Life As a Medical Records or Health Information Technician
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.
Medical Records or Health Information Tech Responsibilities
- Retrieve patient medical records for physicians, technicians, or other medical personnel.
- Develop in-service educational materials.
- Process patient admission or discharge documents.
- Manage the department or supervise clerical workers, directing or controlling activities of personnel in the medical records department.
- Plan, develop, maintain, or operate a variety of health record indexes or storage and retrieval systems to collect, classify, store, or analyze information.
- Identify, compile, abstract, and code patient data, using standard classification systems.
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Skills Needed to be a Medical Records or Health Information Tech
These are the skills Medical Records and Health Information Technicians say are the most useful in their careers:
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 for this Occupation:
- Medical Records Analyst
- Medical Claims Processor
- Medical Records Supervisor
- Medical Billing Coder
- Medical Billing and Coding Specialist
What Kind of Medical Records or Health Information Tech Job Opportunities Are There?
There were about 206,300 jobs for Medical Records or Health Information Technician in 2016 (in the United States). 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. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 15,800 job openings in this field each 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.
Average Medical Records and Health Information Technicians Salary
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
Education needed to be a Medical Records or Health Information Technician:
How Long Does it Take to Become a Medical Records or Health Information Tech?
Where Medical Records and Health Information Technicians Work
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Related Careers
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.
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