According to a study from Texas State University-San Marcos, there is a huge need for health information technology (HIT) workers in Texas. The study says Texas is expected to need at least an additional 10,000 HIT workers for the state’s $103.6 billion health care industry by 2013. This is much larger than the original estimation that Texas would require an additional 3,500 HIT workers between 2010 and 2015.
The study’s researchers, led by assistant professor at Texas State, Susan H. Fenton, Ph.D., accumulated data through HIT Employer Focus Groups across the state as well as conducting a statewide HIT Employer survey. It was conducted as part of a contract with the Texas Workforce Commission, with funding for the project coming from the governor’s office through a Wagner-Peyser gran
The Health Information Technology (HIT) Employer Needs Assessment in Texas has estimated Texas providers will need 9,500 HIT employees between now and 2013. Non-providers (HER vendors and consultants) reported needing an additional 500 HIT employees by 2013. The researchers say in order to get more HIT workers intact, a statewide HIT education plan is under development for a second year of grants. This plan will build on the data collected from the employer needs survey and the higher education institution inventory from the first year of grants.
