Biomedical informatics technicians use computer programs and established methods and classification systems to compile, process, maintain and report electronic health data necessary for functions that include patient care, insurance reimbursement, legal actions and research. The records they maintain may include patient information such as medical history, exam results, surgical interventions and treatment outcomes.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
The Workplace
Many biomedical informatics technicians work in hospitals, but some may also be employed in physicians' offices, nursing care facilities, outpatient care centers, home health care services, public health departments and insurance firms. Additional applications may be found in dental, veterinary and other facilities requiring maintenance of accurate and comprehensive patient/client data.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Educational Requirements
Biomedical informatics technicians entering the field usually have an associate degree from a two-year community or technical college. Some employers prefer technicians who have previous experience in a health care setting.
Earnings
According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook, median annual earnings of medical records and health information technicians were $28,030 in May 2006. With additional education, technicians may become health information managers or directors, which will increase their earnings.
Job Outlook
The job outlook for biomedical informatics technicians should be very good notes the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Some of the growth is due to the retirement of current technicians, but the rapid increase in the number of medical tests, treatments and procedures will also contribute to the above-average job prospects--especially as these procedures are more closely scrutinized by insurance companies. In addition, the national and international interest in creating a paperless medical records society coupled with consumer demands for ready access to personal medical records in an electronic format will require that technicians are trained to work efficiently and effectively throughout the continuum of patient/client care.
Explore More
To learn more about a career as a biomedical informatics technician and the training and education it requires, here are some places to turn.
American Academy of Professional Coders www.aapc.com
American Health Information Management Association www.ahima.org
American Medical Informatics Association www.amia.org
Health Care Information and Management Systems Society www.himss.org
