Market Research Information. Healthcare Information Technology / Healthcare Information Management / Healthcare Informatics

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1 CURRICULUM & PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT: WHITE PAPER Market Research Information Healthcare Information Technology / Healthcare Information Management / Healthcare Informatics Prepared by Dr. Mark Ciampa

2 Introduction The overall purpose of this document is to provide a detailed overview of the necessary information for institution decision makers to consider the implementation of a new healthcare information technology (HIT), healthcare information management (HIM), and healthcare informatics (HI) programs. The information contained herein will include important considerations of the following areas: 1. A general overview of a basic and more advanced diploma/ certificate and degree for the HIM/HIT/HI programs. 2. A brief look and analysis of the different jobs available for successful graduates of a certificate/diploma/degree, qualifying program including a look at employment in the field and relevant trends. 3. Salary information on a national scale. 4. A complete list of the regulatory bodies that accredit medical assisting programs including their web links. 5. Program start-up including any lab requirements and necessary construction. 6. Certification requirements state-by-state including the national certification exams that students need to take to practice legally in their state. It will also include the agencies that administer these exams and their web links. 7. Practicum, internship and externship requirements for medical assisting programs, hours recommended or required. 8. Related programs and/or courses that a school might already have in place that would allow for batching of students in shared courses. 9. Program outlines containing typical courses in a minimum certificate/diploma program thru an associate s degree program. 10. Level of difficulty involved in a new program or school start-up. 11. A general time frame from start of program development until admissions department can legally begin the process of enrollment into a specific class start date. General Background Information Healthcare information management (HIM) involves acquiring, analyzing, and protecting both digital and non-digital medical information that is vital to providing quality patient care. The goal of HIM is to improve the accuracy and quality of patient information, thus enhancing patient care at every level in the healthcare delivery cycle. A HIM professional 2 Cengage Learning Engagement Services

3 ensures that providers have available the correct information when and where it is needed, as well as maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the information. HIM professionals often function as a connector, who links administration, clinical and operational healthcare functions. Healthcare information technology (HIT) is the application of the different elements of information technology (IT) to the field of healthcare. This involves using computer hardware, software, and networking technologies for processing, storing, and transmitting healthcare information to assist providers in providing enhanced patient care. These HIT professionals must be able to implement, deploy, and support healthcare IT systems in a variety of clinical settings. Not only will these individuals need to understand healthcare regulatory requirements, how a healthcare organization functions and its medical business operations, but they must also have an understanding of IT hardware, software, networking, and security. The distinction between HIM and HIT can be summarized as follows: HIT supports the entire technology infrastructure, which in turn provides the access to information that is used by HIM. It should be noted that HIT and HIM may not necessarily indicate a specific degree program; that is, HIT may not always refer to a two-year degree or HIM always reference a four-year degree program. Rather, both HIT and HIM are commonly used by schools to refer to the focus of the program and not the length of the degree. Healthcare informatics (HI) melds together the three worlds of health care, information technology and business. HI plays a significant role in not only clinical care but also nursing, pharmacy, telemedicine, finance/accounting, patient billing, and insurance and reimbursement. Health Informatics is considered to be made up of HIM, HIT, clinical Informatics, nursing Informatics, pharmacy Informatics, and medical Informatics. Not only does HI involve the implementation of IT that supports clinical practice, it also forms the infrastructure that connects and enables the flow of critical information to and from each of the stakeholders involved in the delivery of care. This includes patient medical records, laboratory results, medications administration, staffing, scheduling, supplies, inventory management, and other essential clinical and business functions. Although educational institutions generally have latitude in how program curricula is designed, various standards and certifications currently exist that can be used to which curricula can be mapped. One certification is the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) Healthcare IT Technician certificate. This is a vendor-neutral credential internationally recognized as validating a foundation-level of HIT skills and knowledge. Another standard designed for HIM is the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM), which accredits associate and baccalaureate degree programs in HIM. To become CAHIIM accredited the academic programs must undergo a process of voluntary peer review and have met or exceeded the minimum accreditation standards as set by the CAHIIM. Founded in 1928 to improve health record quality, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) is considered one of the premier associations of HIM professionals. Serving 52 affiliated component state associations and more than 64,000 members, it is recognized as an authority for professional certification. The Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) is a national AHIMA certification exam for medical records and HIT technicians and recognized by employers throughout the continuum of health care. Cengage Learning can help determine the best path to new program development in line with your Cengage Learning Engagement Services 3

