The Health Information Manager

In the past, when hospitals offered fewer services, what is often titled today as the Health Information Management Service
(HIMS), was known as the Medical Record Department. The role of the Health Information Manager was primarily to
supervise staff and to oversee the creation and retrieval of medical records, undertake morbidity and mortality coding,
produce hospital statistics and to coordinate the medical typing of patient related documentation.
With the introduction, adoption and development of quality, effectiveness monitoring and evaluation systems, casemix, and
technology into the health sector, the need for broader based competencies for Health Information Managers became apparent.
The roles and responsibilities expanded as the Health Information Manager (HIM) became a conduit between administrative and
information technology staff and clinicians.

Health care emphasizes not only the efficient and cost effective delivery of services, but also the quality of services. Health
information is the basis of many health related decisions - clinical, health services planning, funding, rostering and medicolegal. The
transition from paper-based to electronic health records is another significant change that will impact on the management of health
information and is currently driving change within the profession. The complex nature of health care delivery today means that
many Health Information Managers no longer work in isolation as department heads, but as multidisciplinary team leaders and
coordinators.

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