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Health Information Technology Course

By an allied health world contributing writer
Published: September, 14 2010

What can be expected from HIT training?

Although health information technicians are one of the few professions integrated throughout health care systems that do not perform any hands on patient care, a thorough understanding of terminology, diagnostics, procedures and clinical practices is essential to understand the dynamics of data flow and distribution.

Coursework advances to include legal aspects of health information management, accounting, statistics and marketing in the baccalaureate and master’s degrees. In most of these settings, coursework is paired with practicum studies, meaning a hands-on period of training in a real-world clinical setting.

What health information technology courses can be expected from a typical program?

Courses in the two-year programs offered by most health information technology schools generally include anatomy and physiology, medical and drug terminology, international disease and current procedural terminology coding, health care information systems and data security.

An associates degree program at an accredited institution allows an individual to take the examination offered by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) and become a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT). Courses at the associates level may include:

• Medical and Drug Terminology
• Anatomy and Physiology
• Human Disease
• ICD-9 Coding
• CPT Coding
• Health Care Data Sets
• Specialty Registries
• Introduction to and Organization of the Health Care Record
• Legal Issues in Health Information
• Health Insurance and Reimbursement

In addition, one to two clinical practicum (hands-on experiences in clinical settings with HIT professionals) in medical records management are included. Health information technology jobs for individuals with an RHIT credential include medical records handlers or managers, coding specialists, claims analysts and patient information coordinators. Associates degree programs are available at a variety of exceptional campus based and online institutions.

How are diseases, medical conditions, diagnosis, and treatments coded for medical records?

The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems,which is typically referred to by its abbreviation ICD, is currently in its 9th revision (the term ICD-9 is the standard designation) and establishes a three to five digit codes for all medical diagnoses. The ICD-9 classification is being revised, and the United States will implement the ICD-10 classification in 2013. HIT training in ICD-9 classifications helps create an understanding of medical terminology and diagnostic classes for appropriate identification of conditions by code. This universal system of code was established in order to communicate diagnoses across all medical professions, and in order to facilitate reimbursement.

Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Codes are the numeric designations assigned to various medical activities and procedures to communicate to insurance companies the services that are rendered to a patient. Payment by insurers is often driven by medical necessity. In these instances, ensuring that the procedure designation (CPT code) matches the diagnosis designation (ICD-9 code) is critical to the financial viability of the health organization by ensuring that services are appropriately billed for reimbursement.

Coursework that teaches the HIT professional anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, diseases, drug terminology, ICD-9 and CPT coding ensures that these professionals have the sophisticated understanding necessary to facilitate proper health care record management.