How to Be Clinical Informatics Specialist - Job Description, Skills, and Interview Questions

May 5, 2021 / 6 Minutes Read / By Albert

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The Clinical Informatics Specialist is a professional who works to optimize the use of technology and data in healthcare settings, with the ultimate goal of improving patient care. This role is becoming increasingly important as the healthcare industry continues to make strides in utilizing technology and data to drive better patient outcomes. With the use of technology, Clinical Informatics Specialists are able to analyze and interpret data more quickly and accurately.

This improved data analysis helps to identify opportunities for clinical improvements and can lead to more efficient use of resources. better data analysis can lead to better patient care, as it can help to identify patterns and trends that can inform interventions and treatments. the Clinical Informatics Specialist plays an integral role in enabling healthcare professionals to provide the best possible care for their patients.

Steps How to Become

Obtain a Bachelor's Degree. Before pursuing a career as a clinical informatics specialist, individuals must first obtain a bachelor's degree in healthcare informatics, computer science, or a related field.
Earn a Master's Degree. Most employers prefer to hire clinical informatics specialists with a master's degree in healthcare informatics or a related field.
Get Certified. Clinical informatics specialists must be certified by an appropriate certifying organization such as the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
Gain Experience. Clinical informatics specialists must have at least two years of experience working in the field of healthcare or information technology.
Stay Up-to-Date. Clinical informatics specialists must stay abreast of the latest industry trends and technologies in order to remain competitive in the job market.

Clinical Informatics Specialists play an integral role in the healthcare industry, providing a range of services to ensure that data is managed and utilized effectively. By leveraging their expertise in technology and data, Clinical Informatics Specialists are able to identify opportunities for improvement and maximize the potential of information systems. This allows for better patient care, improved clinical operations, and increased efficiency of healthcare organizations.

When Clinical Informatics Specialists work to develop ideal and efficient systems, they can help healthcare organizations save time and money, leading to better patient outcomes and satisfaction. the increased accuracy and safety of healthcare data can lead to improved quality of care, greater trust among patients, and improved patient outcomes.

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Job Description

Design and implement clinical informatics systems, such as electronic medical record (EMR) systems.
Develop data models to support clinical databases, data warehouses, and other data sources.
Integrate clinical applications and systems with other enterprise-wide applications.
Maintain clinical systems, such as EMRs, in order to ensure system reliability and accuracy of data.
Develop and implement policies and procedures related to the use of clinical informatics systems.
Monitor the performance of clinical systems and recommend improvements or upgrades to increase efficiency.
Train users on the proper use of clinical informatics systems.
Assist with troubleshooting technical issues with clinical systems.
Implement patient safety protocols for the use of clinical informatics systems.
Evaluate new clinical informatics technologies and recommend their use in the organization.

Skills and Competencies to Have

Knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology
Proficiency in electronic health record (EHR) systems
Understanding of clinical workflow processes
Ability to analyze and interpret data from clinical systems
Expertise in clinical decision support systems
Ability to develop data-driven solutions for clinical problems
Understanding of privacy and security protocols related to health information technology
Ability to develop and implement training materials for clinicians
Experience working with medical software applications
Ability to troubleshoot technical issues with clinical systems
Knowledge of health information technology regulations and standards
Familiarity with project management principles and techniques
Strong communication and interpersonal skills

The Clinical Informatics Specialist is a key role in the healthcare industry as they are responsible for developing and maintaining technology-based solutions to ensure the accuracy and safety of patient data. This role requires a unique balance of technical, communication, problem-solving, and analytical skills. In order to be successful in this position, the specialist must possess an in-depth understanding of IT principles, computer programming, and database management, as well as experience with clinical systems.

They must also be able to work effectively with medical staff and other healthcare professionals to ensure that their systems are up-to-date and properly implemented. Effective communication and customer service skills are essential for this position, as it involves communicating with patients, staff, and other stakeholders. Finally, the specialist must have an aptitude for troubleshooting and problem-solving, as they are often called upon to address technical issues and ensure the accuracy of patient data.

All of these skills are essential for a successful Clinical Informatics Specialist to ensure that patient data is handled safely and efficiently.

