Health information management (HIM) professionals work in a variety of different settings and job titles. They often serve in bridge roles, connecting clinical, operational, and administrative functions. In short, AHIMA members affect the quality of patient information and patient care at every touchpoint in the healthcare delivery cycle.
Having skilled HIM professionals on staff ensures an organization has the right information on hand when and where it is needed while maintaining the highest standards of data integrity, confidentiality, and security.
AHIMA members perform diverse roles in healthcare and are employed in a variety of work settings, including hospitals, physician offices, ambulatory care facilities, managed care facilities, long-term care facilities, consulting firms, information system vendors, colleges and universities, insurance providers, pharmaceutical companies, rehabilitation centers, and other venues.
AHIMA keeps HIM professionals posted on the healthcare industry through resources to improve their knowledge, skills, and abilities. Our members stay connected through various communication vehicles. The award-winning Journal of AHIMA delivers news and expert guidance. AHIMA textbooks are recognized for their excellence and authority. Our members receive electronic newsletters that deliver up-to-the-minute industry updates and advice.
AHIMA Communities of Practice (CoP) is an amazing online tool our members use to reach out to each other to network, share, problem solve, and stay informed on the latest trends in all HIM related topics. This growing professional network provides answers, support, and career advice using the latest technology. As a member of AHIMA, you may access the CoP by logging into myAHIMA. If you are not a member join now and take advantage of the CoP, and join the communities that best fit your needs The AHIMA Body of Knowledge comprises a virtual library of HIM information. The Advocacy Assistant puts members in touch with public policy issues and provides contact information for elected officials and local media.
In addition, the AHIMA Foundation provides financial and intellectual resources to sustain and recognize continuous innovation and advances in health information for the betterment of the profession, healthcare, and the public. The AHIMA Foundation encourages and funds innovations through a wide range of programs, scholarships, and initiatives.
To ensure standards of excellence in health information management (HIM), AHIMA issues credentials in HIM, coding, and healthcare privacy and security. AHIMA credentials demonstrate that an HIM professional meets high standards for the management of patient health records. AHIMA-certified professionals earn this distinction through experience and education, validated by their performance on examinations.
p>Credentials offered by AHIMA:
AHIMA-certified professionals agree to follow the principles and values set in the Code of Ethics. Following their initial certification, they must maintain their credentials and the highest level of competency for their employers and consumers, through rigorous continuing education requirements.
With national focus on health information and the need for comprehensive and interoperable information technology across the country, AHIMA is qualified to shape the national agenda. Change is happening on four fronts:
- Privacy and security
- Standards for data interchange and system interoperability
- The electronic health record (EHR)
- The overall national health information infrastructure
AHIMA remains at the forefront of this progressive agenda. The Association works to accomplish the full realization of the benefits of information technology in healthcare.
With HIM's overriding goal in mind—ensuring the availability of health information to facilitate real-time healthcare delivery—AHIMA is involved in initiatives advancing the role of HIM in informing clinical practice, developing standards to improve data quality and facilitate information exchange, and helping healthcare organizations migrate to the EHR. To learn more, visit the Advocacy and Public Policy Center.
AHIMA's objective is to build a dynamic workforce skilled at collecting, organizing, and analyzing critical data to improve healthcare outcomes, implement standards, ensure privacy and security, and control costs. AHIMA is the founding corporate member of the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM), an independent 501c(3) organization that accredits associate, baccalaureate and master's degree programs in HIM and graduate programs in health informatics. AHIMA approves certificate programs for coding and medical transcription, and master's level HIM programs. AHIMA develops curricula and promotes research with leading educators with the goal of graduating professionals prepared to face the challenges of a paperless future.
AHIMA is committed to lifelong learning for HIM professionals. A broad spectrum of education for members is offered through Web-based training, specialty advancement institutes, workshops, and seminars. The Association also provides HIM education to the media, academic community, government agencies, and the public.
The goal of effective health information
management (HIM) is to provide quality healthcare to the public; therefore
AHIMA's vision and values are people-centered. As part of our mission, AHIMA
helps individuals become better managers of their personal health information
by sponsoring a public service initiative, drawing on the unique expertise of
AHIMA and its members.
Personal health information is a
valuable resource to individuals, their families, and the doctors, nurses, and
other healthcare professionals who provide treatment and care. HIM
professionals reach out at the community level to share their knowledge of
health information and medical records directly with the public to help them
understand and manage their personal health information and improve the quality
of their care.
AHIMA also provides the public with free
online information and resources through http://www.myphr.com, a Web site covering patient rights under HIPAA, how to access healthcare
records, and maintaining a personal health record (PHR).
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