Technology
has developed so far that people these days have made advancement in storing
data the electronic way. Gone are the days when paper and pen were the tools
used for jotting down the important information in any organization. With the
growth of technology, it has been high time for Health information management
professionals to make a major decision whether to follow the traditional method
of documentation or to shift to a much more advanced methods of electronic
health records, ICD-10 or data analytics so that they can move ahead
successfully in this era of health IT.
It
can be seen that the scenario of health care is changing in a very quick
manner. This has urged many of the Health information management professionals
to take up plans that can help them to move with the flow. The change to
ICD-10CM/PCS code set, adoption of EHRs and great concentration on the information
and data governance has all been urging a high demand for the change to be made
in the Health information management sector.
The
need for remaining in the competitive field is very tough in the days of
information and technology. Hence care should be taken by health care
professionals to stay updated in their knowledge of Information technology at
any cost. Nurses with a degree of informatics and Doctors who have
certifications in clinical informatics are of higher demand these days. Health
information management professionals too at this point, have to check out
whether they have upgraded their knowledge in the same, for the sole intention
of catching hold of their current positions.
The
growth of Information technology has helped in improving the collection and
quality of the data related to health care. This has helped in developing a
safer means of storing as well as maintenance of data. For the purpose of
bringing in advancements in this area, the health care organizations must take
care to take up the major steps that can help the system move on a smoother
pace even in this competitive world. Making the necessary steps to increase the
pace of the electronic data from various sources and integrating it to a
centralized system will help in growing the quality of the patient care
delivery.
The
HIM practices that have to be considered for better development in the field
are:
Data Governance- with the help of data governance, information management decision can be made with ease. Moreover, it helps the professionals involved to improve their task the right manner.
Standardization of Data- This is an important element in data management. It helps the HIM professionals to standardize data content, thus helping the organization to prosper.
Data collection, validation and Maintenance- These are the fields where the HIM professionals are to focus the most. Taking necessary steps to improving these can help in creating the right environment that helps in storing the data the right manner.
Carrie
miller is a web developer working
with Zealous System and has been involved in the medical IT field for many
years. The importance of IT and the changes it can bring about it the field is
being discussed in the right sense through this article.