Perceptions of Northeastern Wisconsin Health Insurance Employers Toward Hiring Applicants with a Health Information Technology Two-Year Degree

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study is to determine the perceptions of Eastern Wisconsin based health insurance employers toward the Health Information Technology (HIT) associate degree program offered through Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) and the employability of its graduates. Employability of technical college graduates impacts the economy and surrounding communities. Understanding employer perceptions within the communities helps technical college programs remain current in the industry to fit employer needs. Three health insurance employers within the region were interviewed using a semi-structured technique to gather qualitative data. The interview questions developed were designed to explore the skills, knowledge, and abilities employers needed to fulfill entry-level data analyst or reporting positions within their company, the employer knowledge of the FVTC HIT program, and employer bias toward hiring new employees with an associate degree. Some bias was found, but the data gathered provided insight how well the program aligned with employer needs in the reporting and analytics field. Employers reported the program aligned with their needs but identified a skills gap of knowledge and ability to use Structured Query Language (SQL) as well as possible solutions through enhancements to the program. Overall, employers we unaware of the FVTC HIT associate degree program, which identifies a need to increase awareness within this field. However, graduates from this program have been hired as data analysts in the past by at least one employer, validating that the program fulfills the needs of employers for entry-level data reporting and analytics roles.