American+Health+Informatiion+Management+Association+-+AHIMA


 * American Health Information Management Association - AHIMA

Description:**

Health Information Management (HIM), has come along way. AHIMA, just so happens to be its premier association to its professionals. With over 51,000 members, AHIMA is dedicated to the effective management of personal health information need to deliver quality health-care to the public. It was founded in 1928 to improve the quality of medical records, AHIMA is committed to advancing the HIM profession with an increased electronic and global environment through advancements in advocacy, education, certification, and lifelong learning.

AHIMA was brought to life, when the American College of Surgeons established the Association of Record Librarians of North America (ARLNA) to "elevate the standards of clinical records in hospitals and other medical institutions." This is very important because of its recognition to medical record quality for patient care. Its research underlies the organization today.

Since its formation, the organization known now as AHIMA has undergone several name changes that reflect the evolution of the profession. In 1939, the name for this organization was AAMRL (American Association of Medical Record Librarians). As the health-care industry under went restructuring and decision-making became increasingly driven by data, the Association changed its name in 1991 to AHIMA. its current name captures the expanded scope of clinical data beyond the single hospital medical record to health information comprising the entire continuum of care.

In the 21st century, HIM professionals today occupy a variety of roles, from HIM directors to privacy officers and beyond, in a variety of settings. the profession is working to address the issues that affect health-care today, from implementing electronic health records to adopting and implementing ICD-10 clinical coding systems to contributing to emerging issues like the creation of a national health information network.


 * Applications:**

AHIMA has to do with all sorts of applications. One of them being personal health.

Your personal health information is a valuable resource to you, your family, and the doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals who provide your treatment and care. But did you know that, in most cases, a complete record of all of your personal health information cannot be found in any single location or consistent format? Each one of your health care providers (family practitioner, allergist, OB-GYN, etc.) compiles a separate medical record on you. These multiple medical records can lead to an incomplete story about your health. Keeping your own personal health record allows you to provide doctors with valuable information that can help improve the quality of care you receive. A PHR can help reduce or eliminate duplicate tests and allow you to receive faster, safer treatment and care in an emergency. In short, a PHR helps you play a more active role in your health care.

Quality health-care through quality information.
 * AHIMA values:**
 * The publics right to accurate and confidential personal health information
 * Innovation and leadership in advancing health information management practices and standards worldwide
 * Adherence to the AHIMA Code of Ethics
 * Advocacy and interdisciplinary collaboration with other professional organizations
 * Vision**


 * Web Resources:**

[] [] [] http://himcareers.ahima.org/ http://library.ahima.org/xpedio/groups/public/documents/web_assets/bok1_016845.hcst


 * Related Terminology:**


 * ICD-10: A system that had coding of diseases and signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances and external causes of injury or diseases, as classified by the World Heath Organization (WHO).
 * EHR: Stands for Electronic Health Records. It is an individual patients health record put in digital format.
 * HIM: Stands for Health Information Management. Its the management of personal health information in hospitals or other health-care organizations enabling the delivery of quality health-care to the public.


 * Citations/References:**

http://ehealth.johnwsharp.com/2007/10/01/ahima-to-launch-phr-campaign.aspx http://www.med.upenn.edu/ahimalab/


 * Graphics:**