Health Information Systems Technology FAQs

Health information professionals care for patients by caring for their health information. They ensure that all of a patient’s health information is complete, accurate and protected. They ensure the health information, data, and statistics are readily available for health care providers, administrators, billers, insurers, and legislative and accrediting bodies. Health information management is the practice of acquiring, analyzing, protecting and releasing electronic and paper health information that is vital to providing quality patient care.

The credentials of RHIT indicate that you have graduated with an associate degree from a program that has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) and have passed the registration exam offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Earning the credential of RHIT validates your competence in health information management to employers and the public.

Yes, our program is accredited by CAHIMM (Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education). This accreditation allows you to sit for the national RHIT (Registered Health Information Technician) exam, offered by AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association).

RHITs find employment in a variety of settings including acute care hospitals, office-based physician practices, nursing homes, home care agencies, mental health facilities, public health agencies, dialysis clinics, ambulatory surgical centers, insurance companies, outpatient clinics, prisons, coding consulting companies, pharmaceutical companies and many other companies that use health care data such as billing companies, law firms, health product vendors, etc.

Full-time students can complete the associate degree in two years if they start fall semester.

Most new health information graduates with associate degrees earn from $25,000-$35,000 annually with many professionals reporting higher salaries. These figures are just averages and will vary geographically and by job position.

Health information professional is one of the fastest growing professions in the United States. Recent changes in health care delivery, electronic health record systems and medical coding and billing systems have created a demand for health information professionals that is unprecedented. Health information professionals have a 21-percent forecasted growth in jobs by 2020. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

The University of Cincinnati has an online Bachelor Degree [link to ecurriculum entry] in health information and is a natural progression for RHITs who want to pursue a bachelor degree.