Health Information Management Professionals Research Articles

Training, Work Environment and Service Delivery of Health Information Management Professionals in State Specialist Hospital Akure, Ondo State

Training, Work Environment and Service Delivery of Health Information Management Professionals in State Specialist Hospital Akure, Ondo State

Job Ethics and Service Delivery of Health Information Management Professionals in Teaching Hospitals, Ondo State, Nigeria

Job Ethics and Service Delivery of Health Information Management Professionals in Teaching Hospitals, Ondo State, Nigeria

Defining career success: A cross-sectional analysis of health information managers' perceptions.

Career success can be defined as the accomplishment of desirable outcomes in an individual's work experiences. It can be divided into objective and subjective career success. Objective success refers to tangible and measurable outcomes such as promotions and position titles. Subjective career success relates to an individual's interpretations of their success or accomplishments. The career success of health information management professionals has not been explored in the literature. To determine the indicators of career success as reported by health information managers (HIMs) and identify whether there are any differences based on length of time in the profession. Using a cross-sectional study design, an online survey was administered to a sample of La Trobe University and Lincoln Institute of Health Sciences Medical Record Administration and Health Information Management graduates from 1985, 1995, 2005 and 2015, which included the following question: "How would you define success in your career?" Almost 88% (n = 63) of overall participants in the study responded to this item. Subjective factors (n = 77) of career success, compared to objective factors (n = 22), were more common. The categories of recognition (feeling valued/appreciated), job satisfaction and feelings of accomplishment/sense of achievement were commonly reported. Subjective factors of an individual's career success were deemed to be more significant than objective factors among HIMs. Factors such as recognition and appreciation at work, job satisfaction, fostering high-quality work outputs and creating a sense of achievement should be the major foci for managers, organisations and individuals.

The need for health information management professionals in Malawi health facilities.

Health information management (HIM) is at the core of health organisations, providing essential information. In Malawi, there is a substantial deficit of qualified personnel, specifically health information managers, who can properly manage health information in electronic and paper-based formats. The nation has no higher education institution offering an academic programme in HIM. To investigate the need for HIM professionals in Malawi government health facilities, to determine the kinds of data managed by data users; competencies of HIM workers and challenges associated with the current HIM system. A cross-sectional research design was adopted, with a qualitative approach to gather data from data users and key informants, using two focused interview guides. Data were collected from 13 participants from 6 government health facilities representing the primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare delivery levels. Data were analysed thematically. Data users handled a diverse range of data, the majority having moderate skills in HIM. Both data users and key informants reported experiencing challenges in dealing with the existing HIM system. Findings also revealed key challenges associated with the absence, or inadequacy, of a well-trained HIM professional workforce in Malawi health facilities. Introducing a training programme in HIM would improve data management in health facilities in Malawi. Well-managed data would improve the delivery of health care services.

Understanding students’ continued use of electronic medical records in hospital: task technology to performance chain approach

One of the main goals of research on information systems is to help end users and organizations use information technology effectively. Fieldwork practice trains students to apply their knowledge and work skills based on the standards of the health ministry in electronic medical record regulations. This activity also prepares students to live in their health information management profession. This study examined the willingness and ability to use electronic medical records in hospitals to determine how well students understand electronic medical records and what influences their use. This study was conducted at a hospital in Mojokerto, East Java, where students practice fieldwork. An institutional-based crosssectional study was conducted to assess the acceptability of the EMR system among students at Mojokerto Hospital from July 1-31st, 2022. The sampling method used simple random sampling of 136. A structured questionnaire was adopted from the previous studies. The questionnaire consists of 16 questions from the TTF, the expected consequences of use (COU), Facilitating Condition (FC), utilization (UI), and Performance Impact (PI) constructs. Data were analyzed using SmartPLS version 3.0. The result is that Task-technology fit is associated with the expected consequences of use (P=0.00), Consequences of Use (COU) are associated with Utilization (P=0.000), and the Facilitating condition is related to Utilization (P=0.00). We can conclude that task technology fit is indirectly associated with Utilization because of the Consequences of Use (COU). Task-technology fit, and Utilization does not affect the performance impact. This study can continue by testing the construct variables by the students on the field trips and by healthcare providers such as nurses and doctors.

