How to Become a Medical Records Administrator
Medical Records Administrators maintain the health records of patients. Employment is in hospitals, clinic and doctors' offices. Also known as Health Information Technicians, most people begin work in the field with a two year degree and move upwards from there. As opposed to other health care positions, a Medical Records Administrator will not interact with patients on a regular basis. If they do speak to or see a patient, it is very brief contact, typically requesting medical records. The most important aspect of this profession is keeping records organized and functional, as well as obeying federal privacy regulations. Many hospitals and doctors' offices are now going paperless, meaning that someone has to scan in documents. This is a big change from years past when the room holding patients' records could span half a block.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Obtain a degree. Some community colleges offer two year degrees or certification in Health Records Management or Administration. This degree prepares graduates by giving a broad education along with introducing them to medical terminology, the structure and function of the human body and medical records administration. Universities offer four year degrees which give graduates the ability to easily move into a leadership role within a Health Information Management department.
-
2
Become certified. It is not always required to be certified, but most hospitals expect applicants to possess it. As long as you have at least an associate's degree, you are eligible to take the written examination for Registered Health Information Technicians (RHIT). This certification is awarded by the "American Health Information Management Association" (AHIMA). Visit their website for complete information including accredited schools and certification details.
-
-
3
Advancing in the field. Many Medical Records Administrators start out by working directly with the records and then expand from there into management. Others become coders. Both career paths include experience in medical records and the ability to branch out and specialize. Coding is where medical records merge with billing. People who can perform coding accurately and quickly are in great need. Coders assign codes to diagnoses given by physicians. This code is taken by the billing department and incorporated into the patient's bill. If this code is not correct, or takes a long time to be generated, health care facilities and providers do not get paid.
-
4
Keep your skills sharp. Because this field is wide open, your have many options. Absorb all the knowledge and skills that you can. Learn coding, transcription and management. Work in a hospital setting for several years and then transfer to a physician's office. People in this field are hard to come by and greatly valued. The more diverse your skills are, the better chance you have for receiving good pay and a rewarding career.
-
1
