External Guiding Principles

These external-facing guiding principles provide decision-making direction to AHIMA executive leadership. When used in conjunction with the Vision Statement, Mission Statement and AHIMA’s core values, these principles provide further guidance to AHIMA executive leadership to plan and execute in accordance with AHIMA’s strategic priorities.

1. In partnership and collaboration with its organizational partners in the health community, including our accreditation, certification and research partners, AHIMA will carry out its responsibilities as a knowledge-based organization that envisions and impacts the ongoing improvement of the management and use of health information from all sources and across all borders to promote health and wellness.


2. Based on our Code of Ethics, and applicable law, AHIMA will promote the principled and appropriate use of health information, while urging each member to ascribe to, and conduct themselves in accordance with this ethical code.


3. AHIMA works to assure the application of quality health information in care, research, health informatics and health management through comprehensive data stewardship that considers the validity, accuracy, completeness, reliability and timeliness of health data capture, processing, analytics and reporting.


4. AHIMA works to assure the successful implementation of ICD-10 for the healthcare industry through educational materials, comprehensive training programs and consultations.


5. AHIMA supports the widespread adoption and use of interoperable, longitudinal and global standards-based electronic health records (EHRs) and personal health records (PHRs) to facilitate quality health care delivery, patient safety, accurate health information exchange, research, public/population health and the legal and business needs of the organization.


6. AHIMA endorses EHRs and health information exchange based on the use of standard classification and terminology systems. Such systems are the bridge language for ensuring accurate interoperability.


7. AHIMA advocates health information management best practices to global health care industries, governments and societies enabling AHIMA to act as a community of professionals who guard health information for its appropriate use, preservation and protection.


8. AHIMA advances the recognition that the public has a right to accurate, secure and confidential personal health information.


9. AHIMA promotes the health information practitioner as the connection with clinicians and healthcare industry professionals enabling the value of health information to be recognized. HIM professionals provide information management and health informatics expertise, best practice, standardization, definition and guardianship of health information.


10. AHIMA builds a quality professional workforce through research-based educational programming, professional mentoring and publications and presentations.