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Medical record coders typically hold an associate degree and
have passed the Registered Health Information Technologist exam.
They are skilled at processing, coding, classifying, abstracting,
analyzing, and managing health information using the latest
manual and computer technology. They are critical in ensuring
that a patient’s course of treatment is documented and
recorded correctly. This can be a difficult task given the complicated
coding rules and requirements in place today. Billers make sure
that insurance companies and patients are correctly billed.
They usually do not have specific educational requirements.
Numbers
In 1998, Washington had 2,440 medical record coders employed
in the state, ranking 11th of the 50 states in coders per
100,000 population. With the increasing complexity in health
information technology and management, demand for workers
in this field has grown considerably. The American Hospital
Association is reporting a nationwide vacancy rate of 18
percent for billers and coders. Sixty-seven percent of Washington
state hospitals responding to a recent survey reported it
was “somewhat or very difficult” to recruit
medical records coders. The figure was 87 percent in urban
areas.
Pipeline
In Washington state, only Spokane, Tacoma, and Shoreline
Community colleges offer associate degrees in Health Information
Technology.
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