Health Information Technology Certificate
Award: Certificate in Health Information Technology
No. of credits required: 24
For more information: Contact Business & Applied Technology at bat@harford.edu; or Admissions, 443-412-2109.
Program Description
This certificate is designed to enable students to obtain requisite knowledge, skills, and competencies in the challenging healthcare field and be prepared to sit for the CompTIA HIT certification exam.
Maryland’s Health Information Technology Workforce reports the following competencies necessary for HIT positions:
- Critical thinking: focus on the big picture and problem solving
- Clinical integration/interoperability: identifying tools and techniques to improve collaboration regarding patient care
- Informatics: apply data to improvements in outcomes regarding clinical care
- Applications: ability to use specific IT tools and applications
- Project management and leadership: ability to manage workflow and lead diverse, interdisciplinary teams
- Customer relations and service, including patient engagement
- Communication skills: listening, writing, speaking
- Ability to learn and adapt quickly to new trends and technologies
- Change management and process improvement
- Security and privacy issues
- Reporting and compliance issues
Program Goals
Students who successfully complete the Health Information Certificate will be able to:
- Use the language of health information technology and demonstrate effective and professional communication skills in a healthcare setting.
- Apply technology skills required of healthcare professionals.
- Examine various healthcare information system technologies and project management methodologies.
- Demonstrate problem-solving skills to use healthcare information effectively, ethically, and legally.
- Describe the general functions, purposes and benefits of database management systems in healthcare organizations.
- Apply database knowledge in data exchange and information sharing.
Employment Information
According to the latest projected employment data from the Occupational Outlook Handbook, opportunities should be best for applicants with an extensive knowledge base in healthcare information data management and related computer software application skills. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, HIT employment is expected to increase by 8% by 2029, faster than the average for all occupations, as the demand for health services increase as our population ages. Plus, an emphasis on electronic medical records is a key focus of healthcare reform.
Certificate Requirements
In order to earn a certificate from Harford Community College, students must demonstrate basic competencies in English, reading, and mathematics by completing: ENG 018 Integrated Reading and Writing, MATH 020 Pre-Algebra I, and/or a qualifying exam must be passed.
Required Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BA 101 | Introduction to Business (GI) | 3 |
| CIS 102 | Introduction to Information Sciences (GI) | 3 |
| CIS 135 | Introduction to Networks | 3 |
| CIS 210 | Fundamentals of Network Security | 3 |
| CIS 161 | Introduction to Health Information Systems | 3 |
| CIS 162 | Database Management in Healthcare | 3 |
| OS 140 | Fundamentals of Healthcare | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Medical Terminology and Ethics | ||
| Human Body in Health and Disease (GS) | ||
| Cooperative Education III: Office Systems | ||
| Total Credits | 24 | |
General Education Degree Requirements
Note: The following codes identify courses which satisfy the General Education Degree Requirements:
Behavioral/Social Science (GB)
English Composition (GE)
Arts/Humanities (GAH)
Interdisciplinary and Emerging Issues (GI)
Biological/Physical Laboratory Science (GL)
Mathematics (GM)
Biological/Physical Science (GS)