As the need for those trained in health information technology, ICD-10, HIPAA, and related topics rises, do not forget that the only individuals academically prepared through their education from accredited educational programs (CAHIIM) in all of these topics are the Registered Health Information Administrators (RHIAs)and Registered Health Information Technicians (RHITs). These professionals have not only received education in the following but have been credentialed through a national certification examination to validate their knowledge. Scan through the Entry Level Competencies of both to find the individuals who are ready to meet these challenges and successfully lead your institutions.

The RHIAs must meet the HIM Baccalaureate Degree Entry-Level Competencies as listed below:

I. Domain: Health Data Management

A. Subdomain: Health Data Structure, Content and Standards

1.Manage health data (such as data elements, data sets and databases).

2. Ensure that documentation in the health record supports the diagnosis and reflects the patient’s progress, clinical findings and discharge status.

3. Maintain processes, policies and procedures to ensure the accuracy of coded data.

4. Monitor use of clinical vocabularies and terminologies used in the organization’s health information systems.

B. Subdomain: Healthcare Information Requirements and Standards

1.Develop organization-wide health record documentation guidelines.

2.Maintain organizational compliance with regulations and standards.

3.Ensure organizational survey readiness for accreditation, licensing and/or certification processes.

C. Subdomain: Clinical Classification Systems

1. Select electronic applications for clinical classification and coding.

2. Implement and manage applications and processes for clinical classification and coding.

D. Subdomain: Reimbursement Methodologies

1. Manage clinical indices/databases/registries

2. Manage the use of clinical data required in other reimbursement systems in healthcare delivery.

3. Participate in selection and development of applications and processes for chargemaster and claims management.

4. Implement and manage processes for compliance and reporting such as the National Correct Coding Initiative.

II. Domain: Health Statistics, Biomedical Research and Quality Management

A. Subdomain: Healthcare Statistics and Research

1. Manage the use of clinical data required in prospective payment
systems (PPS) in healthcare delivery.

2. Analyze and present data for quality management, utilization management, risk management, and other patient care related studies..

3. Utilize statistical software.

4. Ensure adherence to Institutional Review Board (IRB) processes and policies.

II. Domain: Health Data Management

B. Subdomain: Quality Management and Performance Improvement

1. Organize and coordinate facility-wide quality management and performance improvement programs.

2. Analyze clinical data to identify trends..

3. Analyze and present data for healthcare decision-making (such as demonstrating quality, safety and effectiveness of healthcare).

III. Domain: Health Services Organization and Delivery

A. Subdomain: Healthcare Delivery Systems

1. Monitor the impact of national health information initiatives on the healthcare delivery system for application to information system policies and procedures.

2. Interpret, communicate, and apply current laws, accreditation, licensure and certification standards related to health information initiatives at the national, state, local and facility levels.

3. Analyze and respond to the information needs of internal and external customers throughout the continuum of healthcare services.

4. Revise policies and procedures to comply with the changing health information regulations.

5. Translate and interpret health information for consumers and their caregivers.

I. Domain: Health Services Organization and Delivery

B. Subdomain: Healthcare Privacy, Confidentiality, Legal, and Ethical Issues

1. Coordinate the implementation of legal and regulatory requirements related to the health information infrastructure.

2. Manage access and disclosure of personal health information.

3. Develop and implement organization-wide confidentiality policies and procedures.

4. Develop and implement privacy training programs.

5. Resolve privacy issues/problems.

6. Apply and promote ethical standards of practice.

IV. Domain: Information Technology & Systems

A. Subdomain: Information and Communication Technologies

1. Implement and manage use of technology, including hardware and software, to ensure data collection, storage, analysis and reporting of information.

2. Contribute to the development of networks, including intranet and Internet applications to facilitate the electronic health record (EHR), personal health record (PHR), public health, and other administrative

3. Interpret the derivation and use of standards to achieve interoperability of healthcare information systems.

IV. Domain: Information Technology & Systems

B. Subdomain: Data, Information, and File Structures

1. Apply knowledge of data base architecture and design (such as data dictionary, data modeling, data warehousing and so on) to meet organizational needs.

C. Subdomain: Data Storage and Retrieval

1. Apply appropriate electronic or imaging technology for data/record storage.

2. Apply knowledge of database querying and data mining techniques to facilitate information retrieval.

3. Implement and manage knowledge-based applications to meet end-user information requirements.

4.Design and generate administrative reports using appropriate software.

