Health Information Management

The discipline of evaluating and applying the merits, risks, and social concerns of activities in the field of health care.

Critical Work Functions

• Act in the best interests of the client/patient

• Report and prevent abuse and neglect

• Protect confidentiality of client/patient records

• Differentiate between ethical and legal issues impacting health care

• Make ethical decisions

• Respect clients rights and responsibilities

• Demonstrate an awareness of cultural competence in the context of cultural, social, and ethnic diversity

• Morality and ethics as they relate to health industry outcomes

• Ethical and legal issues impacting the health industries

• Confidentiality

• Problem solving techniques when confronted with ethical dilemmas or issues

• Problem sensitivity - the negative consequences of action/inaction

• Malpractice, liability, and negligence

• Expressed, informed, implied, and involuntary consent

• Patient's Bill of Rights

• National Standards on Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS)

• Cultural sensitivity

• Language assistance services (e.g., bilingual staff and interpreter services)

• Service area demographics