Health Information Management Program (C139)
Apply Now:
Domestic Students
Program Description
Leadership Claims
This program is accredited by the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA).
The Canadian College of Health Information Management is a national, not-for-profit corporation that sets the accreditation standards for educational institutions and certification standards for health information professionals in Canada.
The Canadian College of Health Information Management sets the accreditation standards for educational institutions offering health information programs in Canada.
Program Overview
Health Information Management prepares graduates to participate in the collection and organization of health information. Over the course of two years, students will develop the skills and knowledge they need to work as health information practitioners.
Full Description
Health Information Management is a two-year diploma program (fully accredited by the Canadian Health Information Management Association) focused on providing the skills and knowledge needed by health information practitioners. It prepares graduates to participate in the collection and organization of health information.
Curriculum content emphasizes:
- biomedical sciences
- health informatics
- health record systems
- medical classification systems and coding
- data collection
- statistical analysis and presentation
- health-care legislation
Graduates are eligible to write the Canadian Health Information Management Association national certification examination. Please visit the Canadian Health Information Management Association website to learn more about this certification and the associated exam fee.
Note: Students in this program will be required to provide their own laptop computer for the duration of the program. Details regarding specifications will be provided.
PLEASE NOTE: Some of our clinical or work placement partners may require students to show proof of full vaccination. As such, students who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 may not be able to complete the required field placement component of their program in the regularly scheduled time frame. Please visit this page for the latest updates on COVID-19.
Your Field Education Options
Field placement plays an important role in this program by giving students the chance to apply what they've learned in the classroom to a real-world environment.
In Semester 2, students will be placed at a health care facility for one week at the end of the semester. During that week, students will be exposed to various components of health data such as: the collection of, type of and privacy issues related to data.
During second year, field placement is integrated throughout Semesters 3 & 4. Students will visit a partner office every Friday until the end of Semester 4 at which point they go on a three-week block placement. During that time, students will be expected to complete a project related to health data to include an analysis of data and health data related issues.
The type of sites where students can expect to conduct their field experiences include: health care facilities, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, health related insurance companies, Ontario Hospital Association, community care access centres.
Career & Postgraduate Study Opportunities
Your Career
Health Information Management practitioners are in demand as key members of the health care community. They work closely with many other health care professionals to contribute to the management of health information and quality care.
Employment opportunities exist within the public and private sectors with:
- acute care hospitals
- primary health care teams
- ambulatory care facilities
- workplace health and safety boards
- health record consulting firms
- Canadian Institute of Health Information
- specialized hospitals
- community care centres
- Ministries of Health
- computer companies
- research centres
- insurance companies
Health Information Management practitioners:
- work with health care providers and stakeholders to transition from the paper health record to the electronic health record
- develop, implement and maintain health information systems
- protect patient information and promote confidentiality awareness
- control the release of medico-legal information
- evaluate standards of documentation according to established criteria
- provide essential information for clinical research, quality improvement, utilization review, budgeting and other administrative applications
Courses
Required Courses
SEMESTER 1
| Code | Course Name |
|---|---|
| GSCI 1106 | Anatomy and Physiology |
| PATH 1001 | Pathophysiology I: Microbiology |
| RECM 1001 | Health Information Management I |
| RECM 1005 | Medical Terminology I |
| LAW 2008 | Health-care Law |
| MATH 1112 | Fundamental Mathematics for Health Information Management |
| COMM 1007 | College English |
SEMESTER 2
| Code | Course Name |
|---|---|
| GSCI 1113 | Anatomy and Physiology/Genetics |
| PATH 1005 | Pathophysiology II |
| RECM 2002 | Health Information Management II |
| RECM 1011 | Medical Terminology II |
| STAT 1013 | Quantitative Methods and Hospital Statistics |
| COMP 1007 | Excel Applications |
| RECM 1022 | Transition to Employment |
SEMESTER 3
| Code | Course Name |
|---|---|
| RECM 1003 | Health Information Coding Classification I |
| RECM 2010 | Health Information Management Field Education I |
| RECM 2004 | Management and Leadership |
| LAW 2023 | Privacy and Release of Information |
| STAT 2001 | Inferential Statistics and Research Methods |
| COMP 1227 | Excel II |
| GNED | General Education Elective |
SEMESTER 4
| Code | Course Name |
|---|---|
| RECM 2014 | Health Information Systems |
| RECM 2007 | Health Data Management |
| RECM 2011 | Health Information Management Field Education II |
| RECM 2015 | Health Information Coding Classification II |
| EPID 2001 | Epidemiology |
| GNED | General Education Elective |
Program Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
- Keep current with relevant local, national and global health care and health information management issues, trends, technologies and standards to support health information management systems and processes and guide professional development.
