Health Information Technology

The health information management profession focuses on health care data and the management of health care information resources. The profession addresses the nature, structure and translation of data into usable forms of information for the advancement of health and health care of individuals and populations.

Health Information Technicians collect, integrate, and analyze primary and secondary health care data, disseminate information and manage information resources related to research, planning, provision and evaluation of health care services.

At Texas State Technical College Harlingen, HIT students learn skills in both classroom and laboratory settings. Skills are practiced in health care facilities during two directed practice courses. Students are trained as generalists with entry level skills and opportunities for specialization in the following areas: coders, utilization management technicians, medical statistic specialists, release of information technicians, health record analysts, quality assurance abstractors, and health record consultants.

During the final directed practice course, students will take the National Certification Examination to become a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT). Upon graduation of the six-semester program, graduates are awarded an Associate of Applied Science Degree. 

The job outlook for Health Information Technicians is good. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics is predicting a shortfall of these technicians. The starting salary for entry level positions depends on the area of specialization, with coders earning at the higher end of the scale.

The Health Information Technology Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education in cooperation with the Council on Education of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).