Median annual earnings of medical records and health information technicians were $23,890 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $19,550 and $30,600. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $16,460, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $38,640. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of medical records and health information technicians in 2002 were as follows:
| Nursing care facilities | $25,160 |
| General medical and surgical hospitals | 24,910 |
| Outpatient care centers | 22,380 |
| Offices of physicians | 21,320 |
Every time a patient receives healthcare, a record is maintained of the observations, medical or surgical interventions, and treatment outcomes. This record includes information that the patient provides concerning his or her symptoms and medical history, the results of examinations, reports of x rays and laboratory tests, diagnoses, and treatment plans. Medical records and health information technicians organize and evaluate these records for completeness and accuracy.
Technicians begin to assemble patients’ health information by first making sure their initial medical charts are complete. They ensure that all forms are completed and properly identified and signed, and that all necessary information is in the computer. They regularly communicate with physicians or other healthcare professionals to clarify diagnoses or to obtain additional information.
Medical records and health information technicians assign a code to each diagnosis and procedure. They consult classification manuals and also rely on their knowledge of disease processes. Technicians then use computer software to assign the patient to one of several hundred “diagnosis-related groups,” or DRGs. The DRG determines the amount for which the hospital will be reimbursed if the patient is covered by Medicare or other insurance programs using the DRG system. Technicians who specialize in coding are called health information coders, medical record coders, coder/abstractors, or coding specialists. In addition to the DRG system, coders use other coding systems, such as those geared towards ambulatory settings or long-term care.
Technicians also use computer programs to tabulate and analyze data to help improve patient care, to control costs, for use in legal actions, in response to surveys, or for use in research studies. Cancer registrars compile, maintain, and review records of cancer patients to provide information to physicians and for use in research studies.
Medical records and health information technicians’ duties vary with the size of the facility. In large to medium-sized facilities, technicians may specialize in one aspect of health information, or supervise health information clerks and transcriptionists while a medical records and health information administrator manages the department. (See the statement on medical and health services managers elsewhere in the Handbook.) In small facilities, a credentialed medical records and health information technician sometimes manages the department.
.Job prospects should be very good. Employment of medical records and health information technicians is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2012, due to rapid growth in the number of medical tests, treatments, and procedures that will be increasingly scrutinized by third-party payers, regulators, courts, and consumers.
Although employment growth in hospitals will not keep pace with growth in other healthcare industries, many new jobs will nevertheless be created. The fastest employment growth and a majority of the new jobs are expected in offices of physicians, due to increasing demand for detailed records, especially in large group practices. Rapid growth also is expected in nursing care facilities, home healthcare services, and outpatient care centers. Additional job openings will result from the need to replace technicians who retire or leave the occupation permanently.
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Medical records and health information technicians entering the field usually have an associate degree from a community or junior college. In addition to general education, coursework includes medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, legal aspects of health information, coding and abstraction of data, statistics, database management, quality improvement methods, and computer science. Applicants can improve their chances of admission into a program by taking biology, chemistry, health, and computer science courses in high school.
Hospitals sometimes advance promising health information clerks to jobs as medical records and health information technicians, although this practice may be less common in the future. Advancement usually requires 2 to 4 years of job experience and completion of a hospital’s in-house training program.
Most employers prefer to hire Registered Health Information Technicians (RHIT), who must pass a written examination offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). To take the examination, a person must graduate from a 2-year associate degree program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) of the American Medical Association. Technicians trained in non-CAAHEP-accredited programs, or on the job, are not eligible to take the examination. In 2003, CAAHEP accredited 182 programs for health information technicians. Technicians who specialize in coding may obtain voluntary certification.
Experienced medical records and health information technicians usually advance in one of two ways—by specializing or managing. Many senior technicians specialize in coding, particularly Medicare coding, or in cancer registry.
In large medical records and health information departments, experienced technicians may advance to section supervisor, overseeing the work of the coding, correspondence, or discharge sections, for example. Senior technicians with RHIT credentials may become director or assistant director of a medical records and health information department in a small facility. However, in larger institutions, the director is usually an administrator, with a bachelor’s degree in medical records and health information administration.
.Medical records and health information technicians need a strong clinical background to analyze the contents of medical records. Other workers who need knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology, but have little or no direct contact with the patient, include medical secretaries and medical transcriptionists.
