What is Health Information Management?
Health Information Management (HIM) is a profession that combines health data, information
technology and management. HIM professionals play a critical role in collecting,
maintaining, and analyzing the health data that healthcare professionals rely on
to deliver, manage and finance quality healthcare.
HIM professionals are experts in managing health information using both automated
and manual information systems. HIM professionals are found in companies and organizations
that use and manage health information.
HIM professionals can be seen employed in physicians offices, nursing homes, home
health agencies, mental health facilities and health agencies. In fact, employment
opportunities exist for HIM professionals in any organization that uses patient
health information such as pharmaceutical companies, law and insurance firms and
health product companies.
HIM professionals are credentialed by the American Health Information Management
Association (AHIMA) as Health Information Administrators (RHIA).
RHIA REQUIREMENTS: RHIA requires a bachelor’s degree
(4 years) and successful performance on the RHIA certification exam.
RHIT REQUIREMENTS: Have an associates degree from
a CAHIM1 – accredited health information techonology program.
ACCREDITED HIM PROGRAMS:
Chicago State University
College of DuPage
College of Lake County
Danville Area Community College
Illinois State University
Moraine Valley Community College
Northwestern Business College – North
Oakton Community College
Southern Illinois Collegiate Common Market
Southwestern Illinois College
University of Illinois at Chicago
CODING POSITIONS
Certified Coding Specialists are professionals skilled in classifying medical data
from patient records in the hospital setting/physicians office. These coding practitioners
review patient’s records and assign numeric codes for diagnoses and procedures performed.
To perform this task, they must possess expertise in the ICD-9-CM coding system
and the surgery section within the CPT coding system. In addition, the certified
coding specialist is knowledgeable of medical terminology, disease processes and
pharmacology.
Hospitals and medical providers report coded data to insurance companies or the
government in the case of Medicare and Medicaid recipients, for reimbursement of
their expenses. Researchers and public health departments also use coded medical
data to monitor patterns and explore new interventions. Coding accuracy is extremely
important to healthcare organizations because of its impact on revenues and describing
health outcomes. Accordingly, the coding specialist demonstrates tested data quality
and integrity skills in a coding practice.
CREDENTIALS AVAILABLE FOR CODING (CCA, CCS, CCS-P)
CCS Experience in coding inpatient records or coding the hospital portion
of ambulatory surgeries, emergency care records. CCA Entry-level coding credentialing.
CCS-P CCS-P is a coding practitioner with expertise in physician-based settings
such as a physicians office, multi-specialty clinics, or specialty center.
AHIMA has exams available for all coding credentials listed above. Refer to AHIMA’s
website at WWW.AHIMA.ORG
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