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Health Information Personnel
Medical records is the allied health field of information, data and technology. Advances in medical science, legislative reforms, computerization and the need to manage health care delivery systems and health care costs have created a growing demand for information professionals who have the knowledge and skills to process, analyze and distribute health care information.
A medical record is a complete and permanent documentation of a patient's history of illnesses and injuries and of all related medical treatments. The record includes all medical observations and findings, laboratory and X-Ray reports, diets and medications. To ensure continuity of care, the record has complete information from all facilities, within the hospital, a patient may visit. This information aids the physician in diagnosing and treating the illness. The record may also be used by health care researchers, hospital administrators and planners, community public health officials, insurance companies and legal professionals in their planning and research.
There are three levels of careers for health information personnel. Health information administrator (previously called registered record administrator, RRA), health information technician (previously called accredited record technician, ART) and health information clerk.
Health Information Administrator
The health information administrator is responsible for the innovation and management of health information systems. The administrator plans and directs a system of medical record retention and retrieval systems and compiles and analyzes statistical data for treatment, reimbursement, planning and quality assessment and research.
As a specialist in information management, the health information administrator is often relied upon to provide information for research projects and cost-saving studies.
Medical records professionals do not have patient contact. The majority of medical records personnel work in hospitals where they have daily communication with physicians, nurses and other allied health professionals. Other places to find employment are insurance companies, state and federal health agencies and clinics.
| Some of the responsibilities might include: |
| • | Directing and controlling activities of personnel in the medical records department |
| • | Planning and developing information systems for the efficient receipt, recording, storage and retrieval of medical data |
| • | Insuring that confidentiality of the records is safeguarded |
| • | Developing in-service educational materials and conducting training of medical records personnel |
| • | Assisting the medical staff in evaluating the quality of health care |
| • | Providing consultant services |
| • | Performing basic and applied research |
| • | Providing information for reimbursement by third-party payers |
Health Information Technician
Health information technicians provide assistance to medical record administrators by performing many of the technical activities within the department.
| Some of their responsibilities might include: |
| • | Reviewing medical records for completeness, accuracy and compliance with requirements |
| • | Organizing, analyzing and evaluating medical records according to established standards |
| • | Coding symptoms, diseases, diagnoses, operations, procedures and other therapies according to recognized classification systems |
| • | Transcribing medical reports |
| • | Controlling the usage and release of health information |
| • | Compiling medical and census data and using it to prepare statistical reports |
| • | Preparing data for input into computers or for microfilming |
| • | Working with the medical staff on research projects |
Job Outlook
The growth in the medical records profession is expanding rapidly. As the health care industry continues to diversify, the demand for documentation will only increase, thus creating more jobs.
Educational Requirements
To become a health information administrator, students are required to earn a bachelor's degree in medical record administration from an accredited university program or complete a one-year, post-graduate certificate program.
Becoming a health information technician requires completing a two-year associate degree program for medical records technicians at a junior or community college. Another route leading to a career as a health information technician is through the Independent Study Program in Medical Record Technology offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
Medical record clerks are usually trained on the job.
Educational Programs - Health Information Administrator
Chicago State University
95th Street @ King Drive
Chicago, IL 60628
(773) 995-2000
http://www.csu.edu/
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Illinois State University
Department of Health Sciences
Campus Box 2200
Normal, IL 61761
(309) 438-2181
http://www.ilstu.edu/
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University of Illinois at Chicago
1919 West Taylor
250 AHSB MC 520
Chicago, IL 60612
(312) 996-7337
http://www.uic.edu/
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Educational Programs - Health Information Technician
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