07/04/2024
We hear it ALL the TIME: What is a health information technology professional?
Employers and students alike question this, asking, isn't it just filing or answering the phone, right? You earn or learn "less" than a nurse, attorney, or Master' s-level manager, right? LOL, after a couple of years of experience, we earn more!
HIM professions wear more hats than any other profession. The students cover more diverse topics in 2 years than any master's-level student, and they can prove they are workforce-ready with their skills in Microsoft Office and just about any software.
We know the body system, the disease process, medication interactions, side effects, etc.
We can release your chart to the court, attorney, another healthcare provider, and you. We understand privacy and security in an electronic environment, including who has access to and does not need access to your health information.
We ensure systems are selected that secure your information. We also work with healthcare providers, assisting them in choosing the best artificial intelligence to meet their needs and training them to use it effectively.
We can process claims, ensure the insurance company will cover your procedures, complete your referrals, understand the revenue cycle, and code and audit ICD10CM/PCS, CPT, and HCPCS codes.
We can analyze any data using Tableau and advanced Excel, including pivot tables, to perform data analysis on productivity, accuracy, identification of issues with compliance, fraud/abuse, and more.
We ensure our physicians are on track to prevent issues with the Joint Commission.
We understand current federal and state regulations and upcoming regulations impacting hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, home health agencies, billing companies, and more.
The list is not comprehensive, but I can bet that any graduate from the program can enter any organization, increase revenue, effectiveness, and efficiency of the department/organization, decrease costs, and ensure compliance with all regulatory entities than any long-term employee or recent master's level graduate without their credential.
When it comes down to it, what "doesn't" an HIM professional do?
Something to think about!