4 institution s mission and philosophy. Cengage can facilitate communication with accrediting agencies. Cengage can review all requirements for developing a diploma or degree program and can work with the appropriate school academic and administrative staffs in order to develop, implement, evaluate, and map out a new program design. For those educational institutions wanting to begin a new HIM/HIT program, Cengage Learning works with the program dean or director in developing the mission, goals, program objectives, and curricular outline, plus assists in developing evaluation materials to ensure quality programming. Naturally for any educational institution, there are many important considerations needed when deciding on a new program implementation. These decisions are based on specific state education, and accreditation requirements, competitor programs for a HIM/HIT Diploma/Associate s Degree, budget, practicums, internships, externships, student clinics, construction and dedication of appropriate amount of space, as well as other key factors. General Program Descriptions Although all programs are different, there are observations that can be made regarding general program descriptions. Due to the high demand for employees in the healthcare profession increasingly more students today are entering schools with healthcare as their first career choice. Also, a high number of returning adult students and displaced workers are pursuing studies to enter the healthcare field. In addition, students who begin their academic studies in a specific specialty of healthcare often find that this specialty may not suit their personal disposition. Although they are still interested in remaining in the healthcare arena they are searching for a different specialty in which to focus. Finally, there are a growing number of students who are studying for an information technology degree but instead of seeking employment in a generic organization they want to focus on a specific economic sector. The sector that is very attractive to them, due to the high demand for workers as well as the rapid growth today in new and advanced technologies, is HIT. This means that some students who already have a strong technology background may be interested in applying those skills and knowledge by adding healthcare courses to their degree. The end result is that HIT/HIM/HI programs are very attractive to a broad range of students. To accommodate these students it is important that programs focus not just on those traditional students who start their academic careers in HIT/ HIM/HI but instead these programs must also be flexible enough to accommodate students who change their healthcare specialty or who are older returning adults who have not been in an academic setting for several years. Students who are interested in HIT are generally encouraged to consider pursuing the CompTIA HIT certificate after completing their degree requirements. This certificate is generally recognized as the leading HIT entry-level certification and in some healthcare settings is used as a prerequisite for employment. In order for a student to sit for the CompTIA HIT certificate potential candidates should possess a basic understanding of practice workflow while adhering to code of conduct policies and security best practices. The exam directed for individuals who have hands-on IT technical experience in the lab or field, plus the knowledge and skills necessary to deploy and support healthcare IT systems in healthcare clinical settings. However, no strict prerequisites are required in order to sit for this exam. The CompTIA HIT certificate is divided into five key areas. The first three areas revolve around healthcare practices. These include regulatory requirements (identify standard agencies, laws, and regulations; explain and classify HIPAA controls and compliance issues; summarize regulatory 4 Cengage Learning Engagement Services

