Revised 08/2025

HIM 142 - Fundamentals of Health Information Systems II (3 CR.)

Course Description

Focuses on health data collection, storage, retrieval and reporting systems, with emphasis on the role of the computer in accomplishing these functions.Part II of II. Lecture 3 hours per week.

General Course Purpose

This course is designed to introduce the student to microcomputer applications in the health record field. Emphasis is placed on practicing software packages for word processing and database management. Class time will be spent exploring the practical applications of data entry and report generation. 

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

HIM program placed students only:

Prerequisites/co-requisites for HIM students are BIO 142, HIM 110, HIM 130, HIM 141 or permission of instructor. The course will be offered to any student who meets the prerequisites/co-requisites and is program placed in the Health Information Management (HIM) program.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  • Explain the structure and trends of the U.S. healthcare delivery system, distinguishing between inpatient and outpatient care and the concept of continuum of care.
  • Describe how electronic health records and health information networks optimize care delivery, facilitate documentation, and support patient engagement tools such as patient portals and legal health records.
  • Analyze health record documentation requirements, privacy protections, and legal implications—including the role of the health record in research, legal processes, and public health reporting.
  • Differentiate between primary and secondary health data, evaluate data quality and dictionary elements, and apply data governance concepts to ensure data integrity.
  • Assess key regulations, standards, and legal frameworks—including HIPAA, CMS conditions, compliance statutes, accreditation, and the impact on ambulatory, behavioral, and post‑acute care settings.
  • Compare documentation practices and operational challenges across multiple healthcare environments, such as long-term care, skilled nursing facilities, home health, ambulatory, and behavioral health, including tele mental health.
  • Evaluate data analytics tools, their integration within EHRs, and strategies to improve data literacy, privacy (e.g., medical identity theft), and reconciliation between records and coded data.

Major Topics to Be Included

  • Overview of healthcare delivery
  • Electronic health records & health information networks
  • Documentation, privacy, and legal aspects
  • Data types, quality, and governance
  • Regulations, compliance, and accreditation
  • Documentation in specialized settings