Associate in Applied Science in Health Information Technology prepares graduates for positions in health information management, clinical data specialist, medical coding, record processing, quality improvement, utilization management and reimbursement in the prospective payment system.
This program combines academic and technical studies as well as a professional practice experience in medical facilities and related settings. Students must be available for professional practice placement during daytime business hours and are required to provide their own transportation to assigned sites.
Graduates of the Associate Degree program qualify to take the national certification examination, the RHIT (Registered Health Information Technician), given by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). The Health Information Technology program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM), in cooperation with AHIMA’s Council on Accreditation.
Students may complete a B.S. in Health Information Administration by transferring credits to a senior institution offering this program.
This is a limited enrollment curriculum. For additional information, contact a health career specialist.
Minimum Requirements
- High school graduation or High School Equivalency Certificate 1.
Foreign high school graduates or students with foreign college credits need to send English translated copies of their transcripts to Educational Perspectives, www.edperspective.org/oakton. Students with foreign college credit should request a catalog match. - Completion of MAT 085 or MAT 095 (formerly MAT 110) with a minimum grade of C or placement into MAT 085 or MAT 095.
- Completion of one year of high school biology or one semester of college biology or equivalent with a minimum grade of C within the last five years.
- Entry level competency for EGL 101 as demonstrated by coursework or assessment.
Students admitted to the program will take courses involving off-campus clinical rotation. Students are also required to submit a current and complete physical examination, including immunizations, prior to clinical courses and a copy of their health insurance card to prove coverage.
Students must comply with the requirements of the clinical sites. Clinical requirements include passing a drug test and criminal background check.
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As of January 1, 2023, the High School Equivalency Certificate became the State of Illinois High School Diploma. High School Equivalency credentials received prior to that date remain valid.
61 Semester Credit Hours; Curriculum: 0285
Note: Refer to IAI General Education Courses page for guidelines on General Education course selection.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | ||
| Area A — Communications | ||
| EGL 101 | Composition I | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Composition II | ||
| Introduction to Business and Technical Writing (recommended) | ||
| Technical Writing Applications | ||
| Effective Speech | ||
| Area B — Mathematics | ||
| MAT 131 | Elementary Statistics | 4 |
| Area C — Science | ||
| BIO 114 | Basic Human Anatomy and Physiology | 3 |
| Area D — Social and Behavioral Sciences | ||
| Select one course from a social or behavioral science discipline | 3 | |
| Area E — Humanities/Fine Arts | ||
| Select one course from a humanities or fine arts discipline | 3 | |
| Area F — Global Studies 1 | ||
| One course that satisfies Global Studies requirement | 0-3 | |
| Area G — U.S. Diversity Studies 2 | ||
| One course that satisfies U.S. Diversity Studies Requirement | 0-3 | |
| Total Hours | 19 | |
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Students may take a Global Studies course that satisfies both Area F and another Area requirement.
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Students may take a U.S. Diversity Studies course that satisfies both Area G and another Area requirement.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| HIT 104 | Medical Terminology | 3 |
| HIT 105 | Pharmacology for Health Record Documentation | 1 |
| HIT 108 | International Classification of Disease (ICD) | 3 |
| HIT 120 | Evaluation and Management Coding in CPT | 1 |
| HIT 121 | Fundamentals of Health Information Management | 3 |
| HIT 124 | Fundamentals of Medical Science | 3 |
| HIT 131 | Healthcare Statistics and Registries | 2 |
| HIT 170 | CPT Coding | 2 |
| HIT 194 | Electronic Health Record and Applications | 3 |
| HIT 221 | Quality Improvement and Assessment in Healthcare | 3 |
| HIT 222 | Healthcare Management and Law for Health Information Management | 3 |
| HIT 223 | Advanced Coding for Health Information Management | 3 |
| HIT 251 | Health Information Technology Practicum | 3 |
| HIT 260 | Principles of Healthcare Reimbursement | 3 |
| Select three credit hours from the following: | 3 | |
| Presentation Software Using PowerPoint | ||
| Electronic Spreadsheeting Using Excel | ||
| Database Application Using Access | ||
| ICD-10-CM Coding for the Physician Office | ||
| Anatomy and Physiology for ICD-10-CM Coding | ||
| Insurance Procedures for the Medical Office: Medicare | ||
| Insurance Procedures for the Medical Office: Non-Medicare | ||
| Medical Ethics | ||
| Electives: Select electives to complete the 61-credit-hour required total | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 42 | |
Health Information Technology Pathway (Full-time)
The following Pathway is recommended for students pursuing an Associate in Applied Science degree in Health Information Technology. It is offered in a hybrid format online and on the Des Plaines campus.
