The health care system features a wide range of positions in administration, as each medical department and facility involves the management of resources and personnel. Administrative positions in health care can include many different responsibilities, from organizing daily schedules to managing billing and accounting systems. This essay will explore differences in responsibilities using the example of three positions in health care: hospital administrator, pharmaceutical administrator, and registered health information administrator (RHIA), and identify primary skills required for the job.
Firstly, the hospital administrator is responsible for planning, organizing, and supervising resources in the department or facility. The resources can include finances, personnel, medical supplies, and technical equipment. The position implies cooperation with governmental agencies and the community in budgeting activities and the development and implementation of hospital policies. Thus, the position’s responsibilities heavily rely on an individual’s knowledge of legislation, management and leadership capabilities, and communication skills.
Next, the pharmaceutical administrator position primarily focuses on the administration of medical prescriptions to patients. However, pharmaceutical administrators are also highly involved in the process of research and development of medications and drug-centered therapies. In addition, pharmaceutical administrators provide a connection between health care professionals and pharmacists. Pharmaceutical administrations can work in health care facilities and governmental or pharmaceutical organizations. Depending on the position, the required skills for the job can require different skills in research, management, analytical thinking, and even marketing.
Lastly, the registered health information administrator’s functions target the management of different information systems and patients’ records to ensure patients’ safety. RHIA’s main function is to collect, protect, and analyze patients’ data and interact with different levels of health care organizations to provide them with correct information from patients’ records. The specific skills required for RHIAs include experience in working with different computer information systems and knowledge of medical terminology.
In choosing between the three administrative positions in health care, I am more interested in the registered health information administrator’s job. I believe that technological progress significantly improved the quality of people’s lives in terms of everyday activities and scientific discoveries. I also believe that in modern conditions of technological development, data management plays an important role. Private data protection presents one of the central issues for the safety of the population, while sophisticated processes of data processing such as data mining provide new opportunities in science and medicine. In healthcare organizations, big data can help t develop innovative approaches to patient care and improve its quality and efficiency (Meyer, 2019). Furthermore, at a higher level, the collection and study of data allow governmental agencies to develop more beneficial health policies to improve the population’s well-being (Niles. 2019). Thus, the position that focuses on collecting, processing, and evaluating data seems more relevant to me.
Next, I think that the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the position of RHIA are more extensive and focus on both practical and theoretical knowledge of medicine. While other administrative positions rely exclusively on the development of communication and leadership skills or knowledge, the RHIA position allows a comprehensive development of a professional in the health care system. According to Peterson and Turley (2021), prediction factors for success in the RHIA exam include well-developed coding, which provides the foundation for success in subsequent courses and higher grades. Thus, to obtain the skills and abilities for coding, I can prepare by improving my analytical skills, practicing innovative thinking, being more patient at work, and learning about effective communication.
In conclusion, this essay explored the functions and requirements of three administrative positions in the health care system. After analyzing the differences, I chose the RHIA position because it involves activities in the promising data processing and analysis area. Lastly, the essay determined that to have a successful career in this administrative position, I need to prepare by developing analytical thinking skills and improving my knowledge of medical terminology.
References
Meyer, M. A. (2019). Healthcare data scientist qualifications, skills, and job focus: a content analysis of job postings. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 26(5), 383–39.
Niles, N. J. (2019). Basics of the U.S. health care system (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Peterson, J. L., & Turley, J. F. (2021). Predictors of success on the RHIA exam. Perspectives in health information management, 18(3), 1-12.