Program Description

This program prepares students with the necessary skills and academic knowledge for entry-level positions in health information management (HIM). HIM professionals plan, collect, aggregate, analyze and disseminate individual patient and aggregate clinical data. Students in the ASHIM program will learn entry-level skills related to those areas of the HIM profession.

Program Objectives

Upon completion of their program, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate ability to use knowledge attained to abstract, analyze and manage health care data.
2. Monitor and apply organization-wide health record documentation guidelines to ensure organizational compliance.
3. Support health care data analysis and management using applications software.
4. Apply knowledge of medical terminology, disease process, anatomy and physiology, and pharmacology to the selection of appropriate ICD and CPT diagnosis/procedure codes.
5. Read and understand medical documentation and insure that documentation supports the diagnosis and/or procedure performed.
6. Apply knowledge of payer billing and reimbursement, the prospective payment system and fraud and abuse issues.
7. Apply medico-legal knowledge to protected health information for authorization, disclosure and security.
8. Demonstrate knowledge of industry-standard databases and electronic health records.
9. Apply current laws, accreditation, licensure, and certification standards related to health information to meet organizational needs.
10. Abstract and analyze clinical data to identify trends.
11. Demonstrate the ability to define and articulate organizational, operational, ethical, and legal issues impacting HIM.
12. Think critically both conceptually and by using mathematical analysis; write and speak effectively; use basic computer applications; and understand human behavior in the context of greater society.

Potential Job Position Titles

• Coder
• Quality Improvement Specialist
• Abstractor
• Charge Master Auditor
• Documentation Specialist
• Cancer Registrar
• Information Access/Disclosure Specialist
• HIM Technician

Program Length
The average length of time for a student taking a full course load is 4.5 semesters.

Program Content
A minimum of 64 semester credit hours is required for graduation.

Required Courses in Health Information Management
All courses, 41 semester credit hours, are required.

HC 115 Medical Terminology for Health Care Professionals
This course introduces the foundations of the language of medicine and develops medical vocabulary through the study of the structures, functions, diagnostic procedures, pathology, and treatment procedures of the body systems.

HC 310 Medical Law and Ethics
The course will emphasize both legal questions and ethical considerations in the modern medical organization. Contracts and the physician-patient relationships will be addressed. Legal proceedings, such as interrogatories and depositions, will be described. In the area of medical ethics, the issues of patient confidentiality and standards will be addressed.

HI 105 Introduction to Health Care Information Systems
This course will teach students the fundamentals of information systems, provide an introduction to health care information systems, and review information systems needed for managerial and clinical support in the health care environment. The course also provides an overview on the integrity and security of data and how to mitigate the risk of exposure to security breaches.

HI 210 Principles of Health Information Management
This course provides an overview of health information practice and health care delivery systems, professional associations, accrediting, licensing and regulatory bodies, the content and standards of health records, and the management of HIM staffing and resources including productivity and performance.

HI 295 Health Information Internship
This course is designed to review all knowledge competencies of the ASHIM program. During the professional practice experience (PPE), the students will gain practical work experience in the field of HIM. Students are expected to observe and perform HIM functions during this 180-hour internship.

HI 300 Epidemiology and Applied Health Care Statistics
This course introduces concepts of epidemiology, basic biostatistics, vital statistics, and data collection and data presentation.

HI 320 Health Care Data
This course provides students with an advanced understanding of the management of data in health care organizations including uniform data sets and health care informatics standards for health data collection, evaluation of coded and statistical data and quality assurance of data, case mix systems, data collection for enterprise, reportable and specialized databases, data mining of health care data, and the design of data collection tools. In addition, this course will include all aspects of data content and collection including structure and use of health information, clinical and health care data sets, data quality assessment and integrity, National Health Care Information Infrastructure (NHII), and primary and secondary data sources.

MC 171 Basic Diagnosis Coding
Basic Diagnosis Coding is an introduction to the ICD-9-CM data set used for reporting diagnoses. This course will also include instruction on how to classify and index diagnosis in the health care setting. The various uses for diagnosis codes will be discussed, as well.

MC 172 Basic Procedure Coding
Basic Procedure Coding helps students describe all types of health care services, treatments, and procedures provided to patients in both inpatient and outpatient facilities, as well as ancillary departments such as imaging centers and pathology/laboratories.

