It is the practice of analyzing and protecting digital and traditional medical information vital to providing quality patient care.
In addition, they may apply the science of informatics to the collection, storage, analysis, use, and transmission of information to meet legal, professional, ethical and administrative records-keeping requirements of health care delivery.
[2] Health information management's standards history is dated back to the introduction of the American Health Information Management Association, founded in 1928 "when the American College of Surgeons established the Association of Record Librarians of North America (ARLNA) to 'elevate the standards of clinical records in hospitals and other medical institutions.
The association's current name is meant to cover the wide variety of areas which health professionals work in today.
It was preceded by increasing amounts of management engineering activity in healthcare during the 1950s, when teachings of Frederick Winslow Taylor and Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Sr. began to attract the attention of health leaders.
[5] The HIMSS grew to include chapters, membership categories, publications, conventions, and continues to grow in different parts of the world via its Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle Eastern branches.
The requisites and accreditation processes for health information management education and professional activity vary across jurisdictions.
In Canada, graduates of Canadian College of Health Information Management (CCHIM) programs are eligible to write a national certification examination to pursue a profession in HIM.
Healthcare quality and safety require that the right information be available at the right time to support patient care and health system management decisions.
They play a crucial role in the maintenance, collection, and analyzing of data that is received by doctors, nurses, and other healthcare players.
RHIAs usually assume a managerial position that interacts with all levels of an organization that use patient data in decision making and everyday operations.
Medical records (MR) and Health information technicians (HIT) are described as having the following duties according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook:[21] assemble patients' health information including medical history, symptoms, examination results, diagnostic tests, treatment methods, and all other healthcare provider services.
Technicians organize and manage health information data by ensuring its quality, accuracy, accessibility, and security.
They regularly communicate with physicians and other healthcare professionals to clarify diagnoses or to obtain additional information.The International Labour Organization's International Standard Classification of Occupations further notes: "Occupations included in this category require knowledge of medical terminology, legal aspects of health information, health data standards, and computer- or paper-based data management as obtained through formal education and/or prolonged on-the-job training.