Health information technicians have a variety of occupations – and one of them may be right for you. These include technicians who handle medical records and images, specialists in medical billing and clinical coding, and medical laboratory technicians.
Many employers that recruit specialists in medical billing and clinical coding seek candidates who can ease access to electronic medical records. For example, some companies that store medical records have a preference for “natural language processing,” a form of artificial intelligence that enables computers to understand human language as it is spoken.
You may be ready to work as a medical lab technician if you can commit to the education and training necessary to obtain an associate degree and to meet certification and licensure requirements.
Many medical laboratory technicians start their careers in doctors’ offices, diagnostic labs and clinics. They prepare lab specimens, conduct manual tests and operate automated-analysis equipment. With more experience and education, a medical laboratory technician can become a technologist and handle tasks of greater complexity.
Not all laboratory technicians work in a medical setting. With specialized training in biotechnology, for example, a laboratory technician can find jobs with companies that make biotech-based products including vaccines, insulin, and drugs for patients with such conditions as cancer, heart disease and dementia.
The use of artificial intelligence in analyzing medical images has increased, but artificial intelligence is unlikely to replace health information technicians who focus on radiology. AI is more likely to alter and enhance the work done by radiologists, according to a March 2018 article in the Harvard Business Review.
If becoming a health information technologist feels like it could be a good path for you, check out our HIT program page to learn how Fortis can help you achieve your goals.
