As a healthcare information specialist (medical coder) you’re going to be taking data from the doctor and transferring it over to the patient’s permanent medical record.
Based off of many job postings, here’s a glimpse at you’ll do and what you need to know for a typical work day:
- Know medical terminology and HIPAA laws.
- Know the ICD 10 medical classification code.
- Know how to use the internet.
- Thoroughly review a patient’s record checking for accuracy.
- Ensure records and data are organized.
- Perform quality assessments of patient records.
- Know how to use the classification software in order to assign codes, reimbursements, and data analysis.
- Store all data and records into an electronic system.
- Keep the patient confidentiality HIPAA code.
- Be able to analyze the data to improve the system you’re working on.
- Know both inpatient and outpatient coding.
You’ll be able to find a job in a medical facility such as hospitals, doctors’ offices, clinics, insurance companies, and government agencies. Your day to day duties will vary depending on where you work.
How to Become a Healthcare Information Specialist
The work you’re going to do as a health information specialist is very technical so you’re going to need some training if you want to get a job in this field. To have a career in healthcare information, you’ll need to:
Take math, biology, computers, and health while still in high school, so you have a head start.
- Have a high school diploma or GED.
- Go to a trade school or community college that offers medical billing and coding, or health information technology.
- Get your certification, which is required by many employers. Certifications include: Certified Coding specialist (CCS), Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT), and Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR).
- Become licensed if you are going to become a cancer registrar—they need to be in most states.
Consider getting a bachelor’s or master’s degree to advance in your career. All education requirements will vary depending on the facility you’re applying to.
Because changes occur within the technology, as well as the entire healthcare field, you’re going to need to keep up with it. Which means, there is some continuing education you’ll be doing if you want to keep up with the times and stay employed!
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