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What Do Medical Records or Health Information Technician Do?
Medical Records or Health Information Tech Job Description Compile, process, and maintain medical records of hospital and clinic patients in a manner consistent with medical, administrative, ethical, legal, and regulatory requirements of the health care system. Process, maintain, compile, and report patient information for health requirements and standards in a manner consistent with the healthcare industry’s numerical coding system.
List of Medical Records or Health Information Tech Job Duties
- Process patient admission or discharge documents.
- Train medical records staff.
- Post medical insurance billings.
- Develop in-service educational materials.
- Consult classification manuals to locate information about disease processes.
- Compile medical care and census data for statistical reports on diseases treated, surgery performed, or use of hospital beds.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Medical Records or Health Information Tech?
Below is a list of the skills most Medical Records and Health Information Technicians say are important on the job.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Related Job Titles
- Health Information Technician (Health Information Tech)
- Medical Scribe
- Medical Billing and Coding Specialist
- Release of Information Specialist
- Medical Administrative Technician
Job Outlook for Medical Records and Health Information Technicians
In the United States, there were 206,300 jobs for Medical Records or Health Information Technician in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 13.5% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 27,800 new jobs for Medical Records or Health Information Technician by 2026. There will be an estimated 15,800 positions for Medical Records or Health Information Tech per year.
The states with the most job growth for Medical Records or Health Information Tech are Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Rhode Island, Illinois, or Mississippi. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Medical Records or Health Information Tech
The typical yearly salary for Medical Records and Health Information Technicians is somewhere between $26,550 and $66,260.
Medical Records and Health Information Technicians who work in New Jersey, District of Columbia, or Connecticut, make the highest salaries.
How much do Medical Records and Health Information Technicians make in each U.S. state?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $36,470 |
| Alaska | $50,250 |
| Arizona | $40,800 |
| Arkansas | $34,610 |
| California | $51,880 |
| Colorado | $49,340 |
| Connecticut | $51,400 |
| Delaware | $45,390 |
| District of Columbia | $53,430 |
| Florida | $41,340 |
| Georgia | $39,080 |
| Hawaii | $50,940 |
| Idaho | $39,400 |
| Illinois | $45,800 |
| Indiana | $42,350 |
| Iowa | $41,190 |
| Kansas | $39,070 |
| Kentucky | $38,130 |
| Louisiana | $37,430 |
| Maine | $39,030 |
| Maryland | $50,460 |
| Massachusetts | $50,740 |
| Michigan | $41,100 |
| Minnesota | $50,060 |
| Mississippi | $35,300 |
| Missouri | $42,460 |
| Montana | $39,500 |
| Nebraska | $40,430 |
| Nevada | $43,100 |
| New Hampshire | $43,120 |
| New Jersey | $54,020 |
| New Mexico | $38,520 |
| New York | $47,420 |
| North Carolina | $39,740 |
| North Dakota | $43,380 |
| Ohio | $43,980 |
| Oklahoma | $38,140 |
| Oregon | $48,390 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,320 |
| Rhode Island | $47,990 |
| South Carolina | $41,040 |
| South Dakota | $40,170 |
| Tennessee | $43,050 |
| Texas | $41,950 |
| Utah | $42,150 |
| Vermont | $42,480 |
| Virginia | $43,590 |
| Washington | $46,160 |
| West Virginia | $39,430 |
| Wisconsin | $41,810 |
| Wyoming | $42,090 |
What Tools & Technology do Medical Records and Health Information Technicians Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Medical Records and Health Information Technicians:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- Data entry software
- Email software
- Word processing software
- Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft Project
- Microsoft Visio
- Structured query language SQL
- Microsoft Dynamics
- SAS
- Microsoft Visual Basic
- IBM SPSS Statistics
- Microsoft SQL Server
- R
How to Become a Medical Records or Health Information Tech
What education or degrees do I need to become a Medical Records or Health Information Technician?
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where Medical Records and Health Information Technicians Work
Below are examples of industries where Medical Records and Health Information Technicians work:
You May Also Be Interested In…
Those interested in being a Medical Records or Health Information Technician may also be interested in:
Career changers with experience as a Medical Records or Health Information Technician sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: Staff Sgt. Jerilyn Quintanilla via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.