|  Health
Information Technology, administered by the Allied
Health Sciences department, is a degree program that teaches
students specific skills to work in the health information management
(HIM) profession. The HIM profession encompasses any function associated
with patient medical information or charts (e.g., completion, reimbursement,
state, city, government laws and regulations, charging for services
rendered, lawsuits, access). Individuals within the HIM profession
may be responsible for assigning codes to patient admissions and
entering those codes into a software program for reimbursement,
involvement with information systems to protect the information,
development of policies and procedures regarding patient information,
and supervising activities focused on patient information.
The Program
The program sequence begins each fall semester and all HIT
courses are offered during the day. All students must complete
remedial courses prior to registering for HIT classes. Students
are exposed to all aspects of the HIM profession via classroom discussion
and hands on activities. Students are assigned homework for the
majority of HIT courses. In the second semester, students will begin
to read "real" hospital charts and assign diagnoses and
procedures. During the junior and senior semesters, students will
be coding inpatient and ambulatory charts using the ICD-9-CM and
CPT Coding Books, and assigning diagnostic related groups (DRGs).
The program has a computerized lab that has a coding software program
similar to those used in health care facilities in New York City.
See the Health Information Technology
program requirements
Clinicals
Students are required to complete two clinical experiences prior
to graduation. The first clinical, completed in the summer during
the day, exposes the student to the HIM profession. The second clinical,
taken during the senior semester, each Wednesday and Thursday, focuses
on management and coding responsibilities. Students will be assigned
a site for each clinical and are not allowed to complete a clinical
at a hospital they are employed at.
More about doing your clinical work
Classroom activities
Students will gain experience working on inpatient and ambulatory
patient medical records. These are the same type of patient records
that are used in health care facilities. Students will learn to abstract
information from the patient record, and utilizing the icd-9-cm coding
guidelines, assign a code for each diagnosis and procedure. Students
will then enter that information into a coding software program and
generate a diagnostic related group (drg). Students will also complete
a quality assurance project, learn computer skills (e.g., powerpoint,
excel), and complete writing assignments.
What
type of jobs are available with this degree?
The majority of graduates from the program find jobs as coders at acute
care facilities. However, graduates with this degree can find employment
in nursing homes, rehab centers, doctor's offices, insurance companies,
government, education, law firms, and consulting organizations. Salary
may be based on experience, passage of certification exam, type of facility,
and position. Starting salary can range anywhere from $30,000 to $40,000.
See Employment Opportunities and other
resources
Accreditation
Individuals that complete the requirements for this program will earn
an Associate Degree in Applied Sciences in Health Information Technology
and be eligible to sit for the Registered Health Information Technician
Certification Exam (formerly known as the ART). The
American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and
the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) accredit
the program. |
The City University
of New York
