What Is a Medical Records & History Technician?

Every time a person sees a doctor or has a procedure in a hospital, a record is created. As a medical records and history technician, you will collect and maintain those records.

Types

Medical records and history technicians work in any number of venues, including hospitals, clinics and doctors' offices.

Education

Generally, a medical records and history technician is expected to have an associate's degree, and many employers prefer to hire technicians who are Registered Health Information Technicians.

Function

These technicians do a number of things, including coding treatments and diseases, compiling a patient's medical history, collecting statistics on patient care and collecting statistics on cancer patients.

Potential

According to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook for 2008 to 2009, employment prospects are estimated to be very good. Technicians with strong backgrounds in medical coding have the best prospects.

Salary

Technician earn an average of about $20 an hour. That rate will increase as they gain experience. Some technicians earn more as freelancers.

Resources

• BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook