Health information management (HIM) is an empirical exercise that involves obtaining, evaluating, and safeguarding traditional and computerized clinical data with the objective of offering quality patient care. (McWay, 2013).
Acute care is a division of additional health care where a patient gets short-term albeit active treatment for a severe injury or an incident of illness, a critical medical ailment and so forth. In medical parlance, acute health care conditions contrast longer term care or chronic care. Non-cute care data refers to all scientific data used to analyze, evaluate and interpret acute health data. Such data is given then administrative and healthcare managers for decision and policy making interventions (Kahn, et.al, 2013).
The type of acute data collected can include; if the average length of stay (ALOS) for such diagnosis-related groups is considerably different from that of the national average length of stay for these diagnosis-related groups. The geographical area coverage the facility serves how charges compare with those of federal health facilities, which surgical/medical services admit the most number of patients among many others.
Data collection challenges that face health information managers are vast albeit, the most common ones include increasing and improving data analytical skills among HIM managers, analyzing data requires a high level of understanding, aptitude, and knowledge of health information and the tools needed to perform such tasks. Cultural barriers, this is with regards to disparities in ethnicity, language and culture; some cultures stigmatize some ailments while some patients are inherently difficult to obtain information from directly. Another challenge facing information management professionals is that collection and analysis of acute data might take too much time, and encroach on the budgetary limitations of the data collection exercise (Jordan, et.al, 2013).
A health information manager integrates medical skills, management skills, and information systems/technology skills in his/her daily responsibilities. He/she oversees all the medical information management at a given facility, designs and manages healthcare information systems, collect, analyze and generate reports on patient also institute procedures established to handle and safeguard patient data.
Non-Acute care is a part of ancillary health care where a patient gets short-term active treatment for less severe injuries. Non-cute care data refers to all empirical evidence used to analyze, assess and deduce non-acute health data. Equally, such data is then handed over to the administrative and healthcare managers for decision and policy making. Types of non-acute data can include how many patients got hospital-acquired infections, lengths of stay if any, diagnosis-related groups for inpatient discharge from the hospital among others (Audet, Squires & Doty, 2014).
Data collection challenges that face health information management professionals for non-acute healthcare include getting accurate data on senior citizens who frequently see several doctors and take various medications do not often give specific information between the different caregivers making analysis and interpretation of such data inaccurate. Equally, systems are now identifying, and research is similarly establishing, that the emergency section of a non-acute care hospital is not a suitable place for the senior citizens to obtain appropriate and efficient attention and diagnosis. The challenge is riddled with a further projection that asserts that by 2030 in the United States, for instance, there will be over 70 million senior citizens over the age of 65, which will be approximately three times as much as it was in the year 1980 (Audet, Squires & Doty, 2014).
Additionally, health information management personnel face the challenge of increasing and improving data analytical skills for analyzing data which typically requires high-level understanding, competence, and knowledge of health information systems, administration skills and the applications mandatory to accomplish such a momentous task.
Health information management professionals are charged with the authority of advancing quality medical care service delivery, by guaranteeing valuable information is accessible to relevant policy and healthcare decision makers. The personnel can oversee the services in collecting, planning, examining, and distributing individual patient and personal medical data.
An information system contains four interconnected modules namely, users, data, process and information technology. Health information management personnel’s’ general responsibilities equip them with the expertise in consolidating clinical information and procedures in a health management information system. Computerization of healthcare systems in caregiving establishments, the responsibilities of such management specialists have transcended beyond into information technology support, which typically is the duty of technology maintenance services (Appari, Eric & Anthony, 2013). Health Information Management experts’ experience and knowledge in the field of medical and administration over and above their training on managing clinical data; that equips them with the competence to uphold the authenticity and availability of e-medical data (Kahn et. al., 2013).
In conclusion, the healthcare sector is responsible for the structural quantum change in Health information Technology which enables involved parties to manage costs, espouse authenticity and advance the proficiency of the healthcare management technologies by streamlining services. This approach is set to instigate a broad health management framework that permits clinical data to be mutually utilized by clients, service providers and other related entities.
- Appari, A., Eric Johnson, M., & Anthony, D. L. (2013). Meaningful Use of Electronic Health Record Systems and Process Quality of Care: Evidence from a Panel Data Analysis of US Acute‐Care Hospitals. Health services research, 48(2pt1), 354-375.
- Audet, A. M., Squires, D., & Doty, M. M. (2014). Where are we on the diffusion curve? Trends and drivers of primary care physicians’ use of health information technology. Health services research, 49(1pt2), 347-360.
- Jordan, J. E., Buchbinder, R., Briggs, A. M., Elsworth, G. R., Busija, L., Batterham, R., & Osborne, R. H. (2013). The health literacy Management Scale (HeLMS): a measure of an individual’s capacity to seek, understand and use health information within the healthcare setting. Patient education and counseling, 91(2), 228-235.
- Kahn, J. M., Werner, R. M., David, G., Ten Have, T. R., Benson, N. M., & Asch, D. A. (2013). The effectiveness of long-term acute care hospitalization in elderly patients with the chronic critical illness. Medical care, 51(1), 4.
- McWay, D. (2013). Today’s health information management: An integrated approach. New York, NY: Cengage Learning.
