Clincial Coding
Professional Clinical Coder
Career Description:
- Professional Clinical Coders may work in a Hospital Health Information Management Department, a Physician Practice Organization, or other areas of healthcare organizations that require specific health information documentation practices.
- Use knowledge of anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, coding classification systems to accurately document and record medical procedures and diagnoses.
- Read medical records and translate diagnoses and procedures into an appropriate ICD (International Classification of Diseases) and/or CPT codes, and electronically abstract pertinent data elements for statistical and research purposes.
- Stay up to date and applies appropriate coding changes, coding guidelines, and regulations when selecting the codes.
- Uses computer applications to enter data, and reads rules on line to determine the appropriate code selection and/or edit changes.
Work Environment:
- Hospitals
- Outpatient Clinics
- Physician Offices
Working Conditions:
- Always work indoors
- Fast-paced production environment with constant changes due to regulatory updates
- Low level of social contact in some roles; other roles require high levels of communication with physicians, insurers, and regulatory agencies
- May work full or part-time
- Required to sit for long periods of time
- Extensive reading; may be hardcopy records or online documents
Job Outlook:
- The U.S. Department of labor predicts the employment rate for professional coders to grow faster than average, and expectations are for 21-35% growth of jobs through 2012
Career Advancement:
- Advance through specialization or additional education
- Can work in HIM, Compliance or for Patient Financial Services
- With 1 + years experience and certification it is possible travel around the country to work in different hospitals, clinics
Earnings:
- In Massachusetts, most professional coders make $15.50 - $20.70 per hour ($32,280-$43,080 per year). Some Professional coders make over $30 per hour or over $62,000.00 per year
- Wages vary by employer, location and experience; Wages also increase with advanced education and specialized certifications and credentials.
Education/Training Required:
- Complete accredited RHIT program; most programs lead to a 2- year Associate Degree
- Education includes: anatomy and physiology, microbiology, medical terminology, coding classifications
- Clinical practice is arranged with hospitals and physician practices to acquire hands-on experience during educational program
- Successful completion of national certification exam is preferred
- Continuing education courses are required to renew certification
Prerequisite Educational Requirements:
- High School Diploma
- Ability to pass college placement exam (math, reading comprehension)
Is this career for you?
- Can you successfully complete required math and science courses?
- Do you enjoy working alone?
- Do you have a good memory for detailed information?
- Do you enjoy a fast-paced production environment?
- Are you interested in using computer applications?
- Are you able to read on-line?
- Do you have excellent reading comprehension?
- Are you able to sit for long periods of time?
- Do you like solving puzzles?
- Do you have good dexterity on your hands and the ability to hold your arm/hand in one position for extended periods of time?
- Do you enjoy learning and education on an ongoing basis?
Local College Programs:
For more information on this career:
*Please note: Professional Clinical Coding -most often synonymous with Health Information Technology (HIT) or Health Information Management (HIM)- is often confused with the Medical Coding/Billing profession. There is a significant difference between Professional Clinical Coders and Medical Billing Specialists.
In general, medical billing specialists are experts in assigning specific codes to assure proper patient and insurance billing procedures. This career choice generally requires less formal education, (often a 1 year certificate or less), and career opportunities may be limited to physician offices or small, specific hospital positions.
Large healthcare organizations and most acute care facilities hire individuals with a minimum of a two-year AS degree in Health Information Technology to fill professional clinical coding positions. The two-year HIT degree graduate should successfully complete course work in anatomy and physiology, pathology and other science courses. More advanced positions in professional clinical coding may require a BS degree in Health Information Management (HIM).
To learn more about the different career paths available in health information professions, and the required education associated with them please see:
