Dive Brief:
- With the demand for health IT professionals growing daily and two meaningful use stages looming in the near future, two health IT organizations recently created groups to help advance knowledge and training in the sector.
- The American Health Information Management Association established the Global Health Workforce Council. The group was funded through a $300,000 grant by the U.S. Department of Commerce and plans to develop curricula for education and workforce training in various areas of health IT.
- The College of Health Information Management Executives created the Association for Executives in Healthcare Information Security. This group, expected to have 100 members by year's end, will focus on representing workers in the health IT security sector and offer benefits like a member directory and seminars.
Dive Insight:
The federal government has estimated there will be a need for 50,000 health IT workers to assist providers in meeting meaningful use. And recent reports have found that hospitals, in particular, are struggling with Stage 2. These organizations are clearly being created to help advance the industry, provide networking opportunities and standardize the training. This could mean a movement in the workforce that is more collaborative, organized and regulated.
Want to read more? You may enjoy this story about how few hospitals have met Stage 2 requirements.