The Importance of Workforce Planning
Effective workforce planning ensures the HIM department has the right number of appropriately skilled staff to meet operational demands while controlling labor costs. Given ongoing shortages in coding and other specialized HIM roles, proactive workforce planning has become a strategic priority for department leaders.
Staffing Models
Staffing models estimate required full-time equivalents based on workload volume, such as expected discharge counts for coding staff or release of information request volume, divided by established productivity standards. Effective models also account for non-productive time, such as training, meetings, and leave, to avoid understaffing.
Productivity Standards
Productivity standards define expected output per hour or per shift for specific job functions, such as charts coded per hour by record type and complexity. Standards should be benchmarked against industry data, such as AHIMA workforce studies, and periodically reassessed as technology, such as computer-assisted coding, changes expected throughput.
Remote Work Considerations
Many HIM functions, particularly coding and transcription, are well suited to remote work arrangements. Remote work can expand the available talent pool beyond local geography and improve employee retention, but it requires strong remote monitoring tools, secure remote access infrastructure, and clear performance expectations to maintain productivity and data security.
Competency Assessment
Regular competency assessments, including coding accuracy audits and skills testing, help identify training needs and validate that staff maintain proficiency as coding guidelines and technology evolve. Competency data also supports informed decisions about promotions, corrective action, and targeted professional development.
Succession Planning
Succession planning identifies and develops internal candidates for key leadership and specialized roles, reducing organizational risk when experienced staff retire or leave. Effective succession planning includes cross-training, mentorship programs, and stretch assignments that prepare high-potential employees for future responsibilities, helping ensure continuity of institutional knowledge within the HIM department.