2023 was an eventful year for health information technology. Health systems began to feel the pinch of the extra financial burden that came due after increased spending during the pandemic. Security continued to be in the forefront with the regular data breaches throughout the year. The good news on this front is that the number of offenses dropped from 2022, according to The HIPAA Journal. The technology story of the year was the increased use of artificial intelligence, which is expected to have a big impact in healthcare going forward. With that, let’s have a look at my top healthcare IT certifications for 2024.
1. IBM Applied AI Professional Certificate
While AI in healthcare is going to increase quickly, I don’t think that AI certification will make or break a career just yet. I do believe it can complement other skills to provide an edge to anyone who works with major EMR systems like Epic and Cerner. That is why my choice for a certification comes from an established vendor, IBM with the materials being administered by Coursera.
The Applied AI Professional Certificate covers the basics of AI, its applications and use cases, and explain terms like machine learning, deep learning, and neural networks. Participants will create AI chatbots and virtual assistants, and deploy them on a website. It involves some coding of APIs and Python.
2. Healthcare Data Analytics Certification
Making a second year return to the list are healthcare data analytics certifications. This career path trains students to make use of the mountains of data collected by electronic health records systems, billing systems, pharmacies, and other systems. The data analyst will use Excel, Tableau, SAS, SQL Server, and other tools to mine data and present it in ways that are intended to improve patient outcomes, identify trends, control costs, and help healthcare organizations to meet their organizational goals. Data analytics courses will include studies in statistics, building data models, and using data to detect fraud. These positions have high visibility of senior leadership in any healthcare organization.
Many health data analytics certifications are offered by major universities and range in cost from a couple of thousand dollars to over $10,000. Most courses can be completed in less than one year and most can be done completely online.
- University of Washington Certificate in Health Care Analytics
- UC Davis Healthcare Analytics Certificate Program
- University of New England Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Data Analytics
- Northwestern University Graduate Certificate in Health Data Science
- University of Texas Healthcare Analytics Certificate
- University of Connecticut Advanced Business Certificate in Health Care Analytics
- Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Healthcare Analytics Certificate
3. CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security Professional
From the (ISC)2 organization comes a leading certification for information systems security. It has a high technical focus and covers these eight disciplines:
- Security and Risk Management
- Asset Security
- Security Engineering
- Communications and Network Security
- Identity and Access Management
- Security Assessment and Testing
- Security Operations
- Software Development Security
CISSP candidates need to have a minimum of five years of work experience in two or more of the eight areas of expertise. The CISSP 250 question exam has a passing score of 70%, and there are re-certification requirements. The exam costs $749 US to take through Pearson VUE. CISSP Certification.
Last year, I included the HCISSP, but this security will be retired at the end of 2026, so I no longer recommend investing time toward it.
4. Google Professional Certifications
Making a repeat appearance is an offering from Google that in their minds will have as much weight as a college degree. The courses cost $300 each, are administered by Corsea, and are offered in these areas:
- Data Analytics
- Cyber Security
- Digital Marketing
- Project Management
- User Interface Design
- IT Support
Kent Walker, Senior Vice President for Global Affairs and Chief Legal Officer at Google tweeted his support for the certifications:
The offerings also include specializations in several areas, including construction, finance, and yes healthcare IT. If you are starting from scratch in healthcare IT, then this option is one of the easiest ways to start.
The courses run between three and six months, and are entirely online. Learn more at https://grow.google/certificates.
5. Amazon Web Services Certification
Amazon made several moves into the healthcare IT space in 2019, which is why they are on my list again this year. There are currently many healthcare IT job listings on the major job sites that ask for AWS certifications.
AWS has three levels of certification, and I believe having any of them in addition to other healthcare IT certifications and skills will put workers in a good position. Find out more at Amazon Web Services Certifications.
AWS Certified Foundational Cloud Practitioner
This certification is the entry level AWS certification. It covers the basics of the cloud platform, and is targeted to those who are planning on more advanced technical certifications as well as those in management and sales roles who only need to know the basics. Amazon asks for at least six months of AWS experience in any capacity. The 90 minute exam is multiple choice and costs $100 US to take.
AWS Certified Associate
This second level of certification demonstrates the ability to deploy and maintain AWS cloud-based systems. In order to take the test, you need to have had at least one year of experience in problem solving and implementation of AWS cloud services. You can get the Associate level certification as either a Solutions Architect, Developer, or Systems Administrator. The exam is multiple choice, multiple answer, has a 130 minute limit, and costs $150 US.
AWS Professional
This is the highest level of AWS certification, and requires you to have at least two years of comprehensive experience with designing, implementing, and supporting AWWS cloud services at an enterprise level. There are designations for Solutions Architect and DevOps Engineer. The 170 minute exam is multiple choice multiple answer, and costs $300 US to take.
There is also an additional professional level certification called AWS Certified Specialty that demonstrates advanced skills in the areas of advanced networking, big data, and security.
Amazon has also developed a competency designation that recognizes success in AWS services in a number of industries, including healthcare.
6. The “Salad Bar” Approach
With the job market continuing to favor workers, there is something to be said for those who want to hand pick their educational approach. When I talk to people who are looking for the fastest way to get into healthcare IT, I usually tell them to start with these core skills:
- A healthcare terminology class at any local college
- A basic understanding of project management concepts
- An operating system certification such as Linux
- Basic programming skills through an organization like code.org
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