Aligning the American Health Information Management Association Entry-level Curricula Competencies and Career Map With Industry Job Postings: Cross-sectional Study

BackgroundThe field of health information management (HIM) focuses on the protection and management of health information from a variety of sources. The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Council for Excellence in Education (CEE) determines the needed skills and competencies for this field. AHIMA’s HIM curricula competencies are divided into several domains among the associate, undergraduate, and graduate levels. Moreover, AHIMA’s career map displays career paths for HIM professionals. What is not known is whether these competencies and the career map align with industry demands.ObjectiveThe primary aim of this study is to analyze HIM job postings on a US national job recruiting website to determine whether the job postings align with recognized HIM domains, while the secondary aim is to evaluate the AHIMA career map to determine whether it aligns with the job postings.MethodsA national job recruitment website was mined electronically (web scraping) using the search term “health information management.” This cross-sectional inquiry evaluated job advertisements during a 2-week period in 2021. After the exclusion criteria, 691 job postings were analyzed. Data were evaluated with descriptive statistics and natural language processing (NLP). Soft cosine measures (SCM) were used to determine correlations between job postings and the AHIMA career map, curricular competencies, and curricular considerations. ANOVA was used to determine statistical significance.ResultsOf all the job postings, 29% (140/691) were in the Southeast, followed by the Midwest (140/691, 20%), West (131/691,19%), Northeast (94/691, 14%), and Southwest (73/691, 11%). The educational levels requested were evenly distributed between high school diploma (219/691, 31.7%), associate degree (269/691, 38.6%), or bachelor’s degree (225/691, 32.5%). A master’s degree was requested in only 8% (52/691) of the postings, with 72% (42/58) preferring one and 28% (16/58) requiring one. A Registered Health Information Technologist (RHIT) credential was the most commonly requested (207/691, 29.9%) in job postings, followed by Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA; 180/691, 26%) credential. SCM scores were significantly higher in the informatics category compared to the coding and revenue cycle (P=.006) and data analytics categories (P<.001) but not significantly different from the information governance category (P=.85). The coding and revenue cycle category had a significantly higher SCM score compared to the data analytics category (P<.001). Additionally, the information governance category was significantly higher than the data analytics category (P<.001). SCM scores were significantly different between each competency category, except there were no differences in the average SCM score between the information protection and revenue cycle management categories (P=.96) and the information protection and data structure, content, and information governance categories (P=.31).ConclusionsIndustry job postings primarily sought degrees, with a master’s degree a distant fourth. NLP analysis of job postings suggested that the correlation between the informatics category and job postings was higher than that of the coding, revenue cycle, and data analytics categories.

Readiness to change associated with job performance among health information management professionals during the covid-19 pandemic

Health information management professionals (HIM professionals) are one of the essential health workers during the Covid-19 pandemic in managing patient data in hospitals. Changes in both policies and work systems were felt by HIM professionals during the Covid-19 pandemic. The impact of these changes influences the job performance of HIM professionals. This study aimed to assess the association between readiness to change and job performance among HIM professionals during the Covid-19 pandemic in RSAB Harapan Kita, Indonesia. The indicators of job performance are quality, timeliness, need for supervision, responsibility, cost-effectiveness, quantity, interpersonal impact, and empathy. The readiness to change in this study seen from self-efficacy, appropriateness, management support, and personal benefits. This study applied a mixed-methods design to assess the association between readiness to change and job performance in which respondents fill out a questionnaire independently via Google Form. Furthermore, a focus group discussion was conducted to probe deeper into what changes occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic and how these changes related to the job performance of HIM professionals. The questionnaire used in previous research has been validated. The samples used were all 27 HIM professionals and 11 of them agreed to continue the focus group discussion. Statistical analysis used the chi-square test on SPSS version 26 to assess the association between variables. The results show that readiness to change indicated significant association with job performance (p=0.001). Informants stated that changes that occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic included the use of personal protective equipment, spraying disinfectants on medical forms and workspaces, and adding Covid-19 reporting both internally and externally.

The historiography of a profession: The societal and political drivers of the health information management profession in Australia.