D. Subdomain: Data security

1. Enforce confidentiality and security measures to protect electronic health information.

2. Protect data integrity and validity using software or hardware technology.

3. Implement and manage knowledge-based applications to meet end-user information requirements.

4. Recommend elements that must be included in the design of audit trail and data quality monitoring programs.

5. Recommend elements that should be included in the design and implementation of risk assessment, contingency planning, and data recovery procedures.

E. Subdomain: Healthcare Information Systems

1. Compare and contrast the various clinical, administrative, and specialty service applications used in healthcare organizations

2. Apply appropriate systems life cycle concepts, including systems analysis, design, implementation, evaluation, and maintenance to selection of healthcare information systems

3. Facilitate project management by integrating work efforts and planning and executing project tasks and activities

4. Formulate the planning, design, selection, implementation, integration, testing, evaluation, and support for organization-wide

5. Apply ergonomic and human factors in interface design.
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The RHITs must meet the HIM Baccalaureate Degree Entry-Level Competencies as listed below:

I. Domain: Health Data Management
A. Subdomain: Health Data Structure, Content and Standards
1. Manage health data (such as data elements, data sets and databases).

2. Conduct analysis to ensure that documentation in the health record supports the diagnosis and reflects the patient’s progress, clinical findings and discharge status.

3. Apply policies and procedures to ensure the accuracy of health data.

4. Contribute to the definitions for and apply clinical vocabularies and terminologies used in the organization’s health information systems.

5. Verify timeliness, completeness, accuracy, and appropriateness of data and data sources for patient care, management, billing reports, registries and/or databases

B. Subdomain: Healthcare Information Requirements and Standards

1. Monitor and apply organization-wide health record documentation guidelines.

2. Apply policies and procedures to ensure organizational compliance with regulations and standards.

3. Report compliance findings according to organizational policy.

4. Maintain the accuracy and completeness of the patient record as defined by organizational policy and external regulations and standards.

5. Assist in preparing the organization for accreditation, licensing and/or certification surveys

C. Subdomain: Clinical Classification Systems

1. Use and maintain electronic applications and work processes to support clinical classification and coding.

2. Apply diagnosis/procedure codes using ICD-9-CM/ICD/10.

3. Apply procedure codes using CPT/HCPCS.

4. Ensure accuracy of diagnostic/procedural groupings such as DRG, APC, and so on.

5. Adhere to current regulations and established guidelines in code assignment.

6. Validate coding accuracy using clinical information found in the health record.

7. Use and maintain applications and processes to support other clinical classification and nomenclature systems (ex. ICD-10-CM, SNOMED).

8. Resolve discrepancies between coded data and supporting documentation.

D. Subdomain: Reimbursement Methodologies

1. Apply policies and procedures for the use of clinical data required in reimbursement and prospective payment systems (PPS) in healthcare delivery.

2. Support accurate billing through coding, chargemaster, claims management and bill reconciliation processes.

3. Use established guidelines to comply with reimbursement and reporting requirements such as the National Correct Coding Initiative

3. Use established guidelines to comply with reimbursement and reporting requirements such as the National Correct Coding Initiative

4. Compile patient data and perform data quality reviews to validate code assignment and compliance with reporting such as outpatient prospective payment systems

II. Domain: Health Statistics, Biomedical Research and Quality Management

A. Subdomain: Healthcare Statistics and Research
1. Abstract and maintain data for clinical indices/databases/registries.

2. Collect, organize and present data for quality management, utilization management, risk management and other patient care related studies

3. Compute and interpret healthcare statistics.

4. Apply Institutional Review Board (IRB) processes and policies.

5. Use specialized databases to meet specific organization needs such as medical research and disease registries.

II. Domain: Health Statistics, Biomedical Research and Quality Management

B. Subdomain: Quality Management and Performance Improvement

1. Abstract and report data for facility-wide quality management and performance improvement programs.

2. Analyze clinical data to identify trends that demonstrate quality, safety and effectiveness of healthcare.

III. Domain: Health Services Organization and Delivery

A. Subdomain: Healthcare Delivery Systems

1. Apply information system policies and procedures required by national health information initiatives on the healthcare delivery system.

2. Apply current laws, accreditation, licensure and certification standards related to health information initiatives from the national, state, local and facility levels.

3. Apply policies and procedures to comply with the changing regulations among various payment systems for healthcare services such as Medicare, managed care and so forth.

4. Differentiate the roles of various providers and disciplines throughout the continuum of healthcare and respond to their information needs.

III. Domain: Health Services Organization and Delivery

B. Subdomain: Healthcare Privacy, Confidentiality, Legal, and Ethical Issues

1. Participate in the implementation of legal and regulatory requirements related to the health information infrastructure.

