Walking Through Change in the Healthcare World!

The healthcare documentation profession is making significant strides in deliverance of quality patient medical records. Through its transformation, members, past and present, can recount the stages Annual Convention and Expo (ACE), of technological advancement now leading us into today’s breakthroughs. Numerous challenges exist today in the healthcare delivery system, our sector is not excluded. Understanding and welcoming change is the next positive step in our professional career. Attending this year's Advocacy Summit and it is clear we are on the right path to our future. Respective members of Congress and health information management professionals are preparing for this evolution in time. There will be obstacles individually and collectively to face, overcome, and persevere as we begin this journey together. How might students and professionals stay informed, educated, and relevant to the future, planning for success?

Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) has defined a clear vision of that mission. Industry specific communication is distributed electronically through publications and social media networking sites. Timely webinars and workgroup initiatives further the efforts to maintain relevance to the member. Local, State/Regional, or Online component associations offer additional ways of building support. Individuals should examine their career goals and aspirations and plan to become a part of the solution to the evolving healthcare system.

Change is also a necessary part of our future and promotes the growth and repositioning this sector needs to stay vibrant. The Power of 10 is one such initiative designed to increase the individual’s voice of advocacy to legislators in Washington DC. This campaign has set an ambitious goal of collecting $10 by 10,000 MTs by 2010 to support standard-setting bodies of data capture in the EHR, educate lawmakers to allied health workforce development, and work to enable additional efficiencies in the healthcare system.

Furthering the walk, the Health Story Project is a targeted program designed to expand software capabilities and enable greater flexibility to physicians, utilizing structured narrative documentation methods of choice for data capture. Establishing effective and clear workflow are another important step through health information management to ensure proper document routing is electronically distributed.

As professionals, we are fortunate to have an environmentally friendly, portable high-technology career available to us. AHDI offers credentials with introduction of TRSi/3M Speech Recognition Technology curriculum to further the skill set. Discounts are also offered through the Vendor Affiliate program in specialty credentials offering additional pathways through health information technology, electronic health records, health information exchange, and privacy and security compliance (http://www.healthitcertification.com/).

AHDI is committed to working hard to ensure the tools are available to the members. We are in position to make a difference in deliverance of healthcare documentation. It is important we recognize and seize diverse opportunities. Staying engaged, connected to associations, and educated of national goals will help ensure you are on the path of success to carve a niche into the healthcare delivery system.