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Health information technology is the fastest growing segment of the $1 trillion global healthcare marketplace—and its 11 percent combined annual growth rate is likely to continue through 2013, according to a Scientia Advisors Global Industry Review released November 2009. The healthcare industry has become increasingly dependent on new “health informatics” technologies such as electronic health records and computerized decision-support systems, as well as new communications tools such as e-mail, social media, hand-held devices and other peripherals.

The healthcare field’s new technology reliance has made it increasingly important for professionals at all career stages to stay “in the know.” For the technology averse, this may seem like a daunting proposition. It doesn’t have to be. Here are three easy ways to stay up to date on new technologies in your field:

1. Understand the Strategic Benefit of Change

For some individuals, the comfort of familiarity becomes even more appealing when confronting significant change in their jobs. Instead of yearning for familiarity in your professional life, why not focus on creating familiarity and stability in other areas of your life so you can more easily embrace change in your career?

2. Seek Out Opportunities to Learn and Use New Technologies

In this information age, it often seems that by the time we become accustomed to the “latest and greatest” technologies, even newer technologies spring into place. Seek out opportunities to use new technologies whenever you can. Volunteer to test the beta version of a new technology in your workplace; attend conferences or continuing education courses that focus on technological innovation; or look for opportunities to take certification classes – such as a Basic Life Support (BLS) course or Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) course – online (Health Ed Solutions offers ACLS and BLS courses online.

3. Look for Mentors in All the Right Places

Typically, most people think of a mentor as a supervisor or more experienced individual in their field. However, when it comes to learning the latest and greatest in technology, look to today’s entry-level professionals. Seek out new technology mentors in staffers who learned their skills in college or in recent training programs. Look for anyone who knows about the tools, information and techniques you want to learn more about: social media, popular culture, social entrepreneurship, innovative techniques, health information technology, etc.

As the healthcare industry continues to grow and change, maintaining an up-to-date knowledge of new communications techniques and health information technologies can make you a strong asset to any organization.