4 Health Domains for Those Seeking Non-Clinical Roles: Unquestionably, the field of healthcare is a challenging yet immensely fulfilling one. According to BLS, the industry is likely to grow substantially in the next few years, approximately 16% by 2030.
And while the word ‘healthcare’ often conjures up the picture of physicians bustling in the healthcare facilities, surgeons operating in the rooms, and nurses catering to the patient’s needs. However, these aren’t the only essential careers within the increasing scope of healthcare. Fortunately, you don’t necessarily need to work in clinical settings to become a part of this flourishing industry.
You might want to make a real and lasting impact on the lives of people you touch. Perhaps you wish to learn about the inner workings and operations of the healthcare systems or envisage yourself working in the frontline roles involving direct patient care. Perhaps you want to work behind the curtains and take care of the administrative tasks. Or maybe you might already have experience working in the ER but now wish to take your current role to unprecedented heights, advocate for patients, or train workers.
Whatever the situation, there exist multiple career choices for individuals who possess a weak stomach or don’t wish to come in contact with patients. The demand for non-clinical healthcare professionals – individuals who research trends and treatment plans, teach about the latest technologies, and assist patients with billing and insurance, is on the rise. Let’s dive into some of these career pathways:
Marriage and family therapist
Every family unit and married couple goes through complicated times in their lives. However, some interpersonal issues and clashes become so persistent that they require outside intervention. Marriage and family therapists help such individuals work through their conflicts. These professionals use various therapeutic techniques to assist clientele in reconciling their differences.
This job is an excellent option for individuals who are passionate about counseling. However, aspiring counselors must consider COAMFTE accredited programs to pursue this fulfilling career pathway. The COAMFTE programs serve as a stepping stone for individuals and help them decide which type of marriage and family therapist they would like to become in their careers.
COAMFTE is essentially an agency whose sole purpose is to review the MFT programs to ensure credibility and quality education. These accredited programs offer both online and traditional environments. So, students who are short-handed on time can opt for online MFT programs.
Let’s review some of the typical job responsibilities of marriage and family therapists:
- Help clients process grievances and negative emotions
- Develop and implement treatment plans and offer mental health services
- Unveil dysfunction determinants and provide advice on stabilization of home
Medical transcriptionist
Have you pondered how physicians move from one patient to another so swiftly? Because instead of jotting down points after every visit, these professionals record their notes in a voice recorder. Then, a medical transcriptionist listens to these recordings and puts physicians’ notes in writing.
Some of the typical day-to-day job duties of a medical transcriptionist are:
- Make amendments, edit, and identify inconsistencies in the medical dictation carried out by speech recognition software
- Translate lab tests, medical procedures, diagnostic results, and consultation notes in report format
- Write relevant clinical data in computer systems and receive requisitions and lab orders
The job responsibilities of a medical transcriptionist encompass a lot more than merely listening and writing. These professionals require a deep understanding of medical jargon, drug names, and abbreviations. And besides a high school diploma, individuals must complete a training program, which can roughly take around one to two years. Principally, the job is for those who are organizers, detail-oriented and aren’t fond of interaction with people.
Patient advocate
Patients suffering from chronic illnesses and life-threatening diseases might feel overwhelmed in the world of healthcare. And that’s where the role of patient advocates comes to play. These professionals serve as a bridge between patients, physicians, nurses, and insurance firms. Patient advocates help overcome the gap between patients and healthcare practitioners and offer guidance at every step of the treatment process. Primarily, patient advocates ensure that the patients feel valued and heard.
On a given day, some of the job responsibilities include:
- Enlighten patients about their legal rights and explain to them the insurance coverage
- Listen to patients’ concerns, record their complaints, and go through the paperwork thoroughly for completeness
- Work in close collaboration with social workers, hospital staff members, and financial counselors and comply with the organization’s laws and policies
There aren’t any stringent rules to step foot in this field. However, a solid background in healthcare systems and treatment plans is crucial. Individuals who possess a generous heart and are interested in healthcare can choose to pursue this career pathway.
Health information technician
The continuous and rapid technological advancements have entirely revamped how the healthcare industry operates. Today, the field involves a tremendous amount of data. In this digital realm, it’s indispensable to keep data and information secure. Health information technicians are responsible for maintaining confidentiality and keeping tabs on patients’ data.
The everyday job responsibilities of these professionals include, but aren’t limited to:
- Examine the data and information accumulated to check its accuracy
- Stay abreast of laws and regulations regarding patient privacy and ensure compliance
- Maintain the clinical database and make use of classification software to dispense codes to insurance companies
Individuals who desire to become a part of this non-clinical role must first acquire an associate degree. Moreover, they must also have a firm grasp of medical coding, physiology and anatomy, computer systems, medical terminologies, and the healthcare reimbursement process. And although certification isn’t a prerequisite, employers these days are in quest of candidates with health information technician credentials. Overall, the field might pique the interest of those who can perform thorough research and analysis and are tech-savvy.
Final Words
The significance of an efficient and effective healthcare system cannot be overstated. And that’s the reason why physicians, nurses, and other healthcare practitioners require the constant support of non-clinical professionals that work behind the scenes. These professionals play an integral role in ensuring healthcare organizations operate swimmingly.
The non-clinical professionals look after administrative tasks, utilize technology, and coordinate care efforts to deliver optimum care. And while these unsung heroes might not gain the same spotlight as the clinical healthcare employees receive. However, these professionals make a genuine and tangible difference in medicine without being directly involved in patient care.
Not to mention how individuals appertaining to differing backgrounds often switch to non-clinical roles. For instance, some wish to enjoy a more traditional schedule. In contrast, others want to leverage their business knowledge to enhance facility management. All that’s to say is that individuals who wish to be part of non-clinical healthcare job roles, those without needles and scrubs, rest assured countless opportunities exist.
