As a student in our Health Information Management program and later as a professional working in the field, a number of tasks, skills and personal qualities will be vital to your success.

Students must meet specific criteria of performance in order to progress in their course work and ultimately graduate. These standards include meeting specific physical and mental demands associated with this profession.

Critical Thinking:

• Ability to assimilate, within a reasonable amount of time, large amounts of complex, technical and detailed information from a variety of sources.
• Ability to problem solve effectively.
• Ability to apply complex concepts in daily job functions.

Conceptual:

• Ability to function during stressful situation; prioritize multiple tasks, integrate information and make decisions.
• Must be able to cope with heavy production schedules, display adaptability and accept responsibility

Interpersonal:

• Ability to interact effectively with others (on 1 to 1 or group setting) in a variety of social, emotional, cultural and intellectual backgrounds.

Communication:

• Ability to interact effectively with others verbally, non-verbally and in written form.
• Must also be able to express oneself effectively and make presentations in a language that will be understood by the majority of individuals involved.
  

Mobility:

• Physical abilities sufficient to:
  • Move from place to place within an office area
  • Sit for extended periods of time
  • Retrieve and file patient file folders in paper environments
  • Carry, move or lift up to 10 pounds of patient folders and/or documents from place to place
  • Kneel, stoop and reach

Motor Skills:

• Gross and fine motor skill ability sufficient to perform data entry, data retrieval, keyboarding and handling both paper and electronic record data collection.

Hearing and Visual:

• Ability to communicate with physicians, co-workers and patients by way of speech, telephone or other auditory method.
• Ability sufficient for observation, data entry and comprehension of 3 dimensional relationships and spatial relationships of objects.
• Ability to see color for color coding systems.
• Ability to view a computer monitor for extended periods of time.

Tactile:

• Ability sufficient to use a computer keyboard for data entry and retrieval.
• Ability to be able to handle filing loose documents in paper records.