Health care is a continuum of health services provided to an individual from the time of birth until the end of life.

HIM4670 Health Information Systems and Management

Unit 4 Assignment  

Staffing the HIM Booth

Introduction

Health care is a continuum of health services provided to an individual from the time of birth until the end of life. No single entity controls or regulates the U.S. health care system. Instead, as noted by Doctors for America (n.d.), the system is fragmented. The fragmented nature of the U.S. health care system can place continuity and quality of care at risk.

 

Health information documentation and management are integral to the continuity and quality of patient care. Health information management is “the practice of acquiring, analyzing, and protecting digital and traditional medical information vital to providing quality patient care” (American Health Information Management Association, n.d., para. 2).

 

Consider HIM’s roles in policy, research, standards, and education across the continuum of care. Also, consider its interconnections with health professionals and other members of the health care team. In this assignment, you will have the opportunity to introduce and educate others about the HIM profession.

 

References

 

American Health Information Management Association. (n.d.). What is health information? Retrieved from http://www.ahima.org/careers/healthinfo

 

Doctors for America. (n.d.). Healthcare delivery system. Retrieved from http://www.drsforamerica.org/learn/policy-center/healthcare-delivery-system

 

Demonstration of Proficiency

 

By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the course competencies through the following assignment scoring guide criteria:

 

Competency 1: Describe various types of health professionals and their training and practice settings.

Describe various health care practice settings and the health care professionals working within those settings.

 

Explain the HIM profession’s contribution to the U.S. health care system and its interactions with other health care professionals.

 

Differentiate among various HIM roles.

 

Competency 4: Communicate in a professional manner.

 

Create three clearly written, organized, and compelling documents that are generally free from errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

 

Follow APA style and formatting guidelines for citations and references.

 

Instructions

 

For this assignment, assume you are working as an HIM director at Vila Health. A friend of yours is a guidance counselor at the local high school. The high school is planning its career day to introduce students to various health care professions. The career day is an open event held in the gym where each profession has a booth. Students, parents, and the community walk through the gym and visit booths that draw their interest.

 

Your friend has asked whether you would be willing to staff an HIM booth and to explain to visitors how HIM provides critical support to health care providers. The school asks that you prepare a one-page sheet of talking points that covers:

 

The HIM profession.

 

The health care professionals HIM supports.

 

General educational requirements for HIM and other health care professionals.

 

The departments within various health care settings, including hospitals.

 

You will discuss these talking points with students, parents, and community members who visit the HIM booth.

The school also asks each booth to provide two handouts that visitors can take with them for reference. The first handout needs to be a concept map that identifies various departments in the health care setting and explains HIM’s interactions with these departments. The second handout, a brochure, needs to summarize important information about the HIM profession.

 

Prepared Talking Points (one page)

 

Develop a list of talking points to introduce visitors to the booth to the HIM profession. Remember your goal is two-fold. First, you hope to interest high school students in pursuing HIM as a profession. Second, you hope to educate parents and community members about the HIM profession. Be sure to address the following in your talking points:

 

Explain how your concept map fits within the U.S. health care system.

 

Describe various types of health professionals and their practice settings within the U.S. health care system.

 

Provide general educational requirements for health care professionals.

 

Explain the HIM profession’s contribution to the health care system.

 

Differentiate among various HIM roles.

 

Handout 1—Concept Map (one page)

 

Using one of the tools provided in this unit’s studies or a mapping tool you are already familiar with, develop a one-page concept map that visually shows various health care departments and their interaction with the HIM profession. You may also use Google Docs, Microsoft Word, Publisher, or PowerPoint to create your concept map. Note: The use of short descriptive phrases can sometimes help ensure that your intent is clear to your viewer.

 

Handout 2—Three-Panel Brochure About the HIM Profession (one double-sided page)

 

You may create your brochure in Microsoft Word or any other software with which you are comfortable. Remember that the purpose of your brochure is to educate the public about HIM and its contribution to the U.S. health care system and to attract students to the field. Your brochure needs to at least address the following:

 

What is the HIM profession?

How does HIM contribute to the U.S. health care system?

 

What are potential roles in the HIM profession?

 

What educational requirements must those entering the HIM profession meet?

 

What are the work settings in which HIM professionals work?

 

Who are the other health care professionals with whom HIM professionals interact?

 

Additional Requirements

 

Length: One-page talking points document, one page concept map, and one three-panel HIM brochure (double-sided).

 

Font: Times New Roman, 12 points.

 

References: Include citations and references that adhere to current APA style and formatting guidelines. For an APA refresher, consult APA Style and Format, linked in the Resources.Writing: Create three clearly written, organized, compelling documents that are generally free from errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.