Graduation Term

2018

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Department of Educational Administration and Foundations: Educational Administration

Committee Chair

Phyllis McCluskey-Titus

Abstract

The advent of electronic health records (EHRs) has led to significant changes in the role of those who managing patient health information, Health Information Management (HIM) professionals. These changes have further led to significant changes in the educational training required for HIM professionals, leading to new curriculum requirements. Based on the need for well-prepared professionals in the changing HIM environment, it is essential to insure that educational programs are effectively preparing students for the new roles they will be expected to fill. This study is an in-depth case study of the HIM academic program at Illinois State University. The purpose of this evaluative study is to complete a program review and evaluation to determine the impact of the recent required curriculum change on the program at Illinois State University. This study used a utilization-focused evaluation framework that included evaluation capacity building. The study specifically assessed the ability of the recent curriculum changes to adequately prepared students for the current HIM field as well as the effects of the changes on the program as a whole. This evaluative study was designed to go beyond just the use of metrics, such as enrollment, retention, and RHIA exam pass rates but to also delve deeper into the issue through surveys, interviews, and focus groups to collect data on the perceptions of students, graduates, and employers. Through the study major themes were identified related to the perceptions of the curriculum changes on the ISU HIM Program and student preparedness. These included perceptions of student satisfaction and student preparedness, perceptions of the new curriculum, concern about loss of parts of the old curriculum, and future needs for the ISU HIM program and for HIM in general. While many of the findings were expected, there were some surprising or unexpected findings, such as concern about loss of parts of the old curriculum, and close alignment between area of interest or career path and perceptions of the new versus old curriculum. This study provides a model for future evaluation of the ISU HIM program as well as HIM academic programs in general.

Access Type

Dissertation-Open Access

DOI

http://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2019.Peterson.J

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