Clinical Informatics

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Does anybody know what the job market and pay are like for clinical informatics in pathology? It's a fellowship of pathology and preventive medicine. Do you think the future is bright with the advent of digital path? I hope pathology can claim this field!

 

[Spikebd]

Feels like digital path is just a small aspect of informatics.

Informatics seems far more helpful as a crossover between medicine and data set analysis. Definitely would be a killer combo for certain CP specialties like molecular or chemistry. AP and informatics seems somewhat less of a good fit, simple because CP has much more “scalable” testing.

You can also do EMR efficiency stuff, too I believe. From the lab side of things that could help a hospital streamline some test ordering for clinicians maybe?

 

[Napoleon1801]

Does anybody know what the job market and pay are like for clinical informatics in pathology? It's a fellowship of pathology and preventive medicine. Do you think the future is bright with the advent of digital path? I hope pathology can claim this field!

I've come across a few "informaticists", most of whom have been internal medicine physicians. They tend to have more administrative roles regarding EMR implementation and IT related issues. It's not a position that's going to generate any RVUs and may be a little challenging to find depending on the size of the city/hospital system.

 

[LoaLoa]

I am a pathologist and clinical informaticist. @Napoleon1801 is right; it's a field with a lot of overlap with laboratory management and business administration, and it does not directly generate any RVUs. Because of the lack of RVUs, most informaticists (at least, those who do any significant percentage of informatics) work in large organizations. Most people who work in the field start by holding a position in their primary specialty that has an informatics component, and the informatics work tends to expand as one's career progresses and as you are able to demonstrate value to your organization. The specialty choice is, in a manner of speaking, a bet on the future. The specialty's value proposition aligns well with emerging trends: value-based care, population health, digital health, etc.; all of these areas could be considered "the future" of medicine. It can also be a springboard to leadership positions early in one's career.

Practically speaking, for pathology-trained physicians, I'd highly recommend looking at combined clinical informatics and heme/cyto/derm etc. fellowships. That allows you to shorten the period of training to 2 years total rather than 2 years for CI alone.