Computing and information technology (IT) careers related to health care and medical data - known as medical informatics - are among the fastest-growing employment sectors in the country. According to Stltoday.com, the growth of the health care industry and the increasing use of IT to collect, store and retrieve medical information means demand for qualified computing staff is "soaring". Informatics jobs range from system technician to chief medical technology officers, the site noted. Health informatics professor Dr William Hersh said US hospitals currently employ around 108,000 people in full-time IT positions and if the adoption of computerized health care systems follow their present trends, another 40,000 jobs could be generated. Dr Don Detmer of the American Medical Informatics Association added: "It's an emerging profession. There's not enough trained people." Other computing sectors expected to experience fast growth include software publishing, publishing and broadcasting on the internet and wireless telecommunications, the Department of Labor's Tomorrow's Jobs forecast.  |