The Health Information Management Professional

Health information is the data related to a person’s medical history, including symptoms, diagnoses, procedures, and outcomes. A health record includes such information as: a patient’s history, lab results, X-rays, clinical information, demographic information, and notes.

A patient’s health information can be viewed individually to see how the patient’s health has changed; it can also be viewed as a part of a larger data set to understand how a population’s health has changed, and how medical interventions can change health outcomes.

Health Information Management (HIM) is the practice of acquiring, analyzing, and protecting digital and traditional medical information vital to providing quality patient care. It is a combination of business, science, and information technology.

HIM professionals are highly trained in the latest information management technology applications. They understand the workflow process in healthcare provider organizations, from large hospital systems to private physician practices, and are vital to the daily operations management of health information and electronic health records. They ensure a patient’s health information is complete, accurate, and protected.

HIM professionals have an extraordinary impact. They are the link between clinicians, administrators, technology designers, operations, and information technology professions. They affect the quality of patient information and patient care at every touch point in the healthcare delivery cycle. HIM professionals work on the classification of diseases and treatments to ensure they are standardized for clinical, financial, and legal uses in healthcare. HIM professionals care for patients by maintaining their medical data and are responsible for the quality, integrity, security, and protection of patient’s health information.

Registered Health Information Technicians (RHITs) are trained to ensure the quality of health records by verifying their completeness, accuracy, and proper entry into computer systems. RHIT’s utilize computers applications to assemble and analyze patient data for the purpose of improving patient care or controlling costs. RHITs often work in entry-level and mid-level jobs but may have the opportunity to work their way up to management and supervisory roles.

If you have an interest in healthcare and information technology, health information management (HIM) may be the right career choice for you. Demand is on the rise at all levels of education in HIM. Constantly evolving regulations and technologies allow for lifelong learning and continued professional development (AHIMA, 2023).

Career Possibilities

Careers in HIM can range from many areas including data quality, informatics, data analytics, privacy, risk and compliance, revenue cycle management, and consumer health information.

• Medical Biller/Coder
• Patient Service Representative
• Patient Navigator
• Medical Record Clerk
• Revenue Cycle Management
• Prospective Payment Coordinator
• Health Information Technician
• Billing/Coding Auditor
• Clinical Documentation Specialist
• Coding Quality Analyst

Wage and Job Outlook

• Professional, scientific, and technical services - $77,290
• Management companies and enterprises - $74,040
• Administrative and support services - $59,080
• Hospitals; state, local and private - $49,550
• Offices of physicians - $44,990

Rev. May 2023