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Profession: Health Information & Communication Services

Health Information & Medical Records Technician: Health Information & Medical Records Technicians assemble, review and complete all patient records for a hospital or health clinic. They assign a code to each diagnosis, using a software program to assign the patient to one of several hundred diagnosis-related groups or DRGs. Technicians who specialize in coding are called health information coders. Some technicians use computer programs to tabulate and analyze data, such as tumor registrars who compile medical records of patients with cancer.

Salary Range: $22,420 - $45,260

Salary Notes: Median salary for medical records and health information is about $28,030, with salaries starting at $19,060 and ranging as high as $45,260. Highest average salaries are typically found in nursing and personal care facilities and hospitals.

Where you can study:
Bristol Community College, Fall River, MA
Holyoke Community College, Holyoke, MA
Kennebec Valley Community College, Fairfield, ME
White Mountains Community College, Berlin, NH

Where you might work:
Clinics - Home Health Agencies - Hospitals - Medical Group Practices - Nursing Homes -

Job Outlook: Employment of medical records and health information technicians is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2016 due to the rapid growth in the number of medical tests, treatments and procedures.

Education, Licensing and Certification: Typical technicians have a high school diploma and an associate degree from a community or junior college. Certification is available to become a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT), as well as a separate certification for technicians who specialize in coding.

Professional Organizations:
American Health Information Management Association 312-233-1100 www.ahima.org