Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management
Learn more about the Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management.
Huanmei Wu, Ph.D., Chair
Ritter Annex 525
215-204-8163
huanmei.wu@temple.edu
Note: Beginning Fall 2021, first-year students may select Health Information Management as their major on their application for admission to the University and may be offered direct admission to the program. Prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of C or above in order to begin the HIM major courses.
Health Information Management (HIM) is focused on the development, implementation, management, and maintenance of patient health information systems in accordance with legal, regulatory, and accrediting agencies' requirements for health care data collection and dissemination. HIM professionals have a special role in making sure that patient information remains confidential and maintained in a manner that ensures the patient's privacy and that health care information is secure. A career in HIM combines interests in medicine, management, information technology, electronic health record systems, and finance. HIM professionals design and manage health information systems, with special attention to quality and privacy of health information, in a wide range of settings such as hospitals, managed and ambulatory care, insurance and pharmaceutical companies, consulting firms, and public health organizations.
The Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management (BSHIM) includes classes covering six main areas:
- Core HIM: Health Record Documentation, Legal Aspects of HIM, Internships, Healthcare Delivery Systems, and Professional Development
- Data Analytics: HIM IT Fundamentals, Electronic Health Record Systems, Informatics, and Database Development and Design
- Management: Leadership and Strategy, Human Resources, Operations, and Project Management
- Classification and Reimbursement: ICD-10, CPT4, Intermediate Coding, and Reimbursement
- Clinical Medicine: Pathophysiology, Medical Terminology, Clinical Procedures, and Pharmacology
- Internship: Management Internship (four weeks at a facility where you will be participating in a management project at that organization). Examples of internship sites include the University of Pennsylvania Health System, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, NYU Medical Center, and Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Certification
Students enrolled in the HIM program and in the last term of study are eligible to apply for and sit for the examination of the American Health Information Management Association for the nationally recognized certification as a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA).
Following satisfactory completion of all course requirements, the graduate is awarded the degree of Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management.
See https://www.ahima.org/certification-careers/certifications-overview/ for information about credentialing in Health Information Management.
Accreditation
The baccalaureate program in Health Information Management at Temple University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).
Summary of Requirements
University Requirements
All students are required to complete the university's General Education (GenEd) curriculum (Analytical Reading & Writing, Intellectual Heritage I and II, Arts, Human Behavior, Global/World Society, U.S. Society, Race & Diversity, Science & Technology, Quantitative Literacy).
All Temple students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses at Temple as part of the major. The writing-intensive courses for this major are HIM 3297 and HIM 4298.
College Requirement
All CPH students must complete the College Core Course, HRPR 1001 Public Health: The Way We Live, Work and Play.
Clearance Requirements
Please note the Health Information Management program requires students to complete internships at facilities both on and off the University campus. These placements may require criminal background checks, Act 33/34 clearances and perhaps a drug screen. Placements may also require the student to maintain personal health insurance. The results of these requirements may limit and potentially eliminate placement options which can, in turn, result in an inability to meet graduation requirements.
Program Requirements
Students in the HIM program are required to satisfy the following prerequisite courses before beginning HIM upper level courses. A grade of C or better is required for all prerequisite and professional courses (a grade of C- is not acceptable).
Health Information Management Prerequisites:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 1013 | Elements of Statistics | 3 |
| or PSY 1167 | ||
| or SOC 1167 | Social Statistics | |
| or EPBI 2219 | Biostatistics and Public Health | |
| KINS 1223 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I 1 | 3-4 |
| or KINS 1221 | Principles of Anatomy and Physiology I | |
| KINS 1224 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II 1 | 3-4 |
| or KINS 1222 | Principles of Anatomy and Physiology II | |
| HIM 1101 | Medical Terminology | 3 |
| HIM 1055 | IT Applications for Health | 3 |
| HPM 2214 | Politics and Payments in US Healthcare System | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 18-20 | |
Health Information Management Professional Courses:2
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| HIM 2215 | Health Information Management IT Fundamentals | 3 |
| HIM 3101 | Health Record Documentation | 3 |
| HIM 3106 | Pathophysiology | 3 |
| HIM 3107 | Healthcare Leadership and Strategic Management | 3 |
| HIM 3111 | Statistics and Research in Health Care | 3 |
| HIM 3113 | Healthcare Database Design and Development | 3 |
| HIM 3203 | Electronic Health Record Systems | 3 |
| HIM 3208 | International Classification of Diseases | 3 |
| HIM 3216 | Clinical Procedures and Pharmacology | 3 |
| HIM 3271 | Professional Development | 1 |
| HIM 3297 | Health Information Management Human Resource Management (WI) | 3 |
| HIM 4101 | Health Informatics: Infrastructure and Standards | 3 |
| HIM 4102 | Legal Aspects of Health Information Management | 3 |
| HIM 4207 | Healthcare Quality Improvement | 3 |
| HIM 4105 | Current Procedural Terminology Coding | 3 |
| HIM 4113 | Healthcare Reimbursement Systems | 3 |
| HIM 4121 | Healthcare Data Analytics | 3 |
| HIM 4202 | Health Information Management Project Management | 3 |
| HIM 4206 | Intermediate Coding | 3 |
| HIM 4104 | Health Information Management Operations Management | 3 |
| HIM 4286 | Management Internship | 4 |
| HIM 4298 | Health Information Management Senior Seminar (WI) | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 65 | |
| 1 | You should consult with your advisor for information on the distinctions between Anatomy and Physiology selection sequence and its implication for your degree and career goals. Satisfactory completion of the KINS 1221 and KINS 1222 sequence or the KINS 1223 and KINS 1224 sequence will meet the two-course GenEd Science and Technology requirement. These courses are similar but not interchangeable and must be taken in the correct sequence. Students choosing the KINS 1221 and KINS 1222 sequence may need to take an additional 2-credit elective to meet credit hours degree graduation requirement. Please see a departmental academic advisor for clarification. |
| 2 | The professional courses follow a strict semester-by-semester sequence that requires careful attention to registration dates. See a departmental academic advisor for help planning your professional course registration. |
Electives
6 credits. Strongly recommended electives include business writing electives.