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Frequent Interview Questions

What experience do you have working with healthcare IT systems?
What challenges have you faced while working with healthcare data?
How do you ensure data accuracy and integrity when working with healthcare IT systems?
How have you helped improve the efficiency of clinical operations through informatics initiatives?
What experience do you have with data analysis and visualization?
Describe a project or initiative that you led that had a positive outcome for the organization.
How do you stay up to date on industry trends in clinical informatics?
What strategies do you use to ensure the security of patient data?
What techniques do you use to optimize the user experience of electronic health record (EHR) systems?
What methods do you use to ensure compliance with HIPAA, HITECH, and other relevant regulations?

Common Tools in Industry

Electronic Health Records (EHR). A software application that stores and organizes patient data such as medical histories, laboratory test results, and medications. (e. g. Epic EHR)
Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS). A software system that provides clinicians with evidence-based information and decision support during the care process. (e. g. CareSelect from UpToDate)
Clinical Terminology Management Systems (CTMS). A software system that helps manage the use of standard clinical terms and codes. (e. g. SNOMED CT)
Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE). A system that allows clinicians to enter patient orders electronically, eliminating the need for paper orders. (e. g. Cerner CPOE)
Clinical Data Warehouses. A system that collects, stores, and manages patient data from multiple sources in a central repository. (e. g. i2b2)
Natural Language Processing (NLP). A technology that enables computers to understand human language and process text-based data. (e. g. IBM Watson)
Analytics Platforms. A system that combines data, analytics, reporting, and visualizations to gain insights into patient care and outcomes. (e. g. Tableau)
Cloud Computing Solutions. A system that stores data and applications in the cloud, allowing for easy access from any location. (e. g. Amazon Web Services)

Professional Organizations to Know

American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA)
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS)
American Association of Health Informatics Management (AAHIM)
American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA)
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
Association for Information Systems (AIS)
Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER)
National Health Information Management System (NHIMS)
American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP)

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Common Important Terms

Electronic Health Record (EHR). An Electronic Health Record (EHR) is a digital version of the patient's medical history, which includes medical information such as medications, allergies, immunization records, lab results, and visit notes.
Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS). A Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) is a computer-based system that helps clinicians make more accurate and timely decisions by providing evidence-based information and advice.
Health Information Exchange (HIE). A Health Information Exchange (HIE) is a system for sharing health care data among different health care organizations.
Clinical Data Repository (CDR). A Clinical Data Repository (CDR) is a secure database of patient health information that can be accessed by authorized users within an organization or across organizations.
Natural Language Processing (NLP). Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a branch of artificial intelligence that enables computers to understand human language. NLP can be used to analyze patient data to identify trends or recognize patterns.
Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE). Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) is a system that allows providers to enter orders for tests, medications, and other treatments directly into the patient's electronic health record.
Clinical Terminology Systems. Clinical Terminology Systems are tools that use standardized vocabularies to describe clinical data in a consistent manner. This ensures that the meaning of data is consistent across different systems and locations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Clinical Informatics Specialist?

A Clinical Informatics Specialist is a healthcare professional who specializes in using information technology to improve the delivery of healthcare services.

What qualifications are required to become a Clinical Informatics Specialist?

A Clinical Informatics Specialist typically requires a bachelor's degree in informatics, computer science, health information management, or a related field. Additionally, experience in healthcare and knowledge of healthcare-related technology is beneficial.

What are the responsibilities of a Clinical Informatics Specialist?

The main responsibility of a Clinical Informatics Specialist is to develop, implement, and maintain healthcare-related information systems to support patient care. This can include designing electronic health record systems, creating decision support systems, and developing protocols for data exchange between systems.

What is the job outlook for Clinical Informatics Specialists?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for Clinical Informatics Specialists is projected to grow 22 percent from 2019 to 2029. This growth is much faster than the average for all occupations.

What is the median salary for Clinical Informatics Specialists?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for Clinical Informatics Specialists was $84,770 in May 2020.

Web Resources

What Is a Clinical Informatics Specialist? - Western Governors www.wgu.edu
What is Clinical Informatics? - University of San Diego Online onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu
What Is a Health Informatics Specialist? www.wgu.edu