Reader Survey Results: Would you recommend to a relative or colleague that they change careers to health IT?

I asked if readers would recommend to a relative or colleague that they change careers to health IT.

As I approach retirement, I enjoy having this debate with colleagues my age and with 30-somethings. I was initially involved in healthcare delivery, graduating to healthcare IT over time. My observation is that most of the senior workers recall what we would call a "good job," where you left work at a reasonable time, valued your home life, and were active enough that you didn’t have to pay huge fees to a gym in an effort to stay in shape.

It does not appear the majority of younger staff have ever experienced a job where they felt valued, where the company invested in them, where there were true career paths. Few report a job where a sense of loyalty was engendered. At a certain point, healthcare IT (and IT in general) evolved into this organism that demands 24/7 availability and accessibility, freely doles out periods of excessive hours, covertly considers a commitment to family an impediment to success, provides minimal mentoring and training, and where the management mantra boils down to "do more with less," "work smarter," or some similar analog. The question we deliberate: Which of the groups is happier with their career?

I would not recommend a career in health IT, with a few specialized exceptions.

Why: growth industry. Also the ability to be creative. Room to innovate, or coast or dabble, whatever fits your interests.

My wise old Italian immigrant father told me long ago when I started this crazy ride in healthcare IT that "people will always be sick and people will always need computers". Job security, there’s that. Although the ride has been bumpy at times, I look back fondly at my 25+ year career in this industry. I’ve met some fantastic people (and some not so fantastic people), and some really smart people. I’ve learned a lot, travelled a lot, and am passionate about what I do.

Went to school for finance/accounting and made the switch myself after chatting with a neighbor who was a healthcare IT guy. I thought he was pretty smart and he got me my first interview, and off I went from there. So yes, I would, but only if people were looking for something new.

An IT career professional needs to transcend any primary allegiance to IT and become a healthcare professional with an IT specialty, and become customer-focused. Depending on the person, that may be a stretch – especially mid-career.

Yes, I would. There are significant opportunities for those, particularly with a healthcare background, to contribute to on-going needs of health IT. As a licensed pharmacist who worked in retail for 18 years, then moved to the IT space, I’m finding much more satisfaction and sanity in working in the IT space than I ever found working the bench in McPharmacy. As data sharing continues to develop, it will be amazing to see what population health details will develop over the coming years.

Maybe. I enjoy working in the field because I love feeling like I can make a difference in peoples’ health even though I am not a clinician, and of course, it’s exciting to be in a growth industry. That said, it can be frustrating that not having a clinical background can mean always being seen as less credible, no matter how long you’ve been in the industry.

I just did, actually, to a friend who’s studying to be a software engineer (and who had previously considered healthcare). I told him it was an interesting and ever-changing field with enormous breadth, and that it was a way to be paid well while still doing something truly important.

My caveats: It will also make you want to rip your hair out, and possibly ruin most of your faith in doctors. (#NotAllDoctors)

No – I got in 22 years ago and having been trying to get out ever since! It’s like The Godfather III …

No. The demands are outrageous, the funding for IT initiatives takes the back seat to clinical initiatives, and healthcare is in the middle of a major upheaval based on budget and governmental initiatives. I would suggest something more stable.

Yes, absolutely. Health IT is and will continue to grow. Given how behind the times we are with regards to so many of the technologies available, there is ample room to jump in and make a big difference. Also, it just feels good to know you are making a meaningful difference to people doing good work. I’m not just clocking in to help people find a good restaurant, respond to the latest Internet meme, or play the cool new game. We are making a difference in the health of our communities.

I don’t know that I would recommend a career change, but I would encourage recent graduates to explore health IT as a career option. My own daughters have had the pleasurable (torturous) experience of my 20 years in HIT, they aren’t so impressed with my career choices. I remind them that it kept a roof over their heads, and computers in their rooms.

There is nothing wrong with changing careers to a specific industry. It’s not like it hasn’t been done before with other industries. We all at one point reinvent ourselves. Why should healthcare be any different?

YES: You will always have a job/career where you know it matters whether or not you come to work. You will be busy beyond your wildest imagination. And if you are good, there is never a day when you will be unemployed, wonder where you will work next, or not have the ability to be challenged.

NO: In the 30 years I have worked in this industry, I have had few days “off.” The pace is grueling, the management short-sighted or not focused on the mission, and the initiatives are always under-resourced.

Nope. It’s just a negative, stressful industry. Doctors resent EHRs and hate being forced to use technology, practices are overworked and understaffed, vendors haven’t been able to add too many cool features because they need to keep up with government regulations, and now all the hacking and ransomware scares …

Not in a traditional health IT role because of the constant pressure to cut costs and shave corners. One area I would recommend as a viable opportunity would be any position related to health analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.