Medical data analyst vs health information specialist

The differences between medical data analysts and health information specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a medical data analyst and a health information specialist. Additionally, a medical data analyst has an average salary of $56,595, which is higher than the $33,343 average annual salary of a health information specialist.

The top three skills for a medical data analyst include patients, data analysis and medical terminology. The most important skills for a health information specialist are patients, HIPAA, and medical terminology.

Medical data analyst vs health information specialist overview

	Medical Data Analyst	Health Information Specialist
Yearly salary	$56,595	$33,343
Hourly rate	$27.21	$16.03
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	129,290	135,448
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	12	12

What does a medical data analyst do?

A medical data analyst uses a number of applications to improve the quality of healthcare. Their job entails operating an electronic health record system, coding information to be passed on to insurance companies for billing, and organizing patient information to guide the treatment suggestions. The qualifications for this position are knowledge of computer analytics software, experience with database systems, and familiarity with medical terms.

What does a health information specialist do?

A health information specialist is in charge of overseeing and developing strategies to optimize information management procedures in hospitals, physicians' offices, and other similar environments. Their responsibilities revolve around gathering and updating medical records, receiving and organizing files, and updating databases according to the appropriate coding systems and procedures. Furthermore, as a health information specialist, it is essential to coordinate with nurses and other staff to ensure accuracy in documentation, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.

Medical data analyst vs health information specialist salary

Medical data analysts and health information specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Data Analyst	Health Information Specialist
Average salary	$56,595	$33,343
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $80,000	Between $25,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	Trenton, NJ	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	California
Best paying company	University of California	University of California
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Health Care

Differences between medical data analyst and health information specialist education

There are a few differences between a medical data analyst and a health information specialist in terms of educational background:

	Medical Data Analyst	Health Information Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Business	Health Care Administration
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Southern California

Medical data analyst vs health information specialist demographics

Here are the differences between medical data analysts' and health information specialists' demographics:

	Medical Data Analyst	Health Information Specialist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 31.3% Female, 68.7%	Male, 15.1% Female, 84.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 8.5% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 8.7% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between medical data analyst and health information specialist duties and responsibilities

Medical data analyst example responsibilities.

Manage cases by aggressively directing the litigation process.
Maintain priority levels of confidentiality with HIPAA and patient rights in all reviews and aspects of work.
Process records for subpoena, learned deposition process, attend court for subpoenas and processing of records.
Review and interpret diagnosis and procedure codes through ICD-9 and CPT-4, HCPS claims to avoid provider and facility up-coding.
Complete understanding of HIPPA confidentiality requirements, regulations.
Serve as departmental liaison to internal operational committees for Medicare and Medicaid.

Health information specialist example responsibilities.

Manage chart completion (ICD-9-CM and CPT coding/abstracting), chart assembly and analysis, patient admission and patient information privacy/security.
Review and audit medical records for correct DRG and APC assignment.
Certify requests for subpoenas, court orders, legal cases and training of employees.
Utilize Cerner and Centricity systems to assist in ancillary services.
Abstract medical records with ICD9-CM, CPT and DRG coding.
Scan documentation via DCS into HPF to be index under ROI.

Medical data analyst vs health information specialist skills

Common medical data analyst skills

Patients, 12%
Data Analysis, 7%
Medical Terminology, 6%
ICD-10, 5%
EMR, 5%
SQL, 4%

Common health information specialist skills

Patients, 26%
HIPAA, 11%
Medical Terminology, 10%
Patient Care, 10%
Data Entry, 4%
Office Equipment, 3%

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Medical Data Analyst vs Health Information Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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