For more information on recommended courses or program specific advising, contact the health career specialist at 847.635.1844, or the Division of Health Careers at 847.635.1684. General Education courses should be selected from the list of IAI General Education Courses.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester One (Fall) | Hours | |
| BIO 114 | Basic Human Anatomy and Physiology | 3 |
| EGL 101 | Composition I | 3 |
| HIT 104 | Medical Terminology | 3 |
| HIT 105 | Pharmacology for Health Record Documentation | 1 |
| Select one Social and Behavioral Sciences course 1 | 3 | |
| Hours | 13 | |
| Semester Two (Spring) | ||
| HIT 121 | Fundamentals of Health Information Management | 3 |
| HIT 124 | Fundamentals of Medical Science | 3 |
| MAT 131 | Elementary Statistics | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Composition II | ||
| Introduction to Business and Technical Writing | ||
| Technical Writing Applications | ||
| Effective Speech | ||
| Select one Humanities/Fine Arts course 1 | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Semester Three (Summer) | ||
| HIT 170 | CPT Coding | 2 |
| Select one of the following: | 2-3 | |
| Presentation Software Using PowerPoint | ||
| Electronic Spreadsheeting Using Excel | ||
| Database Application Using Access | ||
| Medical Ethics | ||
| Hours | 4-5 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Semester One (Fall) | ||
| HIT 108 | International Classification of Disease (ICD) | 3 |
| HIT 120 | Evaluation and Management Coding in CPT | 1 |
| HIT 131 | Healthcare Statistics and Registries | 2 |
| HIT 194 | Electronic Health Record and Applications | 3 |
| HIT 260 | Principles of Healthcare Reimbursement | 3 |
| HIT 115 or HIT 116 | Insurance Procedures for the Medical Office: Medicare or Insurance Procedures for the Medical Office: Non-Medicare | 1 |
| Hours | 13 | |
| Semester Two (Spring) | ||
| HIT 221 | Quality Improvement and Assessment in Healthcare | 3 |
| HIT 222 | Healthcare Management and Law for Health Information Management | 3 |
| HIT 223 | Advanced Coding for Health Information Management | 3 |
| HIT 251 | Health Information Technology Practicum | 3 |
| Select one elective to complete 61 credit hours required for a degree | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 61-62 | |
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When selecting Social and Behavioral Sciences and Humanities/Fine Arts courses, please select at least one course that also satisfies the Global Studies requirement and one course that also satisfies the U.S. Diversity Studies requirement.
Note: Pathway is a recommended sequence of courses. Part-time students should contact the health career specialist to discuss a part-time pathway as well as course prerequisites and recommendations.
Health Information Technology Pathway (Part-time)
The following Pathway is recommended for students pursuing an Associate in Applied Science degree in Health Information Technology on a part-time basis, and is offered fully online.
For more information on recommended courses or program specific advising, contact the health career specialist at 847.635.1844, or the Division of Health Careers at 847.635.1684. General Education courses should be selected from the list of IAI General Education Courses.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester One (Fall) | Hours | |
| BIO 114 | Basic Human Anatomy and Physiology | 3 |
| HIT 104 | Medical Terminology | 3 |
| HIT 105 | Pharmacology for Health Record Documentation | 1 |
| Hours | 7 | |
| Semester Two (Spring) | ||
| EGL 101 | Composition I | 3 |
| HIT 121 | Fundamentals of Health Information Management | 3 |
| HIT 124 | Fundamentals of Medical Science | 3 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Semester Three (Summer) | ||
| HIT 170 | CPT Coding | 2 |
| MAT 131 | Elementary Statistics | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 2-3 | |
| Presentation Software Using PowerPoint | ||
| Electronic Spreadsheeting Using Excel | ||
| Database Application Using Access | ||
| Medical Ethics | ||
| Hours | 8-9 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Semester One (Fall) | ||
| HIT 108 | International Classification of Disease (ICD) | 3 |
| HIT 120 | Evaluation and Management Coding in CPT | 1 |
| HIT 131 | Healthcare Statistics and Registries | 2 |
| HIT 115 or HIT 116 | Insurance Procedures for the Medical Office: Medicare or Insurance Procedures for the Medical Office: Non-Medicare | 1 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Composition II | ||
| Introduction to Business and Technical Writing | ||
| Technical Writing Applications | ||
| Effective Speech | ||
| Hours | 10 | |
| Semester Two (Spring) | ||
| HIT 194 | Electronic Health Record and Applications | 3 |
| HIT 260 | Principles of Healthcare Reimbursement | 3 |
| Select one Humanities/Fine Arts course 1 | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Semester Three (Summer) | ||
| HIT 221 | Quality Improvement and Assessment in Healthcare | 3 |
| Select one Social and Behavioral Sciences course 1 | 3 | |
| Select one elective to complete 61 credit hours required for a degree | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Semester One (Fall) | ||
| HIT 222 | Healthcare Management and Law for Health Information Management | 3 |
| HIT 223 | Advanced Coding for Health Information Management | 3 |
| HIT 251 | Health Information Technology Practicum | 3 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 61-62 | |
- 1
When selecting Social and Behavioral Sciences and Humanities/Fine Arts courses, please select at least one course that also satisfies the Global Studies requirement and one course that also satisfies the U.S.Diversity requirement.
Note: Pathway is a recommended sequence of courses. Full-time students should contact their health career specialist to discuss a full-time pathway as well as course prerequisites and recommendations.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate cultural competence and technical, collaboration, and communication skills while performing essential skills of the health information technician.
- Perform essential functions of the health information technicians including disclosure of health information; clinical coding and reimbursement, record storage, retrieval, and processing; statistics and research; and registries and indices.
- Perform essential functions of the healthcare information technician as part of a healthcare team.
- Use best practices to manage healthcare information to support quality healthcare delivery.