There is a new wave taking over the medical field. It concerns our medical records. Right now, the medical records system we have in the USA is not very good. The system still utilizes paper records as the main source for medical documentation, patient history and the like. This puts us all at risk. Over 200,000 people die each year in the United States due to clerical medical errors. Issues such as not knowing a person's allergy history, medical history, etc. If you live in Miami, FL and take a trip to New York City and something happens while you're there, it will be very difficult for the medical personnel in NYC to get a hold of your medical history! That could lead to unnecessary procedures, allergic reactions, or even death.
Imagine with me: Your lifelong medical records are like a credit report. Everything that you have ever had done, any surgeries, allergies, X-Rays, Ultrasounds or procedures and ailments are all pooled together in one electronic file that can only be accessed via your personal information and permission by a Registered Health Information Administrator. This system can eliminate silly medical errors due to faulty clerical work, or lack of information!
Registered Health Information Technicians (RHITs) ensure the quality of medical records by verifying their completeness, accuracy, and proper entry into computer systems. They may also use computer applications to assemble and analyze patient data for the purpose of improving patient care or controlling costs. RHITs often specialize in coding diagnoses and procedures in patient records for reimbursement and research. RHITs may serve as cancer registrars, compiling and maintaining data on cancer patients. With experience, the RHIT credential holds solid potential for advancement to management positions and increase in salary, especially if it is combined with a bachelor's degree.
RHIT Career Outlook and Salary
Career outlook and salary potential for RHITs are excellent. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in health information is expected to grow by 20% between 2008 and 2018, which is much faster than the average of all occupations. RHITs have excellent earning potential which only improves with further experience, education, and certification. New graduates with an associate's degree can expect to earn $25k to $35K, while graduates with a bachelor's degree can expect to earn $30k to $50k. Depending on the employment setting, many health information professionals with 5 or more years of experience can expect to earn from $50k to $70k.
RHITs have many employment options. Although most RHITs work in hospitals, you will also find them in a variety of other healthcare settings including office-based physician practices, nursing homes, home health agencies, mental health facilities, and public health agencies. In fact employment opportunities exist for RHITs in any organization that uses patient data or health information such as pharmaceutical companies, law and insurance firms, and health product vendors
| Clinical Coder/Auditor | Data Integrity Specialist | Clinical Data Collection & Reporting Specialist |
| HIM Director | Quality Improvement Specialist | Document Imaging Coordinator |
| Consultant | Charge Master Auditor | Documentation Specialist |
| Instructor/Trainer | Cancer or Other Disease Registrar | HIM Department Manager/Supervisor |
| Information Access/Disclosure Specialist |
Preparing for a RHIT Career
First, RHIT candidates must hold a CAHIIM accredited Associate's degree in Health Information Technology. Although the associate degree curriculum offers some general education, the primary focus is more on the technical component of providing a variety of health information services. The curriculum is designed to prepare entry-level graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary to use, analyze, present, abstract, code, store and/or retrieve health care data for the support of departmental operations, and clinical and business decision making in healthcare, or related organizations. Second, RHIT candidates must pass the national RHIT certification exam. The 3 1/2 hour exam consists of 150 multiple choice questions. The pass rate of first time test takers for the 2009 RHIT Certification Exam was 82.7%.
The Health Information Management Technology (HIMT) program* is designed to prepare graduates who can identify and use a variety of health information technology resources and management technologies to accomplish the objectives of diverse health environments. In general, these professionals will have technical skills and knowledge that demands processing and maintaining health information data for tasks related to the use, analysis, validation, presentation, abstracting, coding, reimbursement, storage, security, retrieval, quality measurement and control of health care data.
Their responsibilities may also include supervision of personnel and research. The goal of the Health Information Management Program is to provide an educational experience within the framework of professional standards. Graduates of the program may be eligible to take the national certification examination to become a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT).
http://www.cbt.edu
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