Certifications are an excellent way for recent graduates or professionals making a career change to let prospective employers know that you’ve taken a step beyond earning your degree, and have prepared yourself to hit the ground running in a new position.
Some employers require certifications. Most employers who don’t still recognize its value. For that reason, health data analysts should consider acquiring the Certified Health Data Analyst (CHDA) certification, awarded by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
Eligibility to sit for the CHDA examination usually requires some combination of education and work experience. However, earning a master’s degree in health informatics makes you eligible to take the exam even if you lack work experience in the health informatics field.
Many schools, including the University of South Florida, offer fully online graduate degree programs in health informatics, a big benefit for students who plan to continue their careers while pursuing an advanced degree.
Earning a Master of Science in Health Informatics with a concentration in Healthcare Analytics not only meets the eligibility requirement to take the CHDA exam, it will prepare you for the exam in ways other fields of study can’t.
According to AHIMA, the CHDA “provides practitioners with the knowledge to acquire, manage, analyze, interpret, and transform data into accurate, consistent, and timely information.”
Compare that statement with some of the courses offered in USF’s Healthcare Analytics program:
- Health Data Management
- Health Data Visualization
- Healthcare Data Mining and Predictive Analytics
- Health Outcomes Research
- Healthcare Decision Support
The rigorous and comprehensive program covers the entirety of the field of data analytics, providing knowledge on topics that relate to the subject, including the information necessary to achieve CHDA certification.
The CHDA is a certification employers notice. Earning the CHDA assures potential employers that a job seeker has attained the know-how to acquire, manage, analyze and transform data into information that advances patient outcomes and the goals of the healthcare organization. It shows the ability to balance the immediate needs with a broad, forward-looking vision.
According to an article on Becker’s Hospital Review, this accreditation “validates the mastery of data management, analysis and reporting. CHDA-credentialed professionals cement their role in their organization by being the resident expert in data-related matters.”
According to Learn.org, CHDA holders potentially can “qualify for variety of high-level healthcare information positions that include data collection from patients or insurers, implementation of collection models and database design.”
A graduate degree in health data analytics paired with CHDA certification is a powerful testament to a job-seeker’s ability to make a positive difference within a healthcare organization.