11/10/2026
A Practical Education and Certification Guide
Health care organizations handle clinical, financial, and administrative information in a variety of formats and systems. Managing this information may involve maintaining records, supporting data quality, protecting sensitive information, and following applicable policies and regulations. Health information management (HIM) professionals may work in these and other areas, depending on their roles and responsibilities.
If you’re considering how to become a health information manager, it’s important to understand the education, credentials, experience, and skills that may be relevant to the field. HIM combines aspects of health care, information technology, data management, privacy, compliance, and administration.
Requirements for health information management positions vary by employer, role, and level of responsibility. Depending on the position, employers may look for an associate or bachelor’s degree in health information management or a related field. Some positions may also require or prefer professional certification or relevant work experience.
Because qualifications vary, students and career changers should review the requirements for the specific HIM roles they are considering. Understanding those requirements can provide context when evaluating educational programs, certification options, and potential career paths in health information management.
Health Information Management and Its Role in Healthcare
Health information management is the practice of organizing, protecting, analyzing, and maintaining medical information. The field connects clinical care with information technology, administration, compliance, and data analytics.
Health information management professionals work with medical records, electronic health records, clinical documentation, billing information, and other forms of patient data. These professionals help keep patient information accurate and ensure that only authorized individuals can access it.
Reliable health information supports quality patient care because clinicians depend on complete records when reviewing a patient’s health information. Medical history, diagnoses, test results, prescriptions, allergies, and treatment notes all contribute to healthcare decision-making.
Health information management differs somewhat from health informatics. Health informatics often concentrates on designing, implementing, or evaluating technology and data systems. Health information management usually places greater emphasis on record integrity, privacy, compliance, coding, documentation, and administrative functions. The two fields frequently overlap.
What Health Information Managers Do
Health information managers oversee processes related to medical records and other healthcare data. Depending on the organization, their work may include supervising employees, developing policies, reviewing documentation practices, monitoring regulatory compliance, and coordinating updates to health information systems.
A typical information manager may examine whether clinical data is complete, accurate, and entered into the correct electronic health records. Health information managers may also investigate inconsistencies, oversee record-release procedures, and review how departments store or exchange patient information.
Collaboration is a substantial part of health information management. Professionals may work with physicians, nurses, medical coders, billing personnel, compliance officers, information technology teams, administrators, and outside auditors. Clear communication helps each group understand its responsibilities for documenting and protecting medical information.
Privacy and security are also central concerns. Health information management professionals must understand the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, commonly called HIPAA, along with applicable organizational policies and other federal or state requirements. Their work may include access audits, privacy training, breach-response procedures, and risk assessments.
Steps to Become a Health Information Manager
If you want to become a health information manager, start by exploring educational programs that align with your career interests. Someone interested in technical record functions might begin with an associate degree, while a student interested in supervisory or administrative work may consider a bachelor’s degree.
Prospective students should examine accreditation before choosing a program. The Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education, or CAHIIM®, accredits qualifying health information management educational programs. Graduation from a qualifying CAHIIM-accredited health information management program may satisfy the educational requirements for certain professional certification examinations, depending on the credential and program level. Completing a degree does not guarantee certification eligibility, examination passage, or credential conferral.
A general early-career timeline may look like the following:
- Research the field: Compare health information management, medical coding, healthcare administration, information technology, and health informatics.
- Choose an accredited program: Verify the program’s accreditation and confirm which certification exam graduates may take.
- Develop technical experience: Practice with electronic medical records, coding tools, privacy procedures, and data analysis applications.
- Complete an internship or practicum: Apply classroom knowledge in a healthcare or related setting.
- Pursue an appropriate credential: Consider RHIT® or RHIA® certification based on education and career direction.
- Gain related work experience: Build familiarity with medical records, documentation, compliance, or healthcare data.
- Apply for suitable positions: Match education and experience to the requirements listed by each employer.
- Maintain professional knowledge: Complete continuing education and monitor changes in technology, regulations, and documentation standards.
Associate Degree and the Health Information Technician Track
An associate degree in health information management often takes approximately two years of full-time study, although program length can vary. Coursework may include medical terminology, anatomy, coding, reimbursement, electronic health records, statistics, privacy, and healthcare data quality.
Students who want to become a health information technician should confirm that the program is accredited by CAHIIM® if they plan to pursue the Registered Health Information Technician credential. Completing a general health informatics or medical billing program does not automatically establish RHIT® exam eligibility. Students should confirm eligibility before enrolling because not all health information-related programs qualify graduates for the RHIT examination.
A health information technician may work with record completion, medical coding, data quality checks, release-of-information requests, or electronic medical records. Some technicians later pursue additional education after developing practical experience in health information management.
Certificates and short educational programs can also introduce coding, billing, privacy, or health information technology. However, a short certificate does not necessarily satisfy the education requirements for RHIT® certification or for jobs requiring an associate degree. Students should compare the curriculum and credential eligibility with their intended goals before enrolling.
Bachelor’s Degree Preparation for Information Management
A bachelor’s degree in health information management generally covers leadership, information governance, compliance, data analytics, finance, and process improvement. Many programs also include clinical documentation, classification systems, database concepts, and information technology.
Students preparing to become a health information manager may consider electives in project management, healthcare law, statistics, database management, and organizational communication. Courses involving clinical documentation can be especially relevant because documentation quality affects coding, reimbursement, patient care, and reporting.
Graduates of qualifying CAHIIM®-accredited bachelor’s or master's health information management programs may meet the educational eligibility pathway for the Registered Health Information Administrator examination. Because certification requirements can change, students should review the current candidate guide before selecting educational programs or applying for an exam.
A bachelor’s degree may be listed for some information management positions, particularly those involving staff supervision, compliance, data governance, or departmental operations. Employers may also request prior experience in medical records or another healthcare information function.
