Re-introducing Health Information

by Alvin C. Tanicala, MHA, RHIT

The United States has a long history of providing healthcare information. The health information industry has been around for a long time, dating back to 1928, when the American College of Surgeons (ACOS) promoted improved standards of health records. Thanks to the many benefits it provides, the recent implementation of electronic health records continues to make news.

As more people across the world have access to medical care, we face the challenge of ensuring that their information will be available to them whenever they need it.

If you are in the healthcare field, then you know you should not be struggling to “find information” about your patients. There are technologies you use daily that should be able to give you what we need to evaluate, monitor, and manage your patients better than ever before.

However, our health record is fragmented. This means that every time we see a doctor, get tested, or fill a prescription, they compile this information in separate places with nothing connecting it together. It’s incredibly tough for healthcare professionals to view your complete health history and decide on the best treatment for you if the needed information is in different systems.

What is Health Information? This is about the information that makes up your complete health story. It includes your medical records, medications, conditions, and outcomes (such as diagnoses) as well as the notes from all doctor visits, emergency room stays, and procedures. I’m sure you understand that your medical information is important. To help ensure its accuracy and safeguard against errors, it’s important that we give health information professionals the tool to keep these error-free and safe, private, and confidential.

There is a massive desire to modernize healthcare, as the current system suffers from dated technology systems, growing costs, and an increase in fraud and safety issues with patient information. However, technology alone won’t fill the needs of the future. One of the core values of health information professionals (HIP) is harnessing the power of data to improve health outcomes.

Health information professionals (HIP) are those people who help create and keep the health stories that make up each of our lives. The HIP provides solutions to the complex problems of health information management for patients and care professionals at every point throughout the lifetime of their continuum of care.

This year's AHIMA Advocacy Summit 2023 theme is Empowering People to Impact Health. If knowledge is power, then we can consider health information the most powerful currency for change in the healthcare ecosystem.