Assessment of student outcomes in undergraduate health information administration programs

The purpose of this research was to a) determine what assessment methods are being used in undergraduate health information administration programs to assess student learning and the usefulness of those methods, b) determine to what extent programs have incorporated good student learning assessment practices. Programs use a variety of assessment tools to measure student learning; the most useful include assessments by the professional practice supervisor, course tests, assignments, presentations, capstone experiences, comprehensive projects, analyses of the students' academic progress, and the results of the RHIA credentialing examination. The greatest challenge for using the results of student outcomes assessment is making changes in a timely manner. Satisfying accreditation requirements and program improvements were identified as the primary reasons for doing outcomes assessments. The results signify a need to increase program directors' knowledge regarding the essentials of outcomes assessment.