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Assessing the Educational Needs of Health Information Management Staff of the Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Health information management (HIM) professionals have a combination of skills and, at the same time, the demand for their skills in the health system is increasing rapidly. This study aimed to assess the educational needs of the HIM staff in Iran. This descriptive analytical study was conducted in eight teaching hospitals. It was found that the maximum educational needs concerned the knowledge of medical terminology, occupational safety, legal aspects, the newest rules and regulations, and ministry guidelines, while the least of the felt needs related to insurance and other aspects of registry, data ownership, and data quality. The need to learn about coding and classifications had a significant relationship with work experience (P = 0.045) and those with a work experience of 6 to 10 years had fewer needs. Educational needs were also significantly associated with the number of years since graduation (P = 0.005), as those with 5-10 years' experience after post-graduation had lesser needs than others. Those who plan educational programs for health information professionals must have a comprehensive view of the needs of the health system. Participation of specialists of different fields must be considered in educational planning of such interdisciplinary fields.