IT 6503-900

Foundations of HIT

Summer 2013

Instructor
Dr. Chi Zhang, Assistant Professor of IT, School of CSE, SPSU
Website: http://cse.spsu.edu/czhang
Email: chizhang@spsu.edu
Office: J383
Office Hours: No official office hours. Email is preferred for this online class.

Please use D2L course email for your questions related to the course. Be sure to have a
descriptive subject line.
Course Description
This course introduces students to the field of health information technology (HIT). Students will
become familiar with the content, use, and structure of health care data and medical records,
health information management, and fundamentals of health information systems in different
healthcare settings. Students will also become familiar with the healthcare delivery systems in the
U.S., the organization of health care providers and insurers. Legal and ethical issues associated
with health information, and health information security and privacy topics will be discussed.
Resources for HIT will be provided.
Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:
1. Understand the history of the healthcare delivery systems, the reimbursement
methodologies utilized in the current healthcare delivery system, and the forces that now
challenge hospitals today.
2. Identify the components and use of basic healthcare data sets in different healthcare
settings and describe the use of healthcare statistics in healthcare decision-making.
3. Identify the major types of information systems applications used in healthcare
organizations.
4. Understand the importance of clinical data management and performance improvement
activities in the healthcare environment.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the basic ethical and legal issues that impact health
information technology today.
6. Discuss issues relating to both privacy and security of health information.
Methods of Teaching and Learning:
The course will be presented through class lectures by instructor and guest speakers (in person or
video/audio taped) from academia and industry. Class sessions will focus on knowledge and
understanding of the key elements of the health information management and health information
technology. Students will participate in class discussion, written assignments as well as weekly
quizzes over content.
Required Text:

Richard Gartee, Health Information Technology and Management, Pearson, 2011,

ISBN: 978-0-13-159267-4

Reference:

Kathleen A. McCormick and Brian Gugerty, Healthcare Information Technology,

Exam Guide for CompTIA Healthcare IT Technician & HIT Pro Certifications,
2013, ISBN: 978-0-07-180280-2
Merida Johns, Health Information Management Technology- An Applied
Approach, 3rd edition, AHIMA Publishing, 2011, ISBN: 978-1-58426-259-6

Syllabus last updated: 5/20/2013

IT 6503-900

Foundations of HIT

Summer 2013

Grading

Assignments / Discussion
GAView Vista Quizzes
Midterm Exam
Final Exam
Total

Weight
50%
15%
15%
20%
100%

Discussion:
Discussion will be assessed both by the number of contributions made to class discussions and
the quality of the contributions. Judging the quality of the contribution is not an exact science but
here are some of the criteria that I will be using:
1. Originality
Synthesizing information you researched and reviewed for your discussion post
is required, rather than simply finding/copying/pasting that information from one
or more web sites onto the discussion board.
Contributions such as "I agree" will obviously attract low grades on this criterion.
Contributions that bring new and relevant points to the discussion will attract
high grades.
2. Evidence of familiarity with material that was not directly covered in the course. If you
bring new material into the discussion, and can provide appropriate reference to the
sources (e.g., full references for papers you have read, or URL for web sites you have
visited), then you score highly on this criterion.
3. Clarity of expression
4. Detailed discussion grading rubric will be available along with the assignment.

Course Outline
The text book for this course introduces students to the fundamentals of:
the health delivery system (Ch1-4)
health information management (Ch5-8)
health information systems (Ch9-12)
Below is an outline of the content and activities in each unit of the course. Schedule is tentative
and subject to change.
Starting Date
of the Unit

5/20

Unit Topics
Learning Activities
(supplementary materials will be provided in
addition to the content from the text)
Unit 1:
- Guest lecture: how to start HIT career
- Ch1: Healthcare delivery fundamentals
- Ch2: Health information professionals

Syllabus last updated: 5/20/2013

- Self introduction
- Discussion 1
- Unit 1 Quiz

IT 6503-900
Starting Date
of the Unit

Foundations of HIT

Summer 2013

Unit Topics
Learning Activities
(supplementary materials will be provided in
addition to the content from the text)

