About Health Information Management in St. Lawrence College

Overview

Get started on your career as a Health Informa­tion professional and help fill the national shortage of skilled practitioners. If you want to work in healthcare, have a strong interest in computers, and know that direct patient care isn't for you, becoming a Health Information professional may be the ideal career choice. This program prepares graduates to work in many different health settings, using the latest in information technology to contribute to quality patient care. You’ll study bio­medical sciences, health information sciences, electronic record systems, statistical analysis, and health law. Students will develop team work and presentation skills. This program is recognized by the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA). Graduates will be eligible to write the national certifica­tion examination administered by CHIMA and will be entitled to use the credentials CHIM to denote their professional designation.

Highlights

The HIM professionals are the only certified experts in the science and technology of health information management. Their key role is to maintain the integrity and confidentiality of personal health information within the Domains of Practice: Electronic Health Information Management (e-HIM®); Data Quality; Privacy; Health Information Management standards.

Career Opportunities

Health Information Management (HIM) professionals participate in the collection, analysis and organization of health data to provide information that is used by management teams, clinical care teams, government statistical and funding bodies, researchers as well as information technology product developers. HIM professionals work with personal health records, capturing and encoding patient information, analyzing data, and preparing reports for use in health-care delivery, research and education. HIMs are knowledgeable about health information privacy issues and data security and the legislation that directs the management of personal health information. Health information  management professionals are important members of interdisciplinary health care teams contributing to quality patient care. Opportuni­ties exist in a variety of settings such as hos­pitals, family health networks, health research agencies, legal firms, government agencies, and other varied community health services.

The skills gained as a HIM professional are portable and can be applied in a variety of roles, including:

• Classification and Coding Specialist
• Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist
• Chart Management Specialist
• Cancer Registrar
• Release of Information Analyst/Auditor
• Research Associate
• Information Governance Analyst
• Terminology Technical Specialist
•  Population Health Analyst
• Quality and Patient Safety Advisor
•  Consultant | Clinical Records Director
• Privacy Officer
• Project Manager
• Utilization Management Officer

A recent Health Informatics (HI)/Health Information Management (HIM) Sector Study has estimated between 6,200 and 12,200 HI and HIM professionals will be needed by 2019 to fill the skill shortage due to replacement and growth demand. The detailed report can be downloaded here (pdf).

Academic qualification equivalents

• Class 12 passed students from a recognized board including CBSE, CISCE or a state board
• All India Senior School Certificate or Higher Secondary Certificate/Standard 12 or Indian School Certificate (Year 12) as recognized qualifications
• Minimum 65% prerequisite average for six Grade 12U or 12M level courses including Grade 12 English at the U level
• Grade 11 Math at the C, U or M level - (Grade 12 MDM4U preferred)

English language requirements (one of the below):

• ELTS test results required with a minimum score of 6.0 overall, with a minimum score of 5.5 in each section, for entry to diploma and certificate programs; minimum score of 6.5 overall, with a minimum of 6.0 in each section, for entry to degree, graduate certificate and fast-track programs.
• PTE: Pearson Test of English Language scores of 55 or higher for entrance to diploma and certificate programs; minimum score of 60 for entry to degree, graduate certificate and fast-track programs.

St. Lawrence College Highlights

St. Lawrence College Average Tuition Fees And Other Expenses

The annual cost of living in Canada for international students at the institute is given in the table below.