HIMP 2420: HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT IV

SELF-EVALUATION AND REFLECTION STATEMENT

(to be included in your portfolio)

Complete "Self-Evaluation Against Course Learning Outcomes" documents for HIMP

2420 and include in your portfolio.
After reflecting on all of the Semester 4 courses, respond to the following questions:
1.

How did you take responsibility for your own learning this semester?

This semester was a continuation of the previous two years in efforts taken
to remain in the program and overcome the learning and life challenges that
have been part of that time.
I have made huge accommodations and adjustments in living, work,
financial and health areas in order to meet the goal of completing the program.
It was no small feat that I was able to accomplish this as most of the
conditions were not entirely in my control. I continued to address my own
personal challenges and also furthered the choosing of participation and
boundaries with classmates.
Because of life events in place as I entered (& moved through) the
program, I set different goals for myself in this learning program than I have in
any of my previous degrees or programs. This time goals were stripped down
and were about reaching the other side as a priority rather than having my
usual GPA, participation/involvement and performance as a goal. It was an
odd experience for me as a lifelong learner who has always done it a certain
way, but it was necessary and provided the outcome I needed.
I was proactive in requesting access, time, advice and input from several of
the guests/guest instructors and other people in my Health Care Network that
provided helpful input to visualizing the finish line and aiding in motivation to
be able to persevere through the terms and the requirements needed to do
that.

2.

What skills, knowledge, and/or attitudes will you be able to take from this
semester and how will you be able to apply these to other courses or your
personal/work life?

Overall, it was the knowledge of coding and the impact and involvement
that it has on the healthcare system that was the biggest acquisition (and
continues to be). That realization is in alignment with my previous experience
in health care (and life), where I had no exposure to that particular set of skills,
or practice, and nor did anyone else in my areas of practice. Coding has been

like a discovered puzzle piece that you didnt realize was missing until you
found it.
While it may not have been reflected in my exam results, I have had
knowledge and usually some experience in all other areas that were covered.
Which made the inability to recognize that content in a test format even more
frustrating. However, Ive discovered/been assisted in recognizing over the
past 2 years that stress exacts a toll and that there is a tipping point or critical
mass where it impacts all areas of a persons functioning and that Ive been
operating under those conditions.
With that knowledge Im extremely cognizant that to compare my
performance in this program to performance in my other programs is not
relevant and not comparing similar things. With that realization has come the
freedom to just be proud of what Ive done. It has also made me much more
aware as an educator about the less obvious challenges that students might
be facing, particularly with mature students.
3.

What areas do you want to improve and what is your plan of action?

Coding is the obvious area I would like to continue to gain proficiency in.
Computer database management is another one. However, once I finish the
PIDP courses and attain the privacy certification this summer, I will be taking a
much needed break from any further structured & paid for learning. For the
first time in my life, Im not wanting to learn anything new, at least for the
short term. I think just securing a position of interest to me will provide all the
additional learning for the present.
SIGNATURE:

DATE: March 21, 2016

HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

REFLECTION STATEMENT
(to be included in your portfolio)

After reflecting over the past 2 (or more) years, respond to the following questions:
1.

Identify what you see as the most significant learning experience from this
program.
At this juncture, the most significant learning experience from this
program is an increased awareness of the many pieces of the puzzle
that contribute to the end outcome of patient care, how those are
captured by the process of coding. The realization that there are far
more forces at work than money and medical staff and provided a more
global perspective of our healthcare system and the multitude of forces
acting from within and without. That view is beneficial as it reflects my
previous careers and educational qualifications; for me it will be the
sum of many parts and not one singular path that will enable me to
contribute in the area of HIM. In todays rapidly changing healthcare
landscape that may end up being of benefit even though its not very
secure!

2.

Identify at least one skill, piece of knowledge, and attitude that you will be able to
take from this program and explain how you will be able to apply it to your first
job in health information or in your personal life?
Skill:
One skill that stands out from the last 2 years is an increased ability
to manage and coexist with a very different age demographic; as their
equal in the program rather than their instructor or supervisor. By virtue of
the previous careers Ive had and what Ive done in those careers, my
previous work and educational programs have been much more weighted
to my age group and attitudes. Outside of my family and friends, I only
have dealt with younger people as my students, employees or patients.
There have been significant challenges in having to work with a much
younger population and the very (VERY) different attitudes that come with
that. Balancing my own wishes for outcomes against what amount of effort
and challenge I was willing to engage in was a good learning experience on
a number of different levels. It also made me much more specific and clear
on my own values, beliefs, work ethic and boundaries.

Knowledge:
The coding experience has been the best of times and the worst of
times.
There have been windows where I have really understood it,
enjoyed looking at the patient experience through an HIM lens and gotten a
lot of satisfaction out of solving the puzzle that is coding an incident.
However, I had a lot of challenges with understanding the FOLIO
system, found it very user-unfriendly, found the access points illogical and
the terminology used often not representative of actual clinical language.
And of course having had that clinical language in my neural pathways
since I was 20 something, it was very hard to adopt different words.
The guest instructors for the 2470 (and 2420) courses were
obviously very skilled and clearly passionate about their workI wasnt
the only one that was inspired to persevere through coding because of
those glimpses of obtaining their level of passion and mastery with FOLIO.
Despite not being passionate about coding (thus far), I intend to carry on
and try and do at least a small amount and increase my skill, as its
something I admire and would like to gain more skill and comfort around.

Attitude:
A combination of perseverance/stubbornness and an ability/flexibility to
interact and collaborate with very younger classmates without having a role
(other than classmate) to rely on are the attitudes that I had to draw upon
strongly in this program.
The dynamics and context were completely out of my experience and it
was yet another learning experience. Additionally it was a learning experience
that provided the most challenges at times. Even in my Masters program which
was only done 4 years ago, the demographics of my classmates were very
different than the makeup of this particular class.

3.

What area(s) do you still want to improve and what is your plan of action?

I would like to improve on my computer diagraming and data base skills. CSIS
2300 was a very good overview, but also served as notice that its an area that Im

not hugely proficient in.

With the professional development monies I can access through my teaching
work, I plan on taking further computer system courses this summer as I finish
the Privacy Certification. There is also an online course that Im trialing at
present, but after speaking with our 2300 instructor; I suspect that the face-toface option will be more beneficial for my learning needs in this area. However, I
will be spending the few months after the HIM program preparing for the national
exam, completing the PIDProgram and writing the National Certification for the
Privacy Association.

DATE: March 21, 2015

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