Survey finds support for healthcare IT, better education

Survey finds support for healthcare IT, better education

According to a new poll, most Americans believe implementing healthcare IT would have a positive impact on quality, access to care and costs. However, many have also expressed concerns about the availability of appropriately educated healthcare workers.

The issue of a shortage of qualified staff in the healthcare field has been raised by politicians for a long time, and educational as well as healthcare funds included in the stimulus package ensure that demand for their skills will grow dynamically in the coming years. That is why adults interested in a career change may consider an online nursing degree.

"We need to get the workforce prepared so that HIT can help healthcare organizations eliminate mistakes, improve coordination and outcomes, and speed services to patients," says CCA President Harris N. Miller.

He adds that "with 4,800 programs and over 200,000 graduates in a variety of healthcare fields, career colleges across the country are doing their part to build a highly skilled HIT workforce."

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand for nurses is expected to grow by a dynamic 23 percent over the next seven years. The top salaries in the field already exceed $83,000 per year.

Labor Department analysts predict that by 2012, a total of 1 million nurses will be needed to care for the aging population, and some 587,000 new nursing jobs will be created nationwide providing employment opproutnities for those who gain skills though online programs.