Purpose
The Associate in Science (AS) Health Information Technology (HIT) degree will give students the skills and knowledge to perform health information management duties in multiple healthcare settings. Graduates are prepared to enter the workforce as health information professionals and to become credentialed as Registered Health Information Technicians (RHIT) after successful completion of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) national certification exam. Health information professionals, a STEM profession, play a critical role in collecting, analyzing and protecting the data that doctors, nurses and other health care professionals rely on to deliver quality health care. Health information professionals are the connection between clinical, business, and information systems within a healthcare organization.
They are experts in:
- managing access to and protection of health information
- establishing policies to protect and secure patient health data
- ensuring compliance with federal, state and local healthcare regulations
- utilizing computer information systems
- coding the diagnosis and procedures for health care services provided to patients
- reviewing medical claims data and managing the revenue cycle
- analyzing coded medical data for research purposes
Health information professionals work in a multitude of settings throughout the healthcare industry, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, nursing homes, physicians’ offices, home health agencies, medical coding and auditing companies, insurance companies, government agencies, release of information companies, and health information system vendors.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Employment of health information technicians is projected to grow 16 percent from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations.” The demand for health services is expected to increase as the population ages and will lead to an increased need for health information specialists to update clinical registries, abstract relevant details, and convert data into meaningful information. Healthcare organizations will continue to rely on these professionals for insight into improving the quality of care and controlling costs. Current occupational and wage data for Health Information Technicians/Registrars are published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/health-information-technologists-and-medical-registrars.
The degree is comprised of courses that provide coherent and rigorous content aligned with challenging academic standards, and technical knowledge and skills necessary for further education and careers in Health Science. The competency-based applied learning contributes to the academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, technical skills, and occupation-specific skills required of programs in the Health Science Career cluster.
The Health Information Technology, AS degree program has an associated College Credit Certificate (CCC).
Accreditation
The Associate Degree in Health Information Technology is accredited by the:
Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM)
200 East Randolph Street, Suite 5100
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312-235-3255
Email: info@cahiim.org
Program Application Deadline
May 31
Admission Requirements
Admission to Health Information Technology, AS program is selective and based on the following criteria.
To be considered for acceptance, students must:
- Be admitted to FSW.
- Be 18 years of age or older.
- Complete and pass a college-approved criminal background check and drug testing at the applicant’s expense.
- Complete the Health Information Technology, AS program application.
Upon acceptance into the program, students must meet with the School of Health Professions student advisor before enrolling in classes.
After acceptance to the program and before enrollment in the internship courses (HIM 2814C and HIM 2940), students must provide the following:
- Provide a current college-approved criminal background check and urine drug testing at the applicant’s expense.
- Provide documentation of a health physical and functional evaluation from a healthcare provider including all required immunizations.
- Provide evidence of tuberculosis (TB) screening.
- Provide proof of personal health insurance.
- Provide evidence of current Basic Life Support Provider Certification (CPR and AED).
General Education coursework may be taken on various campuses. The Health Information Technology courses are offered online or virtually via synchronous Live Online evening courses.
The program can be completed in 5 semesters by college-ready students (i.e., completed all developmental coursework). Students should progress through the HIT program as a cohort and courses must be taken in sequence which includes a summer semester. Withdrawing from a course will result in a delay in the completion of the program. HIT courses are only offered one time per academic year.
Internship Requirements
The HIT program includes three (3) professional practice virtual lab simulation and/or in-person experience (internship) courses. The HIM 1800C Health Information Simulation course will provide a virtual lab simulation of a real-world work environment in which students will experience the use of an electronic health record.
The HIM 2814C Coding Office Experience course will provide a virtual lab simulation of a real-world medical coding work environment. Students will also complete a total of 30 hours of professional practice experience in a healthcare setting. Students are responsible for transportation to and from the clinical sites.
The HIM 2940 Health Information Technology Capstone Experience course will provide a real-world environment in which to integrate the knowledge, theory, skills, and behaviors of a Health Information Professional. Students will complete a total of 40 hours of professional practice experience in a healthcare setting. Students are responsible for transportation to and from the clinical sites.
- Student assignment to facilities or lab simulation is made by the Health Information Technology Faculty and is based upon site availability.
- Facilities will be selected from within the Southwest Florida region which includes Lee, Collier, Charlotte, DeSoto, Hendry, Glades, and Sarasota Counties.
- Clinical sites are usually open during normal business hours (8 a.m. - 5 p.m.), and they are usually closed evenings and weekends. Students are expected to be at their clinical sites Monday through Friday during normal business hours.
- As part of this program, the student cannot receive compensation from the clinical site.
Course Prerequisites
Many courses require prerequisites. Check the description of each course in the list below for prerequisites, minimum grade requirements, and other restrictions. Students must complete all prerequisites for a course before registering for a course.
Graduation Requirements
Students must fulfill all requirements of their program to be eligible for graduation. All courses within the HIT Program must be passed with a grade of “C” or higher.