Health Information Technology, Associate of Applied Science

The Associate of Applied Science Degree program in Health Information Technology (HIT) prepares students for careers in health information management. The HIT Associate degree program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). Health Information Technicians are employed in hospitals, long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, large outpatient and ambulatory care centers, as well as physician offices, health insurance companies and local, state and federal health agencies. The program includes general education courses and courses in the major that teach basic health care information, specific medical coding procedures and health data management, and offers students experience in varied health care settings.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employment of medical records and health information technicians is expected to increase by 20 percent (much faster than the average for all occupations) through 2018, because of rapidly increasing scrutiny by health insurance companies, regulators, courts, and growth in the number of medical tests, treatments, and procedures. In addition, with the increasing use of electronic health records, more technicians will be needed to complete the new responsibilities associated with electronic data management.

Graduates are able to:

• function as part of the health information management team
• collect, analyze, process and evaluate health data
• control the use and release of health information
• supervise staff

Successful completion of all degree requirements enables students to sit for the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) credentialing examination through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).