2. Apply policies and procedures for access and disclosure of personal health information.

3. Release patient-specific data to authorized users.

4. Maintain user access logs/systems to track access to and disclosure of identifiable patient data.

5. Conduct privacy and confidentiality training programs.

6. Investigate and recommend solutions to privacy issues/problems.

7. Apply and promote ethical standards of practice.

IV. Domain: Information Technology & Systems

A. Subdomain: Information and Communication Technologies

1. Use technology, including hardware and software, to ensure data collection, storage, analysis and reporting of information.

2. Use common software applications such as spreadsheets, databases, word processing, graphics, presentation, email and so on in execution of work processes.

3. Use specialized software in the completion of HIM processes such as record tracking, release of information, coding, grouping, registries, billing, quality improvement, and imaging.

4. Apply policies and procedures to the use of networks, including intranet and internet applications to facilitate the electronic health (EHR), personal health record (PHR), public health, and other administrative applications.

IV. Domain: Information Technology & Systems

B. Subdomain: Data, Information, and File Structures

1. Apply knowledge of data base architecture and design (such as data dictionary, data modeling, data warehousing to meet organizational needs.

C. Subdomain: Data Storage and Retrieval

1. Apply appropriate electronic or imaging technology for data/record storage.

2. Query and generate reports to facilitate information retrieval.

3. Design and generate reports using appropriate software.

4. Maintain archival and retrieval systems for patient information stored in multiple formats.

5. Coordinate, use and maintain systems for document imaging and storage.

D. Subdomain: Data Security

1. Apply confidentiality and security measures to protect electronic health information.

2. Protect data integrity and validity using software or hardware technology.

3 3. Apply departmental and organizational data and information system security policies.

4. Use and summarize data compiled from audit trail and data quality monitoring programs.

5. Contribute to the design and implementation of risk management, contingency planning, and data recovery procedures.

IV. Domain: Information Technology & Systems

D. Subdomain: Data Security

1. Apply confidentiality and security measures to protect electronic health information.

2. Protect data integrity and validity using software or hardware technology.

3 3. Apply departmental and organizational data and information system security policies.

4. Use and summarize data compiled from audit trail and data quality monitoring programs.

5. Contribute to the design and implementation of risk management, contingency planning, and data recovery procedures.

E. Subdomain: Healthcare Information Systems

1. Participate in the planning, design, selection, implementation, integration, testing, evaluation and support for organization-wide information systems.

2. Use the principles of ergonomics and human factors in work process design.

V. Domain: Organizational Resources

A. Subdomain: Human Resources

1. Apply the fundamentals of team leadership.

2. Organize and contribute to work teams and committees.

3. Conduct new staff orientation and training programs.

4. Conduct continuing education programs.

5. Monitor staffing levels and productivity standards for health information functions, and provide feedback to management and staff regarding performance.

6. Communicate benchmark staff performance data.

7. Prioritize job functions and activities.

8. Use quality improvement tools and techniques to monitor, report and improve processes.

V. Domain: Organization and Management

B. Subdomain: Financial and Resource Management

1. Make recommendations for items to include in budgets and contracts.

2. Monitor and order supplies needed for work processes.

3. Monitor coding and revenue cycle processes.

4. Recommend cost-saving and efficient means of achieving work processes and goals.

5. Contribute to work plans, policies, procedures, and resource requisitions in relation to job functions.

WHAT BETTER INDIVIDUALS FOR YOUR NEEDS THAN THESE HIGHLY SKILLED MEMBERS OF THE HEALTH CARE TEAM???????

For more information go to:
www.ahima.org
www.cahiim.org

The truth is... Facilities wanting to place a permanent analyst, especially an analyst with difficult to find certifications like Epic Stork or Beacon or Willow etc, would be better served by hiring an analyst or clinician that has strong experience in the industry but may not have the desired Epic qualifications and then providing training to that person.
The reasons are three-fold:
1. They could hire someone at a lower salary rate than someone with the desired certifications. (cost savings)
2. They would be able to fill the position quickly instead of waiting for months hoping the "ideal" candidate comes along. (time savings)
3. They can require the new hire to sign a 12 - 24 month agreement stating they will stay with the facility since they will be providing Epic Certification. (loyalty)
So its a choice really; Hire a great candidate without the Epic certification, provide that certification and have them up and running in a few months or play the waiting game hoping you win the lotto and the ideal candidate bites your hook.
The current Epic market as mentioned above, is extremely competitive. I often use the example that there are 1500 (or more) Recruiters standing at the Epic Pond with baited hooks in the water. There are 3 Epic Certified Fish in the pond and none of them are hungry. Its just a waiting game to see who gets hungry first and which hook happens to snag them.