Program Overview

Health Information Technology (HIT) Program

The Health Information Technology (HIT) program is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the field of health information technology.

Program Overview

The HIT program offers a comprehensive curriculum that covers the principles and practices of health information technology, including electronic health records, health information systems, medical coding, and health information quality management.

Course Descriptions

• HIT 110: Electronic Health Records: This course introduces students to the principles and practices of electronic health records, including the setup and management of patient information, insurance companies, and medical records.
• HIT 120: Health Information Introduction to Pharmacology: This course provides an introduction to the principles of pharmacology, including drug terminology, drug origins, and routes of administration.
• HIT 130: Health Information Technology Anatomy & Physiology: This course covers the basics of human structure and function, including the organization and general plan of the body, cells, tissues, and membranes.
• HIT 140: Health Information Introduction to Pathophysiology: This course introduces students to the nature of disease and its effect on body systems, including the etiology, pathology, and clinical manifestations of diseases.
• HIT 150: Introduction to Medical Terminology: This course covers the study and understanding of medical terminology, including the basic elements of medical words, spelling, and use of medical terms.
• HIT 158: Advanced Medical Terminology: This course builds on the concepts covered in HIT 150, providing a greater understanding of how to properly use and apply medical terminology in various health fields.
• HIT 221: Internship I: This course provides students with work experience directly related to their major field of study, allowing them to explore career paths and apply knowledge and theory learned in the classroom.
• HIT 228: Medical Insurance Billing: This course provides a comprehensive overview of the insurance specialist's role and responsibilities, including concepts and applications necessary for successfully completing the insurance claim filing and reimbursement processes.
• HIT 240: Health Information Quality Management: This course introduces students to the basic concepts of quality improvement and performance improvement as they apply to health record systems and the healthcare industry.
• HIT 248: Medical Coding I: This course provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals, coding conventions, and principles of selecting the most appropriate ICD-10-CM/PCS diagnostic and procedure codes.
• HIT 255: Special Topics: This course covers specific topics announced in the Schedule of Classes, which may be repeated up to 6 credits.
• HIT 258: Medical Coding II: This course is a continuation of Medical Coding I, providing a comprehensive overview of the coding and reporting guidelines, fundamentals, coding conventions, and principles of selecting the most appropriate CPT and HCPCS procedural codes.
• HIT 268: Health Information Systems: This course provides an overview of health data management, work planning, and organization principles, as well as an introduction to healthcare information systems.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the HIT program, students will be able to:

• Define the concept of an electronic health record and describe key issues related to privacy and security.
• Identify and define medical word roots, prefixes, and suffixes, and recall and properly pronounce common medical terms.
• Analyze patient records to define diagnoses and properly determine and assign diagnostic codes.
• Demonstrate the ability to interpret inpatient/outpatient record documentation to identify diagnoses and services/procedures.
• Identify the primary medical terms used in various medical specialties and read a medical document to interpret the terminology efficiently and correctly.

Program Requirements

The HIT program requires students to complete a series of courses, including electronic health records, health information systems, medical coding, and health information quality management. Students must also complete an internship and a special topics course, which may be repeated up to 6 credits.