5 rules of record retention, disposal, and archiving; and explain and interpret legal best practices, requirements, and documentation), healthcare organizational behavior (using best practices for handling PHI in the workplace; identify EHR/ EMR access roles and responsibilities; applying proper communication methods in the workplace; identifying organizational structures and different methods of operation; and how to execute daily activities while following a code of conduct), and medical business operations (identifying commonly used medical terms and devices; explaining aspects of a typical clinical environment; labeling different components of medical interfaces; determining common interface problems; determining common clinical software problems; and using change control). The remaining two areas are focused on IT, namely IT operations (identify commonly used IT terms and technologies; demonstrate the ability to setup a basic PC workstation within a healthcare environment, troubleshoot and solve common PC problems; install and configure hardware drivers and devices; compare and contrast basic client networks and tools; setup basic network devices and apply basic configuration settings; troubleshoot and solve common network problems; and explain the features of different backup configurations and the associated maintenance practices) and security in a heathcare setting (explain physical security controls; know different encryption types and when each is used; apply best practices when creating and communicating passwords; classify permission levels based on roles; identify different remote access methods and security controls; recognize wireless security protocols and best practices, and identify common security risks and their prevention methods). The RHIT certification is designed for healthcare information technicians who have the following duties: Ensure the quality of medical records by verifying their completeness, accuracy, and proper entry into computer systems. Use computer applications to assemble and analyze patient data to improve care and/or control costs. Specialize in coding diagnoses and procedures in patient records for reimbursement and research. The majority of RHIT professionals are employed by hospitals, although they can also be found in other healthcare settings including office-based physician practices, nursing homes, and home health agencies. Applicants desiring to take the RHIT certification exam must successfully complete the academic requirements at an associate s degree level of a HIM program that has been accredited by the CAHIIM or graduate from a HIM program approved by a foreign association with which AHIMA has a reciprocity agreement. The academic qualifications of each candidate must be verified prior to a candidate being considered eligible to take the examination. All first-time applicants must submit an official transcript from their college or university. Students in CAHIIM-accredited programs for RHIT who are enrolled in their final term of study are eligible to apply for and take their respective certification exam prior to graduation. The RHIT certification is designed to facilitate employment opportunities in healthcare. This certificate is often considered the first step in a series of professional credentials administered by AHIMA. Students are generally encouraged to take this certification after completing their academic program. With additional professional experience and education, students may pursue other AHIMA certifications, such as the Registered Health Information Management Administrator (RHIA), the Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) or the Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security (CHPS). Cengage Learning Engagement Services 5

6 A Tiered Curriculum Some schools have been interested in the development of a tiered curriculum. This works well especially for institutions with campuses in many states each with different requirements enabling the institution to standardize the core curriculum and add the course work needed for those institutions in states with greater hour requirements. For example, the first tier of the program would meet all state, national and accreditation requirements and guidelines, and students graduate with an entry-level certificate or diploma. If students choose to continue or return at a later date, they move to the second tier, earning an advanced certificate or depending on the institution, an associate s degree which might include advanced training in different specialty areas. Institutions already offering associate s degree programs in the HIM/HIT/HI professions can easily weave the required general education courses into the program design, creating an excellent, well-rounded professional training experience for HIM/HIT/HI. For those educational institutions wanting to begin a new program for HIM/HIT/HI, Cengage Learning works with the program dean or director in developing the mission, goals, program objectives, and curricular outline, plus assists in developing evaluation materials to ensure quality programming. Sample Certificate Program Description for HIM/HIT/HI The Healthcare Information Management (HIM) program is a 45 credit hour program. This program provides an introduction to the organizational structure of health care institutions, health information departments, disease registries, medical record, and professional associations of HIM. Topics also include a study of information storage and retrieval systems, regulatory standards, the electronic health record and electronic medical records, privacy requirements, and documentation requirements. In addition to coursework different lab components are also required that provide the student with practical applications of didactic information learned in the accompanying course. Students will obtain handson learning opportunities for HIM functions and will experience other healthcare related issues that affect HIM professionals. The Healthcare Information Technology (HIT) program is a 45 credit hour program. This program is designed to provide training and instruction in the growing field of HIT. Over the next decade healthcare spending on healthcare is predicted to double as the population ages and more patients visit the almost 800,000 physicians, dentists, chiropractors, optometrists, physical therapists, and podiatrists in the U.S. In addition to this rapid growth, the healthcare industry itself in the United States is undergoing some of its most significant changes in the last 100 years. The federal government is encouraging and in some cases requiring the healthcare industry to move from paper to electronic medical documentation. In order to support this need an increasing number of HIT technicians will be required. These professionals must be able to implement, deploy, and support healthcare IT systems in a variety of clinical settings. Course work and lab activities will help students understand healthcare regulatory requirements, how a healthcare organization functions and its medical business operations, as well as provide a foundational understanding of IT hardware, software, networking, and security. The Healthcare Informatics (HI) program is a 45 credit hour program. HI is a blending together of health care, information technology and business. HI plays a major role in clinical care, nursing, pharmacy, telemedicine, finance/accounting, patient billing, and insurance and reimbursement. HI professionals who understand the relationship between patients, information technology and the 6 Cengage Learning Engagement Services

