What is one of the most important tools in patient care? Data. Patient data and health information are critical to providing high-quality patient care. Yet, with so much data created each day, healthcare organizations need someone to make sense of it all. That’s where health information management (HIM) professionals come in.
The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) represents professionals in this field and their definition of health information management couldn’t be better:
“Health information management (HIM) is the practice of acquiring, analyzing, and protecting digital and traditional medical information vital to providing quality patient care. It is a combination of business, science, and information technology.”
In other words, health information management professionals ensure patient information is obtained, stored and accessed according to requirements set forth by HIPAA and other standards. These professionals play a key role in ensuring information is accurate at all times and kept private for the sake of patient care.
Health information management is a wide field full of unique career opportunities. For example, you could be a coding specialist, tasked with updating patient records with diagnoses and treatments. Or, you could be an HIM quality analyst, ensuring patient records are kept up to date.
Other potential careers may include:
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, careers within the medical records and health information specialist career paths are expected to grow by 9% between now and 2030. This is just as fast as any other career out there. Organizations like hospitals and doctor’s offices are always looking for health information managers for their teams.
To get started in health information management, you’ll need to first attend an accredited Health Information Management program such as the one at Cambridge. Once completed, you can then obtain certification depending on your career goals.
For example, you can obtain the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) certification or the Certified Coding Specialist or Certified Coding Associate certification.
After certification, you’ll be ready for entry-level employment in the field.
Want to start a career in health information management? If so, Cambridge is here to help. Our Health Information Management program delivers everything you need to know for career success. To learn more about the program or to apply today, give us a call at 877-206-4279 or send us a message.
