Health Information Management
Health information managers ensure efficiency and effectiveness in the provision of quality healthcare by combining healthcare, computing and management principles, (American Health Information Management Association- AHIMA, 2010).
The main function of health information management is to bring together specialists in systems and processes for the common good of patients (LaTour, 2006). According to the AHIMA (2010), health management includes planning and formulating strategies, administration by managing data and maintaining policies to be adhered to by staff involved in the provision of healthcare.
Professional bodies regulate medical professionals like doctors, nurses, clinical officers and pharmacists. These professionals will be guided by the code of ethics and practices in their respective fields while the Health Information Manager (HIM) will act as a link between them. The HIM will receive and disseminate medical information such as patient medical histories among the professionals to link up their services to the patients.
Registration clerks will capture patient details and schedule meetings with physicians. The clerks will send the patient details to the doctors through the computerized information systems in the hospital. Once doctors have treated patients they will send prescriptions to the pharmacy and instruct patients to the pharmacy. The doctors will also send diagnosis reports and charges to the registration clerks for filing in the medical history files of the patient. Once a pharmacist has issued drugs to patients they will send a report including the charges to the registration clerks. The clerks will then send a compiled charges list to the cashiers where patients will be required to clear their bills. In all the registration clerks must maintain patient data in a secure way that allows privacy and confidentiality (AHIMA 2010).
The hospital engineer will conduct regular checks, document and oversee maintenance of hospital machinery and equipment by technicians and submit reports to the HIM. Using information gathered, the HIM will cooperate with the hospital superintendant to plan, direct, and coordinate health services and staff including subordinates.
References
American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) (2010). AHIMA History.
AHIMA. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
LaTour, K. (2006) Health Information Management: Concepts, Principles, and Practice.
Chicago: AHIMA.
