Medical records and health information technicians bring order to patient records

August 28, 2009

Medical records and health information technicians bring order to patient records

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Outlook: Employment of medical records and health information technicians is expected to increase 18 percent over the 2006-16 decade, faster than the average for all occupations.

Pay: The 2,490 medical records and health information technicians in the Seattle-Bellevue-Tacoma area earned a median wage of $35,470 in 2008.

The job: Medical records and health information technicians organize and evaluate patients’ health information, making sure that initial medical charts are in order, forms are completed and properly identified and authenticated and all necessary information is in the computer. They regularly communicate with physicians and other health care professionals to clarify diagnoses or to obtain additional information. Technicians regularly use computer programs to tabulate and analyze data to improve patient care, better control coss, provide documentation for use in legal actions or use in research studies.

Training/licensing: Those entering the field usually have an associate degree from a community or junior college. Many employers favor technicians who have become Registered Health Information Technicians.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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