Work-integrated learning for health information management students: Lessons learned from literature, and experiences of supervisors and students on virtual or remote placements.

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, health placements have required practical in-person learning, including placements completed by health information management (HIM) students. COVID-19 made in-person healthcare placements largely unviable. Alternative virtual/remote placements were required. AIMS: (1) Explore the experiences of virtual/remote placements for HIM students and their supervisors; (2) Compare these experiences to the literature on barriers and facilitators for virtual/remote placement and (3) Develop best practice guidelines for the delivery of virtual/remote placements for HIM students. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey asked final-year HIM placement students and their supervisors about their virtual/remote placement experiences in 2021. Survey findings were compared to 10 barriers and facilitators for remote/virtual placements identified in the literature. RESULTS: Students were challenged by autonomous virtual/remote placements but enjoyed their flexibility. A work schedule provides placement structure to students. The use of technology was embraced although unfamiliarity with video-conferencing software prior to placement was an issue for some students. The most common method of student-supervisor communication was email. However, students missed casual corridor conversations. The importance of maintaining a community of practice was reported in the literature and confirmed by students. Most students preferred undertaking a virtual/remote placement rather than delaying graduation. The majority of supervisors reported complete satisfaction with the placement students' performance. CONCLUSION: Virtual/remote placements were a viable option for HIM students when in-person placements were impossible. Students required a work-based schedule, appropriate information technology, a dedicated workspace, familiarity with communication technologies, good communication channels with their supervisors and a supportive 'community of practice'. HIM supervisors were satisfied with virtual/remote methods of placement delivery.

The applications of Australian-coded ICD-10 and ICD-10-AM data in research: A scoping review of the literature.

Background: Australia uses the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) for mortality coding and its Australian Modification, ICD-10-AM, for morbidity coding. The ICD underpins surveillance (population health, mortality), health planning and research (clinical, epidemiological and others). ICD-10-AM also supports activity-based funding, thereby propelling realignment of the foci of clinical coding and, potentially, coded data's research utility. Objective: To conduct a scoping review of the literature exploring the use of ICD-10 and ICD-10-AM Australian-coded data in research. Research questions addressed herein: (1) What were the applications of ICD-10(-AM) Australian-coded data in published peer-reviewed research, 2012-2022? (2) What were the purposes of ICD-10(-AM) coded data within this context, as classified per a taxonomy of data use framework? Method: Following systematic Medline, Scopus and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature database searches, a scoping literature review was conducted using PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. References of a random 5% sample of within-scope articles were searched manually. Results were summarised using descriptive analyses. Results: Multi-stage screening of 2103 imported articles produced 636, including 25 from the references, for extraction and analysis; 54% were published 2019-2022; 50% within the largest five categories were published post-2019; 22% fell within the "Mental health and behavioural" category; 60.3% relied upon an ICD-10 modification. Articles were grouped by: research foci; relevant ICD chapter; themes per the taxonomy; purposes of the coded data. Observational study designs predominated: descriptive (50.6%) and cohort (34.6%). Conclusion: Researchers' use of coded data is extensive, robust and growing. Increasing demand is foreshadowed for ICD-10(-AM) coded data, and HIM-Coders' and Clinical Coders' expert advice to medical researchers.

Workforce survey of Australian health information management graduates, 2017-2021: A 5-year follow-on study.

Background: Employment outcomes of La Trobe University's 2012-2016 health information manager (HIM) graduate cohort were reported previously. Objectives: To identify the 2017-2021 Australia-based, graduate HIMs' early career employment experiences; identify employment roles and destinations; investigate knowledge and skill sets utilised in professional performance; and compare outcomes with the previous study. Method: A cross-sectional design was utilised. An online survey elicited: demographic data, position-related details and knowledge-skills applied in the workplace. Inter- and intra-cohort comparisons were calculated. Results: Of contactable graduates, 75% (n = 150) completed the survey; 90% (n = 132) had held at least one profession-related position postgraduation; 51% gained employment before final examinations and 92% within 6 months. In their first role, 87% joined the public healthcare sector, 47% had worked in two or more positions and 12.3% in three or more positions. Categorisation of position titles showed that 40% had undertaken "health information management" roles, 14.9% "health classification," 16.6% "data management and analytics," 17.4% "health ICT" and 11.1% "other," roles. Almost two-thirds (64.1%) had utilised three or four of the four professional knowledge-skill domains. There was an increase, from the 2012 to 2016 cohort, in those undertaking "data management and analytics" and "health ICT" roles, and a decrease in "health classification" role uptake. Conclusion: Early-career HIMs have very high employability. They engage throughout health care, predominately in the public health sector. Their mobility reflects national workforce trends. The majority utilise all or most of the professional knowledge-skill domains studied at university.

Genetics and pediatric hospital admissions, 1985 to 2017.

PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence and sociodemographic and hospitalization history of genetic conditions in a sample of inpatients in a pediatric hospital in 2017, and to compare results with unpublished studies from 1985, 1995, and 2007. METHODS: Two weeks of admissions were classified according to a pre-existing categorization, based on genetic etiology, encompassing chromosomal and monogenic conditions, multifactorial (MF) conditions, and no known genetic cause. RESULTS: In 2017, 299 (16%) patients had chromosomal or monogenic conditions, 6-7% more than 2007 and 1995, but similar to 1985. Autosomal dominant (AD) conditions increased from <2% previously to 6% in 2017 (p < 0.001). MF conditions comprised the majority throughout, increasing from 45% to 54%. Age at admission was highest in autosomal recessive (AR) and X-linked categories in 1995, 2007, and 2017, reflected in their high number of previous admissions, while the AD, MF, and nongenetic categories were the youngest with similar lengths of stay and previous admissions. CONCLUSION: Conditions with a genetic contribution account for over half of pediatric inpatients. Since 1985, there have been many changes in age at admission and length of stay, but it is the increasing prevalence of AR, AD, and MF conditions that is important when considering future service provision.