Diploma In Health Information Management

The Ghana Health Sector continues to be confronted with human capital challenges. This has resulted in a mismatch between the demand for health and the supply of health workforce. This is evident by the lack of skilled healthcare workers especially in critical services, such as emergency and palliative care, and health information management professionals among others.

Healthcare institutions rely on accurate health data to provide high-quality healthcare. Health Information Management (HIM) professionals, therefore, play a critical role in collecting, maintaining, and analysing this health data for other healthcare professionals. As experts in managing patient health information, administering computer information systems, and coding healthcare services provided to patients, they combine their knowledge of health data, information technology, information systems, and management to improve the healthcare industry. At various levels, microcomputers are being incorporated into the health and other sectors, and they are now recognized as indispensable tools for efficient work performance. However, the Ministries and Departments have not yet fully tapped into the potential of technology. Despite the fact that there are more computers in these fields, the quality of the information produced has barely changed. This is primarily due to staff members’ inability to utilize new technologies, examine problems with information, and find solutions.

With the changing healthcare environment, it has become essential for HIM professionals to have a deep understanding of technology and its applications for storing, retrieving, and manipulating information. They also need to understand how clinicians, managers, and consumers use information and how to improve the current systems to provide better and more cost-effective patient care. It is against this background that the Health Ecosystem Pillar, under the MasterCard Higher Education Health Collaborative, aims to train and prepare a new generation of talented professionals with a broad range of skills to drive equitable and inclusive growth in the African Health Sector through public and private partnership.

This curriculum has been developed based on the gaps identified in training institutions for health information professionals. KNUST’s Diploma in Health Information Management has been designed to prepare graduates for an exciting career combining clinical medicine, management, information coding, electronic health record systems, and retrieval of information. The programme equips graduates with the skills and knowledge to administer Electronic Medical/Health Records systems and generate health informatics reports that healthcare providers depend on to provide quality healthcare services. The Diploma Health Information Management programme aims to produce graduates who can provide technical support to national, regional, district, and sub-district teams in the area of information management.

Through creative human resource development and effective, hands-on teaching methods, the programme aims to close the unemployment gap in the nation, particularly for people with disabilities (PWDs). The programme is best suited for individuals interested in careers as health information management professionals, medical coding specialists, release of information analysts, clinical terminology specialists, project managers and health information processing clerks. This course is also suited for individuals already in the health sector who want to further develop their skills.

Holders of a Diploma in Health Information Management have the opportunity to work for the Ghana Health Service, the Ministry of Health, and other international and multinational organizations like WHO, USAID, UNICEF, and other NGOs to analyse and interpret health care data to improve decision-making and health outcomes.