Foundations of Health IT and Privacy

This unit introduces students to the foundational concepts, terminology, workflows, professional communities, and legal/regulatory frameworks that underpin Health IT. Students will learn how computers and networks support clinical and administrative practice, how to read common medical and technical terms, and the essentials of HIPAA and HITECH compliance to prepare for more advanced Health IT tasks in subsequent units.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze common clinical and administrative workflows and roles to identify where Health IT systems (e.g., EHRs, EDI, NHIN) support care coordination, data exchange, and business processes
• Apply core medical and technical terminology (including abbreviations and color codes) and Health IT lingo to accurately interpret documentation, communications, and system interfaces
• Demonstrate knowledge of HIPAA and HITECH requirements by identifying protected health information (PHI), minimum necessary standards, breach scenarios, required notifications, and administrative simplification provisions
• Evaluate industry organizations, community resources, and continuing education options (e.g., MGMA, HIMSS, HITRUST, regional centers, blogs) and develop a plan to stay current and engaged in the Health IT profession