2018 AHIMA Health Information Management Curricula Competencies

In response to the AHIMA’s HIM Reimagined (HIMR) initiative, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the Council for Excellence in Education (CEE) developed the 2018 AHIMA Health Information Management Curricula Competencies and revised the required Bloom's Taxonomy levels. The competencies aim to align HIM education with the skills and knowledge required to meet long-term future HIM workforce needs.  

Key considerations for the 2018 AHIMA Health Information Management Curricula Competencies:

Progression – the competencies provide a foundation in which HIM skills and knowledge can be acquired in a learning progression or hierarchy across all academic levels

Transferability – provides a more-streamlined framework for academic credits to seamlessly transfer between academic programs within the confines of the school’s rules

Stackable – align certification processes and credentials with workforce, industry and education needs

Laddering – is closely-related to progression and transferability, in education as well as within industry. Both are critical components of HIM Reimagined, intended to deliver a thoughtful, purposeful educational roadmap across all academic levels and professional practice. Academic competencies outline progression and transferability through the academic environment

The Draft 2018 AHIMA Health Information Management Curricula Competencies were introduced to the membership on June 25, 2018 with an open comment period available until September 14, 2018. The CEE Curricula Workgroup analyzed and addressed the feedback received to finalize the 2018 AHIMA Health Information Management Curricula Competencies.

2018 AHIMA Health Information Management Curricula Competencies

Each academic level is comprised of six common domains, representing the areas of mastery important for all HIM students and practitioners, regardless of academic degree. At the associate degree level, programs can choose one or both specialty tracks which include Data Management and Revenue Management. The Supporting Body of Knowledge has been updated to include math and statistics.

Competencies are broadly written to allow for program flexibility and attainment of the required Bloom’s levels regardless of academic program. The competencies represent progression across all academic levels.

Domain I. Data Structure, Content, and Information Governance
Domain II. Information Protection: Access, Use, Disclosure, Privacy, and Security
Domain III. Informatics, Analytics, and Data Use
Domain IV. Revenue Cycle Management
Domain V. Health Law & Compliance    
Domain VI. Organizational Management & Leadership

Associate degree level academic programs may elect to teach one or both specialty tracks: Data Management (DM) and Revenue Management (RM). The DM and/or RM competencies are to be completed in addition to the competencies of the common domains listed above.

A new AHIMA-revised Bloom’s taxonomy table specifies the expected verb usage. In addition, Curriculum Guidance documents have been developed for each academic level to provide educators and professionals with suggested learning resources, examples and other ideas for developing competency. The Curriculum Guidance documents will be maintained separately, to provide greater flexibility to adapt content according to evolving program needs. This structure also allows programs to adjust their content based upon their program needs using the associated curriculum guidance.

2018 HIM Curricula Competencies and associated resources:

A new AHIMA-revised Bloom’s taxonomy table specifies the expected verb usage. In addition, Curriculum Guidance documents have been developed for each academic level to provide educators and professionals with suggested learning resources, examples and other ideas for developing competency. The Curriculum Guidance documents will be maintained separately, to provide greater flexibility to adapt content according to evolving program needs. This structure also allows programs to adjust their content based upon their program needs using the associated curriculum guidance.

AHIMA-revised Bloom’s Taxonomy levels serve as the minimum (floor) threshold for attainment of the stated competency at each academic level.

Curriculum Guidance documents have been developed for each academic level to provide educators with suggested learning resources, examples, potential websites, and other ideas for educators’ consideration. *

* The Draft Curriculum Guidance documents (for each degree level) are intended to provide educators with suggested learning resources, examples, potential websites, and other ideas for educators’ consideration only. In a spirit of academic freedom, it is ultimately each educator’s responsibility to choose whichever learning resources they prefer to use in their courses, curriculum and program. There is no expressed nor implied guarantee that using a listed resource meets a given HIM competency, AHIMA-revised Bloom’s level or accreditation standard. Review and revisions of the draft curricula guidance documents are ongoing.

2018 AHIMA Health Information Management Curricula Competencies

The AHIMA Council for Excellence in Education has approved the 2018 AHIMA Health Information Management Curricula Competencies for implementation.

CAHIIM Curriculum Implementation Dates: 2018 AHIMA Health Information Management Curricula Competencies

Programs in the Continuing Accreditation program review process are using the 2014 AHIMA/Academic Competencies in effect when they began the process. 

New HIM associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degree programs applying for Candidacy Status after February 1, 2019 must implement the new 2018 AHIMA Health Information Management Curricula Competencies by the time of application submission.  

Accredited Programs beginning in the 2020-2021 Program Review Cycle, must have the 2018 AHIMA Health Information Management Curricula Competencies implemented in all courses. These programs will be notified in 2020. The Self-Assessment documentation will be due in the CAHIIM Accreditation System in 2021 by the assigned date.

All remaining CAHIIM HIM Accredited programs must implement the 2018 AHIMA Health Information Management Curricula Competencies by the CAHIIM designated date in 2021.  Visit the CAHIIM HIM page at http://cahiim.org/him/curriculumrequirements.html for more information and updates on the implementation of the 2018 Health Information Management Accreditation Standards for Associate and Baccalaureate Degree programs.

Preparation for Curriculum Transition:

The Council for Excellence in Education (CEE) will begin developing resources and tools to assist programs with planning for, and adoption of, the 2018 AHIMA Health Information Management Curricula Competencies. Both AOE/FDI and AHIMA19 will have opportunities to learn about planning for implementation and operationalizing the new curricula.

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