OVERVIEW
What is a HIM Systems Analyst?
A HIM systems analyst first collects health data from a wide variety of potential sources—including electronic health records, financial reports, and patient surveys—to then identify ways their healthcare client can improve operations. Used appropriately, this data can help an organization decrease costs, improve the quality of patient care, and identify areas where additional funding or research might be beneficial.
HIM systems analyst is one of the preferred career options for anyone with a health information management degree. HIM systems analysts are responsible for more than the gathering of data. They must also set up user-friendly dashboards, distribute regular reports, or otherwise communicate with the administration to identify useful conclusions from their data. They will also work in tandem with other healthcare employees, including health information managers, to reach these conclusions.
In this way, a HIM systems analyst can benefit any hospital, outpatient facility, rehabilitation clinic, or other medical center. They can improve daily workflows and even influence massive, executive-level changes through the useful interpretation of healthcare data.
RESPONSIBILITIES
What Does a HIM Systems Analyst Do?
A HIM systems analyst might perform a wide range of tasks. In collecting, organizing, interpreting, and presenting healthcare data, their day-to-day duties are flexible. The exact responsibilities of a HIM systems analyst might include:
- Gathering data from a wide range of healthcare data touchpoints.
- Interpreting data once collected to identify useful conclusions that inform more efficient business operations and patient care.
- Presenting data to executive-level management and any other necessary parties.
- Researching new methods for more efficient data collection.
- Teaching other healthcare employees how to more effectively collect data at the intake level.
- Automating reports to deliver timed data and analysis at regular intervals to interested organization representatives.
- Storing collected data in a safe manner that makes for easy reference without the possibility of a security breach.
These and other responsibilities make for a productive HIM systems analyst—an individual continually responsible for all aspects of an organization’s healthcare data.
EDUCATION & BEST DEGREES
How Do I Become a HIM Systems Analyst?
Before individuals can pursue careers as HIM systems analysts, they must complete the necessary schooling. This includes earning an undergraduate degree in health information management. This type of degree program combines healthcare knowledge, business understanding, and technical skills to train health information systems analysts who understand what they're doing. Data management, medical terminology, business best practices, and more are all crucial to success in this field.
What Certifications Does a HIM Systems Analyst Need?
In addition to earning an applicable undergraduate degree, some HIM systems analysts might be required to secure and maintain active information management certifications, depending on their employer and any local standards for the role. Commonly recognized certifications from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) include:
Best Degrees for a HIM Systems Analyst
Health & Nursing
Health Information Management – B.S.
A program designed for future leaders in HIM....
A program designed for future leaders in HIM.
- Time: 61% of grads earned this degree in 36 months or less.
- Tuition: $4,085 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 36 total courses in this program.
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Medical Terminology
- Healthcare System Applications
- Health Information Law and Regulations
- Healthcare Project Management
- Data Analytics and Information Governance
This CAHIIM-accredited program makes you eligible for the RHIA exam.
The best degree for a HIM Systems Analyst is a bachelor of science in health information management. In fact, 92% of students who enroll in our program pass with their full accreditations and are ready to enter the healthcare workforce immediately, with the majority finishing their program in just 36 months.
How Much Does a HIM Systems Analyst Make?
$55,398
In 2023, the salary of a HIM systems analyst was $55,398. This average is characterized by a range of roughly $49,166 to $62,433. The exact income of a HIM systems analyst varies based on factors that include their employer and employer location, years of experience, and maintained certifications.
What Is the Projected Job Growth?
8%
Increased dependence on technology across the board makes the overall job outlook of a HIM systems analyst a positive one. In general, employment for medical records and health information specialists is expected to grow 8% by 2032, a growth rate much faster than the average across all occupations.
SKILLS
What Skills Does a HIM Systems Analyst Need?
The career of a HIM systems analyst is one defined by a set of skills, which analysts use daily to collect data and inform their assessments. These individual skills include:
- Interpersonal communication: The ability to correspond effectively with healthcare team members, technicians, and management.
- Staff instruction: The ability to efficiently teach staff members how to effectively collect data useful for analysis.
- Data analysis: The ability to assess healthcare data and draw useful conclusions that can inform future operations.
- Data reporting: The ability to report on findings from data sets through user-friendly presentations or other methods to showcase conclusions.
- Attention to detail: The ability to comb through entire data sets and identify specific metrics that are useful in furthering assessment processes.
- In-depth research: The ability to research more useful data collection, analysis, and presentation methods.
These skills and others allow a HIM systems analyst to effectively perform their job to the highest level, allowing medical organizations to make data-driven decisions that allow for future success.
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