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General Policies for
Practicum Courses
Practicum courses involve performance of
functions in local hospitals and other health care facilities.
HINF 3208 and HINF 4722 are graded on a pass/fail basis. The
credit hours for these courses are not used in calculating a
grade point average for Dean’s List eligibility or Honor’s
Graduation (See the
Academic Honors section of this
handbook). All other DHI
courses are based on a 4.0 GPA system defined by the USG
guidelines from the USG Board of Regents Policy Manual
305. The two practicum courses, HINF 3208 and
HINF 4722, clearly reflect the alternative grading in their
course syllabi.
Background checks
are required prior to beginning a practicum course.
(See the
Criminal Background Checks section in this handbook).
The practicum course instructor is responsible
for assigning students to the sites (or in the case of online
students, giving final approval to the online students’
arrangements made in accordance with course policy); stating
objectives of the experience; communicating these objectives to
clinical site directors; assuring that the experience is of
value to the student; assuring that the student conducts himself
appropriately in the setting; and evaluating the student’s
performance. The clinical site director is responsible for
assigning appropriate personnel to students for training
purposes; providing space; providing equipment and supplies and
assisting in the evaluation of student performance.
While engaged in a practicum, students will:
wear MCG student ID badges; follow dress codes of the site, and
follow all applicable rules and regulations established by the
site for employees and/or students.
(See the
Personal
Appearance section in this handbook).
A student may apply for consideration for exemption from the HINF 3208 course by showing evidence to the faculty that through
previous work experience the learning objectives of the course
have been mastered. To be considered for exemption the student
must meet the following criteria:
- The student
must have work experience in at least two health information
departments; preferably at least one of the facilities is an
acute care hospital; minimum total work experience is one and
one-half years.
- The student
must submit a letter from the immediate supervisors at each of
the facilities the student is using as evidence of having
mastered course objectives. The letters must verify the
student’s work assignments during employment, and must include a
brief description of the work responsibilities.
- The student
must submit a written report, approximately 15 pages in length,
in which the student includes the following:
- A description of one of the facilities where
the student worked. The description should include the history,
organization, services offered, and role of the facility in the
community (one page).
- A description of the HI department in terms of
its place within the organizational structure, staffing,
management, etc. (limit to half a page).
- A description of the filing system maintained
by the facility, including the: numbering system; filing system;
purging procedure; charge-out system; equipment used (type of
shelving, etc.); MPI system and information maintained; and
student’s evaluation of the related systems, procedures, and
equipment.
- A description of the procedures (in the order
in which they occur) involved in the flow of patient care data
and the completion of a medical record such as quantitative and
qualitative analysis, coding, handling of incomplete charts,
etc. Include a description of the actions taken if doctors do
not complete charts.
- A comparative description of the transcription
services provided by the two facilities where the student has
been employed. (If an outside service is used, describe its
structure and the terms of the contract.) Students should
include their evaluation of the systems, procedures, and
equipment used.
- The student
must submit all required documentation at least 6 weeks before
the course begins.
- Upon receipt and review of the documentation,
the course instructor and chairman will make the final decision
concerning the disposition of the student’s request for
exemption from the course. Simply submitting the documentation
described above does not ensure the student’s exemption from the
course.
Work Service Policy
In the performance of assignments for
Practicum courses, students must demonstrate proficiency in
certain procedures. Students are required to perform certain
defined activities with appropriate supervision and direction.
Students may not, however, be substituted for regular staff in
the clinical setting. Students may not take the responsibility
or the place of qualified staff.
Administrative Practicum
and HIA Practicum
During the Spring semester of the senior year,
students in the baccalaureate program engage in a full-time (40
hours per week) hospital affiliation for six weeks (HINF 4722).
During the Summer semester, students in the post-baccalaureate
certificate program engage in a part-time
affiliation (HINF 3005). The HINF 3005 affiliation requires a minimum of 40 hours in a practice site. A list is provided here of possible sites.
Communication with Site
Directors
In the event of an absence from a practicum
session, the student must notify the Director of the Health
Information Management Department or his designee at the
clinical site prior to the reporting time of the practicum
session.
In addition, the
student is required to contact the MCG course instructor by
phone prior to the reporting time of the practicum session.
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