Job Outlook for:
Medical Records and Health Information Technicians

SOC: 29-2071        OOH: U196

Medical Records and Health Information Technicians Quick Stats
Total Jobs in 2016	206,300
Expected Growth	13%    (Faster than average)
New Jobs To Be Added from 2016 to 2026	27,800
Median Pay	$35,000 to $54,999

 

• Job Outlook for Medical Records and Health Information Technicians
• Pay for Medical Records and Health Information Technicians
• What do Medical Records and Health Information Technicians do all day
• The work environment
• How to become one

 

 

 

Employment Outlook for Medical Records and Health Information Technicians

Employment of health information technicians is projected to grow 13 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations.

An aging population will require more medical services, and health information technicians will be needed to organize and manage the older generations’ health information data. This will mean more claims for reimbursement from insurance companies.

Additional records, coupled with widespread use of electronic health records (EHRs) by all types of healthcare providers, will lead to an increased need for technicians to organize and manage the associated information in all areas of the healthcare industry.

Cancer registrars are expected to continue to be in high demand. As the population ages, there will likely be more types of special purpose registries because many illnesses are detected and treated later in life.

Job Prospects

Prospects will be best for those with a certification in health information, such as the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) or the Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR). As EHR systems continue to become more common, health information technicians with computer skills will be needed to use them.

 

 

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Typical Pay for Medical Records and Health Information Technicians

The median annual wage for medical records and health information technicians was $38,040 in May 2016. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $25,070, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $62,840.

In May 2016, the median annual wages for medical records and health information technicians in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Professional, scientific, and technical services	$41,600
Hospitals; state, local, and private	40,510
Administrative and support services	38,540
Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities)	35,910
Offices of physicians	33,030

Most health information technicians work full time. In healthcare facilities that are always open, such as hospitals, technicians may work evening or overnight shifts.

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What Medical Records and Health Information Technicians Do All Day

Medical records and health information technicians, commonly referred to as health information technicians, organize and manage health information data by ensuring that it maintains its quality, accuracy, accessibility, and security in both paper files and electronic systems. They use various classification systems to code and categorize patient information for insurance reimbursement purposes, for databases and registries, and to maintain patients’ medical and treatment histories.

Duties

Health information technicians typically do the following:

• Review patients’ records for timeliness, completeness, accuracy, and appropriateness of data
• Organize and maintain data for clinical databases and registries
• Track patient outcomes for quality assessment
• Use classification software to assign clinical codes for insurance reimbursement and data analysis
• Electronically record data for collection, storage, analysis, retrieval, and reporting
• Maintain confidentiality of patients’ records

Health information technicians document patients’ health information, including their medical history, symptoms, examination and test results, treatments, and other information about healthcare services that are provided to patients. Their duties vary by employer and by the size of the facility in which they work.

Although health information technicians do not provide direct patient care, they work regularly with registered nurses and other healthcare professionals. They meet with these workers to clarify diagnoses or to get additional information to make sure that records are complete and accurate.

The increasing adaptation and use of electronic health records (EHRs) will continue to change the job responsibilities of health information technicians. Technicians will need to be familiar with, or be able to learn, EHR computer software, follow EHR security and privacy practices, and analyze electronic data to improve healthcare information.

Health information technicians can specialize in many aspects of health information. Some work as medical coders, sometimes called coding specialists, or as cancer registrars.

Medical coders typically do the following:

• Review patient information for preexisting conditions, such as diabetes, so patient data can be coded properly
• Assign appropriate diagnoses and procedure codes for patient care, population health statistics, and billing purposes
• Work as a liaison between the healthcare providers and billing offices

Cancer registrars typically do the following:

• Review patients’ records and pathology reports to verify completeness and accuracy
• Assign classification codes to represent the diagnosis and treatment of cancers and benign tumors
• Conduct annual followups to track treatment, survival, and recovery
• Compile and analyze cancer patient information for research purposes
• Maintain facility, regional, and national databases of cancer patients

 

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Work Environment for Medical Records and Health Information Technicians

Medical records and health information technicians held about 206,300 jobs in 2016. The largest employers of medical records and health information technicians were as follows:

Hospitals; state, local, and private	36%
Offices of physicians	19
Administrative and support services	8
Professional, scientific, and technical services	7
Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities)	6

Medical records and health information technicians typically work in offices and may spend many hours in front of computer monitors. Some technicians may work from home.

Work Schedules

Most health information technicians work full time. In healthcare facilities that are always open, such as hospitals, technicians may work evening or overnight shifts.

 

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How To Become a Medical Records or Health Information Technician

Health information technicians typically need a postsecondary certificate to enter the occupation, although some may need an associate’s degree. Certification is often required.

Education

Postsecondary certificate and associate’s degree programs in health information technology typically include courses in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, communication, health data requirements and standards, classification and coding systems, healthcare reimbursement methods, healthcare statistics, and computer systems. Applicants to health information technology programs may increase their chances of admission by taking high school courses in health, computer science, math, and biology.

A high school diploma or equivalent and previous experience in a healthcare setting are enough to qualify for some positions, but most jobs for health information technicians require postsecondary education.

Important Qualities

Analytical skills. Health information technicians must understand and follow medical records and diagnoses, and then decide how best to code them in a patient’s medical records.

Detail oriented. Health information technicians must be accurate when recording and coding patient information.

Integrity. Health information technicians work with patient data that are required, by law, to be kept confidential. They must exercise discretion and a strong sense of ethics when working with this information in order to protect patient confidentiality.

Interpersonal skills. Health information technicians need to be able to discuss patient information, discrepancies, and data requirements with other professionals such as physicians and finance personnel.

Technical skills. Health information technicians must use coding and classification software and the electronic health record (EHR) system that their healthcare organization or physician practice has adopted.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Most employers prefer to hire health information technicians who have certification, or they may expect applicants to earn certification shortly after being hired. A health information technician can earn certification from several organizations. Certifications include the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) and the Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR), among others.

Some organizations base certification on passing an exam. Others require graduation from an accredited program. Many coding certifications also require coding experience in a work setting. Once certified, technicians typically must renew their certification regularly and take continuing education courses.

A few states and facilities require cancer registrars to be certified. Certification as a Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR) requires completion of a formal education program and experience, along with passing an exam.

Advancement

Technicians may advance to a position as a medical or health services manager after completing a bachelor’s or master’s degree program and taking the required certification courses. Requirements vary by facility.

 

 

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