7 health care system are in high demand. Students enrolled in this program will learn about the acquisition, storage, retrieval and use of health data, how it plays a vital role in enhancing the quality of care, reducing health care costs and addressing health issues, and how information and technology can be used to change and enhance health care delivery and outcomes. Multidisciplinary training will give students the ability to interact effectively with clinicians, administrators, business leaders, and IT professionals. Sample associate s degree Program Description for HIM/HIT/HI The Healthcare Information Management (HIM) degree is an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree of 60 semester hours. The healthcare industry is moving from electronic medical record (EMRs), which are electronic digital version of a patient s paper chart found in a clinician s office, to electronic health records (EHRs). EHRs focus on the total health of the patient by going beyond the standard clinical data collected in a provider s office. EHRs are designed to be shared among all the healthcare providers involved with a patient s care, such as laboratories and specialists. EHR information moves with the patient not only between specialists, hospitals, and nursing facilities, but across the country. EHRs better support the concept of health care as a team effort that involves multiple professionals. The HIM degree instructs students, the organizational structure of health care institutions, health information departments, disease registries, medical record, and professional associations of HIM. Topics also include a study of information storage and retrieval systems, regulatory standards, the electronic health record and electronic medical records, privacy requirements, and documentation requirements. The Healthcare Information Technology (HIT) degree is an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree of 60 semester hours designed to provide training and instruction in HIT. HIT professionals must be able to implement, deploy, and support healthcare IT systems in a variety of clinical settings. Students will gain an understanding of healthcare regulatory requirements, how a healthcare organization functions and its medical business operations, as well as a foundation of IT hardware, software, networking, and security. Upon successful completion of this degree students may be qualified to sit for the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) Healthcare IT Technician certificate. The Healthcare Informatics (HI) degree is an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree of 60 semester hours. It helps prepare students for jobs in hospitals, health care clinical settings, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, insurance companies, governmental agencies, healthrelated software companies, and healthcarerelated businesses and industries. HI involves the implementation of IT that supports clinical practice and also forms the infrastructure that connects and enables the flow of critical information to and from each of the stakeholders involved in the delivery of care. This includes patient medical records, laboratory results, medications administration, staffing, scheduling, supplies, inventory management, and other essential clinical and business functions. Upon successful completion of this degree students may be qualified to sit for the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) certification. The Student Fit Admission as a student in an HIM/HIT/HI program requires an applicant to be at least 18 years of age and possess at minimum a high school diploma or legal equivalent (GED). Generally applicants must be US citizens, or a non-citizen who has been lawfully admitted for permanent residence. Specific personality traits in applicants may lead to higher levels of success. For all HIM/HIT/ Cengage Learning Engagement Services 7