Registered Health Information Technician and Administrator Certifications
The two widely recognized credentials in health information management are the Registered Health Information Technician and Registered Health Information Administrator certifications. The American Health Information Management Association administers both certification exams.
The Registered Health Information Technician credential generally corresponds with an associate-level health information management education. RHIT®-related work often focuses on the technical handling of health information, including coding, record quality, data integrity, and electronic health records.
The Registered Health Information Administrator credential generally corresponds with bachelor’s- or master’s-level health information management preparation. RHIA-related knowledge includes information governance, privacy, compliance, analytics, revenue processes, and organizational leadership.
Certification is not universally required for every health information management position. However, some employers prefer or require professional certification, particularly when a role involves specialized information management duties.
RHIT® and RHIA Exam Differences
The main difference between RHIT® and RHIA® certification involves educational eligibility and the level of information management addressed by each examination.
RHIT® candidates commonly complete the academic requirements of a CAHIIM®-accredited associate-level health information management program. RHIA® candidates commonly complete an accredited bachelor’s- or master’s-level health information management program. AHIMA® may provide additional eligibility pathways, so candidates should consult the current requirements rather than relying on older program information.
The RHIT® exam may suit a prospective health information technician whose education emphasizes technical record functions. The RHIA® exam may align more closely with candidates preparing for administrative, analytical, compliance, or managerial responsibilities.
How to Prepare for the Certification Exam
Exam preparation should begin with the official content outline and candidate guide. These resources explain eligibility, application procedures, exam domains, scheduling requirements, and testing policies.
Candidates can divide the content outline into weekly study milestones. A schedule might assign separate periods to data structure, privacy, coding, revenue processes, information technology, and leadership concepts.
Timed practice exams give candidates an opportunity to become familiar with the testing format. Reviewing incorrect answers is often more useful than repeatedly taking practice tests without examining knowledge gaps.
Candidates should also practice applying concepts rather than memorizing definitions alone. For example, a question may require the candidate to select an appropriate privacy response, identify a documentation problem, or interpret a data-quality result.
After earning a credential, professionals must meet applicable recertification requirements. Maintaining RHIT® or RHIA® certification generally involves completing continuing education units and paying a recertification fee within the designated cycle. Credential holders should consult AHIMA's official recertification guidance for current requirements and deadlines.
Skills for Health Information and Clinical Documentation Work
Health information management combines technical knowledge with communication, analysis, and attention to detail. Employers commonly look for familiarity with electronic health records, medical terminology, coding classifications, record-retention practices, spreadsheets, databases, and healthcare information systems.
Clinical documentation skills help professionals determine whether a record is complete, consistent, and suitable for its intended uses. Accurate documentation can support care coordination, regulatory reporting, reimbursement, research, and data analysis.
Privacy and security knowledge is equally important. Health information managers protect patient health information by applying access controls, release procedures, retention policies, and incident-response practices. Familiarity with HIPAA is usually expected, although specific responsibilities vary by workplace. Healthcare organizations remain responsible for meeting applicable HIPAA and other legal requirements.
Analytical skills help professionals review error patterns, incomplete records, turnaround times, and other performance measures. Data analytics may also be used to identify documentation trends and support process improvement projects.
Communication and leadership skills become more relevant when an information manager coordinates employees or works across clinical and administrative departments. The ability to explain technical requirements in plain language can help colleagues follow information management policies more consistently.
Gaining Experience Through Internships and Entry-Level Work
Internships and professional practice experiences can give students exposure to health information systems before graduation. Potential settings include hospitals, physician practices, insurance organizations, rehabilitation centers, public health agencies, and healthcare technology companies.
Entry-level positions may include health information clerk, medical records specialist, medical coder, release-of-information specialist, document imaging technician, or health information technician. Job titles vary, and the same title may involve different responsibilities across medical facilities.
Students can document academic and internship projects in a professional portfolio. Appropriate examples may include simulated data quality review, workflow diagrams, coding audit exercises, privacy-training resources, or process improvement proposals. Portfolios must not contain identifiable patient information.
On-the-job training can provide experience with an employer’s electronic medical records platform, documentation procedures, security policies, and reporting tools. That experience can illustrate how information management principles are applied in a working healthcare environment.
Career Paths in Information Management
Health information management may support several nonclinical career directions. Possible areas include medical records operations, clinical documentation improvement, coding, privacy, compliance, health informatics, data analytics, revenue integrity, and information governance.
A health information technician might begin with record processing or coding responsibilities and later pursue additional education or certification. Movement into an information manager position generally depends on the employer’s requirements, the candidate’s experience, and the scope of the role.
Some health information management professionals work outside hospitals. Insurance organizations, consulting firms, government agencies, software companies, research organizations, and long-term care facilities may also employ people with health information knowledge.
Students interested in a specialty can explore credentials related to clinical documentation, privacy and security, coding, or healthcare data analytics. A specialty certification does not replace experience, but it may document knowledge within a defined area.
Continuing Education in Health Information Management
Healthcare regulations, coding standards, information technology, and security practices change over time. Continuing education addresses changes in healthcare regulations, coding standards, information technology, security practices, and applicable credential requirements.
A master’s degree may be relevant for professionals who want deeper study in health informatics, healthcare administration, analytics, information governance, or organizational leadership. However, graduate education is not required for every health information management role.
Professional networking can also expose students and working professionals to new tools, specialties, and workplace practices. Conferences, local association activities, webinars, and continuing education courses provide opportunities to learn from others in information management.
Considering graduate education to expand your knowledge of healthcare data, technology, and leadership? Explore "Is a Master's in Health Information Management Worth It?" to better understand the potential benefits and factors to consider before pursuing an advanced degree.