CHICAGO  -  Officials at the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) launched an interactive Web-based career development tool aimed at assisting students and health information professionals find and track relevant career paths. 

AHIMA officials say the Health Information Management (HIM) Career Map was designed in response to the rising demand for qualified health information management professionals in this rapidly changing field. The first career tool of its kind for the healthcare profession, HIM Career Map was unveiled at the Assembly on Education meeting in Orlando, Fla. 

The HIM Career Map is both a visual and interactive representation of the HIM job titles and roles that compose the scope of the field and the promotional and transitional career paths associated with them.

Officials anticipate this career tool will assist the growing number of health information professionals, seeing as the employment in the medical record and health information technology field is projected to increase 21 percent by 2020 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

"The career map is a great resource tool that will help students, recent graduates and HIM professionals looking for new opportunities to plan a path to success," said AHIMA CEO Lynne Thomas Gordon. "Not only is it a one-stop place to learn about HIM careers, it defines the profession like never before by showing where the field is now and where it is heading."

The map includes 53 current job titles and 14 emerging roles in HIM, which are arranged in six broad job families and four skill levels, AHIMA officials say. Emerging roles will be added to the map as needed to reflect the current reality of HIM roles, pathways between the roles and connections to the direction in which the profession is moving.

Each title includes a description and details on the skills required, job responsibilities, education and work experience needed for success. 

The HIM Career Map also indicates alternate titles for some positions due to the different terminology used in the industry. The map is driven by data from AHIMA subject matter experts, staff and an AHIMA member survey.

"We're proud to bring this tool to the HIM community and look forward to adding to it as the profession continues to evolve to exciting new heights," said Thomas Gordon.

The map is a result of a partnership between the AHIMA Foundation and the Center for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL). It was made possible in part by philanthropic contributions from Career Step.