- Assess personal health information from individual client visits for accuracy, completeness and consistency using knowledge of biomedical sciences, medical diagnoses and interventions, causes of diseases, and medical terminology, abbreviations and acronyms.
- Apply current, accurate codes and standards to relevant personal health information from individual client visits using health information, coding, classification and abstracting systems proficiently.
- Comply with the legal obligations, as well as with the professional, ethical and organizational standards that ensure privacy, security and confidentiality in the access, retention, storage and disposal of personal health information.
- Contribute to the development, implementation and evaluation of health information management practices, policies and processes to support client care, organizational goals, operations, and regulatory compliance.
- Participate in maintaining the completeness, accuracy, consistency, timeliness and integrity of health information throughout the management of its lifecycle.
- Use knowledge of systems interoperability standards, database architecture, software versioning, classification and terminology mapping, data collection requirements, legal obligations, and the health information management lifecycle, and apply fundamental project management principles and practices to support the procurement and implementation of health information management systems.
- Retrieve and release personal health information in response to legitimate requests, in accordance with statutory requirements, and within specified deadlines.
- Participate in the retrieval, analysis and presentation of relevant health information to stakeholders to support organizational decision-making, epidemiological studies and clinical research.
- Work professionally, ethically and collaboratively with stakeholders and as a member of the interdisciplinary health care team, within a structured, regulated and evolving system of health care, to enhance the collection, distribution, use, security and awareness of quality health information and its impact on client care.
- Use current and emerging technologies to support the management, analysis and presentation of health information.
Tuition & Fees
Domestic Tuition
Additional Costs
* Amounts listed are the total of tuition, materials, student service and ancillary fees for the first two semesters of programs starting in Fall 2020. Fees are subject to change for programs starting in Fall 2021 and at later dates.
Financial Assistance
This program is approved for OSAP funding, provided the applicant meets OSAP eligibility criteria.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this website is subject to change without notice. It should not be viewed as a representation, offer or warranty. Students are responsible for verifying George Brown College fee requirements.
Admission Requirements
Applicants are selected on the basis of their academic achievement, including the required courses, and any other selection criteria outlined below.
- Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent**
- Grade 12 English (C or U)
- Grade 11 Math (M or U) or Grade 12 (C or U)
- Grade 11 Biology (C or U) or Grade 12 (U); or Grade 11 Physics (U) or Grade 12 (C or U); or Grade 11 Chemistry (U) or Grade 12 (C or U).
- A minimum grade of 70 is required in English, Mathematics and Science (biology preferred) courses.
- Attending an information session is strongly recommended.
- A working knowledge of Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, Outlook) is strongly recommended.
** Mature Student status (19 years of age or older and no OSSD)
Mature Students may take the Admissions Assessment for English, Math or Science, OR may consider upgrading to achieve the credit(s) needed in English, Math or Science.
Please note that George Brown is committed to ensuring that applicants will succeed in their program of choice and meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to the program. Applicants may be required to have grades higher than the minimum requirements stated.
Course Exemptions
College or university credits may qualify you for course exemptions. Please visit Transfer Guide for more information.
Special Requirements
Pre-placement Health Form
- Upon confirmation of acceptance into this program, students must meet all the mandatory pre-placement health requirements for the program. It may take up to four months to complete all the requirements.
- All costs, service fees and fines associated with the overall health requirements are the responsibility of the student.
For further details and to download the mandatory pre-placement health form, go to the pre-placement website.
Police Vulnerable Sector Check (must be valid annually)
- In compliance with the requirements of our placement partners, all students in this program are required to have a police vulnerable sector check completed, and this check must be renewed annually before entering into field or clinical placement.
- The police vulnerable sector check process typically takes two to three months, but under some circumstances can take four to eight months. This is required to protect the clientele of our placement partner agencies, who are considered “vulnerable persons” under the law.
- Students are responsible for ensuring that the police vulnerable sector check covers appropriateness for “individuals being employed and/or volunteering who will be working with vulnerable person(s).”
- Students are required to keep the original copy of their police vulnerable sector check.
- Students who are unable to provide a “clear” police vulnerable sector check may not be able to start their field or clinical placement and therefore may be unable to complete the program. Students who are not eligible to attend their practice placement due to a “not clear” status will jeopardize their progress in the program.
- Failure to meet the requirements for field placement will prevent students from completing the program and/or securing employment.
- The fees for the police record check vary and must be paid by the student. For more information, please visit the pre-placement website.
How to Apply
Domestic students should apply through Ontario Colleges.
Contact Us
For more information, contact the School of Health Services Management at 416-415-5000, ext. 4542 or email Kristina.Autio@georgebrown.ca.
You may also call the George Brown College Contact Centre at 416-415-2000 (TTY 1-877-515-5559) or long distance 1-800-265-2002.
Health Information Management Program (C139)
Apply Now:
Domestic StudentsProgram Description
Leadership Claims
This program is accredited by the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA).