Health information permeates healthcare delivery from point-of-care, across the continuum of care and throughout the healthcare system's policy, population health, research, planning and funding arenas. Health information managers (HIMs) expertly manage that information. This commentary theorises the health information management profession for the first time. Its purpose is to identify and contextualise, via a historiographical account, the societal and political drivers that have shaped contemporary Australian health information management and HIMs' scientific work. It seeks to build our knowledge of the socio-political influences on the profession's emergence and development, and the projected drivers of its future. Eight critical, socio-political drivers were identified and are addressed in temporaneous order. Scientific medicine has reflected the influences on medicine in the past century and a half of the medical record and other technologies, laboratory-based sciences, evidence-based medicine and evidence-based health. Standardisation has underpinned and guided the profession's practice. The hegemony of non-medical healthcare managers and resource- and performance-related accountabilities emerged in the 1960s, as did the efficiencies of bureaucratisation in healthcare and post-bureaucratic shifts to textualisation and technogovernance. Technologisation has driven constant change in health information management, as have the forces of the fast-paced risk society. Since the 1980s, the health consumer movement has propelled regulatory mechanisms that accord patients' access rights to their medical records and mandate information privacy protections. Finally, a nascent commodification of health information has emerged. These forces exert ongoing impacts on the profession. They will, we conclude, singularly and collectively continue to shape its discourses and direction.

The impact of health information management professionals on patient safety: A systematic review

The importance of high-quality health information for patient safety has been established in the literature, yet the impact of the professionals who are the custodians of health information is absent. This article presents the results of a systematic literature review examining the impact of the Health Information Management (HIM) profession on patient safety. A PRISMA approach was adopted for the review of selected databases and specific journals. Titles identified as relating to HIM and patient quality were screened using Covidence ® by title and abstract, followed by full text. The quality of selected articles was assessed and thematically analysed. Analysis of the 8 included articles found that the key themes from the non-empirical research were data quality, information governance, corporate governance, skills and knowledge required for HIM professionals. Most publications focussed on HIM professional involvement in maintaining standards for data quality and health records, but not the professional qualifications themselves. There are links between patient safety and health records, and between health records and HIM professional work. More empirical research is needed to demonstrate how qualified HIM professionals contribute to patient safety.

Awareness of, attitudes towards, and practices of health information management professionals in South Korea relating to privacy of personal health information.

Background: While information and communication technology has continued to advance, privacy of personal health information (PHI) has remained a challenge for health information management (HIM) professionals. Objective: This study aims to examine the awareness, attitude and practice relating to PHI privacy among HIM professionals in South Korea. Method: A survey questionnaire was developed for the study based on critical appraisal of relevant literature and expert consensus. It was completed by a sample of 312 respondents who were members of the Korean Health Information Management Association, over the age of 21, and worked in a healthcare organisation. Demographic data and questionnaire items (assessed on a 5-point Likert-type scale) were analysed using descriptive statistics, t-tests and ANOVA. Results: Mean scores and SDs for awareness, attitude and practice related to PHI privacy were calculated: 4.21 (0.60) for awareness, 4.17 (0.60) for attitude and 4.31 (0.63) for practice. Significant positive correlations were found between awareness and attitude scores (r = 0.765, p < 0.01); awareness and practice scores (r = 0.585; p < 0.01); and attitude and action scores (r = 0.672; p < 0.01). HIM professionals' awareness, attitude, and practice towards PHI privacy differed significantly according to age, level of education, years of HIM experience, type of employment, main task, number of completed privacy education activities within the previous 3years and whether or not they had signed a pledge of confidentiality on PHI. More highly-educated, full-time employed respondents, those who had completed a greater number of privacy education activities and had more experience as HIM professionals, achieved higher scores on awareness, attitude and practice than did other respondents. These differences were all statistically significant (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Although causality cannot be inferred from results of this study, findings suggest that there is a relationship between PHI being a core responsibility of HIM professionals and their subsequent awareness, attitude and practice to ensure its privacy and confidentiality. To improve privacy practice, educational efforts should be prioritised and supported at all levels, including national, organisational, individual, and by professional HIM associations.

Findings from the 2021 Yearbook Section on Health Information Management.

SummaryObjectives: To summarize the recent literature and research and present a selection of the best papers published in 2020 in the field of Health Information Management (HIM) and Health Informatics. Methods: A systematic review of the literature for the IMIA Yearbook HIM section was performed by the two section editors with the help of a medical librarian. We searched bibliographic databases for HIM-related papers using both MeSH headings and keywords in titles and abstracts. A shortlist of the fifteen best candidate papers was first selected by section editors before being peer-reviewed by independent external reviewers. Results: The three major themes of Health Information Exchange (transmitting, sharing, and accessing patient health-related data and information) (HIE), Data Quality, and Privacy and Security make up 80% of the fifteen papers, with individual papers on personal health records, information governance and the professionalism of the HIM field. Conclusions: Traditional HIM concerns about HIM practice and workforce as well as issues about the data in electronic health records (EHRs) including data quality, coding, health information exchange among entities within the healthcare systems and privacy and confidentiality continue to be a large part of the HIM research literature. Although there was little research applying these themes to pandemic concerns, HIM professionals have the expertise to make ccontributions to public health informatics research and this research would benefit from their involvement.

