The Health Information Technician program combines a profession in health care with information technology. Health information technicians abstract, process, analyze and report health data required in the delivery of patient care, reimbursement, statistics, quality management, research and planning.
The U.S. Department of Labor projects employment in Health information technicians to grow much faster than average. Job prospects should be very good; technicians with a strong background in medical coding will be in particularly high demand. www.bls.gov.
Graduates of this program may seek employment in a variety of settings including hospitals, nursing facilities, drug and alcohol rehab centers, mental health facilities, insurance companies, software vendors and government agencies.
Graduates may continue on for a bachelor’s degree for advancement opportunities in the profession. An articulation agreement exists between NDSCS and the College of St. Scholastica, Duluth, Minn.
Academic training includes online learning laboratories. Students will participate in two non-paid professional practice experiences. Online students may request placement in their geographic area. Tuition and fees are assessed for these courses based upon state of residency:
HIT 197 - 120 hours-alternate care setting
HIT 297 - 240 hours-acute care (hospital) setting
Healthcare facilities may require the student undergo a criminal background check prior to accepting them on professional practice/internship experiences. A previous felony conviction may affect placement. The applicant must visit with the department chair if this applies.
The program is available both online and on-campus. Online students complete all courses online, while on-campus students complete Health information technicians courses online and several of the related/general education courses in a traditional classroom.
Biology labs can be taken from other accredited colleges or online through colleges in the North Dakota University System. Course descriptions must be approved by the NDSCS Registrar prior to taking the course.
First aid and CPR certifications may substitute for the HPER 210 course requirement.
| Course Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIT 176 | Introduction to Health Information | 4 |
| HIT 181 | Health Information Systems | 4 |
| HIT 184 | Basic ICD-9-CM Coding | 3 |
| HIT 185 | Basic CPT Coding | 3 |
| HIT 197 | Practicum | 2 |
| HIT 281 | Legal Aspects of Health Information | 3 |
| HIT 282 | Medical Statistics | 2 |
| BADM 282 | Human Resource Management | 3 |
| HIT 284 | Healthcare Quality Management | 4 |
| HIT 285 | Reimbursement Methodologies | 2 |
| HIT 286 | Intermediate Diagnosis Coding (ICD) | 2 |
| HIT 287 | Computer Applications in Healthcare | 3 |
| HIT 288 | Intermediate Procedure Coding (CPT/ICD) | 3 |
| HIT 297* | Professional Practice II | 3 |
| Related/General Education Courses | ||
| BIOL 115 | Human Structure and Function | 3 |
| BIOL 115L | Human Structure and Function Lab | 1 |
| BIOL 213 | General Pathology | 3 |
| BOTE 171 | Medical Terminology | 4 |
| COMM 110 | Fundamentals of Public Speaking | 3 |
| CSCI 116 | Business Use of Computers | 3 |
| CSCI 133 | Database Concepts | 3 |
| ENGL 110 | College Composition I | 3 |
| HPER 210* | First Aid and CPR | 2 |
| PSYC 100 | Human Relations in Organizations | 2 |
| PHRM 100 | Basic Pharmacology for Allied Health | 2 |
| Total Required Credits | 72 | |
| * To
be determined with student/advisor +3-4 Credit Elective (see above) |
||
| Suggested Sequence of Study | ||
| 1st Semester (F) | 2nd Semester (S) | |
| BOTE 171 | BIOL 213 | |
| BIOL 115 | HIT 181 | |
| HIT 176 | PHRM 100 | |
| CSCI 116 | HIT 184 (1st 8 weeks) | |
| PSYC 100 | ENGL 110 | |
| CSCI 133 | ||
| Summer Semester (Su) | ||
| HIT 197 | ||
| Third Semester (F) | Fourth Semester (S) | |
| HIT 185 (2nd 8weeks) | HIT 281 (1st 12 weeks) | |
| HIT 282 (1st 8weeks) | HIT 285 (1st 12weeks) | |
| HIT 284 | HIT 286 (1st 12 weeks) | |
| HIT 287 | HIT 288 (first 12 weeks) | |
| BADM 282 | HIT 297 (last 4 weeks) | |
| COMM 110 | HPER 210 (1st 8 weeks) | |
The applicants must be high school graduates or equivalent. Helpful courses to prepare for this program are computer literacy, English, anatomy, and medical terminology.
A grade of “C” or above must be achieved in all Health Information Technician core courses in order to advance in the program and be placed on professional practices. A minimum keyboarding competency of 35 words per minute is also required.
Students in the Health Information Technician program will be charged a $50 per semester program fee. This is based on a full-time (12 credits) enrollment. The program fee will be prorated for students enrolled in less than 12 credits per semester.
Upon successful completion of the required courses, students will be awarded an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in Health Information Technician.
Upon completion of the program the graduates are eligible to write the national certification examination administered by AHIMA to become a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT).
The health information technology program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education.
Available for review in program handbook and at www.ndscs.edu/hlthinfo.
Geralyn Matejcek
800-342-4325, ext 3-2269 (701-671-2269) or email
