Health Information Technology
Occupational Major
This major is primarily designed for job preparedness. Students who are considering transferring to a four-year college should be aware that decisions on transferability of courses are made by the four-year colleges and differ from school to school. Students should contact the Transfer Services Office early in their academic program to determine which courses will transfer to the college of their choice.
Department of Business Studies
Penn 401 • Phone (215) 504-8227
Curriculum Code No. 2191
The Health Information Technology Associate degree program is designed to prepare the student to function effectively in a technical manner in health information departments in a wide variety of healthcare settings. These settings include: ambulatory care, rehabilitation centers, drug and alcohol facilities, local health departments, third-party payers, pharmaceutical companies, acute care, as well as other healthcare related organizations such as insurance companies, consulting firms and technology companies. The curriculum is designed to prepare entry-level graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary to use, analyze, present, abstract, code, add, store and/or retrieve healthcare data for the support of departmental operations and clinical and business decision making in healthcare or related organizations.
Health Information Technology professionals are employed as health data analysts, insurance claims analysts, records technician specialists, clinical coding specialists, physician practice managers, or patient information coordinators.
Graduates of this program are able to
- apply analytical thinking and problem-solving skills necessary to perform complex coding and billing tasks;
- demonstrate an understanding of the healthcare field and how health-related information is managed and shared between medical facilities.
- analyze and manage healthcare data using current medical application software; and
- apply Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations to protect the security and confidentiality of electronic patient health information.
Degree Course Requirements
| BIOL181 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I D | 4 |
| BIOL182 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II D | 4 |
| CISC110 | Introduction to Information Systems A,D | 3 |
| COMM110 | Effective Speaking D,5 | 3 |
| COMP110 | English Composition I A,B,1 | 3 |
| INTG285 | Integration of Knowledge C,4,D | 3 |
| MATH115 | Elementary Statistics A,B,3,D | 3 |
| HITT105 | Legal Aspects of Health Information Technology | 3 |
| MEDA120 | Medical Terminology A | 3 |
| HITT190 | Introduction to Health Information Technology | 3 |
| HITT207 | Health Information Technology Applications D | 3 |
| HITT208 | Healthcare Quality Improvement D | 3 |
| HITT217 | Health Insurance and Reimbursement D | 3 |
| HITT250 | Basic Pathophysiology and Pharmacology for Health Information Technology D | 3 |
| HITT297 | Medical Coding D | 3 |
| HITT298 | Advanced Procedural Coding D | 3 |
| HITT299 | Advanced Diagnostic Coding D | 3 |
| HITT280 | Health Information Technology Externship D | 3 |
| MGMT100 | Introduction to Business A,2 | 3 |
| OADM110 | Business Communication B,1 | 3 |
| Cultural Perspective E | 3 | |
| Personal Health E | 2 | |
| 67 |
Recommended Semester Sequence
The recommended course sequence is designed for full-time students who average 15 credit hours per semester. Students may need more time to complete major requirements based on placement testing. This additional time will entail some adjustments to the sequence recommended.
First Semester |
||
| MEDA120 | Medical Terminology A | 3 |
| HITT190 | Introduction to Health Information Technology | 3 |
| CISC110 | Introduction to Information Systems A,D | 3 |
| HITT105 | Legal Aspects of Health Information Technology | 3 |
| BIOL181 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I D | 4 |
| 16 | ||
Second Semester |
||
| COMP110 | English Composition I A,B,1 | 3 |
| MATH115 | Elementary Statistics A,B,3,D | 3 |
| HITT297 | Medical Coding D | 3 |
| BIOL182 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II D | 4 |
| Personal Health E | 2 | |
| 15 | ||
Third Semester |
||
| HITT298 | Advanced Procedural Coding D | 3 |
| MGMT100 | Introduction to Business A,2 | 3 |
| OADM110 | Business Communication B,1 | 3 |
| HITT207 | Health Information Technology Applications D | 3 |
| HITT217 | Health Insurance and Reimbursement D | 3 |
| COMM110 | Effective Speaking D,5 | 3 |
| 18 | ||
Fourth Semester |
||
| HITT208 | Healthcare Quality Improvement D | 3 |
| HITT250 | Basic Pathophysiology and Pharmacology for Health Information Technology D | 3 |
| HITT299 | Advanced Diagnostic Coding D | 3 |
| INTG285 | Integration of Knowledge C,4,D | 3 |
| 15 | ||
Fifth Semester |
||
| HITT280 | Health Information Technology Externship D | 3 |
A Open to Credit by Examination.
B Placement testing required.
C Any INTG course may be chosen.
D Course requires prerequisite.
E Consult the list of courses approved for this subcategory.
1 Satisfies College Writing requirement.
2 Satisfies Social Perspectives.
3 Satisfies College level Mathematics or Science.
4 Satisfies Intensive Writing requirement.
5 Satisfies Creative Expression.
