CAREER INFORMATION
Updated 9/13/09

Definition:  The Health Information Technician manages the collection, analysis and use of patient clinical information that guides the health care industry.   The technician performs the following activities:
·        Assists in the design, implementation, and use of manual and computerized patient medical record storage and retrieval systems.
·        Inputs and retrieves computerized patient data.
·        Monitors the completeness and accuracy of patient health information.
·        Insures appropriate access to health records while maintaining confidentiality as needed.  Monitors facility compliance with HIPAA privacy regulations.
·        Compiles and analyzes administrative and health statistics and prepares reports.
·        Assigns individual patient diagnostic and procedural codes for research, billing and planning purposes, using national and international classification systems such as ICD-9-CM, CPT, and HCPCS.  Assists with coding compliance procedures.
·        Creates and maintains cancer and other specialized registries.
·        Supervises health information staff.

Knowledge and skills needed by the health information technician
·        Health information systems, manual and computerized.
·        Resource and personnel management.
·        Legal aspects of health records; HIPAA privacy and security regulations.
·        Quality improvement systems.
·        Health record content.
·        Information retention and retrieval of both paper and computerized records.
·        Health statistics - collection, analysis, presentation and interpretation of data.
·        Classification systems for clinical coding.
·        Computer systems and applications.

Potential practice settings for the health information technician

Graduates may seek positions as employees or consultants in a wide variety of settings, including physician offices and other outpatient clinics, long-term care, home health agencies, hospices, acute care hospitals, mental health clinics, chemical dependency care agencies, prison health care programs, governmental agencies, vendors, insurance companies and other health related businesses.

Accreditation

The Health Information Technology Program at Shoreline Community College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).  The sponsoring organization for CAHIIM is the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). The graduates are eligible to apply to write the national qualifying examination for certification as a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT).    

Curriculuum

Click here for curriculum information.