JAHIMA spotlights education needs of HIM workforce

The evolving educational needs of the health IT management professional is one subject explored in the May issue of the Journal of AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association). Such professionals must keep pace with the growing importance of information governance, the rapid adoption of EHRs and the transition to the ICD-10-CM/PCS code set.

One story, “Adapt or Disappear,” provides an update on Reality 2016, the education and industry roadmap developed by AHIMA on how the HIM professional can lead, evolve and grow. This initiative promotes the development of master’s and doctorate degree programs to prepare HIM professionals for high level analytical leadership positions.

A group of Reality 2016 stakeholders detailed the following four Reality 2016 priority areas to guide improvements in education, coursework and curricula of associate, baccalaureate and graduate and doctoral programs for HIM:

• Encourage HIM professionals to obtain master’s level degrees
• Enhance job opportunities for those with associate degrees through specialized tracks
• Invest in faculty development in research, EHR management, data integrity and data governance
• Increase the number of graduate-prepared HIM professionals by creating eligible pathways for doctoral-or master’s-prepared individuals, including proposed post-graduate certificates.

Also in the May issue:

• The article, “Weaving Together a Healthcare Improvement Tapestry,” which highlights a learning health system that supports an effort to share secure, high-quality data to improve patient health.

• The practice brief, “Managing the Integrity of Patient Identity in Health Information Exchange,” which explores how organizations can manage patient identification systems as an ongoing process and carry local quality operations into health information exchange efforts.

Access the May issue here.