Program

Health Information Management (Post-Baccalaureate Diploma)


Notice for PBD-HIM admission

Effective immediately, students intending to apply to the Post-Baccalaureate Diploma of Health Information Management will be required to submit evidence of full COVID-19 vaccination before a seat offer will be confirmed for entry into the PBD-HIM program. This is a mandatory requirement. Please contact the PBD-HIM Department for more details.

Campus
Coquitlam
Learning Format
Full-time
Admission Type
Limited Enrolment
Offered
Fall

Overview

The Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Health Information Management is the only program of its kind in British Columbia. You’ll learn to manage important information that is paramount to patient safety in a variety of health care settings. You’ll take practical health information management courses that cover topics in health information science, business leadership, project management and information technology.

Get practical experience during your education

During the program, you’ll put your skills to work with four practicums. Practicums cover the flow of information within the health sector and beyond. You'll learn how to code, including working with expert data coders, collecting and assigning codes to patient diagnoses and procedures. You'll also complete a six-week project where you are placed in various departments within the health-care sector, such as health informatics, data analytics, information governance, management or quality improvement.

In your final semester you’ll job-shadow healthcare professionals and learn from them as they do their work. Once you’ve graduated, you’ll become a key member of the healthcare team, providing expertise in the field of data collection, analytics, security and more.

Is Health Information Management a good career choice in B.C.?

The Health Information Management Post-Baccalaureate Diploma is a two year program, allowing you to graduate quickly with the experience and education necessary to apply for careers in health data management, quality management, data analytics, as well as positions in financial management and risk management. The industry itself is growing, with Work BC highlighting it as a high opportunity career with a median wage of $32/hour.

Plus, surveys show that 86 percent of our Health Information Management graduates are working in the field after graduation. (Source: B.C. Student Outcomes). 

Canadian Health Information Management Association Certification

Once you graduate you’ll be eligible to write the national certification exam for the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA). Benefits of joining CHIMA include networking with professionals, seeing the latest in research and best practices, using professional designations that will make you stand out in the job market and more.

What is a post baccalaureate Health Information Management diploma?

A post baccalaureate program requires that you have a bachelor’s degree from a Canadian institution or recognized international academic institution. Pre-requisite courses are also necessary for program entry. Click on admission requirements to learn more.

Admissions Requirements

Students will be accepted to the Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Health Information Management (PBD-HIM) program on a first qualified, first admitted basis.

In addition to meeting the Douglas College General Admission Requirements, applicants must meet the following program admission requirements:

Academic Credential.

Applicants must have attained an undergraduate degree from a recognized post-secondary institution in Canada, or an equivalent credential from an approved institution in a different country.

Any applicant who earned their credential in a language other than English must meet the Douglas College English language proficiency requirement.

Pre-requisite Courses.

To be admitted to the PBD–HIM, prospective students are required to complete the following courses with a C+ or better (or equivalent), if these courses were not part of the applicant’s degree program:

Course

Title

Credits

ENGL 1130

Academic Writing

3.00

BIOL 1103

Human Anatomy and Physiology I

3.00

BIOL 1203

Human Anatomy and Physiology II

3.00

CSIS 1190

Excel for Business

3.00

One of:

 

 

BUSN 2429

Business Statistics

3.00

MATH 1160

Introduction to Statistics

3.00

PSYC 2300

Data Analysis in Psychology

3.00

Medical/Health Terminology.

Applicants must complete an approved medical terminology course with a minimum grade of 75%, or equivalent.  The department will provide a list of approved courses. If an applicant has undertaken a medical terminology course not on the list of approved courses, they will need to submit the course for consideration as equivalent to the Health Information Management Coordinator.

Computer Literacy.

To be successful in this program, students must demonstrate entry-level proficiency using Microsoft Office software including elementary use of Microsoft Access.

Briefing Session.

Attendance at a mandatory group briefing session conducted by the HIM faculty during the Spring of the entering year, is required. Applicants will be notified of the session date.

Non-Academic Admission Requirement.

Criminal Record Check (CRC) (within one year prior to the start of the program) - Students practice in environments that require individuals to provide proof of satisfactory, current CRC for the protection of clients. To meet this requirement, prospective students must submit a current CRC as a condition of entry to the program. All costs related to the completion of the CRC are the responsibility of the applicant.

Cost

You can get an average cost for your program - tuition and student fees, books, uniforms, lab fees etc - on the Program Cost page. 

Only programs approved for student loan funding are listed on the Program Cost page. For all other programs, refer to the Tuition Fee page.

Program Requirements

Curriculum Framework

Graduation Requirements For Students Completing By Summer 2023:

  • Successful completion of 66 credits
  • 50% (33 credits) of all coursework must be completed at Douglas College
  • 30 Upper Level (3000 - 4000) credits required
  • A minimum GPA of 2.00 is required
  • A minimum grade of C+ or higher is required in all courses
  • Time limit to complete program graduation requirements: seven (7) years

Graduation Requirements For Students Completing After Summer 2023:

  • Successful completion of 66 credits
  • 50% (33 credits) of all coursework must be completed at Douglas College
  • 30 Upper Level (3000 - 4000) credits required
  • A minimum GPA of 2.00 is required
  • A minimum grade of C+ or higher is required in all courses
  • Require a minimum program GPA of 2.33
  • Time limit to complete program graduation requirements: seven (7) years

BIOL 2200

Pathophysiology

3.0

BUSN 3600

Project Management Essentials

3.0

BUSN 4460

Leadership: Theory and Practice

3.0

CSIS 2200

Systems Analysis and Design

3.0

CSIS 2300

Database I

3.0

CSIS 3360

Fundamentals of Data Analytics

3.0

HIMP 2100

Health Information Management Principles and Practices

3.0

HIMP 2110

Health Data Classification I

6.0

HIMP 2140

Health Care Systems in Canada

3.0

HIMP 2210

Health Data Classification II

6.0

HIMP 2230

Professional Practice in Health Information Management

3.0

HIMP 2240

Health Information Analysis and Reporting

3.0

HIMP 2500

HIM Practicum I

1.0

HIMP 2501

Coding Practicum I

2.0

HIMP 3300

Health Information Systems and Technology

3.0

HIMP 3340

Information and Data Management along the Care Continuum

3.0

HIMP 4400

Risk Management Concepts

3.0

HIMP 4420

Healthcare Quality Performance Improvement and Management

3.0

HIMP 4430

Fundamentals of Health Research and Epidemiology

3.0

HIMP 4500

HIM Practicum II

4.0

HIMP 4501

Coding Practicum II

2.0

 

Program Guidelines

Program Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this program and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the program, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

Career Pathways

Career opportunities include:

  • Client Services - Clinical Administrative Databases 
  • Coordinator, Records Management 
  • Data Entry Clerk 
  • Health Information Management 
  • Coding Specialist 
  • Health Information Practitioner 
  • Health Records Technician Specialist 
  • HIM Advisor 
  • Information Management/Information Technology Service 
  • Medical Health Records Clerk 
  • Medical Records Completion Clerk 
  • Medical Release of Information Clerk