TECHNOLOGY APPLICATION IN HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT IN OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITALS COMPLEX (OAUTHC) ILE-IFE, OSUN STATE

This study focused on technology application in Health Information Management in Obafemi Awolowo University Hospitals Complex Ile-Ife. A simple random sampling technique was employed for the selection of respondents for the study. A total of Seventy eight (78) respondents across the department was randomly selected for the study. Descriptive statistics was employed in the analysis of data collected for the study. The reliability test of the instrument shows a (?= 0.9 for staff level of awareness of technology use in health information management practice), (?= 0.8 for areas of technology application in health information practice), and for (?= 0.9 for barriers of technology application in health information practice).The findings showed the majority of the respondent had good knowledge /aware of technology use in health information practices and the need for its application in the day-to-day administration of the hospital activities. The finding shows areas of technology application include: coding and indexing of clinical diagnosis, maintenance and records keeping, information processing and decision making, reduction of medical cost. The findings showed that majority of the respondents (80.8%) identified such barriers as militating technology used in health information management in OAUTHC. The study concluded that technology has the potential of enhancing job satisfaction of health information management professionals. Lastly the study recommended that other departments in the hospital should also embark on similar study so as to have an overview of the impact of technology application in other departments of the hospitals for a generalized assessment

An overview of health information management education in Saudi Arabia

Abstract Background In Saudi Arabia, Health Information Management (HIM) programs are established in universities and colleges that offer studies at the Bachelor's and Master's level. Purpose The main objective of this study was to assess the different HIM programs available in Saudi Arabian universities and colleges, in terms of the names of the programs, year of establishment, and other specific differences between them. Another objective was to have input for the establishment of future HIM degrees across Saudi Arabia. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the number, date of establishment, and location of HIM programs available in Saudi Arabian universities and colleges. In this retrospective study, information was collected from the Ministry of Education and updated online websites of universities and colleges. Results A total of 81 universities and colleges across Saudi Arabia were reviewed for the availability of Health Information Management (HIM) programs. Out of the 81 reviewed institutions, 16 had at least one HIM program available. 6 programs were established in private colleges and 10 were in public universities. In terms of the level of education, all of the 16 institutes were offering Bachelor's degree programs; and, 5 of them were offering a Master's degree program. Conclusions HIM undergraduate programs in Saudi Arabia are better established than postgraduate programs. The adequacy of HIM programs in Saudi Arabia can only be judged by a careful analysis of the HIM alumni job placement and workforce needs. The results of this research can be useful to predict the workforce needs to ensure an adequate supply of highly skilled HIM professionals in Saudi Arabia. In this regard, it would be important to systematically monitor trends in healthcare technology and the healthcare industry to identify the level and types of skills required by these professionals.

Light the candles! Happy 50th birthdayHIMJ! Underpinning an agile, future-facing health information management profession

Light the candles! Happy 50th birthday<i>HIMJ</i>! Underpinning an agile, future-facing health information management profession

Information Technology and Information Management in Healthcare.

Recent decades made a change in health care by putting health information as a core asset for effective management and improved quality of care. That is a reason why applications of information technology in health and healthcare attract more attention by healthcare organisations with highly skilled health information management professionals having an active role in the effective maintenance of organized and accurate electronic healthcare data. Also, widely adopted standards and principles of healthcare information governance are essential in efforts to reach a compromise of shared data, information and knowledge in the interoperable, electronic healthcare information sharing environment.

Perception of Health Information Management Professionals on the Importance of Computer System in Health Information Management in Obafemi Awolowo Teaching Hospital, Ile- Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

Healthcare system in this contemporary time is moving towards digitalization with respect to management of patients’ health information, this is however pertinent to achieve improved healthcare quality, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in hospital settings. The process therefore requires migrating from paper records to Electronic Health Records (EHRs) particularly in Africa where it has been a lingering challenge. However, adopting technology in the management of patient records will provide more accurate and details patient’s profile. This study therefore investigated perceptions of health Information Management Professionals on the importance of computer system in health information management in Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital ,Ile-Ife, Osun- State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was adopted and thirty (30) Health Information Management Professionals were randomly selected from Obafemi Awolowo Teaching Hospital.

