2017-2018 College Catalog 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
2017-2018 College Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Health Information Technology Associate in Science


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The Health Information Technician (H.I.T.) program grants a certificate upon the successful completion of the 4-semester or 2 year coursework. The HIT associate degree program comprises of the 4-semester coursework certificate plus the general education courses needed to get the associate’s degree. Since the associate degree in HIT is a high unit degree (more than 60 units), it typically takes longer than 2 years to complete. The HIT certificate and degree prepare the student for employment as a health information professional with the knowledge and skills to accurately code diagnoses and procedures for healthcare services provided to patients, and to collect, maintain, and analyze clinical data in electronic health records that physicians, nurses, and other healthcare staff rely on to deliver quality healthcare. Provide training through didactic instruction and directed practice. Facilities employing health information technology professionals include hospitals, ambulatory care centers, physician offices, long-term care facilities, dialysis centers, public health agencies, pharmaceutical companies, medical supply companies, rehabilitation centers, managed care organizations, behavioral and mental health facilities, law firms, and insurance firms.

Students are required to hold a valid basic life support CPR card for healthcare providers and carry professional liability insurance prior to commencing their directed practice.

Occupations/Fields that the program will prepare the student to enter:

  • Revenue Cycle Management/Billing/Clinical Coding
  • Health Information Management
  • Practice Management
  • Patient care registrar
  • Health Information Education
  • Insurance Claims specialist
  • Patient Portal education/liaison
  • Medical office administration
  • Quality Improvement analyst
  • Help Desk
  • Release of Information
  • Medical Transcription

Competencies:

  • Patient Registration
  • Revenue Cycle Management/Billing/Clinical Coding
  • Quality/Performance Improvement
  • Transcription
  • Release of Information
  • Revenue Cycle Management/Billing/Clinical Coding
  • Deficiency Analysis (health information)
  • Physician credentialing and privileging
  • Privacy and Security of health information
  • Healthcare statistics, reporting, and registries

Program Student Learning Outcomes


Students who complete this program will be able to:

  • Collect, use, analyze, validate, store, and retrieve health care data.
  • Manage related data, personnel management, and release of information.
  • Demonstrate skill in clinical coding - converting diagnoses and procedure’s to numeric codes.
  • Demonstrate skills in quality assessment, financial management, and computer science.
  • Apply knowledge through clinical experiences in various professional practice health care facilities.
  • Demonstrate the knowledge and skills needed to successfully pass entry level HIM certification examinations and the Registered Health Information Technician examination. (RHIT)

A minimum grade of “C” in all courses is required to receive the certificate.

Total Units for the Major: 46


*Course has a prerequisite, corequisite, limitation, or recommended preparation; see course description.

 

Associate in Science Degree


Completion of the certificate program and a minimum of 60 units including the general education requirements with an overall GPA of 2.0 qualifies the student for the Associate in Science degree. A minimum of 12 units must be completed at Saddleback College.

General Education Requirements for Associate Degrees


Refer to the Graduation Requirements  or to the CSU-GE and IGETC patterns in this catalog for specific courses which meet general education requirements. Refer to ASSIST.org and to the transfer institution’s catalog for transfer requirements.

Accreditation


The Health Information Technology Program (HIT) is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). 

To contact CAHIIM

233 N. Michigan Ave 21st Floor
Chicago, IL 60601-5800
(312) 233-1100 
Fax (312) 233-1948
info@cahiim.org

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