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HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
KNOWLEDGE CLUSTER CONTENT and COMPETENCY LEVELS
Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM)

In order to have a CAHIIM accredited HIT program, the curriculum must include the following Knowledge Clusters and competency levels.  Refer to the table at the bottom of this list for a definition of levels noted in parentheses after each statement.

Health Data Structure, Content and Standards

·         Data versus information (4)
·         Structure and use of health information (individual, comparative, aggregate) (4)
·         Health information media (such as paper, computer, web-based) (4)
·         Health record data collection tools (forms, screens, etc.) (4)
·         Data sources (primary/secondary) (4) 
·         Data definitions, vocabularies, terminologies, and dictionaries (4) 
·         Data storage and retrieval (4)
·         Data quality and integrity (4) 
·         Healthcare data sets (such as OASIS, HEDIS, DEEDS, UHDDS) (4)
·         Data monitoring and compliance reporting (5)
·         National Healthcare Information Infrastructure (NHII) (4)

Healthcare Information Requirements and Standards

·         Type and Content of health record (paper, electronic computer-based, e-health-personal, web-based) (5)
·         Health record documentation requirements (such as accreditation, certification, licensure) (5)
·         Health record monitoring and compliance reporting (5)

 Clinical Classification Systems

·         Classifications, taxonomies, nomenclatures, terminologies, and clinical vocabularies  (4)
·         Principles and applications of coding systems (such as ICD, CPT, DSM) (5)
·         Diagnostic and procedural groupings (such as DRG, APC, RUGs, SNOMED) (5)
·         Casemix analysis and indexes (4)
·         Severity of illness systems (4)
·         Coding compliance strategies, auditing, and reporting (such as CCI), plans (5) 
·         Coding quality monitors and reporting  (5)

 Biomedical Sciences 

·         Anatomy (4)
·         Physiology (4)
·         Medical terminology (4)
·         Pathophysiology (4)
·         Pharmacotherapy (4)

 Reimbursement 

·         Commercial, managed care and federal insurance plans (4)|
·         Payment methodologies and systems (such as capitation, prospective payment systems, RBRVS) (4)
·       Billing processes and procedures (such as claims, EOB, ABN, electronic data interchange) (4)
·         Chargemaster maintenance (5)
·         Regulatory guidelines (such as LMRP, peer review organizations) (3)
·       Reimbursement monitoring and reporting (5)
·       Compliance strategies and reporting (3)

 Healthcare Statistics and Research 

·         Indices, databases, and registries (4)
·         Vital statistics (5)
·         Healthcare statistics (5) 
·         Descriptive statistics (such as means, frequencies, ranges, percentiles, standard deviations) (5)
·         Statistical applications with health care data (5)
·         Institutional Review Board processes (4)
·         National guidelines regarding human subjects research (4)
·         Research protocol monitoring (4)
·       IRB processes (4)
·         Data selection, interpretation, and presentation  (5)
·         Knowledge-based research techniques (such as library, MEDLINE, web-based) (5)
·         Quality assessment and improvement (such as process, collection tools, data analysis, reporting techniques) (4)
·         Utilization management, risk management, and case management (3)
·         Regulatory quality monitoring requirements (4)
·         Outcomes measures and monitoring (4)      

Healthcare Delivery Systems

·         Organization of healthcare delivery in the United States (4)
·         Healthcare organizations structure and operation (4)
·         External standards, regulations, and initiatives (such as licensure, certification, accreditation, HIPAA) (4)
·         Payment and reimbursements systems (4)
·         Healthcare providers and disciplines (4)  

Healthcare Privacy, Confidentiality, Legal, and Ethical Issues

·         Legislative and regulatory processes (3)
·         Legal terminology (5)
·         Health information/record laws and regulations (such as retention, patient rights/advocacy, advanced directives, privacy)(5)
·         Confidentiality, privacy, and security policies, procedures, and monitoring (5)
·         Release of information policies and procedures (5)
·         Professional and practice-related ethical issues (5)

Information and Communication Technologies

·        Computer concepts (such as hardware components, operating systems, languages, software packages) (3)
·        Communication and internet technologies (such as networks, intranet, standards) (3)
·        Common software applications (such as word processing, spreadsheet, database, graphics) (5)
·        Health information systems (such as administrative, patient registration, ADT, EHR, PHR, lab, radiology, pharmacy) (4)
·        Voice recognition technology (3)  
·         Health information specialty systems (such as ROI, coding, registries) (5)  
·         Application of systems and policies to health information systems and functions and health care data requests (5)

 Data Storage and Retrieval

·         Document archival, retrieval, and imaging systems (5) 
·         Maintenance and monitoring of data storage systems (5)

Data Security and Healthcare Information Systems 

·         System architecture and design (3)  
·         System acquisition and evaluation (3)   
·         Screen design (4)  
·         Data retrieval and maintenance (4)   
·         Data security concepts (3)  
·         Data integrity concepts (4)  
·         Data integrity and security processes and monitoring (5) 
·         Data recovery and risk management (4)   
·         Work process design (such as ergonomics, equipment selection (3) 

 Organizational Resources Roles and functions of teams and committees 

·         Teams/consensus building and committees (4)
·         Communication and interpersonal skills (5)  
·         Team leadership concepts and techniques (4)  
·         Orientation and training (such as content, delivery, media) (5)  
·         Workflow and process monitors (4)  
·         Performance monitors (4)  
·         Revenue cycle monitors (4)  
·         Organizational plans and budgets (framework, levels, responsibilities, etc.) (4)  
·         Resource allocation monitors (4)