International Federation of Health Information Management Associations

What International Federation of Health Information Management Associations does

International Federation of Health Information Management Associations (IFHIMA), formerly the International Federation of Health Record Organizations (IFHRO), is a non-profit international federation founded in 1968 and headquartered in Sydney, Australia. IFHIMA serves as the global coordinating body for 63 national health information management associations across all six WHO regions, functioning as an official NGO affiliated with the World Health Organization. Its core mission is to advance the HIM profession through international standards coordination on ICD-11, ICF, and ICHI classifications, professional education, workforce development, and policy advocacy.

IFHIMA's product portfolio centers on publications and resources (whitepapers on ICD-11 adoption, privacy of health information, AI in healthcare, and the Global Value of HIM campaign), education and training programs (AI in education modules, learning modules, Global Academic Curricula Competencies developed with AHIMA and the Global Health Workforce Council), and triennial international congresses complemented by the Focus on the Future of HIM event series. The organization does not develop proprietary software or technology products; its value is delivered through knowledge assets, in-person and digital convening, and standards advocacy.

IFHIMA generates revenue primarily through annual membership dues paid by national HIM associations, supplemented by congress and event revenue (registrations, sponsorships, exhibitor fees), corporate memberships, and grants associated with WHO-aligned projects such as management of the International Examination for Morbidity Coders. Distribution occurs through national member associations serving as resellers in each country, regional directors providing local engagement, the ifhima.org website, and a Global News newsletter. Governance is provided by an Executive Committee comprising the President, President-Elect, and six Regional Directors covering Africa, the Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Western Pacific.

Name

International Federation of Health Information Management Associations

Legal name

International Federation of Health Information Management Associations

Website

https://ifhima.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

IFHIMA is a non-profit international federation founded in 1968, coordinating 63 national health information management associations across all six WHO regions. It advances global HIM standards (ICD-11, ICF, ICHI) through education, publications, triennial congresses, and WHO partnership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Multilateral Global Health Agencies (UN/IFIs) (HLAJAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB)

Keywords

• Health information management
• Professional association services
• Medical coding standards
• Health informatics education
• Global health advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: IFHIMA generates revenue through national member association dues from its 63 member countries. National associations pay fees to belong to the federation, which funds IFHIMA's operations, publications, and global initiatives.
2. Congress and Event Revenue: The organization organizes triennial international congresses (such as the 19th Congress in Dubai 2019, 20th Congress in Brisbane 2023) that generate revenue through attendee registrations, sponsorships, and exhibitor fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IFHIMA is a non-profit international federation that represents national health information management associations across 63 countries. It provides standards advocacy and coordination (including ICD-11, ICF, and ICHI classifications), professional education and training resources, publications and whitepapers, and triennial international congresses that serve its national member associations and the global HIM profession.

Product overview

IFHIMA operates as a professional association federation rather than a software product company. The organization provides a unified portfolio of member services centered on education, publications, events, and advocacy for the health information management profession globally. Core offerings include the Publications and Resources library (whitepapers, articles, newsletters on topics including ICD-11, AI in healthcare, and privacy), Education and Training Programs (learning modules, curricula competencies), IFHIMA Congresses and Events (triennial international congresses and regional gatherings), and the Global Value of HIM Campaign (advocacy materials). The association serves as a coordinating body for 63 national member organizations, working closely with the World Health Organization as an NGO.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IFHIMA Congresses and Events Triennial international congresses and regional events (e.g., Focus on the Future of HIM 2025 and 2026, 19th Congress Dubai, 20th Congress Brisbane) bringing together health information management professionals globally for education, networking, and knowledge exchange.
• Education and Training Programs Professional development offerings including AI in education modules, body of knowledge resources, learning modules, and global academic curricula competencies for health information management professionals developed in collaboration with AHIMA and the Global Health Workforce Council.
• Publications and Resources Library Knowledge repository containing articles, whitepapers, COVID-19 resources, global news, podcasts and webcasts, regional news, WHO publications, occupation classifications, and AI in healthcare resources for HIM professionals worldwide.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• World Health Organization (WHO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1968IFHIMA is a non-governmental organization (NGO) officially affiliated with the World Health Organization. The federation sends representatives to WHO meetings and works closely with WHO on specific projects related to health records and health information systems. This partnership enables IFHIMA to participate in international health policy discussions and contribute to global health data standards development.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Health Information Management Association of Australia (HIMAA): HIMAA is the Australian national HIM association and a direct IFHIMA member; they co-hosted the 20th IFHIMA Congress in Brisbane (2023), operate in the same HIM professional segment, and share the same Sydney-adjacent ecosystem IFHIMA is anchored in.
• International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA): IMIA is the international federation for health and biomedical informatics; it overlaps directly with IFHIMA's health-informatics curricula, AI-in-healthcare, and global HIM workforce initiatives, and shares the WHO-collaborating NGO profile.
• American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA): AHIMA is the largest national health information management association and IFHIMA's primary US strategic partner; both organizations collaborate on curricula, AI policy, and ICD-11 advocacy, serving the same HIM professional audience with overlapping content and credentialing focus.
• Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA): CHIMA is the national Canadian HIM association and a long-standing IFHIMA member; it provides HIM credentialing in Canada and contributes to international HIM standards work, mirroring IFHIMA's national-association member model.

Broad incumbents

• World Health Organization (WHO): WHO is IFHIMA's formal NGO partner and the convener of the Family of International Classifications network; IFHIMA's ICD-11, ICF, and ICHI work is anchored to WHO technical committees, making WHO both ecosystem sponsor and the ultimate standard-setting incumbent.
• HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society): HIMSS is the largest global membership organization for health information and technology professionals; it overlaps with IFHIMA on digital health, health informatics workforce, and ICD/standards engagement, but serves a broader health-IT audience including providers, vendors, and CIOs.

Regional players

• International Hospital Federation (IHF): IHF is an international NGO that, like IFHIMA, partners with WHO on global health systems topics; it overlaps with IFHIMA in global health governance and convening but focuses on hospital management rather than health information management.

Emerging players

• CHIME (College of Healthcare Information Management Executives): CHIME represents senior healthcare IT leaders globally and overlaps with IFHIMA on digital-health workforce advocacy and AI policy; it serves a different member profile (CIOs rather than HIM practitioners), making it a partial-overlap peer rather than a direct competitor.
• AMIA (American Medical Informatics Association): AMIA is the US-based professional association for informatics professionals; it intersects with IFHIMA's HIM and informatics curricula work, but focuses more heavily on clinical informatics research and applied health IT, making it a partial-overlap peer rather than a direct competitor.

Others

• International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA): IFLA is a long-running international federation of national library associations and a structural analog to IFHIMA: it represents a global profession, runs conferences, and produces standards guidance for member associations, illustrating the federation model IFHIMA operates within.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ifhima

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Federation of Health Information Management Associations