the patient receives a bill for the balance, but can't recall why
he had gone to the doctor to begin with.”
— http://www.healthcare-informatics.com/issues/2000/06_00/dejesus.htm
IT Careers in Healthcare
Transaction Systems
"Healthcare business transactions account
for about a $250 billion share of a $1.2
trillion industry that desperately needs an
information technology solution"
— MedUnite CEO
“By the authority vested in me as President
by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States of America, and to provide
leadership for the development and
nationwide implementation of an
interoperable health information technology
infrastructure to improve the quality and
efficiency of health care, it is hereby
ordered . . .” — President George Bush, 2004
IT Careers in Healthcare
http://www.healthleaders.com/magazine/
factfile46721.html
Areas of Healthcare IT
Transaction
Systems
IT Careers in Healthcare
Clinical
Systems
• Prescription
• Diagnosis
• Billing
• Treatment
• Documentation
• Monitoring
Clinical Systems
IT Careers in Healthcare
Areas of Healthcare IT
Telemedicine
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Monitoring
Transaction
Systems
Web Transactions
• Insurance
• Records
• Billing
IT Careers in Healthcare
Clinical
Systems
Patient-Connected
Systems
E-Health
• Content
• Connectivity
• Community
• Clinical Care
Patient-Connected Systems
The Connected Healthcare Community
Patient
Social Services
Life Insurer
Healthcare Provider
Vendor Network
Employee Health
Program
Credit Card
Company
Retail Pharmacy
State Health
Commission
Clearinghouse
Health Plan
IT Careers in Healthcare
Note how important
networking is in
automating each of
these links
Patient-Connected Systems
Content
Connectivity
Community
IT Careers in Healthcare
Clinical Care
Opportunities for IT Professionals

IT professionals are essential for effective organizational
computing, so organizational changes in healthcare point
to new job opportunities, such as:
 Migrate Healthcare Transactions to the Internet
 Build and test new systems to link healthcare sectors,
e.g., clinics, labs, pharmacies, and insurance
 Manage databases to store new forms of clinical data,
e.g., digital images and electronic records
 Develop web systems to connect monitoring devices
 Administer communication between patients and
healthcare providers
 Provide programming support for e-health projects
IT Careers in Healthcare
Where to Find Out More…

Organizations
 American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA)
 Healthcare Information and Management Systems
Society (HIMSS)

Job Boards
 biohealthmatics.com
 meditjobs.com
 General-purpose sites, searching for health IT
keywords
 Monster.com
 Careerbuilder.com
IT Careers in Healthcare