According to the Department of Labor, health care is one of the largest and most financially rewarding career fields for professionals who have earned a campus-based health associate degree or an online health associate degree. Employers actually prefer to hire workers with an associate health care administration degree, due to the specific, focused training graduates receive before entering the workforce. An associate health administration degree can train students to enter the health care industry as a medical records technician, one of the fastest-growing occupations through the year 2014.
What is a Medical Records Technician?
A graduate of an online health associate degree program who chooses to work as a medical records technician checks patient records for accuracy and completeness. Every time a patient has contact with a health care professional, undergoes surgery or diagnostic procedures, or reports symptoms of illness, the experience is documented in a medical record. The medical records technician reviews the information and regularly communicates with physicians and other health care professionals to obtain missing information and needed clarifications. It is the responsibility of the medical records technician to ensure all forms are completed correctly and signed by the appropriate personnel.
Required Education to Work as a Medical Records Technician
An online health associate degree in health administration or a related discipline is typically required to work as a medical records technician. Campus or online health care training in areas such as medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, legal issues in health information, and computer science are usually included in an associate health care degree. Many health college programs are now offering health care degree online programs. For example, the University of Phoenix offers an Associate of Arts in Health Administration that has been designed specifically for working professionals.
Some employers may require online health associate degree graduates to become certified as Registered Health Information Technicians. In order to sit for the examination for certification, workers must have attended a campus or online health associate degree program that has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). As of 2005, 184 associate health administration degree programs were accredited by CAHIIM.
Employment Outlook for Medical Records Technicians
Online health associate degree graduates who work as medical records technicians are expected to experience a 27% or more increase in new jobs through the year 2014. Federal legislation now mandates the use of electronic medical records. Medical records technicians will be needed to input patient data into computers and assist in the conversion from paper to electronic charting in many facilities. The skills of medical records technicians will also become invaluable as medical records are increasingly analyzed by insurance companies, courts, and health care regulating bodies.
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Westwood College is an institution of higher learning dedicated to providing quality, career-focused undergraduate and graduate programs that prepare students with the knowledge, skills, and credentials needed to launch, enhance, or change careers. The College offers broad access to education and serves a diverse, multicultural body of students in an environment that promotes pride, respect, and teamwork. The College's programs are designed to empower students to pursue their individual career goals.
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Our programs are current, in depth, and job oriented. A sound educational background, combined with "hands-on" experience, is required to meet the needs of an ever-changing and increasingly technical society.
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At ITT Tech we are committed to helping men and women develop the skills and knowledge to pursue many opportunities in fields involving technology, criminal justice, and business.
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Saint Leo University Online is a leading provider of accredited online education to working adults and is a major global provider of education to the military. The online programs are designed to meet the growing needs of adult students and offer the best attributes of traditional classroom education in conjunction with today's most innovative computer technology.
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Newbridge College provides high-quality, career specific training and an emphasis on practical skills required by today's employers.
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Once you decide to become part of the expanding, exciting, and in-demand world of healthcare, selecting the best college to meet your needs and goals is clearly one of your most important decisions. Medical Careers Institute, the School of Health Science of ECPI College of Technology, understands the aspirations of people who want to experience the rewards of caring and who want a direct route toward their career goal.
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Courses that you can take with you---the varied curriculums at HoHoKus Rets School of Business have been evaluated by the American Council on Education, allowing graduates to earn up to 55 college credits at more than 1500 colleges and universities across the nation.
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Find out why so many students in Florida and nationwide are choosing Southern Tech as their school of choice. Whether you need to upgrade your skills or change careers, we have the right program to fit your needs. Let us show you how to get the skills you need in a short amount of time so that you can get into your career today!
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Bellevue University, a leader in adult learning, is your best choice. We accept ALL of the credit in your associate's degree - that's EVERY credit in your A.A.S, A.S., A.G.S., and A.A. degree! And, Bellevue University gives you accelerated bachelor's degree completion 100% ONLINE. So, you enroll with your associate's degree, and complete your bachelor's degree in as little as 12 months.
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Tags: associate degree, health administration, health care, University of Phoenix
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, February 17th, 2009 at 12:11 pm and is filed under Associates Degrees, Medical and Nursing.
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