Health Information Guide

By Mike Clark

Medical records &health information technicians handle &organize patient records, &evaluate these records for completeness &accuracy.

They may specialize in coding patients’ medical information for insurance purposes. They will tabulate &analyze data to improve patient care, control costs, provide documentation for use in legal actions &respond to surveys for use in research studies. They conduct annual follow-ups on all patients to track their treatment, survival, &recovery. They may supervise health information clerks &transcriptionists.

In 2004 there were about 159,000 technicians in the U.S. About 40% worked in hospitals. The rest were mostly in physician’s offices, nursing care facilities, outpatient care centers, &home health care services. Some worked in insurance firms that deal in health matters. In public health departments technicians supervise data collection.

Medical records &health information technicians usually have an associate degree from a community or junior college. Besides a general education, coursework should include medical terminology, anatomy &physiology, legal aspects of health information, coding &abstraction of data, statistics, database management, quality improvement methods &computer science.

Many job openings require Registered Health Information Technicians (RHIT). They pass a written exam from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). To take the exam, one must graduate from a 2-year associate degree program. This should be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics &Information Management Education (CAHIIM). In 2005, there were 184 CAHIIM-accredited programs.

Medical records &health information technicians must be able to:

o organize &evaluate patient records for completeness &accuracy, using modern record keeping procedures &computer programs,

o make sure that patients’ initial medical charts are complete,

o communicate clearly with physicians &other health care professionals,

o manage a department, if they have the training &experience,

o work a 40-hour week with some overtime,

o be prepared to work day, evening, &night shifts if working in hospitals,

o pay close attention to detail.

Job Growth for Medical Records &Health Information Technicians:

Job opportunities for medical records &health information technicians will grow much faster than average for all occupations. Most new jobs are expected to be in physician’s offices because of increasing dem&for detailed records. Rapid growth also is expected in home health care services, outpatient care centers, &nursing &residential care facilities.

How much do medical records &health information technicians earn?
In 2004 median annual earnings were $25,590. Fifty percent earned between $20,650 &$32,990. The lowest salaries were less than $17,720, &the highest more than $41,760.

A Day in a Medical Records Technician’s Life:

On a typical day a medical records technician will:

o organize &evaluate patient records for completeness &accuracy,

o make sure that patients’ initial medical charts are complete &entered in the computer,

o communicate with physicians to clarify diagnoses or to obtain additional information,

o assign a code to each diagnosis &procedure,

o consult classification manuals concerning disease processes,

o use computer software to assign the patient to one of several hundred “diagnosis-related groups,” or DRGs,

o tabulate &analyze data,

o review patient records &pathology reports,

o conduct annual follow-ups on all patients in the registry.

By Jeremy P Stanfords

The medical industry has experienced overwhelming advances over the last 50 years, &now even further steps are being taken to help optimize patient care. By turning to computer software, the use of health information technology is changing the landscape of patient &doctor relationships. The overwhelming benefits of this enhanced technology st&to drastically improve several different crucial aspects of how a physician is able to acquire any necessary information about a patient, &as a result, will increase the improvement of patient treatment.

One of the key goals of using this technology is the reduction of medical errors. Information about a patient’s on going health history would get stored in readable form, which would prevent medical mistakes due to a former physician’s poor h&writing. Quick &timely access to a patient’s health history documents would allow a doctor to pursue the necessary treatments or medications needed for a patient. These documents are maintained as part of a patient’s personal health record. The record would also contain any information about family health which could prove pertinent for future medical situations.

While the personal health records would be updated by an individual who is tracking their health status, the availability of these records in electronic file form, &their ability to be accessed by doctors is another aspect of the benefits of this technology. These records would allow doctors to not only be able to review a patient’s medical history, but would give them the ability to interconnect with any laboratories or other hospitals that the patient may have visited in the past. All tests performed on a patient, any blood work, or any regular treatments would be noted in these patient e-files, allowing the doctor to have a clear picture of every piece of pertinent information. This will help decrease the need for repetitive testing, expedite the treatment &most importantly allow doctors to communicate with any other health facilities on behalf of the patient.

The two overall goals of health information technology is to enhance the patient’s treatment &decrease medical errors. In a lot of situations, medical errors occur due to medications prescribed to a patient that may end up having a negative effect. Electronic prescribing notes of any drug interactions that may be harmful, allows the doctor to determine which medications are covered by the patient’s insurance, &allows for clear &accurate information being presented about the patient’s reactions to past administrations of certain medications.

By Michael Bustamante

Health Information Technician Schools prepare students to become qualified for positions in health care fields, working to structure &analyze health care data &information.

Students can choose programs of study for certificates, diplomas, or associate degrees in Health Information Technology, depending upon the level of responsibility they wish to assume on the job. Two-year Associate of Art (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degrees are generally preferred by employers. Associate degrees in Health Information Technology are offered at community colleges &vocational, technical, &trade schools.

Health Information Technician Schools provide skills expected at various levels of employment. Students at all levels – diploma, certificate, &associate degree – can anticipate courses in medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, billing &coding, office skills, computer skills, analytical skills, &medical office administration. Students should focus on liberal arts for a well-rounded education.

AA &AS degrees from Health Information Technician Schools can help graduates gain employment as administrators of health care information. Students learn to take on duties of managing records, analyzing health information, &preparing statistical reports. Courses can include coding &indexing information, managing health insurance reimbursements, analyzing &managing health records, &managing communications.

Most employers prefer Registered Health Information Technicians (RHIT) or Registered Health Information Administrators (RHIA), who must have passed written examinations given by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Students must possess at least an AA or AS degree in Health Information Technology to qualify for examination. The particular school must also be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics &Information Management Education (CAHIIM).