|
Billions of dollars have been allocated toward improving health
care information systems across the United States. As a result,
an estimated 40 percent increase in the number of health care
professionals with technical knowledge will be needed to manage
and maintain these systems.* To meet this demand and help
prospective students succeed in the health information field,
Kaplan University has developed innovative online health information
technology and management programs.
An Associate of Applied Science in Health Information Technology
is designed to equip graduates with the knowledge, technical
skills, and work habits to pursue entry-level positions within
the field of health information management. Graduates will
be able to start a career as a clinical coder, a clinical
data collection and reporting specialist, a cancer registrar,
a documentation specialist, and many other positions.†
Some graduates from this program will choose to continue on
to earn a bachelor's degree to obtain a management position
within the field of health care information. One such option
is Kaplan University’s own health information management
degree program.
A health information management bachelor of science degree
acts as the next step for individuals who already possess
an AAS in Health Information Technology. Students matriculating
into this program must have successfully completed Kaplan
University’s Associate of Applied Science in Health
Information Technology program or a Commission on Accreditation
for Health Informatics and Information Management Education
(CAHIIM)-approved Associate of Applied Science in Health Information
Technology program prior to admission. Students are taught
the skills needed to be innovative and adaptable thinkers
and problem solvers who can leverage available services and
technologies to support operations, management, and strategic
initiatives within the field.
What’s especially unique about these new programs is
that the health information technology and health information
management degrees address the specific area of health care
that deals with health information—not just individual
medical (health) records but also the use of the information
that is derived from health records for use in organizational
planning, disease epidemiology, reimbursement tracking, quality
of care studies, and the like. Students focus on exciting
new technologies in the medical field including speech recognition
technology, computer-assisted coding, and the electronic medical
(health) record (which comprises a significant portion of
the curriculum).
Some exciting elements of the online degree programs in health
information are the practicum and externship opportunities.
The health information technology program requires a 30-hour
clinical practicum and a 90-hour externship in a hospital
or health care facility, which could include tasks such as
processing medical records, practicing storage methods, chart
completion, cancer registry, or working with simulated electronic
record software. Also, the last three weeks of the course
are spent discussing career goals and preparing for the RHIA
exam through the help of useful study tips and mock exams.‡
Kaplan University has gone to great lengths to ensure these
programs offer unique opportunities in comparison to programs
that may be available at other universities. There is a dedicated
Clinical Placement team to ensure an appropriate external
facility is found for the required practicum and externship.
There are also two Health Sciences “resource rooms”—online
libraries of health sciences references along with online
quizzes and tools to supplement in-class learning—that
have been built specifically for Kaplan University Health
Sciences students.
Most importantly, graduates today are looking for fields
of study and educational institutions that offer immediate
career opportunities. Graduates of these health information
programs are needed in a multitude of health care facilities
including hospitals, physicians' offices, public health facilities,
long-term care facilities, medical clinics, and insurance
companies. Some potential professional titles include clinical
or medical coder, documentation specialist, clinical data
collection specialist, cancer registrar, reimbursement specialist,
data quality manager, compliance officer, privacy officer,
project manager, and reimbursement manager.†
Get stareted now. For more information on Kaplan University’s
online degree programs, request
for more information and an education advisor
will get in touch with you.
There are many schools that offer healthcare courses to choose
from. To see these and others, visit the Healthcare
Schools directory today.
*Source: ModernHealthCare.com, April 30, 2008;
“Health IT Holds Promise of Creating More Jobs: Study”;
http://www.modernhealthcare.com
†Kaplan University's programs are designed to prepare
graduates to pursue employment in their field of study, or
in related fields. However, the University does not guarantee
that graduates will be placed in any particular job or employed
at all.
‡Although certain programs at Kaplan University are
designed to prepare students to take various certification
or licensing exams, the University cannot guarantee the student
will pass those exams. In some cases, field experience and/or
background checks may be necessary to be eligible to take
or to successfully pass the exams.
|
