Medical coders matter, and the Canadian College of Health Information Management (the College) is committed to advancing this practice. From 2018 to 2022, the College conducted extensive industry and academic consultations, which showed that the prevailing academic standards no longer met industry demands and competency requirements.
Consequently, new modernized academic standards have been introduced, granting the College the opportunity to build a complementary set of medical coding academic standards that support advanced competency. This will ensure that future medical coders will have the general knowledge required by all health information professionals and an appropriate level of entry-to-practice knowledge.
To further the development of medical coding academic standards, the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA) hosted an initial meeting of the CHIMA medical coding community. This event connected coders across the country and provided an opportunity for participants to learn of new concepts for professional development and the numerous ways their work affects data output.
Free resources are available to learn more about how the College is elevating coding in Canada.
Author:
Lola Opatayo, BA, MA
Canadian College of Health Information Management
Canadian Health Information Management Association