Course Description
In this course, students will investigate the importance of the patient health record in the healthcare system. They will discover the profession of Health Information Management and the many different roles and credentials that are possible in this career path. Professional membership associations and codes of ethics will be explored. Topics will include: purpose, format, content, and accuracy of health records; ownership of health information; access, retention and destruction; privacy and confidentiality; indexes and registries, and legal requirements including HIPAA. Students will learn how medical coding is dependent on the quality of patient health information. An exploration of paper records vs. electronic health records will be included. (3 credits)
Prerequisites
- ENG 101: English Composition 1
- HCA 105: Medical Terminology
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
- Summarize the evolution of healthcare in the U.S.
- Identify responsibilities and areas within a Health Information Management Department.
- Identify HIM roles and credentials.
- Explain the purpose and importance of professional membership associations such as AHIMA.
- Discuss professional code of ethics.
- Manage the health record life cycle.
- Explain the purpose of the patient record and describe the various kinds of records
- List the contents of inpatient, outpatient and physician's office records.
- Demonstrate an understanding of HIPAA laws and how they relate to the healthcare professional and the patient.
- Identify legal aspects of the medical record and the release of information.
- Explain the purpose and use of indices and registries in healthcare information management.
- Describe the purpose, history and future of medical coding.
Course Activities and Grading
Note: A "C" grade or higher must be earned to pass this course.
| Letter Grade | Percentage |
| A | 93.0-100.0 |
| A - | 90.0-92.9 |
| B+ | 87.0-89.9 |
| B | 83.0-86.9 |
| B - | 80.0-82.9 |
| C + | 77.0-79.9 |
| C | 73.0-76.9 |
| F | 72.99% and below |
| Assignments | Weight |
|---|---|
Discussions (Weeks 1-8) | 20% |
Quizzes (Weeks 1-7) | 40% |
Competency Assignments and Written Assignments (Weeks 1-8) | 40% |
Total | 100% |
Required Textbooks
Available through Charter Oak State College's Book Bundle
- Green, Michelle and Mary Jo Bowie. Essentials of Health Information Management. 5th ed. Cengage Learning, 2023.
Course Schedule
(Note: Course week runs Monday 12:00 AM ET - Sunday 11:59 PM ET)
| Week | SLOs | Readings and Exercises | Assignments |
1 | 1-5 | Topics: History of Healthcare and Introduction to HIM
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2 | 6,7,8,10 | Topics: The Patient Record and EHR's
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3 | 6,7,8 | Topic: Content of the Medical Record
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4 | 8,9 | Topic: Numbering, Filing, Storage and Retrieval of Health Records
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5 | 11 | Topics: Indexes, Registries and Data Sets
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6 | 2,11,12 | Topic: Legal Aspects of the Health Record; Patient - Centered Health Information Technologies
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7 | 2,12 | Topics: Coding and Reimbursement
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8 | 2 | Topics: HIM Department Customers
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COSC Accessibility Statement
Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.
COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources
Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.