Case Study: Registered Health Information Technician
Registered Health Information Technician
Eddie Wheeler
Ivy Tech Community College
November 18, 2015
Betty Klein Registered Health Information Technician Registered health information technicians (RHITs) are custodians of one of the most important tools in modern health care—the medical record. These professionals ensure that patients’ histories are accurate, complete, up to date and properly entered into the clinical database. Thanks to the work of RHITs, doctors and other providers have a full range of information at their fingertips which can be used to plan and deliver high quality care. Many RHITs use universal coding systems to assign diagnostic and procedural codes to each piece of patient information. This allows …show more content…
Excellent verbal and interpersonal skills are therefore an asset. Health information workers rely on strong computer and technological aptitude to keep pace in this rapidly evolving field. Comfort with math, word processing, data entry and electronic document management is also desirable. Attention to detail helps RHITs code with accuracy and comply with regulations and privacy laws. Experienced RHITs often pursue additional training and credentials in an area of interest such as medical coding or cancer registry operations. Some return to school to complete a bachelor’s or master’s degree in health information management, which enables them to advance into health care …show more content…
Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of RHITs is expected to grow by 21% between 2010 and 2020, which is considered faster than the average for all occupations. This is due in part to the aging of the U.S. population, which is increasing demand for all types of medical services. The emergence of electronic health records is also creating new opportunities for RHITs with strong computer skills. The increasing use of electronic health records (EHRs) will continue to change the job responsibilities of health information technicians. Federal legislation provides incentives for physicians’ offices and hospitals to implement EHR systems into their practice. This will lead to continued adoption of this software in these facilities. Technicians will need to be familiar with, or be able to learn, EHR computer software, follow EHR security and privacy practices, and analyze electronic data to improve healthcare information as more healthcare providers and hospitals adopt EHR
Eddie Wheeler
Ivy Tech Community College
November 18, 2015
Betty Klein Registered Health Information Technician Registered health information technicians (RHITs) are custodians of one of the most important tools in modern health care—the medical record. These professionals ensure that patients’ histories are accurate, complete, up to date and properly entered into the clinical database. Thanks to the work of RHITs, doctors and other providers have a full range of information at their fingertips which can be used to plan and deliver high quality care. Many RHITs use universal coding systems to assign diagnostic and procedural codes to each piece of patient information. This allows …show more content…
Excellent verbal and interpersonal skills are therefore an asset. Health information workers rely on strong computer and technological aptitude to keep pace in this rapidly evolving field. Comfort with math, word processing, data entry and electronic document management is also desirable. Attention to detail helps RHITs code with accuracy and comply with regulations and privacy laws. Experienced RHITs often pursue additional training and credentials in an area of interest such as medical coding or cancer registry operations. Some return to school to complete a bachelor’s or master’s degree in health information management, which enables them to advance into health care …show more content…
Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of RHITs is expected to grow by 21% between 2010 and 2020, which is considered faster than the average for all occupations. This is due in part to the aging of the U.S. population, which is increasing demand for all types of medical services. The emergence of electronic health records is also creating new opportunities for RHITs with strong computer skills. The increasing use of electronic health records (EHRs) will continue to change the job responsibilities of health information technicians. Federal legislation provides incentives for physicians’ offices and hospitals to implement EHR systems into their practice. This will lead to continued adoption of this software in these facilities. Technicians will need to be familiar with, or be able to learn, EHR computer software, follow EHR security and privacy practices, and analyze electronic data to improve healthcare information as more healthcare providers and hospitals adopt EHR