Hospital administrator perceptions of health information managers as future leaders in health care reform.

The article examines hospital administrators' perceptions of health information professionals moving into leadership positions within health care organizations. Data for this study were collected from a national random sample of hospital administrators (N = 62). Findings from the study suggest that, although health information managers are viewed as integral to the success of the health care organization, health information managers are perceived as lacking appropriate educational training to move into administrative or leadership positions. For the health information professional to move into a leadership position, educational training (at the master's level) must focus on quality management, statistical process control, and performance evaluation.