PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The Health Care Revenue Cycle and Data Analytics (HCRCDA) certificate program will enhance students’ understanding of medical coded data and its impact on health care revenue integrity, health care data analytics, and health care research. Students can apply this knowledge to effectively analyze and evaluate available medical coded data in an actual practice setting. All required courses are offered online.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
2.0 GPA or higher
A minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale) in all coursework taken at all accredited higher education institutions.
Applicants must meet the following requirements:
- earned high school diploma
- minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale) in all coursework taken at all accredited higher education institutions; all post-secondary coursework is considered
- completion of the online undergraduate application (see link in application instructions)
- submit an application and requested materials by the deadline
Additional Requirement:
Applicants must have prior education in a health care field or experience working in health care.
Online Application
The HCRCDA application is available online and must be completed and submitted with all required supplemental documents, if applicable. The Graduate and Professional Admissions Application Guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to start the online application.
THE HCRCDA PROGRAM BEST SUITS
- Medical and health care managers, including medical group practice managers and reimbursement managers.
- Health care providers interested in learning more about clinical documentation and coded information and their relationship to revenue, research, and compliance.
- Information technology or quality staff in health care settings.
- Graduate students in health and rehabilitation sciences, engineering, business, computer science, or nursing.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
- Health Care Data Analyst
- Health Care Application Coordinator
- Health Care Administration
- Medical Officer Manager
- Health Care Quality Manager
- Health Care Research Specialist
- Graduate school opportunities (Clinical and research)
- Job promotion/transition opportunities
APPLICATION DEADLINES
Applications are accepted for the autumn semester each year. The application deadline for Autumn 2025 is May 1, 2025, for domestic students and April 1, 2025, for international students. The program will begin August 26, 2025.
CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS
To obtain the certificate, a student must successfully complete four required courses (12 credit hours) with a minimum C- grade required for each course. Students must also maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA in the undergraduate certificate program. Due to the nature of the program, transfer or EM credit cannot meet any certificate course requirements.
Before enrollment in the last required course, a graduation application must be submitted to the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (HRS) Office of Academic Affairs to formally receive the certificate at the end of the semester of course completion. Students who successfully complete the undergraduate certificate program are not eligible to participate in the Honors Program, Research Distinction, Latin Honors designations, and University Commencement, except if they also graduate from a degree-seeking program that same semester. Students will receive a mailed completion document in the form of a certificate after the semester of completion.
CERTIFICATE COURSEWORK
The program can be completed part-time in as little as two semesters. HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT & SYSTEMS 5610 and HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT & SYSTEMS 5551 are prerequisites to HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT & SYSTEMS 5661. HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT & SYSTEMS 5700 should be taken after the completion of the other three courses. Course offerings are subject to change. Students should schedule the undergraduate section of the courses.
HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT & SYSTEMS 5610 Medical Coding for Clinical Practice (3 credits)
An introduction to the concepts, principles, and applications of various health information coding classification systems used in various health care settings. There is a strong emphasis on using and understanding the International Classification of Diseases – 10th edition – Clinical Modification and Procedure Coding System, computerized encoding systems for ICD-10-CM/PCS and HCPCS. Students will understand the importance of data quality to ensure efficiency and accuracy.
Offered: Autumn, First Session
HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT & SYSTEMS 5551 Health Care Reimbursement for Practitioners (3 credits)
This course will introduce the health care practitioner to healthcare reimbursement and introduce medical billing and an overview of a variety of payment systems. The course will discuss prevalent retrospective and prospective models for reimbursement used in today’s health care environment. It will examine the current alternative payment models utilized by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) and commercial payers and provide an overview of CMS oversight of claims payment and the role auditing plays in practice or facility revenue cycle.
Offered: Autumn, Second Session
HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT & SYSTEMS 5661 Applied Health Care Analytics (3 credits)
The course will discuss how analytics are used in operational performance improvement, quality improvement, productivity assessment, value-based care initiatives, and health care research. It requires using commonly used statistical methods, including descriptive and inferential statistics, and creating charts and graphs. The data sets utilized in this course include ICD-10-CM/PCS and CPT code sets. This course facilitates the use of data to inform clinical practice, and the work in this class builds toward undertaking an individual project.
Offered: Spring, First Session
HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT & SYSTEMS 5700 Project in Health Information Management and Systems (3 credits)
Students apply theoretical knowledge acquired from the certificate program to a project that closely resembles what would be done in a realistic work environment.
Offered: Spring, Second Session
The undergraduate program curriculum provides a foundation of education on medical coding and healthcare data analytics. Courses in the certificate program equip students with theoretical and practical knowledge, enabling them to analyze and evaluate available medical-coded data effectively in an actual practice setting. This program can be completed within two semesters with continuous enrollment or longer at a desired pace.
International applicants should be aware that countries may or may not regulate distance education provided to students in their jurisdiction or require foreign higher education institutions to comply with distance education regulations. At this time, The Ohio State University cannot guarantee that an academic program meets curriculum requirements in your country.
Ohio State academic programs are designed to prepare students to sit for applicable licensure or certification in Ohio. If you plan to pursue licensure and certification in a state other than Ohio, please review state educational requirements for licensure and certification and state licensing board contact for online programs and for on-campus programs.
Questions?
Contact the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at 614-292-1706 or HRSStudentServices@osumc.edu
Degree requirements and course offerings are subject to changes.
Last updated on: July 2024