Course Description
This is the required capstone course in the Charter Oak State College Healthcare Administration concentration and should be taken in the student's last semester. This should be taken as the last course in HIM major program. This course is designed to allow students to share their professional practice experience with classmates in structured discussions and to prepare their practicum project for formal presentation. Students will evaluate and synthesize course information in relation to their practice experience. Case studies will be used to review core HIM competencies and to stimulate new ideas and reasoned conclusions. In addition, students will prepare for the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) exam by reviewing all core competencies and completing weekly exam simulation questions. This course must be taken at Charter Oak State College. (3 credits)
Prerequisites
- ENG 101: English Composition 1
- ENG 102: English Composition 2
- HIM 498: Health Information Management Practicum
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate general knowledge of courses in medical sciences, healthcare administration and business administration.
- Apply problem-solving processes, technologies, systems, and innovative thinking to solve problems and to create solutions.
- Apply both qualitative and quantitative analysis to the decision-making processes.
- Communicate effectively and specifically demonstrate an ability to design, write, and produce a professional document.
- Demonstrate the ability to work independently, creatively, meet deadlines, and operate interdependently with colleagues and the faculty supervisor using appropriate assertiveness.
- Demonstrate professional competency in the CAHIIM entry-level competencies for an HIM professional.
Course Activities and Grading
All foundation and major requirements must be completed with a grade of 'C' or higher.
| Assignments | Weight |
|---|---|
Discussions (Weeks 1-8) | 20% |
Project Assignments (Weeks 1,2,3,5,6,7,8) | 10% |
RHIA Exam Review Quizzes and Mock RHIA Exam (Weeks 2,3,4,5,6,8) | 20% |
Final Project Report (Week 8) | 50% |
Total | 100% |
Required Textbooks
Available through Charter Oak State College's Book Bundle
- Capstone Writer. (2009). Producing the Capstone Project. Lulu Publishing.
- Shaw, P. and Carter, D. (2023). RHIA Exam Preparation. 10th ed. Chicago: AHIMA Press.
- Note: This textbook is also used in HIM 499.
Additional Resources
- All textbooks from core HIM courses should be used for review.
- Oachs, P. and A. Watters. Health Information Management Concepts, Principles and Practice. 7th ed. Chicago, IL: American Health Information Management Association, 2025.
- Note: This textbook is used in several HIM courses and should be saved for preparation for the RHIA exam.
Course Schedule
Week | SLOs | Readings and Exercises | Assignments |
1 | 4,5 | Topics: Introduction to the Capstone Project and RHIA Exam Preparation
|
|
2 | 1,4,5,6 | Topics: Project Introduction; Study Domain 1: Data and Information Governance
|
|
3 | 1,4,5,6 | Topics: Developing the Project Objectives; Study Domain 2: Compliance with Uses and Disclosure of PHI
|
|
4 | 1-6 | Topics: Developing the Project Report; Study Domain 3: Data Analytics and Informatics
|
|
5 | 1-6 | Topics: Project Research; Study Domain 4: Revenue Management
|
|
6 | 1-6 | Topics: Project Report Visuals/Product; Study Domain 5: Management and Leadership
|
|
7 | 1-6 | Topics: Final Project Rough Draft Due; Project Description
|
|
8 | 1-6 | Topics: Final Draft/Reflection; Project Presentation; Mock RHIA Exam
|
|
05312026
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.