EHR

HIM professionals and quality of health care data

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An electronic health record (EHR) comprises of medical and treatment histories of patients. Health care professionals can use these records to monitor patients and to improve health care quality. EHR result in less human medical errors along with cost control in health care. However, the quality of electronic health record matters a lot as any wrong information can put the patient's safety at risk. For this purpose, organizations hire health information management (HIM) professionals, who enhance the quality of data by providing the best information available for healthcare decisions ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"vtcrlj7J","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Zeng, Reynolds, & Sharp, 2009)","plainCitation":"(Zeng, Reynolds, & Sharp, 2009)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2233,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/4JCJIQKK"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/4JCJIQKK"],"itemData":{"id":2233,"type":"article-journal","title":"Redefining the roles of health information management professionals in health information technology","container-title":"Perspectives in Health Information Management/AHIMA, American Health Information Management Association","volume":"6","issue":"Summer","author":[{"family":"Zeng","given":"Xiaoming"},{"family":"Reynolds","given":"Rebecca"},{"family":"Sharp","given":"Marcia"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2009"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Zeng, Reynolds, & Sharp, 2009). This paper will discuss the purpose of the health record and the role of HIM professionals for ensuring the quality of health record.

All the information in the medical record is very crucial and requires the effective role of HIM professionals which are key players in handling information. HIM professionals have to handle the flow of health care information. They have to ensure the quality of health record attributes while managing the inflow and outflow of information ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"UBm52N8C","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Adeleke, Lawal, Adio, & Adebisi, 2015)","plainCitation":"(Adeleke, Lawal, Adio, & Adebisi, 2015)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2234,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/9SDQXEPK"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/9SDQXEPK"],"itemData":{"id":2234,"type":"article-journal","title":"Information technology skills and training needs of health information management professionals in Nigeria: a nationwide study","container-title":"Health Information Management Journal","page":"30-38","volume":"44","issue":"1","author":[{"family":"Adeleke","given":"Ibrahim Taiwo"},{"family":"Lawal","given":"Adedeji Hakeem"},{"family":"Adio","given":"Razzaq Adetona"},{"family":"Adebisi","given":"AbdulLateef Adisa"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2015"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Adeleke, Lawal, Adio, & Adebisi, 2015). HIM professionals are required to ensure that data is accurate, comprehensive and well-timed. They ensure compliance with HIPAA rules and regulations while converting written documentation to electronic form. HIM professionals ensure the quality by arranging seminars as well as other training sessions. They also analyze current organizational policies to ensure that they follow the necessary guidelines. Moreover, they also devise different strategies that certify the safety of healthcare information.

Hence, HIM professionals ensure the quality of data by providing direction on records and documentation, communication, EHR infrastructure as well as policy issues. For this purpose, they get involved in the disclosure of information, it's coding and disposition. For example, HIM coders have biomedical science education so that they can collect data from hospital visits and carry out correct coding classification. Moreover, they are also extremely skilled in managing different information management technology applications ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"AVM4mo8l","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Adeleke et al., 2015)","plainCitation":"(Adeleke et al., 2015)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2234,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/9SDQXEPK"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/9SDQXEPK"],"itemData":{"id":2234,"type":"article-journal","title":"Information technology skills and training needs of health information management professionals in Nigeria: a nationwide study","container-title":"Health Information Management Journal","page":"30-38","volume":"44","issue":"1","author":[{"family":"Adeleke","given":"Ibrahim Taiwo"},{"family":"Lawal","given":"Adedeji Hakeem"},{"family":"Adio","given":"Razzaq Adetona"},{"family":"Adebisi","given":"AbdulLateef Adisa"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2015"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Adeleke et al., 2015). They work for the standardization of different diseases and treatments for their clinical, financial, and legal uses in healthcare.

References

ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Adeleke, I. T., Lawal, A. H., Adio, R. A., & Adebisi, A. A. (2015). Information technology skills and training needs of health information management professionals in Nigeria: a nationwide study. Health Information Management Journal, 44(1), 30–38.

Zeng, X., Reynolds, R., & Sharp, M. (2009). Redefining the roles of health information management professionals in health information technology. Perspectives in Health Information Management/AHIMA, American Health Information Management Association, 6(Summer).