The Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) maintains the medical information system of a healthcare facility consistent with medical, administrative, legal, ethical, and regulatory requirements.  They ensure the quality of medical records by verifying their completeness, accuracy, and proper entry in to computer systems.  The RHIT collects, integrates, and analyzes primary and secondary healthcare data, compiles and disseminates information, and manages information resources related to the research, planning, provision, and evaluation of healthcare services for the purpose of improving patient care and controlling costs. 

Areas of Specialization
Depending on the size of the employer, health information technicians may specialize in one particular area of health care or they may be generalist in scope.  Specialties could be pursued in coding diagnoses, procedures in patient records, insurance reimbursement, or research of a particular disease process (cancer, diabetes, etc).  Registered health information technicians have solid potential for management positions.

Work Environment
Health information technicians primarily work in hospitals, but also office-based physician practices, nursing homes, home health agencies, mental health facilities, public health agencies, or any organization that uses patient data or health information, such as pharmaceutical companies, law firms, insurance companies, and health product vendors.  It is unlikely for them to have patient contact, and they may be in an office separate from the health care facility for which they are doing the data entry.