Health Information Management Course Descriptions

HIM 1405 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY (Independent Study)

2 cr.

  Two hours weekly, Fall Term
  Corequisite: HIM 1406
Medical terminology is a basic study of the professional language of medicine. It is designed to include word construction, pronunciation, spelling, definition, and use of terms related to all areas of medical science, hospital service, and health related professions. This course is designed to give the student a basic knowledge of anatomy, pathology, surgical procedures, diagnostic procedures, and symptomatology.

HIM 1406 PC/SOFTWARE TOOLS LAB

1 cr.

  Junior year, Fall Term
This lab will introduce HIM students to a variety of software packages they will use throughout the HIM curriculum. Lessons will include knowledge in DOS and Windows 97 operating systems and learning software such as Word, Access, Excel, and PowerPoint. Lessons will also cover e-mail and various Internet tools.

HIM 1415 INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH INFORMATION AND THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

3 cr.

  Three hours weekly, Fall Term
An introduction to the organizational structure of health care institutions, health information departments, disease registries, the medical record, and professional associations of the health information manager and tumor registrar. Various aspects of information storage and retrieval systems, documentation requirements, and public health and hospital statistics will be studied.

HIM 1416 INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH INFORMATION AND THE    HEALTH CARE SYSTEM LAB 1

1 cr.

  Two hours weekly, Fall Term
The laboratory experience provides students with the opportunity to apply the theory and concepts of health information management. The content, format, purpose, confidentiality, and retention of medical records and tumor registry records and data will be emphasized. Laboratory projects, group discussions, and field trips will complement basic instruction.

HIM 1420 ORGANIZATION THEORY AND CONCEPTS IN HEALTH CARE FACILITIES

3 cr.

  Three hours weekly, Fall Term
The primary purpose of the course is to facilitate the student in attaining a more comprehensive, well integrated, and useful understanding of the organizations in which she/he will be spending considerable time and energy for her/his career. The emphasis will be on formal organizations both in health care and other sectors of the economy. Models and concepts developed within the closely related disciplines of organization theory and organization behavior will be addressed.

HIM 1435 CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS IN HEALTH CARE

3 cr.

  Three hours weekly, Spring Term
This course will introduce the student to the principles of taxonomy. The course will include purposes of classifying diseases and operations and differences between nomenclature and classification. The interaction of Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG's) with classification systems will be emphasized. Data quality, the Uniform Hospital Discharge Data Set, and coding/sequencing guideines will be examined.

HIM 1436 CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS LAB 2

1 cr.

  Two hours weekly, Spring Term
This laboratory will provide students with "hands-on" experience in ICD-9-CM Coding, proper application of UHDDS guidelines (including sequencing of diagnoses and procedures), DRG assignment, CPT-4 coding, reporting and interpreting statistical data, and utilizing automated systems for encoding, grouping and data entry. Laboratory practice exercises, utilizing actual medical records, will provide the principal method of instruction. The impact of coding accuracy and its relationship to reimbursement will be stressed.

HIM 1438 CANCER REGISTRY THEORY AND PRACTICE LAB

2 cr.

  Four hours weekly, Spring Term
This course is designed to provide students with practical experience in the design, development, performance, and administration of various types of research databases. Primary focus of the sessions will be on the organizational and operational functions of a cancer registry. The medical management of the patient, the physiology of the disease processes, methodology used in evaluating extent of disease and assessing outcome through patient follow-up, and use of the ICD-O classification system will be presented. The impact of data quality and availability in relation to utilization of the registry will be stressed. Lectures, laboratory exercises, group discussions, and student projects will be the principal methods of instruction.

HIM 1440 HIM CLINICAL EDUCATION 1

2 cr.

  120 hours total, all terms and sessions
This course will include supervised practice of technical functions within a health information management department under the direction of field instructors at affiliate hospitals. The student will also have the opportunity to observe the role and functions of the health information manager in relation to the facility, the community, and the total health care delivery system.

HIM 1442 STATISTICAL UNDERSTANDING

3 cr.

  Three hours weekly, Spring Term
This course is designed to present the student with an understanding of the research process and the role of statistics within that process. The student learns how to analyze scientific reports and to communicate with statisticians when research problems arise.

HIM 1445 HUMAN RELATIONS IN THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

2 cr.

  Summer Session I
This class is a blend of classical theories on the nature of human interaction and contemporary issues in the health care community.

HIM 1455 QUALITY CARE ASSESSMENT

2 cr.

  Two hours weekly, Spring Term
This course focuses on the principles and approaches to the assessment of quality in health care. Theoretical and pragmatic issues related to quality assessment, utilization review, and risk management will be addressed. The responsibilities of the governing board, medical staff, as well as other health care personnel in relation to quality assessment will also be presented. Throughout this course students will concentrate on areas related to JCAHO's emphasis on continuous quality improvement and the modified process of monitoring and evaluation. The responsibilities and involvement of the health information manager in quality assessment, total quality management, utilization review, and risk management will be emphasized.

HIM 1456 QUALITY CARE ASSESSMENT LAB 3

1 cr.