8 HI applications they should have a desire to be involved in framing and supporting new healthcare initiatives. Also, these applicants should see themselves as leaders in a growing industry but be able to adapt to new regulations and changes in the industry. Finally, applicants must have strong written and verbal skills plus the ability to work with a diverse population. In addition, there are specific traits for each of these areas. HIM applicants should be sensitive to patient confidentiality and must adhere to all of the laws and regulations regarding patient records. HIT applications should have a strong interest in continually learning about new technologies and how these can impact the healthcare industry. HI applicants may have a keen interest in the healthcare industry but may not have the desire to work directly with patients. Job Analysis What HIM/HIT/HI Do Upon completion most HIM/HIT/HI graduates may become employed in a variety of different settings with different job titles. These settings include: Public health agencies: local, state, national (HIM/HIT/HI) Hospitals, clinics, and other health care settings (HIM/HIT/HI) Payer organizations (HIT) Health care and technology consulting firms (HI) Research and development organizations, including universities and pharmaceuticals (HI) Professional organizations and societies (HIT/HI) Small information technology companies, including start-ups (HI) The types of jobs that these graduates may be employed in include: Medical, nursing, or public health information officer (HIT/HI) Health application designer or developer (HIT) Analyst, consultant or strategic planner (HIT/HI) Program evaluation or quality improvement specialist (HIM) Corporate technology or innovation officer (HIT) Healthcare information technology specialist (HIT) Other duties may include maintaining and using a variety of health information indexes; special registries and storage retrieval systems; inputting and retrieving computerized health data; and controlling the use and release of health information. Job Outlook and Trends The job outlook for HIM/HIT/HI is exceptionally strong. This can be seen by both examining the prospects for the entire healthcare industry which drives of growth for employment in HIM/HIT/HI as well as in these respective fields themselves. Overall health care employment rose by +31,000 in January 2012, well above the 2-year monthly average +22,000 jobs. Over last 12 months total private sector health care employment grew by +313,000 jobs, an increase of +2.2%. During same period total non-health payroll employment increased by 1,641,000 jobs (-1.4%). Since start of recession (December 2007) cumulative growth in health care employment been +8.5%, while nonhealth employment fallen by -5.4%. Registered nursing (requires minimum associate degree) will have largest growth of all U.S. occupations adding +711,900 jobs between 2010 and 2020 (reaching total of 3.4 million). Home health aides will increase by +69% to 1.7 million. The hiring of physicians and surgeons will rise by +24% to 859,300. This is according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The demand for HIM/HIT/HI jobs will mirror the same growth prospects as overall health care. This is to meet the growing demands of new healthcare regulations as well as new technologies. Today the healthcare industry leading market in IT jobs 8 Cengage Learning Engagement Services

9 creation. Currently there are 176,090 IT jobs in healthcare, and HIM/HIT/HI jobs in healthcare are expected to grow by 20% per year through 2018, much faster than average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Placement Services. And because healthcare practices with 5 or fewer physicians account for 2/3 of all physician offices, and of the 419,191 physician offices or establishments 13% classified as general practice or family practice (vs. 87% which fall into the category of specialist), there will need to be larger numbers of healthcare HIM/HIT/HI professionals to serve these smaller practices, instead of fewer serving large hospitals and practices. The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) 2010 survey showed 59% respondents reporting shortages on their IT staffs. The same survey published in mid-2012 revealed 67% experiencing shortages. Because staffing challenges may negatively impact their organizations chances to receive government stimulus fund payments 59% also said shortages either would definitely or possibly affect chances of qualifying for funding. And 85% respondents indicated they were worried about retaining IT staff. Job Prospects Excellent employment opportunities for HIM/HIT/ HI are anticipated. Opportunities for both entry level positions as well as higher level manager of positions are expected. Licensing Exam/Certification Requirements Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) Healthcare IT Technician (HIT) certifications/hittech.aspx American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) - ahima.org/certification/rhit.aspx Salary Information Pay, Hours, and Benefits According to the 2010 PayScale.com updated salary information for professionals in HIM/HIT/HI these employees experience much higher than average salaries, as illustrated in Table 1. Table 1 Position Health Information Management Director Health Information Management Manager Area of Emphasis Median Salary HIT $76,061 HIT $54,000 Healthcare Consultant HI $70,000 Registered Health Information Administrator HIM $40,000 Medical Records Supervisor HIM $40,695 Medical Records Manager HIM $47,000 Clinical Data Analyst HI $49,655 Most HIM/HIT/HI professionals work a traditional 40-hour week. However, there are opportunities for part-time employment as well as a variable schedules. Accreditation Bodies and Requirements The Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) accredits associate and baccalaureate degree programs in HIM. To become CAHIIM accredited the academic programs must undergo a process of voluntary peer review and have met or exceeded the minimum accreditation standards as set by the CAHIIM. The complete list of standards and guidelines may be found on the CAHIIM web site at American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) is recognized as an authority for professional certification. The Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) is a national AHIMA Cengage Learning Engagement Services 9

