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ABSTRACT
The explosive demand for healthcare information management and technology (HIMT), is inspiring many healthcare organizations to enhance their recruiting efforts. To better understand HIMT skillsets in-demand, this study reports on a review of HIMT job advertisements. The results show the multi-faceted nature of HIMT careers. The findings confirm that many HIMT job advertisements emphasize the need for data analytics, problem solving skills and that soft skills remain highly valued. Additionally, our findings highlight and support a variety of vendor specific credentials and demonstrate less demand for some historically popular HIMT related credentials such as the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) certification. Overall, interesting results emerge in the range of HIMT skills in demand that can guide educators in curriculum development and provide healthcare organizations and professionals a framework for examining the current and future HIMT skills needed for successful healthcare delivery.
Keywords: curriculum, content-analysis, healthcare careers, technology
INTRODUCTION
It perhaps goes without saying, that one of the most pressing problems faced by nations today is the health and well-being of populations. Healthcare leaders have continually been in search of ways to improve healthcare delivery and healthcare economics. Advancements in health information management and technology (HIMT) are radically transforming the healthcare industry and is often viewed as an essential piece to improve efficiency and effectiveness (Stokke, 2016; Zettel-Watson and Tsukerman, 2016). Over the last decade, technology developments, investments and regulations have dramatically transformed the health information field (Potancok and Voříšek, 2016; McClellan, Casalino and Shortell, 2013). In record time and at an unprecedented pace, the electronic health record (EHR), as one example, radically changed the skills and knowledge needed by healthcare professionals. As the technology environments of today's healthcare organizations continue to evolve and rely more and more on technology, their will be an increased need for technology professionals with the skills to deliver the healthcare "Triple Aim" (Lee, Moy and Kruck, 2014). The Triple Aim includes the simultaneous pursuit of improving the experience of care, improving the health of populations, and reducing per capita healthcare costs (Berwick, Nolan and Whitting, 2008). Many healthcare studies have demonstrated the need for increased technology usage to improve healthcare delivery (Frye, 2010; Ghosh and Scott, 2011; Groves, Kayyali and Knott, 2013). Professionals who have the skills to...