Medical Information Technology

Medical administrative assistants, also known as medical secretaries, perform administrative functions for a hospital or clinic through their knowledge of medical terminology and applications. They can work in a variety of roles and locations with job titles ranging from unit secretary or medical office assistant to patient coordinator or admissions coordinator.  

This is a unique role in that it combines both direct and indirect patient care duties. It requires a strong balance of administrative skills and interpersonal abilities

Medical coders play a crucial role in the revenue cycle process, as they help ensure health systems, hospitals and physicians are properly reimbursed for the services they provide.  

Medical Coders have the responsibility to review clinical documentation and use the information to support medical necessity to assign accurate codes for diagnoses, procedures, medical services and equipment to be entered onto a claim.  

Certification of knowledge in mandated coding classifications such as the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), ICD-10, and the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System Level II (HCPCS) is required for most positions. 

This unique role is non-clinical and requires coding skills, third party payer knowledge (insurance, Medicare), claims forms, and organizational skills.  

Student in this track will want to pursue certification with professional organizations such as the AAPC's CPC (Certified Professional Coder)

Electronic Medical Records Specialists organize and manage patient health data in digital and hard-copy formats, ensuring the quality, accuracy, accessibility and security of this critical documentation. Electronic medical records specialists must be able to confidently and confidentially discuss patient information with doctors, insurance personnel, healthcare administrators and other professionals, keeping a sharp eye on details and potential discrepancies in the records.  

This unique role is non-clinical and requires knowledge in technology for EMR software.  

Students in this track may want to seek certification through NHA's Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist.   It is not required for most non-hospital positions.

Although their responsibilities depend on the size of the medical practice where they work, practice managers are typically expected to implement the policies and procedures that keeps the medical office running smoothly.

They are often responsible for staffing and scheduling, ensuring compliance with regulations, managing the revenue cycle and helping to oversee the security procedures that guard the private information of the business and its patients. Practice managers also recommend ways to lower overheads, improve efficiency, and supervise non-clinical staff like receptionists, secretaries, medical billers and medical coders. In smaller offices, they may be expected to fill in when the office is short-staffed.

As is often the case with other managerial positions, practice managers may also be asked to step in and mediate issues with office personnel, defuse a customer service problem or handle a dispute with an insurance company. 

Medical transcriptionists convert voice recordings of provider's reports into typed documents.  

These become a part of the patient's medical records.

Speech recognition software is reducing the need of the "front-end" transcriber, but maintains the need for the transcriptionist to review and edit medical documents created by the use of speech recognition technology.

Transcriptionists interpret information with a background in medical terminology and abbreviations, medical insurance, and preparing patients' documents for the electronic medical or health record.

• Certified Professional Coder (CPC)
• Certified Physician Practice Management (CPPM)
• Certified Outpatient Coder - Hospital (COC)
• Certified Professional Biller - (CPB)

AHIMA

• Certified Coding Associate (CCA)

National Health career Association NHA

• Certified Medical Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS),
• Administrative Assistant (CMAA),
• Electronic Health Record Specialist (CEHRS)

Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI)

• Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT)

American Medical Technologists AMT

• Certified Medical Administrative Specialist (CMAS)

National Association of Health Unit Coordinators

• Certified Health Unit Coordinator (CHUC)

• Medical Records and Health Information Specialists (new window)
• Medical Transcriptionists (new window)

• Medical Administrative (new window)
• Medical Coding (new window)
• Medical Office Management (new window)
• Medical Transcriptionist (new window)

• Medical Administrative Assistant (new window)
• Medical Records Specialist (new window)

• Electronic Health Records Specialist (new window)
• Hospital Admissions Specialist (new window)
• Medical Coding (new window)
• Medical Receptionist (new window)
• Medical Scribe (new window)
• Medical Transcriptionist (new window)
• Medical Unit Coordinator (new window)