Health Information Technology Certification in Tennessee - TN
Although voluntary, registered health information technician (RHIT) certification is usually the next step to developing a successful career upon graduating from an HIT program. Certification is a great way to build occupational confidence, illustrate disciplinary competency, increase employment opportunities, and even earn higher wages. RHIT certification in Tennessee is administered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) for students that have completed an associate degree program in health information that is accredited by the Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).
Currently, the CAHIIM endorses approximately ten HIT/HIM programs in Tennessee. These programs are primarily found in two-year technical and community colleges and award graduates with either an Associate of Applied Science in Health Information Management Degree or an Associate of Applied Science in Health Information Technology Degree. Most of these programs provide training and qualify students to sit for the AHIMA written examination. Curriculum requirements may vary between programs, but most will instruct in subjects like medical terminology, health care information systems, computer science, medical billing and coding, health care law and ethics, and data analysis and management. Some examples of required courses found in Tennessee HIT programs include: Clinical Coding and Classification, Foundations of Medical Science, Reimbursement Methodologies, Advanced Health Information Procedures, Healthcare Statistics and Reporting, Ancillary Healthcare Systems, Legal Aspects of Health Information.