MC 173 Intermediate Diagnosis Coding
Intermediate Diagnosis Coding is a continuation of Basic Diagnosis Coding with advanced instruction on ICD-9-CM chapter-specific guidelines (specialty coding). Abstracting skills will continue to be reinforced. An overview of ICD-10-CM will be included to provide an introduction to this new code set.

MC 174 Intermediate Procedure Coding
Intermediate Procedure Coding continues to teach students how to identify all types of health care services, treatments, and procedures provided to patients in both inpatient and outpatient facilities, as well as ancillary departments such as imaging centers and pathology/ laboratories. In addition, how to properly apply HCPCS level II codes, as well as ICD-9-CM volume 3 procedure codes will be covered. An introduction to ICD-10-PCS will be provided.

MO 146 Pathophysiology and Pharmacology
This course provides instruction in the study of human diseases with focus on the symptoms, signs, causes, and diagnosis of disease. Additionally, students will learn about pharmacology, drug categories, and pharmacological treatment related to human diseases.

SC 145 Anatomy and Physiology I
This course will provide students with information about Anatomy and Physiology relating to each of the following body systems: Integumentary, Skeletal, Muscular/joints, Nervous, and Blood and Lymphatic systems.

SC 145L Anatomy and Physiology I Lab
This is the lab portion of SC 145.

SC 245 Anatomy and Physiology II This course will provide students with information about Anatomy and Physiology relating to each of the following body systems: Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Digestive, Endocrine, Special Senses, Urinary, and the Male and Female Reproductive systems.

SC 245L Anatomy and Physiology II Lab
This is the lab portion of SC 245.

General Education Requirements
Students enrolled in associate degrees must complete a minimum of 21 semester credit hours in general education. *

1 Semester Credit Hour in Information Literacy
3 Semester Credit Hours in English Composition
3 Semester Credit Hours in Speech
4 Semester Credit Hours in Computer Applications
4 Semester Credit Hours in Mathematics (College Algebra or Above)
3 Semester Credit Hours in Social or Behavioral Science
3 Semester Credit Hours in Science or Humanities with a Critical Thinking Focus **
* Transfer students may use three semester credit hour courses transferred from other colleges to satisfy these discipline requirements. Any resulting deficiency in the total of 37 semester credit hours required in general education may be made up with general education electives from any of the listed disciplines.

** A course with a critical thinking focus would be a course that addresses the theories and application of critical analysis with an emphasis on developing sequential reasoning skills. Examples may be courses in critical thinking, philosophy, logic, or science.

Personal Development Courses
A minimum of two semester credit hours is required in addition to PD 211.

PD 100 Student Success Skills
This course provides instruction in the both theory and practice of personal growth that lead to successful life experience. Topics include research in critical self-analysis of student habits and attitudes; and psychological impediments to successfully setting and achieving personal goals. 1.0 credit hour. Prerequisite: None.

PD 120 Personal Financial Management
This course deals with the concepts of personal financial planning and financial control. Topics center on critical self examination of student planning techniques through analysis and research of personal financial legal documents, checking accounts and banking services; income tax procedures; savings methods; investment planning; risk management and insurance; and credit records, credit law, and the cost of credit. 1.0 credit hour. Prerequisite: None.

PD 150 Client Services
This course provides a critical examination of issues embedded in the practice of providing client service. Topics include research about best practice in customer service and communication techniques; psychologically based methods for dealing with the management of customer complaints; and the roles of a customer service employee and supervisor within ethical boundaries and common business practice. 1.0 credit hour. Prerequisite: None.

PD 200 Career Development Seminar
This seminar provides an opportunity for the student to apply critical self-examination techniques and processes for developing a career path and an awareness of the need to embed life-long learning into career management. Topics include career planning research, job searching, developing career search documents, and refining interview and communication skills within an awareness of psychological boundaries implicit in this process. Successful completion of this course requires the creation of a professional resume suitable for e-mail. 1.0 credit hour. Prerequisite: None.

PD 213 Health Information Management Internship Preparation This non-credit course will assist students in finding and securing the required internship experience for credit. Students must pass this course in order to be cleared to start working at their internship site. Students will discover ways to approach a facility about an internship, access the tools they will need to successfully get your internship approved and successfully land an internship in the health information management field. 0.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: None.

(Courses are subject to change. Please call (330) 724-1600 or toll free at (800) 311-0512 to request the current course schedule.)