The Health Information Management Association of Australia Limited, (HIMAA) began in 1949 as the New South Wales Association of Medical Records Librarians and the Victorian Association of Medical Librarians. In 1955, the Australian Federation of Medical Records Librarians (AFMRL) was established.

The profession continued to grow, which prompted constitutional change. In 1975, the AFMRL became the Medical Record Association of Australia.

In the 1980s, the profession experienced rapid growth. This led to the establishment of a number of specialist undergraduate health information management degrees in several Australian universities.

During the 1990s, the profession flourished, driven by an increasing focus on technology and the growing impact of the profession upon resource allocation decisions in the healthcare sector.

Mindful of the increased importance of the profession, in October 1996, members voted in favour of proposed changes to the Association’s constitution. The Association was re-incorporated as a national company - the Health Information Management Association of Australia Limited. Today, employment opportunities for qualified health information managers abound. HIMAA Limited, through its professional membership, and its branch structures, stands at the forefront of health information management in Australia.

Health Information Managers have skills and expertise in the following areas:

HIMAA seeks to promote and support our members as the universally recognised specialists in information management at all levels of the healthcare system.

The Health Information Management Association of Australia (HIMAA) is the official, formal accrediting body for all Health Information Management courses in Australia.

HIMAA also undertakes formal review and accreditation of Health Information Management courses internationally, upon request from individual countries and universities.

Click here for more about accreditation.