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The Comprehensive Guide to Healthcare IT: Navigating the High-Stakes Decision of In-House vs. Outsourced Teams

The Comprehensive Guide to Healthcare IT

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. What is Healthcare IT?
  3. What Do Healthcare IT Professionals Do?
  4. Is Healthcare IT Hard?
  5. Are Healthcare IT Workers Paid Well?
  6. Case Study: Building an In-House Team vs. Outsourcing to a Firm Like Stringfellow Technology Group
  7. Conclusion

Introduction

Healthcare IT is a booming field, with its tentacles in almost every aspect of modern healthcare. Understanding it fully is critical for healthcare leaders. In this guide, we’ll explore the key aspects of healthcare IT and offer a case study to help you decide between building an in-house team or outsourcing to a specialized firm.


What is Healthcare IT?

Healthcare Information Technology (Health IT) is a broad field that encompasses the application of IT in healthcare, aimed to facilitate patient care and communication among providers [2][3]. With roots in policy initiatives spanning multiple presidencies, Health IT has bipartisan support and has been identified as a key factor in healthcare reform [2].

Importance of Healthcare IT

With the dawn of electronic health records (EHRs) and advanced data analytics, Health IT has become crucial in the healthcare sector [5]. It serves as the backbone for telemedicine, emergency response, and personalized healthcare, among other services [3]. Due to the technological advances and government policies, Health IT is not just optional but essential [2].


What Do Healthcare IT Professionals Do?

Healthcare IT professionals wear many hats. They design, develop, and maintain healthcare information systems and ensure these systems comply with the latest privacy laws [1][4][5]. Whether it’s analyzing health records, managing data, or overseeing complex IT projects, their role is integral to a healthcare facility’s operations [6].

Skillset and Job Roles

Understanding coding, project management, and even healthcare law are part of their toolkit [4]. They work under various titles, from systems analysts and data architects to C-level roles like Chief Information Officers [4].


Is Healthcare IT Hard?

While “hard” is subjective, the complexity of Health IT is undeniable [1]. There’s a need to understand both medical terminologies and software intricacies, making it a challenging field [3][4]. Issues like poor user interfaces, functionality problems, and fragmented displays often plague healthcare IT systems [4].

The Benefits Outweigh the Challenges

Despite these obstacles, the advantages, like efficient data management, medication safety, and improved patient care, make Health IT a rewarding field [6].


Are Healthcare IT Workers Paid Well?

The short answer is yes, but there are variations. Salaries can range from $81,465 to $100,601 and even higher for roles like informatics directors [1][6].

Factors Influencing Pay

Geography, experience, and education significantly influence the pay scale in this industry [1][3][4][5][6].


Case Study: Building an In-House Team vs. Outsourcing to a Firm Like Stringfellow Technology Group

With healthcare IT workers demanding such high salaries and the inherent complexities of the field, healthcare leaders face a critical decision: build an in-house team or outsource?

Cost Analysis

The average salary of $90,620 for a healthcare IT worker means an in-house team can quickly become expensive [1]. Additional costs like benefits, training, and software licenses can add to this expense.

Efficiency and Expertise

Specialized firms like Stringfellow Technology Group offer tailored services for healthcare clinics, making it a cost-effective and efficient solution for healthcare providers looking to implement and manage complex healthcare IT systems without the hassle of hiring, training, and retaining specialized staff. For the cost of 1 or 2 in house resources, you can get a team of 22 healthcare IT professionals who do this for hundreds of clinics and thousands of healthcare executives and their staff.


Conclusion

Navigating the intricacies of healthcare IT is a complex, high-stakes endeavor. The cost and specialized nature of the field make it a serious consideration for any healthcare leader. Outsourcing to specialized firms like Stringfellow Technology Group offers a compelling alternative to the financial and logistical challenges of maintaining an in-house team.

We also work with internal teams and can help make your internal team shine by filling in for missing pieces.

Contact us today and let’s see where we fit in.


References:

[1] https://www.betterteam.com/health-information-technology-job-description
[2] https://www.techtarget.com/searchhealthit/definition/Health-IT-information-technology
[3] https://www.usfhealthonline.com/resources/health-informatics/what-is-health-it/
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470186/
[5] https://resources.workable.com/health-information-technician-job-description/
[6] https://www.coursera.org/articles/health-informatics-salary

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