The Canadian College of Health Information Management is a national, not-for-profit corporation that sets the accreditation standards for educational institutions and certification standards for health information professionals in Canada.
The Canadian College of Health Information Management sets the accreditation standards for educational institutions offering health information programs in Canada.
Program Overview
Health Information Management prepares graduates to participate in the collection and organization of health information. Over the course of two years, students will develop the skills and knowledge they need to work as health information practitioners.
Full Description
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the planned delivery of this course starting in September 2020 will be online.
PLEASE NOTE: In response to this evolving situation, the delivery, learning activities and evaluation methods may be further modified mid-semester.
Learners will require access to high-speed internet, a computer with a built-in or external web camera, a microphone and Google Chrome or Firefox as a web browser for online learning.
Health Information Management is a two-year diploma program (fully accredited by the Canadian Health Information Management Association) focused on providing the skills and knowledge needed by health information practitioners. It prepares graduates to participate in the collection and organization of health information.
Curriculum content emphasizes:
- biomedical sciences
- health informatics
- health record systems
- medical classification systems and coding
- data collection
- statistical analysis and presentation
- health-care legislation
Graduates are eligible to write the Canadian Health Information Management Association national certification examination. Please visit the Canadian Health Information Management Association website to learn more about this certification and the associated exam fee.
Note: Students in this program will be required to provide their own laptop computer for the duration of the program. Details regarding specifications will be provided.
Your Field Education Options
Field placement plays an important role in this program by giving students the chance to apply what they've learned in the classroom to a real-world environment.
In Semester 2, students will be placed at a health care facility for one week at the end of the semester. During that week, students will be exposed to various components of health data such as: the collection of, type of and privacy issues related to data.
During second year, field placement is integrated throughout semesters 3 & 4. Students will visit a partner office every Friday until the end of Semester 4 at which point they go on a three-week block placement. During that time, students will be expected to complete a project related to health data to include an analysis of data and health data related issues.
The type of sites where students can expect to conduct their field experiences include: health care facilities, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, health related insurance companies, Ontario Hospital Association, community care access centres.
Career & Postgraduate Study Opportunities
Your Career
Health Information Management practitioners are in demand as key members of the health care community. They work closely with many other health care professionals to contribute to the management of health information and quality care.
Employment opportunities exist within the public and private sectors with:
- acute care hospitals
- primary health care teams
- ambulatory care facilities
- workplace health and safety boards
- health record consulting firms
- Canadian Institute of Health Information
- specialized hospitals
- community care centres
- Ministries of Health
- computer companies
- research centres
- insurance companies
Health Information Management practitioners:
- work with health care providers and stakeholders to transition from the paper health record to the electronic health record
- develop, implement and maintain health information systems
- protect patient information and promote confidentiality awareness
- control the release of medico-legal information
- evaluate standards of documentation according to established criteria
- provide essential information for clinical research, quality improvement, utilization review, budgeting and other administrative applications
Courses
Required Courses
SEMESTER 1
| Code | Course Name |
|---|---|
| GSCI1106 | Anatomy and Physiology |
| PATH1001 | Pathophysiology I: Microbiology |
| RECM1001 | Health Information Management I |
| RECM1005 | Medical Terminology I |
| LAW2008 | Health-care Law |
| MATH1112 | Fundamental Mathematics for Health Information Management |
| COMM1007 | College English |
SEMESTER 2
| Code | Course Name |
|---|---|
| GSCI1113 | Anatomy and Physiology/Genetics |
| PATH1005 | Pathophysiology II |
| RECM2002 | Health Information Management II |
| RECM1011 | Medical Terminology II |
| STAT1013 | Quantitative Methods and Hospital Statistics |
| COMP1007 | Excel Applications |
| RECM1022 | Transition to Employment |
SEMESTER 3
| Code | Course Name |
|---|---|
| RECM1003 | Health Information Coding Classification I |
| RECM2010 | Health Information Management Field Education I |
| RECM2004 | Management and Leadership |
| LAW2023 | Privacy and Release of Information |
| STAT2001 | Inferential Statistics and Research Methods |
| COMP1227 | Excel II |
| GNED | General Education Elective |
SEMESTER 4
| Code | Course Name |
|---|---|
| RECM2014 | Health Information Systems |
| RECM2007 | Health Data Management |
| RECM2011 | Health Information Management Field Education II |
| RECM2015 | Health Information Coding Classification II |
| EPID2001 | Epidemiology |
| GNED | General Education Elective |
Program Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
- Keep current with relevant local, national and global health care and health information management issues, trends, technologies and standards to support health information management systems and processes and guide professional development.
- Assess personal health information from individual client visits for accuracy, completeness and consistency using knowledge of biomedical sciences, medical diagnoses and interventions, causes of diseases, and medical terminology, abbreviations and acronyms.
