8.1 Introduction to Healthcare Administration and Informatics
Katie Baker
For some students, serving the community through healthcare is their dream, but they may not wish to provide direct patient care. These individuals can still achieve their goals by pursuing a career in an administrative role. Such roles include billing and coding for insurance, becoming a patient advocate or navigator, working with information technology and healthcare records, or taking on a managerial or supervisory role in healthcare administration.
In addition to direct patient care providers, all of these roles are essential for medical institutions to provide care. In this chapter, we will explore behind-the-scenes careers that allow medical organizations to function as businesses, providing the infrastructure necessary for well-coordinated patient care.
An individual who serves as a liaison between a patient and their family and the healthcare providers who are a part of the patient’s team, working as an independent professional and hired by the patient and their family.