In a blog post last week, John Lynn, founder of HealthcareScene.com, said “#AHIMACon13 should be called ICD-10 Con.” I can see why John felt this way. ICD-10 was definitely the central topic at the conference — both in the educational sessions and on the exhibit floor.
Attendees were hungry for information on how to adequately prepare for the ICD-10 transition, and exhibitors enthusiastically offered up technology solutions geared toward making the process easier on HIM directors, coders, and clinicians. However, in my opinion, AHIMA 2013 was about much more than ICD-10. To me, the event was really all about HIM professionals searching for a new identity.
While much has been written about how physicians have been forced to change in the wake of health IT, little coverage has been dedicated to the impact technology adoption is having on HIM professionals.
When you think about it, the role of the HIM professional has historically revolved around the paper record. With the rise of EHR adoption, the roles and responsibilities of HIM professionals are changing drastically, and many HIM employees are having problems adjusting.
It’s about more than just keeping up with the technology learning curve. There actually seems to be a tangible fear among many HIM professionals that their jobs will be replaced by computer software. If HIM practitioners fail to evolve with the times, these fears may be justified.
They may become dinosaurs of the healthcare world, doomed to extinction. With this realization, it was clear AHIMA attendees were looking for answers. What role should they play in a healthcare world dominated by IT? What skill sets would they need to acquire or enhance? How can they optimize their value in the healthcare delivery system? Luckily, the AHIMA conference provided the career advice HIM professionals are craving.
AHIMA CEO Lynne Thomas provided a HIM career roadmap of sorts during her presentation during the General Session on Monday, October 28. During her speech, she outlined AHIMA’s top five strategic goals — 1) Informatics, 2) Leadership, 3) Information Governance, 4) Innovation, and 5) Public Good.
“Informatics is AHIMA’s number one strategic goal because the importance of transforming patient data into healthcare intelligence has become paramount, and the HIM professional needs to be at the forefront of this process,” said Thomas.