10 certification exam for medical records and HIT technicians and recognized by employers throughout the continuum of health care. The complete list of standards and guidelines may be found on the AHIMA web site at Startup Difficulty and Capital Expenditures For existing schools that already have institutional accreditation and the essential administrative and academic infrastructure in place for healthcare programs, adding HIM/HIT/HI programs as part of the institution s offerings is generally not a difficult undertaking. Perhaps the primary difficulties would be 1) developing the right curriculum for the school; 2) getting the new program proposal through the respective State education departments; and 3) achieving CAHIIM and/or AHIMA accreditation. Expenses involved in setting up these new programs may include: computer laboratory facilities, computer network simulation tools, HIM management software, and supplies. Storage facilities will also need to be available for equipment and supplies. Minimum construction should be necessary to retrofit the space into an adequate teaching facility for an HIM/HIT/HI program. If a new location is necessary or construction of a new space within the institution needs to be designed, including waiting for all permit approvals necessary, the time and expense will be much greater. However, a newly created space designed specifically with this program and its outcomes in mind may prove beneficial in contributing to a successful operation. The estimated start up time for operation, if construction is needed, would be approximately 3-6 months. Lab Requirements An HIM/HIT/HI program requires there to be computer laboratory requirements as the students will learn much of their curriculum in this type of setting. These computers should be of a modern hardware configuration with fast processors, adequate internal memory, and fast hard drives. Each of the computers should be attached to a computer network that in turn is connected to the Internet. Practicum, Externship/Clinical Internship Requirements Computer lab hours or credits maybe awarded for the time spent in supervised externships or internships. Externships and internships are dependent on the educational institution and whether or not they maintain their own internships or are affiliated with other agencies for student externships. Related Programs/Courses Academic institutions offering other related programs such as Health Information Technology (Medical Records), Medical Informatics, Medical Laboratory Technology, and related healthcare offerings may develop HIM/HIT/HI curriculum that includes overlapping courses in which students from both or more programs can share classes. This makes for easier scheduling, and batching classes can be a good way to reduce the cost of running the new program. The most obvious courses to share in this way may include: Medical Terminology Microcomputer Literacy & Applications Introduction to Health Information Technology Computer Applications in Health Information Classification Systems- ICD-9/CPT 4 Pathophysiologic Science Reimbursement Methodologies Legal Aspects of Health Records Supervisory Management for Health Care General Education courses can be shared, if the program is at an associate s degree level Cengage Learning Engagement Services

11 Typical Courses in a Program Below is a typical course sequence for HI, HIM and HIT. Note that additional general education requirements must also be met. Healthcare Informatics (HI) Course Name & Credit Hours Decision Support Systems Information Systems Management Project Management Total Hours Semester A: 9 credits Introduction to Health Care Informatics Ethical and Legal Issues in Health Care Informatics Consumer Health Informatics Total Hours Semester B: 9 credits Leadership and Organizational Behavior Operations in Health Care Organizations Total Hours Semester C: 6 credits Course Description This course will provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to develop and analyze decision support large-scale data systems. Students will have handson experience in the design and management of data warehouses and will learn about data modeling, data management, data mining, OLAP (online analytical processing), and business intelligence. This course provides an introduction to Management Information Systems (MIS) and examines the role of information systems in supporting organizational functions. Students will study the use of information systems in supporting administrative operations, decision-making, and overall strategic initiatives and corporate philosophies. This course examines the organization, planning, and controlling of projects. Students will learn practical knowledge about managing a project s scope, schedule and resources. Specific topics include project life cycle, work breakdown structure and Gantt charts, scheduling techniques, and resource allocation decisions. This course provides an overview of the medical Informatics field, which combines perspectives from medicine, computer science and social science. Students will learn about the organization of medical information, the effective management of information using technology, and the impact of such technology on medical research, education, and patient care. The course explores the role of organizational ethics and legal issues in health care. Business and corporate ethics are explained in the context of risk management, compliance, and quality improvement by examining the integration of clinical, professional, and organizational ethics in health care. This course examines consumer health informatics, which is the branch of medical informatics that analyzes consumers needs for information. Topics include various models for the delivery of consumer health information; access to patient information and privacy issues; quality of consumer health information; and health literacy and health information literacy. This course provides the concepts and skills for the ethical leadership of people in organizations by exploring the basic behavioral skills needed for self-management and promoting productive relationships with others in organizations. Topics include self-leadership, leading others, creating vision and strategy, understanding people managing change, motivation, team facilitation, conflict resolution, and organizational culture. This course looks at the management of hospitals and other health care operations and the synthesis of concepts and techniques relating to and enhancing the provision of health services. Course Offering Semester A Semester A Semester A Semester B Semester B Semester B Semester C Semester C Cengage Learning Engagement Services 11

