MightyRecruiterMedical records information technicians often go by other titles, such as health information technicians. In fact, many specialize and may be called cancer registrars or coding specialists. In any case, these technicians ensure the accuracy and comprehensiveness of patient records. They also track patients’ progress and outcomes, and confidentiality is important.
Many employers prefer that their medical records information technicians have a healthcare information technology postsecondary certificate or even an associate degree. If you are one such employer, make sure your medical records information technician job description is clear in this regard.
Vital skills for these technicians to possess include an orientation to detail and a strong sense of ethics. Communication skills are important as well, because technicians must often discuss anomalies and legal requirements with finance departments, doctors and even marketing departments. The medical records information technician job description below should help you get started on your own description.
Medical Records Information Technician Job Summary
As a medical records information technician at our hospital, you help women and children get comprehensive and quality health care. While much of the work is clerical and administrative (ex: copying training materials and processing health care paperwork), it is necessary in order for the hospital to function smoothly and for patients to get the care they deserve. You’ll do your job in an environment where everyone’s contribution is valued, and as part of that philosophy, you don’t have to pay for individual health insurance coverage. An on-site gym and three weeks paid time off are among our perks. The ability to keep information confidential is a must for this job.
Job Responsibilities
- Get patient records for doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses and other medical personnel to review; correct errors immediately
- Enter and verify information in medical software programs, such as Allscripts HER; this keying of data is frequently repetitive and must ensure compliance with standard hospital format, such as “St.” instead of “Street” or “ST.”
- Use knowledge of HIPAA, medical records laws and information laws to keep patient information confidential
- Collaborate with other departments via phone, email and in-person meetings to streamline processes (example: work with accounting to cut down on billing mistakes)
- Attend trainings and workshops (example: updates in state and federal law about medical records and confidentiality)
- Research and troubleshoot complicated medical records requests; work with other departments and hospital personnel as necessary
- Stoop, crouch, reach and/or bend to retrieve paperwork and medical records
- Work with a positive, team-based attitude that recognizes the difference everyone makes, from CEO to doctor to custodian to landscaper
Job Skills & Qualifications
Reqiured:
- Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) certification
- Detail oriented
- Fluency in English
- Deep familiarity with Joint Commission standards for health records
Preferred:
- Knowledge of Allscripts HER
- At least one year of medical records work experience
- Ability to lift at least 40 pounds (to transport boxes of medical records)
Medical Records Information Technician Job Responsibilities
The job responsibilities section of a medical records information technician job description in which you describe the requirements for this position will likely be one of the most extensive portions in terms of length and detail. Throughout this section, you should aim to provide jobseekers with a clear sense of the daily duties involved in this position, as well as their larger contribution to the medical field.
Describe each responsibility on a new line of a bulleted list with a maximum of eight points. Start each bullet point with a strong action verb emphasizing the specific actions they will need to take in order to fulfill these requirements. Strive to make this section of your medical records information technician job description easy for potential applicants to skim and swiftly determine whether they want to apply.
Refer to the general medical records information technician job responsibilities below:
- Fill out and securely store private medical records
- Enter data including numerical medical billing codes into forms and check for erroneous or incomplete information
- Use medical classification software to group records based on conditions
- File patient admission and discharge documentation as well as medical insurance billings
- Process standardized data for health record indexes and statistical reports
Medical Records Information Technician Job Specifications
You can narrow down the number of resumes you receive by clearly describing the qualifications that a competitive candidate for an open position should possess. The job qualifications and skills section should clearly convey the absolute requirements for an applicant to be seriously considered for this job. You may also include preferred abilities or skills in this section of a medical records information technician job description.
It is a good idea to distinguish the minimum requirements from the optional qualifications for this position to avoid confusing applicants. You may want to consult with medical records management when determining which specifications are necessary or ideal. Once jobseekers makes sure that they meet the baseline qualifications, they can then determine which additional factors they might want to draw attention to on their resume.
This bulleted list of specifications should start with definite requirements that can help to weed out unqualified candidates. You might then include more general or optional abilities or skills. This list of specifications may be shorter than the list of responsibilities in a medical records information technician job description, but just as detailed and specific.
Here are several examples of medical records information technician job specifications:
- High school diploma or equivalent required
- 1-2 years of training minimum, including relevant on-the-job experience
- Expert user of billing, database and medical classification software
- Organized with a high level of attention to detail
