Associate's degree programs in health-information systems include the same coursework as programs in general information systems plus courses particular to health care. This includes medical terminology, medical coding, legal and regulatory issues for health-care information, and health insurance and reimbursement. These degrees lead to positions as a health-care information technician, medical coder, data analyst, patient coordinator and records technician specialist. Other opportunities include health-care application development and health-information technician. Graduation with an associate's degree from an accredited health-information systems program will qualify you to take the Registered Health Information Technician certification exam, which is required for many positions.
Most associate's degree programs take two years of full-time study to complete. Many schools offer some or all coursework on-line. In addition, if the school offers a bachelor's degree program, the credits are often applicable to that program. Some schools that offer associate degree programs in health-information systems are listed below. Additional schools can be found at the CAHIIM accredited program directory (link in the References section).
Devry University
www.devry.edu/degree-programs/college-health-sciences/health-information-technology-about.jsp
ITT Technical Institute
itt-tech.edu/teach/list/ahit.cfm
Rasmussen College
www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/allied-health/health-information-tech
Bachelor's degree programs in health information systems build on topics covered in associate's degree programs, including management, decision-making and advanced patient data analysis. These programs lead to careers as a health-care information management department director, system manager or college instructor. Additional careers include data quality manager and chief privacy officer. Completion of a bachelor's degree qualifies a student to take the Registered Health Information Administrator certification exam.
Bachelor's degree programs take four years of full-time study to complete without credits that transfer from another program. Some schools that offer bachelor's degree programs are listed below. Additional schools can be found at the CAHIIM accredited program directory (link in the References section below).
East Carolina University
Department of Health Services and Information Management
4340 Health Sciences Building
Greenville, NC 27858
252-744-6177
www.ecu.edu/cs-dhs/hsim/him.cfm
Florida A&M University
School of Allied Health Sciences
324 Lewis-Beck Allied Health Building
Tallahassee, FL 32307
850-561-2021
www.famu.edu
Ohio State University
453 W. 10th Street
Atwell Hall 543
Columbus, OH 43210
614-292-0567
www.amp.osu.edu/hims
Master's degree programs in health-information systems include programs in biomedical informatics. They prepare students for careers at the uppermost levels of management related to health information. Coursework builds on the bachelor's degree and includes topics such as computer science, biomedicine and advanced statistics.
Claremont Graduate University
130 E. Ninth Street
Claremont, CA 91711
909-621-8209
www.cgu.edu
College of St. Scholastica
1200 Kenwood Avenue
Duluth, MN 55811
218-723-6011
www.css.edu/depts/him/index.html
Oregon Health & Science University
3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road
Mail Code: BICC
Portland, OR 97239
503-494-4502
www.ohsu.edu/dmice
University of Illinois at Chicago
Biomedical and Health Information Sciences (MC 530)
1919 West Taylor Street, Room 250
Chicago, IL 60612-7249
312-996-5112
www.ahs.uic.edu/bhis/programs/hi.php
University of Pittsburgh
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
6052 Forbes Tower
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
412-383-6651
www.shrs.pitt.edu/him
University of Tennessee Health Science Center
920 Madison Ave, Suite 518
Memphis, TN 38163
901-448-6486
www.uthsc.edu