A well-written job description can make all the difference when you are ready to hire a new employee. Hiring a new person can be a long, drawn-out process, but starting off with a solid job description can help streamline all of the steps that follow it, from reviewing resumes to scheduling interviews and finally making a hiring decision. To assist you in taking this first step toward onboarding a new hire, we have created the following Medical Records Technician job description sample.
Medical Records Technician Job Summary
As a medical records technician at Dr. Fabulous’ Kidtown, Colorado, pediatrics office, you will create and maintain patient records under the direction of the medical records administrator.
Medical Records Technician Job Responsibilities and Duties:
- Maintain medical records, ensuring they are accurate and up-to-date.
- Resolve discrepancies.
- Maintain patient confidentiality.
- Use electronic and hard-copy paper filing systems.
- Distribute information as needed, following established information-release procedures.
Medical Records Technician Skills and Qualifications
- Current Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) certification required.
- Two years’ experience in medical records or back office required; three to five years’ experience preferred.
- Must possess strong organizational and office technology skills.
- Familiarity and comfort with database operations is a must.
- Experience with medical terminology and coding required.
Company Profile
Dr. Emilia Fabulous has been practicing pediatric medicine for more than 25 years and is proud to have won “Best Pediatrician in Kidtown” for the past four years in a row. Our downtown Kidtown offices have extended Saturday hours and special health-themed events throughout the year. Our waiting area and our front and back offices feature state-of-the-art, ergonomic furniture and a fun, kid-friendly environment.
Writing a Job Description Best Practices
- There is a good chance you will have to write more than one job listing during your time as a business owner or office manager. No matter what kind of opening you are advertising, the same best practices apply to crafting your job description:
- Infuse personality into your ad. To attract the most talented candidates, you must make it clear that you provide a great place to work. Aside from offering competitive wages and benefits, the best way to do this is to let your office culture and your management style shine through. Adding images of your workspace to the ad may also help potential applicants get a feel for your office and its personality.
- Inform the reader about what sets your company apart from the rest, but don’t brag. If you have won awards, say so. If your practice has decades of experience and is known in the community as a destination for good healthcare, include that information, too. However, under no circumstances should you put down the competition.
- Be upfront about the hours you have to offer. If your new employee will be required to work the night shift, don’t wait until the interview stage to bring this up; say so in the job description. The same goes for whether the position is full-time or part-time. If you are offering an unpaid internship, be sure to disclose that and to abide by the legal requirements for such an arrangement.
- If the position in question involves many different tasks, state in the job description what percentage of the employee’s time is expected to be spent on each task. For example, if a new hire will be working in the back office 80 percent of the time and covering breaks in the reception area 20 percent of the time, use those specific percentages in your ad. Avoid vague time references, such as “mostly this” and “some of that.”
- Use keywords to help candidates find your opening. Many job seekers begin their employment search on the Internet. While some may start on a job-search website, others will start with a search engine such as Google or Bing. For these engines to show your ad in their search results, you need to include keywords that people would naturally use to search for a position like yours. Phrases such as healthcare, pediatrics, records technician and RHIT are a good place to start and don’t forget to add your city and state somewhere in the listing.
To attract and retain the top talent for your company, start with your job description. The Medical Records Technician job description sample above is an example of an effective advertisement to get you started as you create one that is more specific to your needs.
Medical Records Technician Job Responsibilities
To attract the best candidate for your open job position, you must provide applicants with a clear overview of the job expectations. This happens in the meatiest part of the medical records technician job description, the job responsibilities section, where you outline the duties and responsibilities. It is essential to make this section detailed and ensure it is well written. You want to provide a good picture of what the job entails to allow jobseekers to properly assess the position.
Your medical records technician job responsibilities should give insight into the expectations for the role. You want to ensure applicants can picture themselves in the position through using action verbs. However, do not overwhelm them. Stick to just 6-8 bullet points that stress the key duties and responsibilities. This gives a good summary without making it seem like the position is too demanding.
Here’s a glimpse of what this section of a medical records technician job description might look like:
- Maintain record system for patient information
- Organize and file patient charts and other data
- Follow all confidentiality guidelines, rules and procedures
- Use an electronic system to properly collect, organize and manage data
- Track information on request to assure accuracy and satisfaction
- Pull up data as requested by medical personnel
Medical Records Technician Job Specifications
To apply to a job, a jobseeker needs to know if he or she qualifies for the position. This is where the job qualifications and skills section of the medical records technician job description comes into play. This section is a list of the requirements one must meet to qualify for the position.
It is important to write this section clearly and include details if you want to attract the right candidates. It is a waste of your time to have unqualified people apply. Be specific about the medical records technician job specifications. List exact degree titles and number of years of experience, if required. Ensure you paint a clear picture of the qualifications and skills by checking with the position’s manager about what qualifications are actually needed to do the job. Also be sure to distinguish between preferred and required items. You can create two lists if needed.
Here is a brief example of what this section of a medical records technician job description might look like:
- Associate degree in health information technology or related area
- Excellent knowledge of computer systems and programs
- Expertise in medical terminology
- Ability to obtain certification
- Commitment to accuracy and detail
- Superior customer service skills