Laptop Requirements
Laptops are integrated into the HIM curriculum and are required to complete in-class activities and projects outside of class. In order to run specialized analytical software, a laptop with the minimum hardware specifications defined at https://cphapps.temple.edu/wiki/it/student/laptop will allow a smooth experience.
Suggested Academic Plan
Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management
Requirements for New Students starting in the 2022-2023 Academic Year
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| ENG 0802, 0812, or 0902 | Analytical Reading and Writing [GW] | 4 |
| GenEd Quantitative Literacy Course [GQ]1 | 4 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| HRPR 1001 | Public Health: The Way We Live, Work and Play | 3 |
| Term Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| KINS 1223 or 1221 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I (GS)2 | 3-4 |
| IH 0851 or 0951 | Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life [GY] | 3 |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| IH 0852 or 0952 | Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good [GZ] | 3 |
| KINS 1224 or 1222 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II (GS)2 | 3-4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Elements of Statistics | ||
PSY 1167 | ||
| Social Statistics | ||
| Biostatistics and Public Health | ||
| Term Credit Hours | 13 | |
| Spring | ||
| HIM 1055 | IT Applications for Health | 3 |
| HIM 1101 | Medical Terminology | 3 |
| HPM 2214 | Politics and Payments in US Healthcare System | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| HIM 2215 | Health Information Management IT Fundamentals | 3 |
| HIM 3101 | Health Record Documentation | 3 |
| HIM 3106 | Pathophysiology | 3 |
| HIM 3107 | Healthcare Leadership and Strategic Management | 3 |
| HIM 3111 | Statistics and Research in Health Care | 3 |
| Term Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| HIM 3113 | Healthcare Database Design and Development | 3 |
| HIM 3203 | Electronic Health Record Systems | 3 |
| HIM 3208 | International Classification of Diseases | 3 |
| HIM 3216 | Clinical Procedures and Pharmacology | 3 |
| HIM 3271 | Professional Development | 1 |
| HIM 3297 | Health Information Management Human Resource Management [WI] | 3 |
| Term Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| HIM 4101 | Health Informatics: Infrastructure and Standards | 3 |
| HIM 4102 | Legal Aspects of Health Information Management | 3 |
| HIM 4105 | Current Procedural Terminology Coding | 3 |
| HIM 4113 | Healthcare Reimbursement Systems | 3 |
| HIM 4121 | Healthcare Data Analytics | 3 |
| HIM 4207 | Healthcare Quality Improvement | 3 |
| Term Credit Hours | 18 | |
| Spring | ||
| HIM 4202 | Health Information Management Project Management | 3 |
| HIM 4104 | Health Information Management Operations Management | 3 |
| HIM 4206 | Intermediate Coding | 3 |
| HIM 4286 | Management Internship | 4 |
| HIM 4298 | Health Information Management Senior Seminar [WI]3 | 3 |
| Term Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 123 | |
A grade of C or better is required to satisfy ALL prerequisite and professional course requirements. Grades below a C will not be accepted.
Note: All professional courses are offered only once a year.
| 1 | |
| 2 | You should consult your advisor for information on the distinctions between the anatomy and physiology selection sequence and its implication for your degree and career goals. Satisfactory completion of the KINS 1221 and KINS 1222 sequence or the KINS 1223 and KINS 1224 sequence will meet the two-course GenEd Science & Technology requirement. These courses are similar but not interchangeable. Courses must be taken in the correct sequence. Students choosing KINS 1221 and KINS 1222 may need to take an additional 2-credit elective to meet credit hour degree requirements as well as annual progress requirements. Please see your advisor for clarification. |
| 3 | Indicates writing capstone for major. |