The battle to reduce healthcare costs has many fronts, and one of them is technological. The Obama administration has committed millions to promoting an increased use of electronic healthcare records, streamlined technology and superior information systems to try and reduce the costs and eliminate the waste from healthcare delivery in the U.S.

Similar programs are being implemented at the state level as well, such as $10 million in startup funding for a health information exchange in Maryland. A health information exchange allows the electronic movement of clinical information from one healthcare provider to another, which should reduce costs and errors.

Maintaining patient privacy and security will require many experts in computer technology and IT systems to work closely with the healthcare industry while developing such a system.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that computer and information systems managers will remain in high demand in the future, especially with specialized technical knowledge and strong communications skills. Job growth from 2006-2016 is expected to be at 16%, faster than the national average for all jobs, which will bring employment in this field up to 307,000 jobs nationwide.