HIM 115: Principles of Health Information Management

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:

  1. Summarize the evolution of healthcare in the U.S.
  2. Identify responsibilities and areas within a Health Information Management Department.
  3. Identify HIM roles and credentials.
  4. Explain the purpose and importance of professional membership associations such as AHIMA.
  5. Discuss professional code of ethics.
  6. Manage the health record life cycle.
  7. Explain the purpose of the patient record and describe the various kinds of records
  8. List the contents of inpatient, outpatient and physician's office records.
  9. Demonstrate an understanding of HIPAA laws and how they relate to the healthcare professional and the patient.
  10. Identify legal aspects of the medical record and the release of information.
  11. Explain the purpose and use of indices and registries in healthcare information management.
  12. 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 GradePercentage
A93.0-100.0 
A -90.0-92.9 
B+87.0-89.9 
B83.0-86.9 
B -80.0-82.9 
C +77.0-79.9 
C73.0-76.9 
F72.99% and below



AssignmentsWeight

Discussions (Weeks 1-8)

20%

Chapter Review Quizzes (Weeks 1-7)

40%

Competency Assignments and other Written Assignments

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. ISBN-10: 0-357-62425-4 or ISBN-13: 978-0-357-62425-8

 

Course Schedule

(Note: Course week runs Monday 12:00 am EST - Sunday 11:59 pm EST)

Week

SLOs

Readings and Exercises

Assignments

1

1-5

Topics: History of Healthcare and Introduction to HIM

  • Read and Review:
    • Read Chapter 1
    • Read Chapter 2
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Review the Lecture material
  • Participate in the Discussions
  • Submit the W1 Professional Association Exploration
  • Complete the W1 EHR Go Registration
  • Complete the W1 Chapter Review Quiz

2

6,7,8,10

Topics: The Patient Record and EHR's

  • Read and Review:
    • Read Chapter 4
    • Read Chapter 5
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Review the Lecture material
  • Participate in the Discussions
  • Complete the W2 Virtual Tour - HIM Department
  • Submit the W2 EHR Go Lab: EHR Orientation
  • Complete the W2 Chapter Review Quiz

3

6,7,8

Topic: Content of the Medical Record

  • Read and Review:
    • Read Chapter 6
  • Read assigned chapter
  • Review the Lecture material
  • Participate in the Discussions
  • Submit the W3 EHR Go Lab: Documentation Standards
  • Complete the W3 Chapter Review Quiz 

4

8,9

Topic: Numbering, Filing, Storage and Retrieval of Health Records

  • Read and Review:
    • Read Chapter 7
  • Read assigned chapter
  • Review the Lecture material
  • Participate in the Discussions
  • Submit the W4 EHR Go Lab: Retrieval of Data
  • Complete the W4 Chapter Review Quiz

5

11

Topics: Indexes, Registries and Data Sets

  • Read and Review:
    • Read Chapter 8
  • Read assigned chapter
  • Review the Lecture material
  • Participate in the Discussions
  • Submit the W5 Competency Assignment: Cancer Registry
  • Submit the W5 EHR Go Lab: UHDDS and the HER
  • Complete the W5 Chapter Review Quiz

6

2,11,12

Topic: Legal Aspects of the Health Record; Patient - Centered Health Information Technologies

  • Read and Review:
    • Read Chapter 9
    • Read Implementation and Management of Patient Portals. Journal of AHIMA 86, no.4 (April 2015): 50-55.
    • Review website ONC Data Brief No. 69. October 2023. Individuals’ Access and Use of Patient Portals and Smartphone Health Apps.
  • Read assigned chapter and article
  • Review assigned website
  • Review the Lecture material
  • Participate in the Discussions
  • Submit the W6 Competency Assignment: Patient Portal
  • Submit the W6 EHR Go Lab: ROI Evaluate Request
  • Complete the W6 Chapter Review Quiz

7

2,12

Topics: Coding and Reimbursement

  • Read and Review:
    • Chapter 10
  • Read assigned chapter
  • Review the Lecture material
  • Participate in the Discussions
  • Complete the W7 Competency Assignment: The Basics of Medical Coding
  • Complete the W7 Chapter Review Quiz

8

2

Topics: HIM Department Customers

  • Read and Review:
    • Read Hughes, Gwen. "Using Benchmarking for Performance Improvement (AHIMA Practice Brief)." Journal of AHIMA 74, no.2 (2003): 64A-D.
    • Review the AHIMA or For the Record websites. 
  • Read the assigned article
  • Review the assigned websites
  • Review the Lecture material
  • Participate in the Discussions
  • Submit the W8 Competency Assignment: Consumer Engagement
  • Complete Course Evaluation

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.