|
Health information management is an excellent field for people who are detail oriented, enjoys working in an office setting,
and have an interest in working behind the scenes to help people in medicine. Health Information Management Technology prepares
students to work in a field which is rewarding and satisfying, and for which there is a consistent, ongoing need.
What is Health Information Technology?
As stated by careeroverview.com,
Detailed records are kept of every time a patient receives care or interacts with a healthcare professional. Prescriptions,
treatment plans, test results, diagnoses, the patient’s medical history, and descriptions. of symptoms are included in these
records. Medical records and health information technicians manage patient record databases and perform quality assurance
on their records.
Technicians are responsible for patients’ records from the beginning, having them fill out all the proper forms and ensuring
that they are completed properly and signed.
Additionally, they are responsible for seeing that the data provided becomes a part of the electronic health record.
People who work in heath information management have many different job titles, and work in a number of settings. Positions
held by professionals in this field include billing professionals, reimbursement coordinators, documentation specialists,
registrars, medical data analysts, electronic health records positions, and managers and supervisors.
One of the areas in most demand is medical Coding. Each patient record contains a diagnosis (or reason for encounter) as
well as documentation of procedures performed on that visit. These diagnoses and procedures are assigned specific “code”
numbers which provide a statistical reference, as well as a link to reimbursement for that particular setting. Medical coders
apply these code numbers, and then utilize specific reimbursement software applications to generate the financial reimbursement
for the facility, as well as the payment obligations of the patient.
But wait, there is more!
Employment in health information management is growing! In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor data indicates a growth in
total employment for this occupation through 2016 of 18%.
According to healthinformation.com, 57% of all health information professionals work in hospitals. Other professionals work
in physician offices, long term and ambulatory care facilities, behavioral and mental health settings, for consultants, and
within integrated healthcare provider systems.
Many employers require that people working in this field have Associate degrees, and most prefer candidates who are Registered
Health Information Technicians (RHIT). Graduates of the Health Information Technology program at BGSU Firelands benefit from
the excellent preparation they receive for this accreditation.
How much will I make?
How much you make depends on where you work, and on what you do. Nationally, coding professionals with an Associate degree
and RHIT accreditation average
$43, 094 per year. Transcriptionists make $43,257, and Registrars earn $42, 144. Managers average $54, 947. While these
are not the salaries you will start at, they give an idea of the potential.
What should you expect in working conditions for a Health Information Management professional?
The Occupational Outlook Handbook says that
Medical records and health information technicians work in pleasant and comfortable offices. This is one of the few health-related
occupations in which there is little or no direct contact with patients. Because accuracy is essential in their jobs, technicians
must pay close attention to detail. Technicians who work at computer monitors for prolonged periods must guard against eyestrain
and muscle pain.
Medical records and health information technicians usually work a 40-hour week. Some overtime may be required. In hospitals—where
health information departments often are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—technicians may work day, evening, and night shifts
How do you get there from here?
BGSU Firelands provides students for careers in Health Information Management through our Associate of Applied Science degree
in Health Information Management Technology. Additionally, practitioners who wish to advance may choose to consider pursuing
a Bachelor degree in Applied Health Science.
Want to learn more?
Watch this video provided by collegegrad.com.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fkn99FdC9pg
Interested in Health Information Technology as a career path? Have more questions?
For further information.20 contact:
|
Debralee Divers
Director
Admissions & Financial Aid
419-433-5560 ext. 2-0683
email: divers@bgsu.edu
|
Cheryl L. Chafee
Officer
Admissions & Financial Aid
419-433-5560 ext. 2-0683
email: cchafee@bgsu.edu
|
Mona Burke, MA, RHIA
Program Director
419-433-5560, ext. 20860
email: burkem@bgsu.edu
|
NOTE: Information in this Career Guide is subject to change without notice.
05/08 jlclark
|
