Health informatics is one of the fastest-growing and in-demand health care career fields. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts the demand for health information technologists, and other health informatics-related positions, will grow faster than the national average over the next 10 years. To put it simply, employment prospects are high.
Learn more about the field and what you can do with a master’s degree in health informatics from George Mason University below.
What is Health Informatics?
The fast-growing field of health informatics helps connect information silos in modern health systems and improve quality of care through technology. It is not simply about using IT to help health care, informaticians are needed to solve problems that clinicians and IT personnel can’t address even as teams. Health Informaticians are technically skilled to understand medical, health care, and health data and information, as well as the context in which the data is created and can be used.
Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI) students at Mason develop highly specialized skills in health data science, informatics management, and public health informatics for a variety of clinical, public and population health, administrative, and research applications. Students gain the right combination of technical competency and soft skills while learning to analyze data, design and deploy systems, and solve problems to address real-world challenges.
People who work in various health informatics careers often carry out job duties that involve safeguarding patient data, collecting and analyzing data to improve health outcomes, optimizing data to communicate with other health care providers securely and efficiently, and more.
Health informatics is often confused with health information technology and bioinformatics. Although these are three very closely related fields, here’s how they differ:
- Health information technology (Health IT) focuses on the information technology needed to collect and store patient data accurately and securely.
- Bioinformatics involves using computer technology to collect, store, analyze, and distribute biological data and information.
- Health informatics focuses more on the actual utilization of data, data analytics, and technology to enhance the delivery of patient care and population health.
In summary, health information technology provides a set of technical tools, bioinformatics is about biology, and health informatics focuses on improving patient care and population health.
Who Should Pursue a Health Informatics Master’s Degree?
Health informatics is a great way to make a difference in the health care field for those who may not want to work directly with patients as a nurse, doctor, or other medical worker. Health informaticists help patients indirectly by transforming the health care industry through the use of novel methods, including computing and artificial intelligence.
For example, medical specialties rely on correct and accessible patient records to deliver quality care; artificial intelligence methods help clinicians diagnose and manage patients; data is the backbone of an efficient and secure pharmacy; and health care managers use data regularly to guide administrative and commercial decisions, just to name a few essential functions of health informatics.
Health informatics students learn the highly specialized knowledge and skills needed to support the adoption and use of health information systems and data science tools. At Mason, you do not need to have any prior health informatics-related academic background to be successful in our master’s program. From programming knowledge, to data analytic skills, and the ability to communicate and collaborate effectively — we equip all students with the necessary skills to take on this field.
Many of our students come with a health background. We teach clinicians, pharmacists, dentists, and health administrators who want to focus on technology. Some students come with a technical background, such as computer scientists, engineers, and IT professionals, and others are entirely new to the field.
What Can You Do With a Health Informatics Master’s Degree?
Health informatics is a diverse field that can lead to many different career paths, including:
- Health data scientist
- Analyst
- Consultant
- Health informatics specialist
- Research specialist
- Project manager
- Computer and information systems manager
- Health information systems specialist
- Computer systems analyst
- And more!
A recent analysis of our graduates’ career tracks shows over 100 different job titles. While confusing at first sight, these jobs list requirements that are directly related to what is covered in our health informatics master’s program. Job settings include private and public sector government agencies, health IT vendors, hospitals and clinics, consulting and software firms, research institutions, and insurance companies.
Students graduate Mason’s Master of Science in Health Informatics program equipped with the knowledge and skills to effectively analyze real and complex health data, manage evolving health information systems, and support the increasing transition to electronic health records. Our world-class faculty provide the support necessary to succeed in any one of these valuable health informatics careers.
By enhancing patient care through a combination of communication, data information, and health care, health informaticists are increasingly needed to help improve health and well-being for all. Although health informaticists work behind the scenes of the health care industry, their work has a huge impact on helping health care professionals come to quicker solutions and outcomes for their patients. If you’re looking for a non-patient facing, yet meaningful career in health care, learn more about Mason’s Health Informatics, MS here!
Beyond A Master’s Degree?
If you’re looking to further your health informatics education beyond earning your master’s degree, this is possible at Mason. We are one of the very few universities that offer a full spectrum of education in health informatics, from bachelor’s to doctoral. Our Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics program is the only such program at a public university in Virginia. And our PhD in Health Services Research program with a concentration in Discovery Science and Health Informatics is uniquely focused on health data and intelligent systems. Many of our MSHI graduates continue on to earn their PhD in our own or other programs.