Medical Records Jobs

Medical Records Clerk Job Description

Find medical records jobs in your area. What’s the outlook for electronic health record jobs? Medical records clerk job description. Great opportunities due to increased use of medical EMR software.

According to the U. S. Department of Labor, medical record jobs are expected to grow much faster than average due to the increasing use and importance of electronic medical records. The projected increase in employment of 20% by 2018.

What Are Medical Records Jobs Like?
A medical records technician organizes patient health information for a health care provider or facility. This information includes – but is not limited to – diagnosis, treatment, symptoms, tests and examinations with results, medication, etc.

Technicians manage this information to make sure its accurate, complete, accessible, and secure. Most medical records are electronic requiring the technician to be familiar with electronic medical records software – also referred to as EMR (electronic medical records) or EHR (electronic health records).

Where The Jobs Are
Medical records jobs are mostly in hospitals, medical practices, clinics, or health departments. The responsibilities of medical record jobs is to enter healthcare information into electronic medical records software making sure the patient information is complete and accurate. The medical record technician needs to be able to communicate effectively with healthcare providers and other professionals such as nurses and medical assistants – to clarify diagnosis, treatment, conditions, tests, etc.

The job responsibilities of records technicians continues to evolve due to the increasing use of EMR (Electronic Medical Records) and technology. This requires good computer aptitude for using medical EMR software to enter, process, and analyze medical records as many healthcare facilities convert to electronic medical records systems.

Continued learning is important for the medical record jobs to stay abreast of the latest trends and regulatory requirements in the healthcare information field. Medical records jobs also require good written and oral communication skills to communicate well with healthcare providers and other medical professionals.

Work Environment
Medical records jobs typically are in an office environment with little or no interaction with patients. They typically work a standard 40 hour work week with occasional overtime. The AHIMA RHIT (Registered Health Information Technician) credential is favored by many employers for technicians.

Training & Education
An associates degree is the most common level of post high school education obtained by health records technicians. Curriculum that includes health information technology, medical coding and terminology, anatomy and physiology, and medical reimbursement are typical.

A high school curricula that includes coursework in math, biology, health, computer science, and chemistry will set a good foundation for admission to a college program.

Certification
Certified medical record technicians are preferred by most employers. Probably the most relevant for the medical records technician is the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) offered by AHIMA – American Health Information Management Association. To obtain RHIT certification requires graduation from a 2 year program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) and pass the AHIMA administered exam.

Certification typically requires maintaining continuing education requirements.

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Salaries
From the latest Bureau of Labor Statics information the average salary for medical record jobs was $30,610 and ranged from $20,440 to more than $50,000 a year. The average for hospitals is $32,600, nursing care facilities $30,660, and the federal government $42,760.

Outlook For Jobs
According to the Department of Labor, approximately 39 percent of medical records jobs are in hospitals. Other employers include physician offices, outpatient and nursing care centers, and government agencies.

Job growth in the field is expected to grow much faster than average with very good job prospects. Growth in medical record jobs is expected to grow by approximately 20 percent through 2018 due to increased need for healthcare services because of an aging population. Those with good software and technology skills will be in particularly high demand due to the increased use of medical EMR software.