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AHIMA Competencies

At SNHU, we designed our BS in Health Information Management (HIM) to align with the 2018 baccalaureate degree entry-level competencies developed by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), an organization of HIM professionals around the world. These competencies were created to ensure that today’s education pathways meet tomorrow’s workforce needs.

AHIMA defines the educational competencies required of a HIM professional and administers the Registered Health Information Management Administrator (RHIA) examination. One of the eligibility requirements to sit for the RHIA exam is that students must have graduated from a program accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management (CAHIIM).

The B.S. in Health Information Management program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).

Domain I. Data Structure, Content, and Information Governance

  • I.1. Compare diverse stakeholder perspectives through the delivery of health care services.
  • I.2. Analyze strategies for the management of information.
  • I.3. Evaluate policies and strategies to achieve data integrity.
  • I.4. Recommend compliance of health record content across the health system.
  • I.5 Utilize classification systems, clinical vocabularies, and nomenclatures.
  • I.6. Evaluate data dictionaries & data sets for compliance with government standards.

Domain II. Information Protection: Access, Disclosure, Archival, Privacy, and Security

  • II.1. Recommend privacy strategies for health information.
  • II.2. Recommend security strategies for health information.
  • II.3. Analyze compliance requirements throughout the health information life cycle.

Domain III. Informatics, Analytics, and Data Use

  • III.1. Examine health informatics concepts for the management of health information.
  • III.2. Analyze technologies for health information management.
  • III.3. Interpret statistics for health services.
  • III.4. Examine health care findings with data visualizations.
  • III.5. Compare research methodologies pertaining to health care.
  • III.6. Manage data within a database management system.
  • III.7. Identify standards for exchange of health information.

Domain IV. Revenue Cycle Management

  • IV.1. Evaluate assignment of diagnostic and procedural codes and groupings in accordance with official guidelines.
  • IV.2. Mange components of the revenue cycle.
  • IV.3. Evaluate compliance with regulatory requirements and reimbursement methodologies.

Domain V. Health Law & Compliance

  • V.1. Comply with legal processes impacting health information.
  • V.2. Evaluate compliance external forces.
  • V.3. Analyze components of risk management as related to a health organization.
  • V.4. Analyze the impact of policy on health.

Domain VI. Organizational Management & Leadership

  • VI.1. Facilitate fundamental leadership skills.
  • VI.2. Assess the impact of organizational change.
  • VI.3. Analyze human resource strategies for organizational best practices.
  • VI.4. Leverage data-driven performance improvement techniques for decision making.
  • VI.5. Verify financial management processes.
  • VI.6. Examine behaviors that embrace cultural diversity.
  • VI.7. Assess ethical standards of practice.
  • VI.8. Facilitate consumer engagement activities.
  • VI.9. Facilitate training needs for a healthcare organization.
  • VI.10. Compare project management methodologies to meet intended outcomes.

Supporting Body of Knowledge (Prerequisite or Evidence of Knowledge)

  1. Pathophysiology and Pharmacology
  2. Anatomy and Physiology
  3. Medical Terminology
  4. Computer Concepts and Applications
  5. Math Statistics