Medical record technicians are responsible for keeping an accurate permanent file on patients treated by doctors and hospitals.
When patients are undergoing treatment, doctors and hospitals keep records of their medical history, results of physical exams, x-ray and lab test reports, diagnosis and treatments, and doctors' and nurses' notes. Also included is information about the patients' symptoms, the tests undergone, and the response to treatment.
Medical record technicians assemble, organize, and check these records for completeness and accuracy. Often, doctors and nurses record their information and observations on computer and medical record technicians must retrieve them from the.
After medical record technicians have gathered all of the information, they consult classification manuals and assign codes to the diagnoses and procedures included in the record. They then assign the patient to a diagnosis-related group (DRG), which determines the amount the hospital will be reimbursed by Medicare or other insurance programs that use the DRG system.
The medical records that technicians keep serve several important purposes. They provide important clinical information that helps in patient treatment, research, and training of medical personnel. They also are important for documentation in the case of legal actions and for insurance claims and Medicare reimbursement.
Medical record technicians sometimes analyze data and provide statistics that help hospital administrators and planners keep the hospital running efficiently.
Medical record technicians also sometimes collect and interpret medical records for law firms, insurance companies, government agencies, researchers, and patients.
Qualifications, Education, and Training
Medical record technicians who have become credential accredited record technicians are generally preferred by employers. To become accredited, medical record technicians must pass a written examination given by the American Medical Record Association (AMRA). The requirement for taking the test is the completion of a two-year associate's degree program accredited by the Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation in collaboration with AMRA or the independent study program in medical record technology along with 30 semester hours in prescribed areas.
Medical record technology programs include course work in the biological sciences, medical terminology, medical record science, business management, legal aspects, and introduction to computer data processing.
Potential and Advancement
There are over 47,000 medical record technicians, and opportunities should be excellent for those who have completed a formal training program through the year 2000, primarily because of the important role they play in managing health care costs.
There are three major routes for advancement for medical record technicians:teaching, managing, or specializing. Experienced technicians, who have a master's degree in a related field, sometimes go into teaching. They can also advance into the management of a medical record department. Finally, technicians can advance into a specialty such as Medicare coding and tumor registry.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for medical record technicians is expected to grow about 15% between 2014 and 2024, leading to increased demand and opportunities for medical record technicians.
Income
Medical record technicians earn an average annual salary of about $37,000 as of 2015.
Additional Sources of Information
American Medical Record Association, Chicago, IL 60611