- Apply current, accurate codes and standards to relevant personal health information from individual client visits using health information, coding, classification and abstracting systems proficiently.
- Comply with the legal obligations, as well as with the professional, ethical and organizational standards that ensure privacy, security and confidentiality in the access, retention, storage and disposal of personal health information.
- Contribute to the development, implementation and evaluation of health information management practices, policies and processes to support client care, organizational goals, operations, and regulatory compliance.
- Participate in maintaining the completeness, accuracy, consistency, timeliness and integrity of health information throughout the management of its lifecycle.
- Use knowledge of systems interoperability standards, database architecture, software versioning, classification and terminology mapping, data collection requirements, legal obligations, and the health information management lifecycle, and apply fundamental project management principles and practices to support the procurement and implementation of health information management systems.
- Retrieve and release personal health information in response to legitimate requests, in accordance with statutory requirements, and within specified deadlines.
- Participate in the retrieval, analysis and presentation of relevant health information to stakeholders to support organizational decision-making, epidemiological studies and clinical research.
- Work professionally, ethically and collaboratively with stakeholders and as a member of the interdisciplinary health care team, within a structured, regulated and evolving system of health care, to enhance the collection, distribution, use, security and awareness of quality health information and its impact on client care.
- Use current and emerging technologies to support the management, analysis and presentation of health information.
Tuition & Fees
Domestic Tuition
Additional Costs
* Amounts listed are the total of tuition, materials, student service and ancillary fees for the first two semesters of programs starting in Fall 2019. Fees are subject to change for programs starting in Fall 2020 and at later dates.
International students: Visit the International Fees and Related Costs page for more information.
Financial Assistance
This program is approved for OSAP funding, provided the applicant meets OSAP eligibility criteria.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this website is subject to change without notice. It should not be viewed as a representation, offer or warranty. Students are responsible for verifying George Brown College fee requirements.
Admission Requirements
Applicants are selected on the basis of their academic achievement, including the required courses, and any other selection criteria outlined below.
- Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent**
- Grade 12 English (C or U)
- Grade 11 Math (M or U) or Grade 12 (C or U)
- Grade 11 Biology (C or U) or Grade 12 (U); or Grade 11 Physics (U) or Grade 12 (C or U); or Grade 11 Chemistry (U) or Grade 12 (C or U).
- A minimum grade of 70 is required in English, Mathematics and Science (biology preferred) courses.
- Attending an information session is strongly recommended.
- A working knowledge of Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, Outlook) is strongly recommended.
** Mature Student status (19 years of age or older and no OSSD)
Mature Students may take the Admissions Assessment for English, Math or Science, OR may consider upgrading to achieve the credit(s) needed in English, Math or Science.
Please note that George Brown is committed to ensuring that applicants will succeed in their program of choice and meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to the program. Applicants may be required to have grades higher than the minimum requirements stated.
Course Exemptions
College or university credits may qualify you for course exemptions. Please visit georgebrown.ca/transferguide for more information.
International Students
Visit the International Admissions page for more information.
Special Requirements
Pre-placement Health Form
- Upon confirmation of acceptance into this program, students must meet all the mandatory pre-placement health requirements for the program. It may take up to four months to complete all the requirements.
- All costs, service fees and fines associated with the overall health requirements are the responsibility of the student.
For further details and to download the mandatory pre-placement health form, go to the Pre-placement website at georgebrown.ca/preplacement
Police Vulnerable Sector Check (must be valid annually)
- In compliance with the requirements of our placement partners, all students in this program are required to have a police vulnerable sector check completed, and this check must be renewed annually before entering into field or clinical placement.
- The police vulnerable sector check process typically takes two to three months, but under some circumstances can take four to eight months. This is required to protect the clientele of our placement partner agencies, who are considered “vulnerable persons” under the law.
- Students are responsible for ensuring that the police vulnerable sector check covers appropriateness for “individuals being employed and/or volunteering who will be working with vulnerable person(s).”
- Students are required to keep the original copy of their police vulnerable sector check.
- Students who are unable to provide a “clear” police vulnerable sector check may not be able to start their field or clinical placement and therefore may be unable to complete the program. Students who are not eligible to attend their practice placement due to a “not clear” status will jeopardize their progress in the program.
- Failure to meet the requirements for field placement will prevent students from completing the program and/or securing employment.
- The fees for the police record check vary and must be paid by the student. For more information, please visit the Pre-placement website at georgebrown.ca/preplacement
How to Apply
Domestic students should apply through Ontario Colleges
Contact Us
For more information, contact the School of Health Services Management at 416-415-5000, ext. 4542 or email kcallemartinez@georgebrown.ca.
You may also call the George Brown College Contact Centre at 416-415-2000 (TTY 1-877-515-5559) or long distance 1-800-265-2002.
