To be a Medical Records and Health Information Technician (MRHIT) requires a postsecondary non-degree education. This means one must undergo high school education and relevant education training in clerical work and language. An education in computer and electronic use is relevant in the mentioned profession. However, having a bachelor’s degree in a medical office management is highly recommended.
At Iowa, the state and national requirements for the profession are a high school diploma, an associate degree, and a bachelor’s degree. Additional certificates are a master or doctoral degree in a medical office management. According to Skurka (2012), these certificates must be issued from accredited institution or medical training facilities under the supervision of American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
State and national requirements for MRHIT certificate at Iowa include are certificate in computer technologies, medical insurance and coding. Others include a certificate in health information and medical records and basic knowledge in accounting.
The median salary for MRHIT in Iowa is at $14.71 compared to a national median salary of $16.42 per hour (U.S Department of Labor, 2013). In the same context, the annual median salary in the state is at $30,600 compared to $34,200 at the national level (U.S Department of Labor, 2013).
The fact that the American aging population is increasing, demand for MRHITs is also increasing. It is estimated that the job opportunities for MRHITs will increase by 21% in every 10 years (Mertz & O’Neil, 2002). Apparently, this job outlook will be replicated across all states in the United States.
Beside the bachelor’s degree at Kaplan University, MRHITs can also acquire professional certificates in various areas of interest like becoming a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT). This requires an attainment of a master’s degree in a medical office management.
Moreover, a MRHIT is required to perform some duties that certify competency of responsibilities. These duties must show competency in getting information, processing information and documenting the same (U.S Department of Labor, 2013). The technician is required to exhibit exemplary skills in interacting with technology and information systems. Managerial experience in organizing and planning are fundamentally critical to a technician seeking professional certification.
Extra education for a MRHIT is essential and is perceived as advancement of education in a medical office management. In this regard, the technician must undergo relevant job-entry education. An on-the-job training is also an added advantage in developing skills and abilities of a technician. A technician is also required to have a license or certificate from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) at any accredited institution (Skurka, 2012).
Necessary program accreditations in a medical office management require one to be accredited in medical records management and insurance processing. Additional accreditation involves financial management, office operations management and administrative duties (U.S Department of Labor, 2013). Kaplan University has all of the above accreditation programs including those on insurance coding, billing, technical library management and visitor and patient handling.
A health information technician job provides the possibilities of advancing and working in other critical medical departments. The demand of MRHITs in Iowa is increasing in proportion to that of the national level.
Collecting statistical data, filling health forms and preparing reports are major daily activities of a MRHIT. Other daily activities include recording patient’s medical history, retrieving data and using spreadsheet software.
Common tools used by technicians in medical health and record management include scanners, bar code readers, computers and calculators. On the same context, technician use technologies such as accounting software, voice recognition software and query software. Others include medical software and document management software.
References
Mertz, E., & O’Neil, E. (2002). The growing challenge of providing oral health care services to all Americans. Health Affairs, 21(5), 65-77.
Skurka, M. A. (2012). Health Information Management: Principles and Organization for Health Information Services. Hoboken, NJ: https://www.wiley.com/en-ua
U.S Department of Labor. (2013). Occupation criteria. Medical records and health information technicians: Iowa. Web.