Health Information Technology

Compiling and retrieving up-to-date information on patients’ illnesses, injuries, and medical history is more important than ever for effective medical care. This video focuses on opportunities in the field of health care information management and technology. Examples of HIM-related positions are covered—including medical billing specialist, diagnostic and procedural coder, and privacy officer—along with the two main types of schooling that precede a HIM career: an associate degree leading to work as a Registered Health Information Technician, and a baccalaureate degree required for employment as a Registered Record Administrator. Patient confidentiality is an important subject in the video. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. A Meridian Production. (15 minutes)

Because of a growing need for detailed records, health information management technicians are increasingly in demand. This program looks at the specific duties and peculiarities of the HIM tech’s job, focusing on organizational and process-related skills. Responsibilities highlighted in the video include maintaining databases of medical records, complying with legal and ethical privacy guidelines, managing diagnostic and procedural codes, and producing reports for physicians to analyze. Featuring conversations with skilled practitioners in the field, the program explains the steps to becoming an HIM technician, including graduation from a two-year, CAHIIM-accredited associate degree program and passing the AHIMA written exam. Special attention is given to the position of medical coder. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide containing additional material—including student activities, discussion questions, vocabulary terms, and fast facts—is available online. Correlates to national and state board certification standards. A Meridian Production. (24 minutes)