JointWorkForce TaskForce - American Health Information ...

1 joint Work force Task force Health Information Management and Informatics Core Competencies for Individuals Working With Electronic Health Records October, 2008. American Medical Informatics Association Th e P rofessi on a l Home for Bi omedica l a n d Hea lth Infor ma ti ci a ns Acknowledgements Acknowledgements AMIA and AHIMA would like to thank the following individuals who participated in Contents this project as Task force Members: Executive Summary Participants Staff Teresa Foley, MA, RHIA, CPHC Meryl Bloomrosen, MBA. Background Medical Record Consultant Office of the Vice President, AMIA. Surgeon General Recommendations Mikia Heard, RHIA.

2 To the Industry Elizabeth Franchi, RHIA HIM Intern Data Quality Coordinator, VHA. A Work force Tania Kuhl, BS. Action Agenda Carole A. Gassert, RN, PhD, FACMI, FAAN, HIM Intern University of Utah College of Nursing Conclusion Associate Dean, Information and Technology Claire Dixon-Lee, PhD, RHIA, FAHIMA. Vice President, AHIMA. References Kim Harris-Salamone, PhD, Director, Physician Office Quality Health Services Linde Tesch, RHIA. Advisory Group, Inc. AHIMA Staff Judith Logan, MD, MS Nania Walia, BS. Associate Professor in the Department of HIM Intern Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology Sandi Mitchell, RPh, MSIS.

3 Director Pharmacy Informatics Residency Program Medication Use Information , Department of Pharmacy Bonnie Petterson, PhD, RHIA. Health Information Technology Program Director Phoenix College Copyright 2008 by the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, reprinted, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted n any form or by any means, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the Association. Preface Health Information One of the recommendations from the 2005 work force summit and contained in the 2006 report was to: Management and Informatics Convene a joint task force to define basic competencies Core Competencies for for those who use EHRs in their daily work.

4 In order to Individuals Working With carry out that recommendation, the associations created a joint work force task group. The work force task group Electronic Health Records convened during 2007-2008 and completed its work with the issuance of this report. Background In 2005, the American Medical Informatics workforce issues are major priorities for both AMIA. Association (AMIA) and the American Health and AHIMA. In addition to this task force , the Information Management Association (AHIMA) created associations are engaged in a number of activities to a process and a committee to jointly develop and address help support the preparation, growth and development a common public policy agenda.

5 One of the first action of a work force in an increasingly electronic Health items on the joint committee's agenda was to address the environment. These activities are briefly described in urgent need to support investments in education and the Appendix (D) to this report. training for Health informatics and Health Information management (HIM) professionals. Recognizing the demands of an increasingly global and electronic healthcare environment, AMIA and AHIMA hosted a work force summit meeting in November 2005 and in 2006 issued a report entitled, Building the Work force for Health Information Transformation (see ). 3.

6 Introduction Introduction being implemented into a broader range of settings, thereby The American Health Information Management increasing the volume and complexity of data and giving Association (AHIMA) and the American Medical evidence of the growing role that Information systems will Informatics Association (AMIA) are committed to the play in virtually every aspect of healthcare development of a healthcare system that uses best evidence to support the Health and healthcare services for The purpose of this document is to introduce a model for individuals and populations. This will occur within a potential use across various Health and allied Health slowly emerging nationwide Health Information system.

7 Disciplines and to guide education and training for The organizations' leaders believe that additional individuals working with EHRs. education and training is needed for the Health workforce to play a critical role in the transformation of the Background American healthcare system. AMIA and AHIMA hosted a meeting, the Work force for Health Information Transformation: A Strategy Summit in The growing role of Information technology within Washington, DC, in November 2005, which brought healthcare delivery organizations has created the need to together public and private stakeholders from academia, deepen and widen the pool of workers who can help business, government, professional associations, and organizations maximize the ongoing effectiveness of their provider organizations.

8 A formal report was published investment in Information technology, and in so doing titled Building the Work force for Health Information maximize impact on equity, safety, patient-centeredness, Transformation in February 20062 summarizing the timeliness, effectiveness and efficiency of care. Globally, proceedings. The report contained targeted the Health industry is engaged in wide-scale recommendations to healthcare employers, employees, implementation of Information systems to support various industry representatives, government, and professional national and international imperatives, including organizations for preparing the existing healthcare work providing clinical care, research and education, public force to use technology tools and to ensure a sufficient Health reporting and surveillance, homeland security, and number of well-qualified Health Information specialists to conquering diseases.

9 The Health sector faces an expanding achieve effective Health IT transformation. array of sophisticated clinical Information systems that are Specific recommendations in the report included: Convene a joint task force to define basic competencies for those who use EHRs in their daily work Encourage leadership from employers and Health IT. industry representatives for on-the-job training and support for current healthcare workers Create incentives and encourage the healthcare work force to see Health Information competencies and skills as professional and personal goals Seek federal support for Health IT adoption, training, and legislation to increase funding for education programs and students Incorporate Health informatics education requirements for all Health professions.

10 1 AMIA's White Paper Policy Series on Timely Issues in Informatics, Don E. Detmer and Charles Safran, Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. 2005, 12(4):495. 2 AHIMA, AMIA, Building the Work force for Health Information Transformation, February 2006. 4. workforce Task force workforce Task force There are several important cross-cutting issues, including In 2007, AHIMA and AMIA convened a joint workforce the wide variety of Health professionals from physicians Task force (WF-TF) to address one of the and nurses to therapists and admissions staff who are or recommendations: the need for basic core competencies will be using EHRs as part of their day-to-day activities.