Research Paper on "Health Information Professionals"

Research Paper 5 pages (1394 words) Sources: 5

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Health information professionals are those who are involved in collecting, organizing and protecting the patients' data for providing better diagnosis and treatment for the patients, protecting the security and confidentiality of the patients and making it easy to share information as and when needed to authorized people electronically. They are the link between healthcare and technology and they are well-versed in both the fields. HIS is a growing field and the demand for this profession is likely to increase during the next decade because of the increase in aging population and advancements in technology. The average salary levels are high and it is likely to increase in the future because of the demand. Recognizing this increasing demand, more universities are offering courses for students to join this profession. All this makes it one of the top fields to work in during the coming decade.

Who are Health Information Professionals?

The changing demographics of the western world and increased interest on healthcare has necessitated an elaborate health care system that includes not just doctors and nurses, but also those who plan and administer it. One such group is the Healthcare Information Professionals (HIS) who plan and execute the information systems required for the field of health care. In a way, they integrate technology with health care and act as a bridge between the two fields.

They are also involved in collecting, analyzing and protecting information about patients to protect their privacy and to provide them the best medical treatment possible. This information includes medical history, past and current treatments given to patients, known allergies, doctor's notes, x-rays, lab test results, prescription for medications and anything else that is relevant to the patients' health.

Role and responsibility of a HIS

The Government of Alberta (2010) states the duties of a HIS to include:

Digitize the patient's information so that is available in an electronic form that can be transferred easily.

Translate a patient's medical information into a standard format based on the international classification system.

It is the HIS's duty to ensure that all the records of the patient are complete and accurate.

Secure and protect the patient's medical information and release it only to authorized persons under the provisions of the local laws and regulations.

Perform frequent quality checks on the data to ensure that it is accurate.

Collect additional information that can be used to better understand the existing information and also to create data about the general patient population.

Use computer applications and technology to present the existing data for research, planning and education.

The working conditions of HIS professionals are the standard week hours and they may have to work n shifts in places where the health record departments work for longer hours. This job is perfect for an individual who is organized, methodical and attention to detail with a keen interest in computers and technology.

Education

According to Dalrymple & Roderer (2010, p.46), "Health informatics remains outside the professional jurisdiction of an accreditation process similar to those exercised in established professional fields such as library and information science and the health professions themselves, but some professional groups are engaged in determining professional competencies and the educational pathways through which to attain the knowledge and skills expected of health informaticians."

The lack of established accreditation and education process is partly because it is an emerging and interdisciplinary field. However, a growing interest in this field as well as its growing importance to the healthcare sector and to the society at large has helped universities to design a course that will cater to the HIS professionals. Today, many universities offer undergraduate and graduate programs in HIS and include at least about 30% of informatics in courses related to medical, nursing and bio-informatics. This has gained significant importance after the passage of the healthcare reform legislation because the Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology provides grants for this course (Health information exchange, 2010).

According to a survey conducted in 2008, there are 175 institutions in the U.S. that offer this course at varying levels and when other countries are also taken into account, this number is close to 200 (Kampov-Polevoi & Hemminger, 2010). The… READ MORE

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