AHIMA Code of Ethics

The AHIMA Code of Ethics serves six purposes:

• Promotes high standards of HIM practice.
• Summarizes broad ethical principles that reflect the profession’s core values.
• Established a set of ethical principles to be used to guide decision-making and actions.
• Established a framework for professional behavior and responsibilities when professional obligations conflict or ethical uncertainties arise.
• Provides ethical principles by which the public can hold the HIM professional accountable.
• Mentors’ practitioners new to the field to HIM’s mission, values, and ethical principles.

Ethical Principles: The following ethical principles are based on the core values of the American Health Information Management Association and apply to all AHIMA members and certificates.

A health information management professional shall:

• Advocate, uphold, and defend the individual’s right to privacy and the doctrine of confidentiality in the use and disclosure of information.
• Put service and the health and welfare of persons before self-interest and conduct oneself in the practice of the profession so as to bring honor to oneself, their peers, and to the health information management profession.
• Preserve, protect, and secure personal health information in any form or medium and hold in the highest regards health information and other information of a confidential nature obtained in an official capacity, taking into account the applicable statutes and regulations.
• Refuse to participate in or conceal unethical practices or procedures and report such practices.
• Use technology, data, and information resources in the way they are intended to be used.
• Advocate for appropriate uses of information resources across the healthcare ecosystem.
• Recruit and mentor students, peers and colleagues to develop and strengthen professional workforce.
• Represent the profession to the public in a positive manner.
• Advance health information management knowledge and practice through continuing education, research, publications, and presentations.
• Perform honorably health information management association responsibilities, either appointed or elected, and preserve the confidentiality of any privileged information made known in any official capacity.
• State truthfully and accurately one’s credentials, professional education, and experiences.
• Facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration in situations supporting health information practice.
• Respect the inherent dignity and worth of every person.

http://bok.ahima.org/doc?oid=105098#.XQuoeIhKhaQ