Health information management (HIM) professionals are serving in a broad range of roles throughout the healthcare industry. They are implementing electronic health records (EHR), assuming leadership roles in healthcare privacy and security, and providing the quality coding needed to classify, manage, and maintain clinical information. As we further move towards EHRs and electronic health information networks, these responsibilities and opportunities will continue to grow.
One of the goals of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) is to assist HIM professionals in preparing for the continuing challenges and opportunities of the evolving healthcare industry and marketplace. A competent HIM workforce skilled at understanding, organizing, and analyzing clinical data is needed to improve healthcare outcomes, implement standards and control costs. Today AHIMA serves its 50,000 members and other HIM professionals by offering education, training, and continuing education programs so that these professionals are more fully prepared to apply their knowledge, skills, and expertise in increasingly diverse settings and organizations.
For much of AHIMAs 77-year history, medical records have been a paper-based business. Now working toward a fully electronic future, AHIMA is advancing the implementation of electronic health records by providing its industry-leading electronic health information management (e-HIM) education and advocacy programs to support the effective use of information technology to manage patient information and healthcare data.
AHIMA has developed a new framework for HIM educational programs so that HIM professionals will be more academically prepared in information technology, legal and regulatory standards, information technology platforms, languages, and the effect of information on clinical outcomes. Not only will this better prepare students for future jobs, it will also provide current professionals opportunities to advance their education. Today there are more than 230 HIM programs at the associate and baccalaureate degree levels at colleges and universities accredited by AHIMAs Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). AHIMA also accredits coding and medical transcription and masters level HIM programs. Within Florida here are 15 accredited HIM programs. To locate these programs you can go to www.ahima.org and select Schools/Jobs.
In addition to accreditation of educational programs, AHIMA offers various e-HIM products and services combine a variety of delivery methods to tailor learning and development for different individual needs and learning styles. AHIMAs e-HIM education products are delivered in the following synchronous and asynchronous formats:
- Live or recorded audio seminars and Webcasts
- Face-to-face seminars, workshops, and meetings
- Web-based training and specialty advancement institutes
- Journal of AHIMA articles and Practice Briefs
- Workgroup practice guidelines
- Annual convention sessions
- Printed textbooks or online downloadable chapters and case studies
- Certification exams
AHIMA also leads the way in providing medical coding education from beginning to mastery levels. Delivered in same formats as our e-HIM products and services, the Association has built a standard of excellence in its coding training. AHIMA offers a 12-course Coding Basics Web-based curriculum that is accredited for college credit and teaches the basics in medical coding, a mastery level Coding Assessment & Training Solutions Web-based training program, and over 50 audio seminars delivered each year by AHIMAs professional practice staff and experts.
In looking to the future, AHIMA is creating continuing education that meets the needs of a changing healthcare system. With a new partnership with the National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), AHIMA has developed the
Cancer Registry Management Program. This program is designed for those interested in entering the cancer registry profession. Cancer Registrars possess the clinical and technical knowledge and skills necessary to maintain components of the disease-related data collection systems consistent with medical, administrative, ethical, legal, and accreditation requirements of the healthcare delivery system.