Information on careers in medical records and health information technology, including a list of programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), is available from:
By logging every office visit, complaint, prescription and treatment outcome, physicians can identify recurring patterns and know a patients' medical histories before treating them. If you are interested in one of the few healthcare careers that do not require much interaction with patients, here is an overview of the occupation from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Overview Medical records and health information technicians first review a patient's chart to ensure everything is complete. Opportunities More than one-third of all technician jobs were in hospitals in 2002. The rest were in physicians' offices, nursing care facilities, outpatient care centers and home healthcare services.
Summary of: http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/CareerBytes/0205job_medicalrecordstech.htm
Developing and implementing data standards and automated information processes that support improvements in care delivery for people with chronic diseases. Researching and reporting on new developments and trends in the use of Internet and other information technologies aimed at improving the quality and safety of care.
Summary of: http://www.chcf.org/programs/ihealth/
For example, records include patients' symptoms, medical history, and test results. They also contain x-rays, diagnoses, and treatment plans. Health information technicians gather and organize all this information. Work ActivitiesThe following list of occupational tasks is specific to this career. They like jobs offering steady employment and good pay.
Summary of: http://www.iseek.org/sv/13000.jsp?id=100127
As a result, regulations adopted by the Board of Examiners of Veterinary Medicine allow more extensive use of registered technicians. Technicians assist veterinarians, biological workers, and other scientists by performing more routine tasks, freeing them for specialized, complex tasks. They also work in companies that produce drugs and feeds, animal production facilities, zoos, meat packing companies, animal shelters, animal control facilities, and spaying and neutering clinics. Veterinary Technicians who assist veterinarians perform duties in the medical, surgical, and therapeutic treatment of animals. Technicians in Research laboratories and animal hospitals work almost entirely indoors, using modern equipment.
Summary of: http://www.calmis.cahwnet.gov/file/occguide/VETTECH.HTM
High school students can improve chances of acceptance into a health information education program by taking courses in biology, chemistry, health, and especially computer training. Most technicians will be employed by hospitals, but job growth will be faster in offices and clinics of physicians, nursing homes, and home health agencies. They consult classification manuals and rely, also, on their knowledge of disease processes. Technicians who specialize in coding are called health information coders, medical record coders, coder/abstractors, or coding specialists. In small facilities, an accredited health information technician sometimes manages the department.
Summary of: http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/ooh20002001/271.htm
Ten out of 20 occupations projected to grow the fastest are concentrated in health services. The majority of jobs require less than 4 years of college education, but health diagnosing and treating practitioners are among the most educated workers. Three-fourths of all health services establishments are offices of physicians, dentists, or other health practitioners. Hospitals provide complete medical care, ranging from diagnostic services, to surgery, to continuous nursing care. Many physicians and surgeons prefer to join group practices because they afford backup coverage, reduce overhead expenses, and facilitate consultation with peers.
Summary of: http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs035.htm
Every time you go to a doctor for a check-up, your doctor makes a note of the visit. When you get your teeth cleaned, have a blood test, get an x-ray, or have surgery, a health professional takes detailed notes. Someone has to make sure that every record of every doctor's visit is complete, signed, and entered into the computer. The people who do this work are called health information or medical records technicians. Learn more with an informational interview with a local employer.
Summary of: http://www3.ccps.virginia.edu/career_prospects/briefs/E-J/HealthInfoTechs.shtml
Health information technicians (HITs), also called medical records technicians or administrators, manage, analyze and organize patient medical records and databases for statistical reports and studies. What do health information technicians do. Browse Featured Allied Health Schools. What kind of training will I need in order to become a health information technician. In the training programs, you’ll learn how to evaluate and interpret health records and reports in order to accurately code diagnoses and procedures according to recognized classification systems.
Summary of: http://www.allalliedhealthschools.com/faqs/health_information_technician.php
Process, maintain, compile, and report patient information for health requirements and standards. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job. Job Training Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas.
Summary of: http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/29-2071.00
Medical records and health information technicians entering the field usually have an associate degree; courses include anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, and computer science. Job prospects should be very good, particularly in offices of physicians. They regularly communicate with physicians or other healthcare professionals to clarify diagnoses or to obtain additional information. Technicians who specialize in coding are called health information coders, medical record coders, coder/abstractors, or coding specialists. Because accuracy is essential in their jobs, technicians must pay close attention to detail.
Summary of: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos103.htm