Editorial Update: CompTIA retired its Healthcare IT exam in 2017. CompTIA A+ can help health care professionals gain the IT skills they need to protect patient data.
We all hear the buzz about healthcare – EHR/EMR, HIPAA, PHI and the other acronyms in the space. But what does it mean for IT professionals? What are the job opportunities? How do you show employers you have the unique skills required to work in IT in a healthcare setting?
According to a recent survey by Capstone, 63 percent of responding physician group practices expect to replace their current practice management system with an integrated electronic health record system (EHRS). And 70 percent of those not purchasing say they already have an EHR that will be certified for meaningful use. Those systems will all need support from IT technicians.
Employers need a way to identify candidates with the right skills to fill these jobs and potential HIT technicians need a way to show employers they have the knowledge and skills required to support the implementation and maintenance of HIT systems, including EHRS, in various clinical settings. That is where the new CompTIA Healthcare IT Technician certificate can help.
The certificate gives IT technicians background in HIT standards, regulations and workflows, so they can understand the healthcare environment. In addition to the recommended prerequisite CompTIA A+ (or equivalent 500 hours of hands-on IT technical experience ), successful candidates will understand healthcare terminology/acronyms, and possess a basic understanding of practice workflows while adhering to code of conduct policies and security best practices, in order to support Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems in medical facilities. The certificate validates knowledge of healthcare and IT on these key topics:
- Regulatory requirements
- Organizational behavior
- IT operations
- Medical business operations
- Security
