Health Information Management Professional

Health information management professionals (HIM) are essential to virtually every healthcare setting in New Brunswick. Health information management professionals have the skills to review health records for completeness and accuracy, assign codes to the information, assign the record to its proper category, then store and retrieve the data that is so important to New Brunswickers, and they do so safely and correctly. From data entry to coding of personal health information to data interpretation to research/education, HIM specialists contribute to patient care.

Health information management professionals do not deal with patients directly, but they are helping by safeguarding the reliability and confidentiality of patients’ health information. The data used to create health records can then be used throughout New Brunswick’s health regions for statistics, research, education, and planning. It’s a profession ideally suited to those interested in technology and data in New Brunswick, since we know the future of healthcare information management is paperless and electronic. Right now opportunities are growing for professionals who want to be a part of this exciting field.

Personal characteristics and skills

  • Excellent oral and written communication skills
  • Good analytical skills
  • Good interpersonal skills
  • Highly organized with the ability to give great attention to detail
  • Good computer skills

Health information management professionals in New Brunswick have a variety of important roles, including but not limited to:

  • Safeguarding the integrity and confidentiality of information in health records
  • Turning health records into data used for statistics, research, planning, and education
  • Collecting information about patients and their hospital stays
  • Using computer applications to compile, sort, group, retrieve, analyze, and present health data
  • Identifying risk management issues as it relates to documentation

The average workweek of a health information management professional is generally a standard workweek during general business hours, with overtime occasionally required. A typical day is spent working at a computer. Accuracy is a key element of this profession, as errors could negatively affect patient care.

Health information management professionals may work in a variety of settings, such as:

  • Hospitals
  • Clinics
  • Government departments and agencies
  • Pharmaceutical and insurance companies

Licensure and Certification: Health Information Management Professionals must be registered and members in good standing with the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA).