Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars

Summary

What Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars Do About this section

Health information technologists and medical registrars help to design and develop electronic healthcare systems.

Health information technologists and medical registrars advise organizations on computerized healthcare systems and analyze clinical data.

Duties

Health information technologists and medical registrars typically do the following:

• Help to determine requirements for computerized healthcare systems
• Evaluate and support implementation of health information systems
• Organize and update information in clinical databases or registries
• Compile data and generate reports, such as for disease registry or treatment
• Track patient outcomes for quality assessment
• Validate the integrity of patient data
• Ensure privacy, security, and confidentiality of patients' health information

Health information technologists and medical registrars help to design and develop electronic healthcare systems. They abstract, collect, and analyze clinical data related to medical treatment, followup, and results. Their work supports the delivery and improvement of patient care.

Health information technologists apply their knowledge of information technology (IT) and healthcare concepts in a variety of ways. Some specialize in the electronic health records systems used for storing and retrieving patient data, which may include implementing the systems and educating staff on their use. Others analyze healthcare data for a range of purposes, such as for research or to evaluate programs and services.

Medical registrars create and maintain databases of information, such as those used to track a particular disease or condition. For example, cancer registrars collect and analyze information for facility, regional, and national databases of cancer patients. They review patients’ records and pathology reports to verify completeness and accuracy; assign classification codes to represent the diagnosis and treatment of cancers and benign tumors; and track treatment, survival, and recovery.

For information about workers who compile, process, and maintain patient files, see the profile for medical records specialists.

Work Environment About this section

Health information technologists and medical registrars may spend many hours at a computer.

Health information technologists and medical registrars held about 39,100 jobs in 2023. The largest employers of health information technologists and medical registrars were as follows:

Health information technologists and medical registrars usually work in an office setting and may spend many hours at a computer.

Work Schedules

Most health information technologists and medical registrars work full time.

How to Become a Health Information Technologist or Medical Registrar About this section

Health information technologists and medical registrars typically need at least an associate's degree.

Education requirements for health information technologists and medical registrars vary. Some workers typically need an associate’s degree; others may need a bachelor’s or higher degree. Certification may be required or preferred.

Education

Health information technologists and medical registrars typically need at least an associate’s degree to enter the occupation. Some positions require a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

High school students interested in becoming a health information technologist or medical registrar may benefit from taking classes that include anatomy and physiology, biology, computer science, and math.

A degree may be in health information management or another healthcare and related field or in nonmedical subjects, such as computer and information technology.

The Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management accredits programs at the associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degree level. The National Cancer Registrars Association accredits programs in cancer registry management. Programs may include courses in medical terminology, health data requirements, medical ethics, and classification and coding systems.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Employers may prefer to hire health information technologists and medical registrars who have certification, or they may expect applicants to earn certification after being hired.

Credentials for a variety of specializations are available from professional organizations. For example, certifications from the American Health Information Management Association include the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT), the Certified Documentation Improvement Practitioner (CDIP), and the Certified Health Data Analyst (CHDA). Individuals may hold multiple certifications.

Cancer registrars may need the Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR) credential. This certification requires completion of a formal education program and experience, along with passing an exam.

Advancement

Health information technologists and medical registrars sometimes advance to become medical and health services managers. Employers may require that workers seeking to advance have a higher level certification or a bachelor’s or master’s degree in health information management or a related field.

Important Qualities

Analytical skills. Health information technologists and medical registrars must be able to interpret data and use their findings to suggest improvements.

Detail oriented. To ensure accuracy, health information technologists and medical registrars need to be precise when working with clinical data.

Integrity. Health information technologists and medical registrars must exercise discretion and act ethically when working with patient data to protect patient confidentiality, as required by law.

Interpersonal skills. Health information technologists and medical registrars must collaborate with other members of the healthcare team.

Problem-solving skills.  These workers must be able to identify and address issues related to the use of healthcare information systems.

Pay About this section

The median annual wage for health information technologists and medical registrars was $62,990 in May 2023. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $38,310, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $107,650.

In May 2023, the median annual wages for health information technologists and medical registrars in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Most health information technologists and medical registrars work full time.

Job Outlook About this section

Employment of health information technologists and medical registrars is projected to grow 16 percent from 2023 to 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations.

About 3,200 openings for health information technologists and medical registrars are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment

The volume of electronic health information generated by healthcare providers and patients continues to grow. As a result, more health information technologists will be needed to analyze these vast quantities of data and offer insight to help make informed decisions.

Similarly, the increasing availability of medical data will contribute to more demand for medical registrars to update clinical registries, abstract relevant details, and convert data into meaningful information. Organizations will continue to rely on these workers for insight into improving the quality of care, to control costs, and for other purposes.

State & Area Data About this section

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)

The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OEWS data maps for employment and wages by state and area.

• Health information technologists and medical registrars

Projections Central

Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.org. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved.

CareerOneStop

CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code.

Contacts for More Information About this section

For more information about health information technologists and medical registrars, including details about certification, visit

American Health Information Management Association

For a list of accredited training programs, visit

Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education

For more information about cancer registrars, including certification requirements and accredited training programs, visit

National Cancer Registrars Association

O*NET

Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars