Health Information Manager: A Vital Role in Modern Healthcare

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. Health information managers (HIM) organize, oversee, and protect patient health information data which includes symptoms, diagnoses, medical histories, test results, and procedures. These administrative professionals make sure that traditional and digital medical data maintains its quality, accuracy, accessibility, and security. They serve as an essential link between physicians, patients, and third-party payers.

What Does a Health Information Manager Do?

Health information managers are trained in information technology applications and often serve in bridge roles, connecting clinical, operational, and administrative functions. They enter patient information into computer databases to comply with federal legislation mandating the use of electronic medical records.

This is one of the few health-related occupations in which there is no direct hands-on patient care. Health information managers' work changes from day to day, but may include:

• Compiling, organizing, maintaining, and protecting confidential medical records
• Designing health information systems to comply with medical, legal, and ethical standards
• Enters and maintains information in the electronic medical record (EMR)
• Monitors information in the EMR for accuracy
• Observes trends in audits and denials from payers
• Analyzes clinical data for research, process improvement, reporting, and more

Health information manager professionals not only make sure that medical information is accurately and securely stored in the EMR, they also ensure nurses, physicians, and other health care professionals can access that medical information when and where they need it.

Health Information Professionals and Their Impact

Health information (HI) 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 (EHRs). They ensure a patient's health information is complete, accurate, and protected. Hl professionals have an extraordinary impact. They are the link between clinicians, administrators, technology designers, operations, and information technology professionals. These professionals affect the quality of patient information and patient care at every touch point in the healthcare delivery cycle. HI professionals work on the classification of diseases and treatments to ensure they are standardized for clinical, financial, and legal uses in healthcare. HI professionals care for patients by caring for their medical data and are responsible for the quality, integrity, security, and protection of patients health information.

Work Environment and Career Path

These professionals can find employment in hospitals, doctors’ offices, pharmaceutical firms, insurance companies, software companies, home health agencies, nursing homes, and consulting firms. Due to the increased use of electronic medical records, many health information managers enjoy telework or working from home.

Individuals that want to work in health care, but not directly with patients might enjoy an HIM career. They should be detail-oriented, have an interest in both technology and science and be able to adapt to changes in technology with ease.

Higher Education Requirements

Typically, employers look for health information managers with the below higher education:

• Higher education in health information management (associate degree, bachelor's degree, and/or master's degree). In this career, the amount of higher education you acquire will qualify you for different responsibilities and certifications.
• Relevant work experience

Health Information Manager Certifications

To obtain the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) credential, individuals must complete a bachelor’s degree and the RHIA certification exam. The Registered health Information Technician (RHIT) credential is available to those who have completed a two-year associate’s degree and the RHIT certification exam.

Career Opportunities and Outlook

Employment of HIM professionals will continue to grow at an average pace, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is due to the aging baby boomer generation, expanded healthcare coverage, and the increased adaptation of electronic health records. Together this calls for a need for employees to organize and manage all the data in the health care industry. With additional education and experience, a health information manager can move into a director role or an executive position at a company.

Demand is on the rise at all levels of education and credentialing, and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) cites medical records and health information technicians as one of the fastest growing occupations in the US, with an anticipated growth of 11 percent between 2018-2028.

Salary Information and Growth Outlook

Role	Median Annual Salary (2018/2019)	Anticipated Job Growth (2018-2028)
Medical Records and Health Information Technicians	$40,350	11%
Healthcare Administrators	$100,980	18%

Salaries rise for health information administrators. Industries with an increased demand for health information professionals include healthcare organizations, academic institutions, consulting agencies, government agencies, and healthcare software companies. HI practitioners continue to be critical component of the electronic health record (EHR) workforce.

Why Choose a Career in Health Information?

HIM students acquire a versatile yet focused skill set incorporating clinical, information technology, leadership, and management skills. Hl professionals use their knowledge of information technology and records management to form the link between clinicians, administrators, technology designers, and information technology professionals. HIM programs incorporate the disciplines of medicine, management, finance, information technology, and law into one curriculum. Because of this unique mixture, graduates can choose from a variety of work settings across an array of healthcare environments.

Mayo Clinic Programs

Mayo Clinic offers a health information management internship at our campus locations in Arizona and Florida that aims to prepare students for a career as a health information manager:

• Health Information Management Internship (Arizona and Florida)

The Importance of Health Information

Health information is the data related to a person's medical history, including symptoms, diagnoses, procedures, and outcomes. A health record includes information such 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 is human information. Health information is the patient's story. AHIMA-certified professionals hold an intimate relationship with health information. While our patients don't often see us, we see our patients in a way no other healthcare professional does. This perspective is critical to the success of all modern health organizations. We see the person connected to the data, ensuring their information stays human. Because when information stays human, it stays relevant.