5/28

Unit 2:
- Ch3: Accreditation, regulations, and HIPAA
- Ch4: Fundamentals of information systems
- Ch5: Healthcare Records

- Writing assignment
- Discussion 2
- Unit 2 quiz

6/3

Unit 3:
- Ch6: Organization, storage, and management
of health records
- Ch7: Electronic health records
- Ch8: Additional health information systems

- Discussion 3
- Unit 3 quiz

6/10

Unit 4:
- Ch9: Healthcare coding and reimbursement
- Ch10: Healthcare transactions and billing

- Discussion 4
- Midterm Exam
(covering Ch1-8)

6/17

Unit 5:
- Ch11: Health statistics, research, and quality
improvement
- Ch12: Management and decision support
systems

- Discussion 5
- Unit 5 quiz

6/24

Unit 6:
- Supplementary HIT topics

- Writing assignment
- Discussion 6
- Unit 6 quiz

7/1

Unit 7:
- More supplementary HIT topics

- Discussion 7

7/8

Unit 8:
- Review and Reflection

- Final Exam
(covering the content after
midterm)

Course Expectations
Class Rules:
1. Distance learning requires more individual discipline than traditional classes, and requires
that you have at least some control over your time and schedule. It is not easier or less time
than face-to-face courses.
2. For this class, you should expect to spend three to four hours each week on coursework.
Logging in at least three times a week is minimally necessary to be productive and to interact
with your peers. Active participation in the course discussion is encouraged.
3. Be sure to check both your Zimbra email and D2L email regularly during the semester.
4. You are responsible for all course announcements and assignments.
5. Follow the assignment guidelines:

Syllabus last updated: 5/20/2013

IT 6503-900

Foundations of HIT

Summer 2013

1) You are expected to do your own work for all assignments unless otherwise indicated by
instructor.
2) All assignments will be submitted in D2L by the due dates. Please do not submit any
work via email.
3) All assignments are required to be typed with word processing or text editing software.
4) All work to be submitted need to be in the format of doc, docx, or pdf.
5) Use the correct file name format (initials_class#_Assign#) and type. For example:
CZ_IT6503_WritingAssignment#1.doc.
6) Assignments that dont meet the guidelines will NOT be graded.
6. It is very important that you understand the student honor code and academic honesty. If
plagiarism is suspected, your assignment/quiz/exam grade could be zero.
7. If you must miss an announced exam due to illness, work, travel, or other valid reasons, you
must make alternative arrangements with instructor PRIOR TO the exam date.
8. Your feedback to the course is very important. You are expected to complete the course
survey at the end of the semester. The survey link will be sent to your Zimbra email by the
university directly.
Turnitin:
Students agree that by taking this course all required writing assignments may be subject to
submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All
submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database
solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. Use of the Turnitin.com service is
subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com site.
Contacts to get Help:
For D2LTechnical Support, go to http://www.spsu.edu/d2l/student/index.htm or call 678-915HELP
For SPSU online learning student services, go to
http://www.spsu.edu/onlinelearning/currentonlinestudents/studentservices.htm
Resources:
Online student resource guide: http://orientation.spsu.edu/onlineresourceguide/
Remote access to Library Resources http://www.spsu.edu/library/off_campus/distance.htm
CSE Lab Information for students: http://cse.spsu.edu/thenest/students/

University Policies
Academic Honesty:
A faculty member reserves the right to remove any student from his or her course if the students
behavior is of a disruptive nature or if there is evidence of academic dishonesty. (SPSU Catalog)
Disability Statement:
A student at Southern Polytechnic State University who has a disabling condition and needs
academic accommodations has a responsibility to voluntarily identify him/herself as having a
disability by scheduling an appointment with the Disability Services Coordinator as soon as
possible. (SPSU Catalog). The coordinator can be contacted at 678-915-7244

Syllabus last updated: 5/20/2013