  Two hours weekly, Spring Term
This quality assessment laboratory focuses on the practical applications of assessing the quality of health care, utilization review, managed care, and risk management. Students will design, implement, and present a quality assessment study related to the above areas. Data sources will include the Medical ARchival System (MARS), laboratory records, indexes, laboratory databases designed and developed by the student, and clinical site data.

HIM 1460 HIM CLINICAL EDUCATION 2

1 cr.

  112 hours total, all terms and sessions
This course will include supervised practice and introduction to the following areas: quality assessment/improvement, utilization management, risk management, clinical pathways, physician office practice, and cancer registry functions.

HIM 1462 EPIDEMIOLOGY

2 cr.

  Four hours weekly, Summer Session I
This course will focus on the basic concepts of epidemiology, its purpose and how it can be used in health information management and the cancer registry. Descriptive epidemiology, morbidity and mortality studies, and experimental epidemiology are some of the topics that will be explained and discussed. Students will be responsible for developing a research proposal related to health information management and epidemiology.

HIM 1465 REIMBURSEMENT SEMINAR

1 cr.

  Two hours weekly, Summer Session I
Weekly guest speakers will present information on topics relating to financial and reimbursement issues in the health care environment. Areas include DRG optimization, billing, contract negotiations with insurers, reimbursement methodologies, and the role of the fiscal intermediary.

HIM 1470 SUPERVISION OF HUMAN RESOURCES IN HEALTH CARE

3 cr.

  Three hours weekly, Fall Term
This course focuses upon the issues associated with supervision in health care. Discussion will consist of general management/supervisory principles, concepts, and methods, with specific applications to health care and health information management. Supervision is viewed as the "front lines" of the management function with the supervisor being the key manager at the unit/department level.

HIM 1475 HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN THE COMMUNITY--USERS AND PROVIDERS OF DATA

3 cr.

  Two hours lecture, two hours lab weekly, Fall Term
The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to the patterns and modes of health care delivery in settings other than that of the acute general hospital. Specialized agencies in ambulatory care, home care, emergency care, long term care, rehabilitation, mental health and mental retardation services, hospice programs, health maintenance organizations, and occupational health systems will be covered. The work of accrediting, licensing, and certifying agencies, such as that of the JCAHO, the AOA, Medicare, and Medicaid will be discussed in detail for each health care area. The principles of health information systems, quality care appraisal, and risk management will be discussed. The role of the health information manager as a consultant in each of the health care settings will be emphasized throughout the course.

HIM 1480 HIM CLINICAL EDUCATION 3

2 cr.

  120 hours total, all terms and sessions
This course is designed to provide students with an opportunity to observe and participate in the health record systems maintained in non-acute health care and health-related agencies. Such agencies include the following: ambulatory care facilities, long-term care facilities, home health agencies, psychiatric facilities, public health agencies, insurance companies, and rehabilitation facilities.

HIM 1482 LEGAL ASPECTS OF HEALTH CARE

2 cr.

  Two hours weekly, Fall Term
This course will review the fundamental bases of American Law including the source of law, the functions of the branches of government, the growing body of federal, state, and JCAHO regulatory law, and health law including negligence in health care delivery. It will emphasize the importance of health records as legal documents and will cover such matters as the preparation and maintenance of health records and their confidential nature, consent to treatment, informed consent, right of refusal, release of medical record information, and the dying patient.

HIM 1485 SYSTEMS ANALYSIS IN HEALTH CARE SETTINGS

3 cr.

  Three hours weekly, Fall Term
This course is designed to give the student an insight into the procedures and techniques that can be used to analyze health care systems. The course will focus on the "how to" of systems by demonstrating fundamental skills and techniques that can be applied immediately.

HIM 1486 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT FOR THE HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGER

2 cr.

  First half of Spring Term
This course is designed as an introductory level course to the principles, concepts, and issues of financial management in the health care organization. Focus is upon financial management as viewed from the perspective of the department/unit manager and supervisor. Institution-wide accounting and budgeting systems will be discussed primarily as a framework for understanding (1) how financial reporting, planning, and control is linked to organizational effectiveness, and (2) how financial management responsibilities of the departmental manager relate to organization-level financial goals.

HIM 1490 COMPARATIVE HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEMS

3 cr.

  Five hours weekly, first half of Spring Term
This course is designed to introduce the Health Information Management student to health information systems, including information technologies, the CPR, the system life cycle, and data management.

HIM 1495 HIM CLINICAL EDUCATION 4

4 cr.

  Six weeks-40 hours weekly, all terms
This six-week experience includes the following: one week of activities involving systems analysis; four weeks of supervised managerial experience in a health information management department, and one week of supervised managerial experience in an approved cancer registry. The one week of systems-related activities is planned by the instructor of the systems analysis course. The five-week managerial affiliation is the responsibility of the clinical coordinator of the HIM program.

HIM 1496 SENIOR PROJECT

3 cr.

  Spring Term, senior year
  Prerequisite: successful completion of all required courses
The student is encouraged to select, investigate, and present a project with practical application to current health information, disease registries, and information systems problems in the community. Students register for this course as a final course in their curriculum.

HIM 1499 INDEPENDENT STUDY

variable credits

  By appointment, all terms and sessions
Provides students an opportunity to explore in depth an area of particular interest to them. It is the student's responsibility to find a faculty member willing to undertake such a tutorial.