12 Data and Knowledge Management (4 credits) Data Mining (4 credits) Total Hours Semester D: 8 credits This course introduces the concepts and methodologies in data and knowledge management by giving students a broad understanding of the strategies and processes for capturing, structuring, sharing organizational intellectual assets that enhance the performance and competitiveness of a business. Topics include to computational methodologies and tools that enable and support the practice of data and knowledge management in making better strategic decisions. This course explores data mining, which integrates techniques from several fields including machine learning, statistics, pattern recognition, artificial intelligence, and database systems, for the analysis of large volumes of data. Topics include classification, clustering, numeric prediction, and pattern discovery in sequential data. Semester D Semester D Healthcare Information Management (HIM) Course Name & Credit Hours Health Records Systems (4 credits) Medical Terminology (4 credits) Total Hours Semester A: 8 credits Coding & Reimbursement Quality in Health Care Total Hours Semester B: 6 credits Legal & Ethical Issues Clinical Laboratory (5 credits) Total Hours Semester C: 8 credits Data Management & Statistics (4 credits) Course Description A study of technology applications used in healthcare. Topics include including electronic health records that emphasizes project management, user interface design, system selection and security management. An examination of standardized clinical terminology. Topics include medical vocabulary standards, data mapping, and natural language processing including the classifications used for statistical reporting. This course is an overview of medical coding and the relationship of coding to billing and reimbursement. Course topics include: understanding the importance of correct documentation of all diagnoses and procedures, the relationship between the International Classification of Diseases and the Physician s Current Procedural Terminology, responsibilities of Health Care Financing Administration, and the HCFA Common Procedures Coding Systems. This course emphasizes how to develop, deploy, and evaluate tools to analyze clinical data resources. Special attention is given to improving health care quality and decision-making to address the needs of a clinical practice or administration. Topics include how to collect, summarize, statistically analyze, present, and interpret data; fundamentals of database design and information retrieval; legal and ethical issues involving training, documentation, security, confidentiality, the use of informed consent, and regulatory requirements. The course explores the role of organizational ethics and legal issues in health care. Business and corporate ethics are explained in the context of risk management, compliance, and quality improvement by examining the integration of clinical, professional, and organizational ethics in health care. Basic knowledge and laboratory skills specific to the practice of clinical laboratory science. The information provides students with the fundamental skills to solve common laboratory mathematical problems and to interpret quality assessment. Topics include: laboratory calculations, specimen processing, quality control, pipetting, spectrophotometry, microscopy, and laboratory safety. An introduction to the basic principles of inferential statistics as applied to health care. This includes an introduction to the basic principles of inferential statistics as applied to public health. Course Offering Semester A Semester A Semester B Semester B Semester C Semester C Semester D 12 Cengage Learning Engagement Services

