Health information drives the modern healthcare sector providing the insights needed to improve patient outcomes while boosting revenue cycles. This data-driven approach involves both technical and management components, however, and often relies on separate (but complementary) professionals to guide the use of health information.
Among the most important professionals shaping the use of health information are health information technicians and health information managers. These experts draw from a thorough understanding of coding regulatory compliance to ensure the safe, secure, and effective use of health information. They do not work in silos but rather collaborate extensively, relying on one another’s expertise and advanced skill sets to ensure that all challenges and opportunities within the evolving landscape of health information are fully addressed.
Below, we explore collaboration in the context of health information technology and health information management below, revealing how industry-focused coursework can promote both technical and collaborative skills to break through silos and bring a coordinated approach to the use of health information.
Understanding the Fields: HIT vs. HIM
Health information technology (HIT) and health information management (HIM) share several common goals: namely, the strategic and effective use of health data to improve both patient outcomes and organizational performance, all while avoiding the potential for compromising patients’ privacy or safety.
What differs is how these professionals contribute to the bigger picture of health information. With HIT, the emphasis is on infrastructure and technical concerns, whereas HIM explores the processes or accountability solutions designed to ensure that health information is recorded and analyzed in a responsible, ethical, and compliant manner.
Health Information Management (HIM)
Health information managers develop systems and policies that encourage the safe and compliant use of sensitive health information, especially in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). These leaders may oversee other health information professionals, such as medical coders or health information technologists, offering ongoing support and guidance to help technical professionals carry out critical tasks.
Today’s health information managers are increasingly involved in data analysis, seeking patterns through data that can shape everything from resource allocation to clinical decision-making. That being said, this field should not be confused with health informatics, which moves beyond health data management or governance to emphasize advanced analytics or information systems development.
Health Information Technology (HIT)
Health information technologists focus on the infrastructure needed to collect, store, and analyze health data — developing or maintaining the hardware, software, and networks that shape data-driven systems. They may take on technical tasks such as installing or configuring systems, troubleshooting networks, or offering valuable support to end users so they can make the most of today’s abundance of health information (and the systems used to store or manage that data). In general, HIT professionals offer behind-the-scenes support so that a variety of clinicians, administrators, and other healthcare workers can fully leverage health information.
The Key Differences Between HIT and HIM
Compared to HIM, HIT is more technical in nature. Health information technologists emphasize the tools and technologies that allow organizations to utilize data, rather than overseeing the employees who work with that data or the workflows (or compliance initiatives) that influence data-centric tasks.
HIT forms the foundation for HIM by making critical infrastructure available. However, it is HIM’s role to ensure that the data gathered and analyzed using this infrastructure is accurate and that all data-driven processes are fully compliant with strict regulatory requirements.
Focus Areas
While HIT and HIM are both nuanced practices that can encompass many concepts, frameworks, tools, and techniques, they generally boil down to a few main priorities:
- HIT is primarily technical in nature, focused on system and infrastructure maintenance while lending support through the targeted use of technology.
- HIM shifts the focus to data governance, regulatory compliance, and data analysis, emphasizing the policies and processes used to promote the secure and responsible use of health information.
Educational Pathways
Because HIM and HIT address distinct components of health data stewardship, these areas call for considerably different skill sets. Both HIM and HIT professionals are expected to develop data literacy and a basic understanding of healthcare systems or terminology, but HIM places a greater emphasis on leadership and data analysis.
To accommodate these differing expectations regarding soft skills and technical competencies, aspiring HIM and HIT professionals may pursue different degrees or other training opportunities. In terms of level of education, HIM professionals are more likely to seek bachelor’s degrees; this may incorporate management-focused courses involving human resources, finance, or process improvement but in the context of the healthcare industry. These students may also take classes dedicated to coding systems such as the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) and the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS).
Those who hope to work in HIT can train at the associate’s level, gaining a foundational overview of medical terminology and coding as well as exploring data structures, reimbursement methodologies, and basic legal and ethical concerns.
Certifications and Goals
Both HIT and HIM professionals can pursue certification with the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), one of today’s leading authorities in health information.
Health information managers typically seek the AHIMA’s Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) credential, while health information technologists are more likely to opt for the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) certification. Both credentials involve stringent requirements regarding educational attainment, along with challenging certification exams.
How HIT and HIM Professionals Collaborate in Healthcare Settings
Although HIT and HIM professionals tackle different aspects of health data, they work closely together in the pursuit of a few common goals: driving the secure, compliant, and effective use of patient information. Their collaborative efforts support the bigger picture of improved patient care but without compromising patient privacy.
1. Ensuring Data Accuracy and Completeness
Both HIT and HIM professionals are committed to collecting, storing, and analyzing patient data that is both complete and accurate. They use different — but complementary — strategies to achieve this shared objective. HIT focuses on the tools, technologies, and systems required to appropriately gather and securely store health information, while it is up to the health information manager to establish the standards or policies that guide the accurate capture and analysis of this data.
2. Securing Patient Information
Data privacy is paramount, with legislation such as HIPAA establishing strict requirements in this regard. Health information technologists address the technical side of implementing safeguards such as data encryption to help keep patient information safe. HIM leaders reveal how the various management practices underscoring the use of patient data comply with regulations while also promoting practices that ensure the responsible usage and disclosure of protected health information.
3. Optimizing Electronic Health Record (EHR) Systems
Electronic health records (EHRs) guide the use of health information, functioning as a safe, secure, and accessible repository in which patient information can be stored and managed. These play a fundamental role in both health information technology and health information management; HIT professionals focus on developing and maintaining the platforms that guide the use of EHRs, while HIM leaders focus on data governance and privacy as they relate to EHR solutions.
