As the calendar and academic years are ending this is a great time to reflect on the past year and the work that has been done to advance health informatics and information management education. The Council for Excellence in Education (CEE) has published and vetted new curricula for the different levels of HIIM and as educators we are looking to the future to develop the workforce that is needed now and in the future.
The 2009 enactment of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act has placed unprecedented emphasis on utilizing technology to improve the quality of care and to decrease healthcare costs. To meet these goals, the healthcare field will need an increase in the number of professionals with the appropriate health informatics training and data analysis skills. Therefore, the author investigated the perceived knowledge of the emerging health informatics competencies by health information management (HIM) professionals.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has encouraged unprecedented expansion of the health information technology (HIT) industry and offers strong employment opportunities for those that qualify. However, academic institutions have been slow to address the changing nature of the profession and develop core competencies for a global HIT economy. A global curriculum framework flexible enough to operate across multiple cultures provides the foundation to develop these competencies.
Adoption of health information technology (HIT) was one of the major policy priorities of the federal stimulus package contained in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, with more than $19 billion in federal spending allocated for widespread implementation of HIT and health information exchange (HIE).
The widespread implementation of electronic health records (EHRs) has resulted in an increased need for a well-trained health information technology (HIT) workforce. The Texas HIT Workforce Development Project was initiated with an assessment of HIT employer needs as one of the major goals. The researchers were required to develop a new survey because no existing tool could be found. From the results of HIT employer focus groups, the team determined that quantitative outcome measures for the survey should include HIT skills categorized as basic, intermediate, or advanced.
In this special edition of Perspectives in Health Information Management, the central theme is the obligations of leadership, i.e., individuals in positions of leadership have an obligation to be ethically centered, authentic, and blind to differences. In other words, organizations will suffer (albeit differently) whether a leader views himself as a new-age Don Quixote or behaves like Joseph Conrad’s Kurtz in the disturbing novel “Heart of Darkness.” Good intentions, no matter how zealous the leader, are insufficient in meeting organizational needs and Kurtz-like behaviors, no matter the amount of charisma, will eventually have disastrous consequences.
Webster’s dictionary offers numerous synonyms and related words for the word lead; the list includes words such as chief, commanding, first, foremost, high, preeminent, controlling, directing, reigning, sovereign, and superior. Some individuals (perhaps too many) in positions of authority rely very heavily on characteristics associated with these terms. Abusive leaders exploit their power and “lead” through intimidation and their ability to withhold rewards and distribute punishment. This article explores why some people are bad bosses and suggests six obligations of leaders who aspire to fulfilling the role of leadership done right.
Leaders have the responsibility to develop leadership in their departmental members. Leadership capacity is needed so that health information professionals will be able to successfully respond to the constant changes in the healthcare environment. This article demonstrates how leadership can be modeled and developed through the redesign of jobs in departments of health information services.
The code of ethics for a professional association incorporates values, principles, and professional standards. A review and comparative analysis of a 1934 pledge and codes of ethics from 1957, 1977, 1988, 1998, 2004, and 2011 for a health information management association was conducted. Highlights of some changes in the healthcare delivery system are identified as a general context for the codes of ethics. The codes of ethics are examined in terms of professional values and changes in the language used to express the principles of the various codes.
The business case for gender diversity in senior and executive positions is compelling. Studies show that companies that have the best records for promoting women outstrip their competition on every measure of profitability. Yet women disproportionately are failing to attain high-level positions. Reviewing current data on women in the workplace, findings of studies on the relationship between gender diversity in senior management and company performance, and the literature on gender behavioral differences and the workplace, this article explores the possible reasons for the persistent wage and gender gap between women and men in senior leadership positions and discusses possible remedies.
The proliferation of online education programs creates a myriad of challenges for those charged with implementation and delivery of these programs. Although creating and sustaining quality education is a shared responsibility of faculty, staff, and academic leaders, this article focuses on the pivotal role of leadership in securing the necessary resources, developing the organizational structures, and influencing organizational culture.