13 Pathophysiology (4 credits) Total Hours Semester D: 8 credits This course provides an in-depth study of human pathological processes and their effects on homeostasis. Emphasis is on interrelationships among organ systems in deviations from homeostasis. Topics include the ethiology, physical signs and symptoms, prognosis, and complications of commonly occurring diseases and their management. Semester D Healthcare Information Technology (HIT) Course Name & Credit Hours Introduction to Information Systems Clinical Laboratory (5 credits) Total Hours Semester A: 8 credits Hardware and Software Medical Terminology Total Hours Semester B: 6 credits Introduction to Networking (3 credits) Pathophysiology (4 credits) Total Hours Semester C: 7 credits Computer Security Network Protocols Total Hours Semester D: 6 credits Course Description A conceptual study of information systems in organizations. Topics include: survey of information systems concepts, historical perspective of information systems, structure of the information systems function, hardware and software, application planning, system development, end user computing, decision support systems, and the management of information systems resources. Basic knowledge and laboratory skills specific to the practice of clinical laboratory science. The information provides students with the fundamental skills to solve common laboratory mathematical problems and to interpret quality assessment. Topics include: laboratory calculations, specimen processing, quality control, pipetting, spectrophotometry, microscopy, and laboratory safety. This course combines an overview of basic hardware and software concepts of a computer. Students will install, upgrade, repair, configure, optimize, troubleshoot, and perform preventative maintenance on basic personal computer hardware and operating systems. An examination of standardized clinical terminology. Topics include medical vocabulary standards, data mapping, and natural language processing including the classifications used for statistical reporting. An introduction to microcomputer local area and wide area network development, use and administration. Topics include hardware, software, transmission media, packets, frames, network topology, routing, protocols and layering. This course provides an in-depth study of human pathological processes and their effects on homeostasis. Emphasis is on interrelationships among organ systems in deviations from homeostasis. Topics include the ethiology, physical signs and symptoms, prognosis, and complications of commonly occurring diseases and their management. A basic introduction to computer security. Topics include communication security, infrastructure security, cryptography, authentication, access control, external attack, and operational and organizational security. A study of network topologies with coverage of OSI layers, 1, 2, 3, and 4. Access control, framing, network protocols, (IP) transport protocols (TCP and UDP), session initiation protocols (SIP), subnetting, port numbers, hubs, switches, routers, and other topics are covered. Course Offering Semester A Semester A Semester B Semester B Semester C Semester C Semester D Semester D Cengage Learning Engagement Services 13

14 Online Learning In order to meet the growing demand for online courses by today s students many of these courses may be offered in an online format. Those courses in which a lab or clinical setting is required may be taught as hybrid courses in which part of the material is online yet students must attend specific laboratory for clinical settings in order to complete skills based activities. Additional Resources Professional Organizations This is a list of organizations including physical address, phone number and web address. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) The IEEE Web site contains a wealth of information about the current activities of working groups and task groups along with the technical IEEE 802 standards that can be freely downloaded. The Web address is Wi-Fi Alliance The Wi-Fi Alliance organization has information on Wi-Fi standards, locating a hot spot, as well as technical papers on wireless transmissions, and other material. The URL is Federal Communications Commission Information regarding FCC proposed action, strategic goals, and consumer issues that relate to wireless transmissions can be found at www. fcc.gov Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS manages the Medicare, the federal portion of Medicaid, and the Children s Health Insurance Program. The URL is The Department of Health and Human Services The mission of HHS is fivefold: to help provide citizens with access to high-quality health care, to help people find jobs and child care, to keep food safe, to manage infectious diseases, and to extend the practice of diagnosis and treatment. Their URL is Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology The responsibility of the ONC is to coordinate the use of advanced HIT practices at the national level. See their site at community/healthit_hhs_gov home/1204 National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST, in cooperation with the Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP) and ONC, provides standards and specifications by which various levels of HIT system interoperability can be tested and ensured. Their website is at html The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), healthcare enterprises must guard protected health information and implement policies and procedures to safeguard it, whether it be in paper or electronic format. The official government HIPAA Web site is ocr/hipaa Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act) The HITECH Act could be described as HIPAA on steroids. This is because, among other aspects, it extends HIPAA s reach by increasing confidentiality protections for ephi, mandating tougher penalties for confidentiality breach, and requiring public notification of organizational breaches. The CMS website covering the HITECH Act is hipaa/administrative/enforcementrule/ hitechenforcementifr.html Sources 1. American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), on the Internet at Retrieved December 15, Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM), on the Internet at Cengage Learning Engagement Services

15 3. Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) Healthcare IT Technician certificate, on the Internet at 4. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Placement Services, on the Internet at Retrieved December 15, College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), on the Internet at Retrieved December 15, Cengage Learning Engagement Services 15

16 Cengage Learning is a leading educational content, technology, and services company for the higher education and K-12, professional and library markets worldwide. The company provides superior content, personalized services and course-driven digital solutions that accelerate student engagement and transform the learning experience. Cengage Learning is headquartered in Boston, MA with operations in more than 20 countries around the world. For more, visit: Source Code: 14P-IN0249