Health information professionals work in an extremely tumultuous industry. Their responsibilities and workload are constantly being redefined due to the many external pressures, new programs and regulations required of the Health Information Services (HIS) Departments. Many more of these changes are on the horizon for HIS Departments, and organizational restructuring and redefinition of job titles in the coming years is unavoidable. While restructuring, management must take care so as not to burn out employees with too many tasks, responsibilities or simply overworking them.
Change is constant for people who work in health information services. These changes come from federal, state and local reimbursement programs, new legislation, technology updates, information protection regulations and even changes in the demographics (age, disease, insurance, etc.) of the clientele they are servicing. Some of those changes are incremental and might not even be detected by upper management, simply because the new work is automatically absorbed by the organization 's employees. Some of those changes can be sudden and require sweeping changes to the organization that affect the immediate responsibilities of its employees. Although employees might be able to handle larger workloads and responsibilities in the short-term, it is not sustainable. Managers can 't simply add larger workloads and more responsibilities to employees without taking into consideration the effects it will
Implementing change among all organizations is necessary to achieve success; within the health care industry change is constant and it is the role of management teams to assess, plan, implement and evaluate change to ensure satisfaction. Considering this among the other aspects of running a successful organization it is essential to ensure that there is minimal resistance and familiarity to change. Demands of the consumers and staff as well as regulations are continuously changing. The responsibility of managers is to successfully lead these inevitable changes.
The high cost of healthcare continues to rise and many in the United States are optimistic for health information technology to reduce and improve our current situation. Health IT encompasses a broad array of new technologies designed to manage and share health-related information. When properly implemented, these systems can help coordinate patient care, reduce medical errors, and improve administrative efficiency. Therefore, implementing a Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO) will help the National Health Information Network (NHIN) achieve their goals in improving quality of care for the citizens of the United States. Thus, in order for the health IT to deliver on its promise, several obstacles must be overcome.
At the level of the external environment, health information management in itself, as well as the people employed in the adjacent departments, are continually impacted by new standards, regulations and initiatives. The scope of these standards, regulations and initiatives is usually that of increasing the efficiency and quality within the health care system, "o provide a secure, nationwide, interoperable health information infrastructure that will connect providers, consumers, and others involved in supporting health and healthcare" (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services).
There are many challenges that are defining the future strategic direction of health care such as information technology advancements, access to health care, maintaining a skilled workforce, proposed health care reform and legislation, and rising costs. I will look at these challenges and how an organization may adapt its direction and strategies in accordance with these challenges.
(ONC) is to coordinate “national efforts to implement and use the most advanced health information technology and the electronic exchange of health information … to improve health care” (Health and Human Services [HHS], n.d., website). However, sharing confidential information found in the electronic health record (EHR) for research and quality improvement potentiate legal, financial and ethical challenges.
It has only been within the last five years that health information management (HIM) has experienced exponential changes, due to the healthcare reform. The electronic health record (EHR) is connected to health information exchanges and other systems of interoperability. The timely completion of charts, coding and release of information (ROI) has become much more efficient with the electronic record. Traditional HIM functions will just be transformed and will always be an integral part of successful patient care. Professionals must be flexible and willing to adapt and even generate change. As Health Information Technology continues to evolve, so will the roles
The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) website was very detailed and laid out. It was also very user friendly when it came to learning or finding information on health information technology. The AHIMA is the most leading association of health information management (HIM) specialists globally. The AHIMA has played a major role in leadership and in finding efficient ways for management of health data and medical records that are required to distribute quality healthcare to the patients. Furthermore, AHIMA is supporters for the HIM profession, aids as a “thought leader” in the global world of HIM. Also, AHIMA is “one of the four cooperating parties responsible for the ICD-10 Coding
Health information management professionals ensure that patient information under a provider’s care is correct, complete, and safe (Gartee, 2011). Patient health information is sensitive and must be handled only by trained professionals with experience in the field. HIM professionals such as the Registered Health Information Administrators manage employees in the HIM department that work with patient information. Registered Health Information Administrators must “Possesses comprehensive knowledge of medical, administrative, ethical and legal requirements and standards related to healthcare delivery and the privacy of protected patient information” (“RHIA”, 2015), In addition, the RHIA role is actively involved with the forms control process and involved with all units that utilize patient information in any way (Gartee, 2011).
The Health Information Profession as we know it today is already in a state of expansion. There are many changes already being implemented and others that are getting ready to go into effect very soon. Two of the biggest changes are the electronic health record and ICD-10.
The position I am most interested in related to the health information field is the Chief Medical Information Officer. The responsibility of the Chief Medical Information Officer (CMIO) may vary from one organization to another. However, they may be required to provide leadership and guidance in the daily operation and maintenance of electronic health records (EHRs). A CMIO may evaluate an organization’s IT systems/ infrastructures; analyzing the medical and health data, and insure excellent quality of care across multiple departments. They conduct data analytics for research purposes and report findings to health care personnel, physician, nurses, executive and board of directors. CMIO serves as a key advisor to other medical personnel when referencing IT systems, data management and other specific health information.
I would like to thank you and your staff for a great experience. The lessons I learned have taught me so much about this field and I now know that I should not limit myself just to coding and that there are many opportunities in other areas.
In this paper I will be speaking on the Health Care Industry and how it has changed over the years. There are many aspects of the medical industry that have changed from how medical information is kept to how medication is given. In this paper I will be explaining how health care has changed over the last 10 years and what the biggest change is in the next 10 years. I will also speak about what my role will be in the health industry, especially when it comes to adapting my skills into the health care industry. Along with the information mentioned above I will be expressing my perception of how the health care has changed over the course of my
With the rapid growth in technology, many healthcare organizations have embraced the use of healthcare information technologies. As such, the information technology department has various staffs that perform fundamental roles in the information technology-related activities. It ranges from activities of customizing a software to implementing and maintaining a network to ensure effective system backups. In addition, these healthcare information technologies bring about other
Health Care Information Management is something that is becoming extremely popular. Health Care Information Management Systems are computer systems that keep patient files, protect the security of the patient’s information, and keep everything more organized than what can be accomplished by individual people. Employment in this field is expected to grow faster than it has been. Jobs for this field include: Director HIM, Supervisor HIM Data Analyst, Auditor, Private Officer,
Health information managers manage all aspects of the content of patient medical records and patient information systems. Their responsibilities can include aspects of clinical information documentation capture and maintenance, data analytics and interpretation, as well as designing, implementing, and maintaining health information technology systems. They are commited to the timely and accurate collection of health information and its maintenance, storage, retention, and disclosure, Health Information Management Professionals ensure that such information is kept private, secure, and in accordance with the law.