Career Skills in Health Informatics Chapter 2 Career Skills in Health Informatics

Warm-Up When you think of careers in healthcare, which jobs first come to mind? Which healthcare job or career path interests you most? Why? What personality traits, interests, or skills do you have that make this job a good fit for you? Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com

What Is Health Informatics Services? A career pathway that involves working with medical and healthcare information, including medical records, data, and statistics Health informatics workers Use information technology (IT) to acquire, store, retrieve, and use medical information Use communications skills to maintain records and share medical information with others Dragon Images/Shutterstock.com

Critical Thinking What personal traits and interests make someone a good fit for a career in health informatics services? Organized Detail-oriented Good speller Trustworthy Positive attitude and professional appearance Interest in working with computers and able to adapt quickly to changing technology More interested in working with medical information than interacting directly with patients

Health Informatics Careers Health informatics services includes three main career categories:

Health Information Management (HIM) Workers assemble and organize patient information to create a medical record A medical record includes: medical history family medical history personal identifying information such as a Social Security number Electronic medical records are stored on a computer database ©iStock.com/pandpstock001

Health Information Technicians Specialize in different areas of health information management Medical coding specialists assign a numerical code to each diagnosis or procedure in a patient’s medical record. These codes are used to determine coverage by insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare. Medical transcriptionists (now often called speech recognition editors) listen to audio recordings of patient care dictated by a physician and ensure that the information is written down accurately in the patient’s medical record. Jobs require an associate’s degree and certification

Think Further How has computer technology changed careers in health information management? Medical records are now commonly stored electronically, on a computer database, so health information technicians must be adept at using computers or tablets. Some jobs have changed completely; for example, voice-recognition software has changed the job of medical transcriptionists, who are now known as speech recognition editors. Stepan Kapl/Shutterstock.com

Technician Certifications Technicians in HIM must take a test to become certified and continue taking classes to stay up-to-date.

Health Information Technology (HIT) Workers maintain the computer hardware and software used to store and access health information May design software and repair glitches Trained in computer science and hold a bachelor’s degree HIT careers include: data analyst, systems analyst, clinical information system specialist ©iStock.com/.shock

Health Informatics (HI) New field that combines health information management and technology (HIM and HIT) Health informaticists develop information systems and study electronic health data to improve patient care Requires knowledge of computer science, data science, and healthcare or business Bachelor’s or master’s degree required arka38/Shutterstock.com

Health Informatics Fields Health informatics students can choose from four areas of research Medical informatics: physician research Nursing informatics: clinical research Public health informatics: systems to track diseases and threats to public health Applied informatics: the movement of data in an electronic environment

Critical Thinking Compare and contrast the fields of HIM, HIT, and HI. How are they similar? How are they different? All three fields deal with medical and healthcare data and information. HIM focuses on the information in the medical record, while HIT focuses on developing and maintaining the technology used to store and access medical records. HI combines both fields. Workers in each field require a different level of education and expertise.

Careers Related to Health Informatics Some related careers that involve health information also allow for more patient interaction Medical assistants handle records and information but also assist with patient care Health educators share health information with patients, students, and the public michaeljung/Shutterstock.com

Tasks of a Medical Assistant A medical assistant’s job combines informatics and patient care.

Teamwork in the Medical Office An interdisciplinary healthcare team includes members from different health science backgrounds. Team members work together toward a common goal for the patient. Each team member must know his or her role. Effective team members remain positive in spite of personal differences. Rawpixel/Shutterstock.com

Think Further Imagine a problem that might occur if a medical team member does not understand his or her role. How might you solve this problem? Blaj Gabriel/Shutterstock.com

Technical Skills in Health Informatics Writing Letters Memos Forms Filing Scheduling Volt Collection/Shutterstock.com

Technical Writing A necessary skill for all healthcare professionals Writing must be concise, clear, and logical Documents must have a professional appearance

Letters and Memos Business letters Memos formal correspondence sent to people outside your organization (patients, insurance companies, other clinics) Memos sent to others within your organization and can be shorter and more personal in tone

Forms All forms become part of a patient’s medical record Speak privately with the patient to clarify information Fill in all spaces Use Ø, N/A, or None if a question does not apply Goncharuk Maksim/Shutterstock.com

Tips for Medical Forms Use abbreviations: S = Single; M = Married; W = Widowed; D = Divorced; l and w = living and well; d = died (d. 1987) Family history includes current and past health conditions or diseases for a patient’s parents, grandparents, and siblings Present illness or current complaint: describes patient’s symptoms Responsible party: the person paying for the medical services Shutterstock.com

Think Further Why is it important to protect information in a patient’s medical record? Patients have the right to keep health information private and confidential. Information such as a person’s Social Security number could be used for identity theft. What are some important steps workers must take to protect patient confidentiality? Avoid sharing computer passwords Close screens containing patient data Do not leave papers in a fax machine Know who is entitled to receive information Provide only facts and not judgments

Filing Organization systems Alphabetically by last name Numerically by a 6-digit number assigned to each patient Geographically by location, such as state or city Chronologically by dates, such as years or months By subject, such as personnel files, inventory records, or accounts payable Elena Elisseeva/Shutterstock.com

Alphabetic Filing Tips

Scheduling When scheduling an appointment get the patient’s full name, phone number, and reason for the visit ask the patient’s preferred appointment time provide a reminder card if the patient is in the office When a patient calls to cancel an appointment remain polite and positive ask the reason and note it in the patient’s chart offer to reschedule Tyler Olson/Shutterstock.com

Employability Skills Skills you need to get and keep a job, change jobs, and advance your career Use career assessments to determine the best career for you based on your personality type. Create a career portfolio containing an introductory letter or essay highlighting your skills and personality, a résumé, letters of recommendation, and other records. Join a student association such as HOSA for professional development opportunities. ©iStock.com/shironosov