Is an AAS in Health Information Systems a Good Investment?

Have you always wanted to work behind the scenes in a hospital, medical practice, or other health care setting?

Do you like making sense of data, keeping track of information, and using both to improve patient care and maintain patient record accuracy? Then a degree in Health Information Systems (HIS) may be the perfect degree for you.

In fact, there’s never been a better time than now to earn an online HIS degree. Why?

Well, for starters, there is an urgent need for HIS professionals in the healthcare industry. Healthcare professionals who know how to properly code, manage, and maintain medical records and confidential patient information are in very high demand!

In addition, the University of Cincinnati Online makes it easy to earn your degree with 100% online classes, taken full- or part-time, depending on what fits best into your schedule.

What Is Health Information Systems?

Health Information Systems is the healthcare system designed to manage medical records and healthcare data.  HIS jobs include collecting, storing, organizing, and managing important healthcare data and patient information. HIS professionals are also responsible for maintaining the integrity, quality and accuracy of electronic health records (EHR) by managing accessibility, confidentiality, and security.

HIS professionals communicate regularly with physicians and other healthcare professionals and often specialize in several different areas including billing and coding and Cancer Registry Management (also offered at UC Online).

What Opportunities Exist for an HIS Graduate?

HIS careers are one of the fastest-growing professions in the United States. A career in health information systems combines knowledge and skills from several disciplines including medicine, information management, business applications, and technology.

HIS professionals who graduate from the UC Online Health Information Systems program care for patient’s needs by caring for their health information. They ensure all patient records are complete, accurate, and protected. They make health information, data, and statistics readily available to health care providers, administrators, billers, insurers, and legislative and accrediting bodies.

Career options include:

  • Physician practices
  • Nursing homes
  • Home health agencies
  • Mental health facilities
  • Public health agencies
  • Hospitals
  • Urgent care facilities
  • Pharmaceutical companies
  • Law and insurance firms
  • Healthcare vendors

Upon completion of our CAHIIM-Accredited Health Information Systems program, you will:

  • Have essential professional knowledge, skills and competencies fundamental to the health information profession.
  • Be able to assure the quality of medical records by verifying completeness and accuracy.
  • Be able to leverage technology to improve patient care and decrease health care costs.
  • Be able to code diagnoses and procedures for accurate insurance billing and reimbursement.
  • Have taken AHIMA’s Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) Certification Exam and the (optional) AAPC Certified Professional Coder (CPC) Certification Exam all before graduation!

Projected Growth of Health Information Systems Jobs

Health information management is currently ranked as number four in the U.S. News & World Report’s list of nine hot college majors.

In addition, the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that employment for medical records and health information technicians is projected to grow 11% from 2018-2028, much faster than the average for all other occupations.

The reasons for this tremendous growth include an aging population in need of more medical services, and thus, more records. All of these EHRs will lead to an increased need for technicians to organize and manage the information for every area of the healthcare industry.

Cancer registrars will also continue to be in high demand as the population ages, as well as other special-purpose registries.

CAHIIM Accreditation

UC Online’s HIS program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). This accreditation qualifies our graduates to take the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) certification exam. Earning the credential of RHIT validates your competence in health information systems technology to employers and the public.

According to the BLS, employment opportunities for RHITs will grow by 21% through 2020! Another study by AHIMA equates this to job growth to approximately 4,300 positions per year and warns that there is currently a substantial shortage of qualified HIS and HIM professionals to fill the need.

Why UC Online?

There are many benefits of earning your HIS degree at UC Online including:

  • At UC, our HIS program is 100% online (part-time and full-time options), and there are no campus visits required!
  • Our most recent survey of students (Spring 2019) indicated that 100% of graduates were highly satisfied with our HIS program.
  • Our program boasts a 90% RHIT exam pass rate for first-time test-takers. UC Online students take the RHIT national exam in the final (HIS professional practicum) course of the program. This means that 90% of our students will graduate with the RHIT credentials in hand!
  • Professional experience opportunities are available at participating practice facilities throughout the U.S. and via state-of-the-art, online simulations.
  • Graduating students will also have earned a professional Medical Biller/Coder Certificate as part of the HIS online program (no extra time or cost)!

Ready to get started down the exciting path Health Information Systems? Connect with an advisor to learn more today!

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