EHR-focused collaborative optimization efforts may relate to data integrity. HIM professionals define quality metrics, while technicians drive the technical controls that support these standards. This division of labor is relevant to EHR security, too, with HIT emphasizing the technical safeguards such as encryption or access control and HIM establishing the underlying policies that govern data access.
4. Supporting Clinical Decision-Making
Physicians, nurses, and other clinical professionals increasingly integrate data-driven solutions into decision-making processes, drawing from insights regarding patient history while making extensive use of EHR systems. HIT and HIM can provide valuable support to guide these clinical decision-making efforts. Health information technologists ensure that the EHR systems that underscore clinical decision-making are technically sound. Health information managers support data quality and guide the ethical use of health information.
Clinicians rely on both data integrity (promoted through HIM) and the functionality of data-driven systems (facilitated by HIT), with multiple types of health information professionals working together to ensure that clinical decision support systems live up to their full potential.
5. Improving Operational Efficiency
Though health information can uncover potentially transformative insights, the systems and solutions that support its collection and analysis can determine whether these efforts are streamlined and efficient — or whether health information systems are prone to bottlenecks. HIT and HIM professionals limit these issues by working to promote efficient workflows that optimize the capture and retrieval of essential health information.
With HIT, this involves maintaining the infrastructure that supports the smooth flow of data. HIM leaders focus on the processes carried out using this optimized infrastructure and, when necessary, the training or support that helps other professionals execute critical tasks efficiently.
Why HIT and HIM Collaboration Matters More Than Ever
Silos must be avoided within HIT and HIM, as these prompt miscommunications and inefficiencies. Not to mention, they may even lead to errors that place patients and their data at risk. Through collaboration, HIT professionals can develop systems that meet HIM’s data structuring needs in the context of billing or coding, while HIM leaders can gain insights into system updates that might influence critical workflows. These complementary professionals can address one another’s gaps in knowledge.
Real-World Scenarios Where HIT and HIM Collaboration Is Vital
Many real-world situations illustrate the value of collaboration between HIT and HIM professionals. This is valuable on a day-to-day basis but may prove especially influential in these key scenarios:
Implementing a New Electronic Health Record (EHR) System
Collaboration between HIT and HIM professionals may come into play as new EHR solutions are implemented or optimized. This may begin with defining data requirements or user controls — an effort led by health information managers, who may also examine existing data to reveal how it might fit into the new EHR’s structure. These leaders may determine how EHR-related workflows will be designed and how EHR content will be configured.
From there, HIT experts can handle the technical intricacies of installation and configuration as they relate to necessary hardware or software. They may configure security measures or perform testing to identify potential bugs so they can be resolved early on.
Responding to a Data Breach
While HIT and HIM collaborative efforts can limit the potential for breaches, a coordinated response is essential if a breach eventually occurs. In this situation, technicians would likely be the first to detect the breach via system monitoring and would take steps to contain the issue or remediate compromised systems. HIM may focus more on impact analysis, determining the extent to which protected health information may have been compromised and carrying out breach notifications based on these insights. Throughout this process, HIM must take extra measures to maintain compliance with HIPAA requirements.
Preparing for a Regulatory Audit
Systematic reviews determine whether healthcare organizations comply with HIPAA and other requirements. And while everyday measures (such as audit trails) can enhance audit preparation, collaborative efforts can elevate this process, helping HIM uncover potential areas of noncompliance while HIT takes the technical steps needed to resolve these concerns. Their complementary efforts ensure a comprehensive audit preparation process that ultimately improves overall security and patient privacy.
How an Education in HIT or HIM Prepares You for Collaboration
Intrigued by the evolving use of data in the healthcare sector? Would you like to play a role in shaping these data-driven solutions so they promote higher standards of patient care? You may be drawn to fields such as health information technology and health information management. Due to the differences in these pathways, however, it is essential to understand what is expected from each role and how you can prepare to exceed these expectations by developing the right skills. This begins with pursuing the appropriate degree: either an Associate of Applied Science in Health Information Technology or a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management.
What You Learn in a HIT Degree Program
As a HIT student, you will explore the fundamentals of the healthcare system, including medical terminology, healthcare delivery systems, and coding practices. This program provides a solid foundation, complete with the practical skills needed to enter the health information space and succeed as a health information technologist.
What You Learn in a HIM Degree Program
HIM coursework moves beyond the technical components of HIT to explore advanced topics related to finance, compliance, and informatics. This degree promotes a wide range of leadership skills that can determine how health information management teams are directed and how data governance initiatives are implemented. With an emphasis on critical thinking and data-driven problem-solving, this program also provides the chance to synthesize diverse, industry-relevant concepts through capstones and professional experience.
How Baker College’s Programs Foster Collaboration Skills
Aside from promoting industry-relevant technical and management skills, the HIM and HIT programs at Baker College help students learn to collaborate effectively. This journey largely relies on group projects and other immersive activities that simulate real-world scenarios and promote collaborative problem-solving. Additionally, these programs include classes that highlight techniques or frameworks that aid in collaboration, touching on the principles of organization through HIT courses, along with HR and change management within the HIM degree.
Prepare to Join the HIT-HIM Ecosystem at Baker College
At Baker College, we are eager to support the future of health information through degree programs that prepare aspiring health information technologists and health information managers for success in their respective specializations. Our transfer-friendly solutions can also help health information technologists acquire the targeted management knowledge needed to advance into senior or leadership roles. Get in touch today to learn more about our HIT degree or HIM degree.