HI125 Unit 2 Assignment 2 A
Running head: HIM Professionals
Health Information Management Professionals
Milana R. Hovorka
08/10/2014
Health Information Management Professionals
There are several roles within the health information management (HIM) profession. A HIM professional gathers, preserves, evaluates and guard’s personal health information within many different health care settings. One of the most important duties in regards to a HIM professional is ensuring compliance and upholding the current regulations in the health care industry. This paper will take a closer look at the specifics of what a HIM professional does to ensure compliance as well as the importance of education and certifications that many employers are now requiring for potential candidates in the HIM field. Now more than every the importance of quality is a top priority for several different industries, including the health care industry. By having a robust quality management plan in place companies are able to identify areas for improvement and focus on ensuring their employees receive the proper training to correct and prevent future compliance issues. A HIM professional has the opportunity to ensure compliance in nearly any role in the industry. For example, a health information management professional assists medical billing and coding departments by ensuring that the medical software being used at a healthcare facility supports the correct billed services, assigns the proper diagnostics and procedural codes listed in a patient records, and when performing coding audits, for quality and accuracy (Sayles, 2014). Unlike the past, there has been a drastic increase in re-certification, continuing education and on the job training throughout the healthcare industry today. Many employers are now requiring degrees and/or certifications when applying for a job in the HIM field. HIM professionals are doing much more than collecting and reporting data there is rapidly growing use of new and existing
Health Information Management Professionals
Milana R. Hovorka
08/10/2014
Health Information Management Professionals
There are several roles within the health information management (HIM) profession. A HIM professional gathers, preserves, evaluates and guard’s personal health information within many different health care settings. One of the most important duties in regards to a HIM professional is ensuring compliance and upholding the current regulations in the health care industry. This paper will take a closer look at the specifics of what a HIM professional does to ensure compliance as well as the importance of education and certifications that many employers are now requiring for potential candidates in the HIM field. Now more than every the importance of quality is a top priority for several different industries, including the health care industry. By having a robust quality management plan in place companies are able to identify areas for improvement and focus on ensuring their employees receive the proper training to correct and prevent future compliance issues. A HIM professional has the opportunity to ensure compliance in nearly any role in the industry. For example, a health information management professional assists medical billing and coding departments by ensuring that the medical software being used at a healthcare facility supports the correct billed services, assigns the proper diagnostics and procedural codes listed in a patient records, and when performing coding audits, for quality and accuracy (Sayles, 2014). Unlike the past, there has been a drastic increase in re-certification, continuing education and on the job training throughout the healthcare industry today. Many employers are now requiring degrees and/or certifications when applying for a job in the HIM field. HIM professionals are doing much more than collecting and reporting data there is rapidly growing use of new and existing
References: Sayles, N. (2013). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach. (4th ed., p. 230) Spath, P. (2009, September 16). Role of HIM Professionals in Quality Management. Retrieved August 10, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2781733/