Job satisfaction and professional development of health information administration faculty

To provide seamless care for patients while the health care industry undergoes changes, an integrated health information system must be developed. This effort affects the roles and responsibilities of practitioners and educators in health information administration (HIA). The changes may affect job satisfaction of HIA educators as they prepare entry-level practitioners for emerging roles. A national survey of HIA faculty's job satisfaction used the JDI/JIG scales and a researcher-developed instrument. The survey asked what job, institutional, and individual factors were significantly related to overall job satisfaction, whether there is a relationship between organizational fit and overall job satisfaction, and whether HIA faculty were pursuing terminal degrees, and what incentives and impediments they found to do so. Response rate was 78%. These faculty were very satisfied with their jobs. Work, pay, supervision, and co-workers were significantly related to overall job satisfaction, with work and supervision accounting for 47% of the variance. Doctorally prepared faculty valued research more than did others, and tended to be in institutions perceived to value research. Although 79% reported that their institutions encouraged them to pursue advanced degrees, only 23.6% were pursuing doctorates. These findings may be useful in recruiting HIA practitioners into academia as well as for accreditation purposes.