Perception of Health Information Management Professionals on the Importance of Computer System in Health Information Management in Obafemi Awolowo Teaching Hospital, ILE- IFE, Osun State, Nigeria

Healthcare system in this contemporary time is moving towards digitalization with respect to management of patients’ health information, this is however pertinent to achieve improved healthcare quality, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in hospital settings. The process therefore requires migrating from paper records to Electronic Health Records (EHRs) particularly in Africa where it has been a lingering challenge. However, adopting technology in the management of patient records will provide more accurate and details patient’s profile. This study therefore investigated perceptions of health Information Management Professionals on the importance of computer system in health information management in Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital ,Ile-Ife, Osun- State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was adopted and thirty (30) Health Information Management Professionals were randomly selected from Obafemi Awolowo Teaching Hospital. The result revealed that majority of Health Information Management Professionals agree that computer science is of high importance in Health Information Management as it was seen as critically important for effective clinical documentation and patients’ management care. It was recommended among others that governments at all level should provide adequate and updated facilities for hospitals to enhance effective Electronic Health Records (EHRs) with required training for Health Information Management Professionals.

Exploring the research culture in the health information management profession in Australia.

Research is an important activity that informs knowledge and practice. The research culture within the Australian Health Information Management (HIM) profession has not been previously reported. This study explored the perceptions of HIM practitioners about research in their role to establish if there is a research culture in the Australian HIM profession. An online survey was distributed to the HIM community using a snowball recruitment strategy. Of the 149 respondents, more than half (54%) identified they possessed research skills from prior education, whilst 40% considered they had a strong knowledgebase in conducting research. However, only a quarter of respondents indicated that they should undertake research in their role. Barriers to undertaking research included recognition, organisational support and time. The findings from this study reflected other studies within clinical workforces. The lack of recognition and support to incorporate research into practitioner roles has implications for the profession and its body of knowledge. Advocating for research to be incorporated into practitioner roles is required to inform knowledge and practice. Increased professional development opportunities may create a stronger research culture within the HIM profession in Australia and strengthen the position of the profession within health.

Leadership development in health information management (HIM): literature review

PurposeThe health information management (HIM) profession lacks clarity around leadership and leadership development. To date, little empirical research exists on this topic, and it is unclear if broader approaches for healthcare leadership are suitable. This paper aims to explore which the leadership styles are relevant to the HIM profession. The findings were also used to inform a discussion on how HIM professionals could develop these leadership styles.Design/methodology/approachThrough a systematic scoping literature review, deductive thematic analysis was undertaken to extrapolate common themes around this style of leadership based on transversal competency domains that reflect twenty-first century skills (i.e. critical thinking and innovation, interpersonal, intrapersonal and global citizenship) (Bernard, Watch and Ryan, 2016; UNESCO, 2015). This approach enabled the findings to be discussed from a leadership development perspective.FindingsAnalysis of the literature revealed that a relational leadership style through a team-based approach is required. Literature studies on how to develop leadership competencies were not found.Research limitations/implicationsFuture policy and research implications include the need for research on transversal competencies to determine if they can shape HIM leadership development.Practical implicationsThis leadership style and competencies proposed are relevant across many occupations and may have broader applications for leadership research, education and development.Originality/valueThis paper defines the style of leadership required in the HIM profession and identifies a succinct set of contemporary competencies to inform the development of this type of leadership.

Health Information Management: Implications of Artificial Intelligence on Healthcare Data and Information Management.

Summary Objective: This paper explores the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) on the management of healthcare data and information and how AI technologies will affect the responsibilities and work of health information management (HIM) professionals. Methods: A literature review was conducted of both peer-reviewed literature and published opinions on current and future use of AI technology to collect, store, and use healthcare data. The authors also sought insights from key HIM leaders via semi-structured interviews conducted both on the phone and by email. Results: The following HIM practices are impacted by AI technologies: 1) Automated medical coding and capturing AI-based information; 2) Healthcare data management and data governance; 3) Fbtient privacy and confidentiality; and 4) HIM workforce training and education. Discussion: HIM professionals must focus on improving the quality of coded data that is being used to develop AI applications. HIM professional’s ability to identify data patterns will be an important skill as automation advances, though additional skills in data analysis tools and techniques are needed. In addition, HIM professionals should consider how current patient privacy practices apply to AI application, development, and use. Conclusions: AI technology will continue to evolve as will the role of HIM professionals who are in a unique position to take on emerging roles with their depth of knowledge on the sources and origins of healthcare data. The challenge for HIM professionals is to identify leading practices for the management of healthcare data and information in an AI-enabled world.