The Education Committee and its sub-committee and working groups have been working hard on behalf of all HIMAA Members. Following are some updates.
Education Committee
The Education Committee is continuing to (re-)develop competency and related practice standards for Health Information Managers (HIMs), Clinical Coders (CCs) and other specialists within the health information management workforce. The Education Committee recently provided, to the Board of Directors, a comprehensive summary of HIMAA’s range of competency and related standards and their associated, multiple applications that benefit individual members, employers, and HIMAA as an organisation, and inform current and future industrial awards, and university curricula.
Professional Development Sub-committee (PDSC)
The PDSC has researched the latest trends and developments in health information management, internationally, and established a comprehensive, dynamic Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Plan. This is designed to inform and assist the HIMAA CEO and the HIMAA Events, Communications & Marketing Manager in setting up CPD activities, especially Webinars. The MyHR Update Webinar, scheduled for 12 October and free to the HIMAA membership, is an example of the topics identified and recommended by the PDSC.
If you are interested in joining the Professional Development Sub-committee … you will be most welcome. Please see the Expression of Interest (EoI) document in this issue of HIMAA Matters. Closing date is 9am, Monday 23 October.
Clinical Documentation Integrity (Competency Standards) Working Group (CDIWG)
The CDIWG was re-established following a request from the President and Board of Directors and commenced work in 2023. This WG has already reviewed and identified existing HIM Profession-entry Competency Standards in the context of CDI. The next stage will centre on Intermediate- and Advanced-level practice standards applicable for HIMs, CCs and other CDI Specialists who are members of HIMAA.
Clinical Coder Performance Standards Working Group (CCWG)
This 18-member committee, chaired by Jennie Shepheard, has representation from every state and territory including from hospitals, government departments of health, and universities. The CCWG has been undertaking a systematic, rigorous research-based project to develop an updated version of the HIMAA (1996) Clinical Coder National Competency Standards and Assessment Guide which was published almost three decades ago. The draft of the new version was recently distributed to the national clinical coding workforce for comment and suggestions, via a national online survey. Thank you to those who completed the survey! Following analysis of the results, the CCWG will proceed to incorporate final amendments of the draft capability framework and will also develop an associated guide. Catherine Muratore, who is Clinical Coding Manager, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (NSW) and a member of the CCWG, will represent the CCWG and present a summary of the work completed, thus far, at the forthcoming IFHIMA Congress in October 2023.
Dr Kerin Robinson, Chair, Education Committee.
On behalf of all members of the Education Committee, PDSC, CCWG and CDIWG.