Medical Information – A Growing Field
health information is a hot career that you don’t need a college degree to find an entry level job in. These jobs include processing medical records and billing insurance companies so the health providers get paid. They include medical transcription, coding and billing and can lead to management positions later on. Some of these jobs can even be done in the comfort of your own home. Learn the basics of these three health information careers below and where you can find out more info.
FAQ 1: What is Medical Transcription?
Every interaction you have with a medical professional needs to be documented. Medical transcriptionists (MTs) listen to dictated medical reports and transcribe them into a word document. These reports then become part of the patient’s medical file.
Before the internet, many MTs worked at home by transcribing from cassette tapes they would either have to pick up from the doctor’s office or that would be mailed to them. The advent of digital technology has made working at home even easier. Now, most medical reports are dictated into digital systems and sent via the internet to at-home transcriptionists. Some MTs still work in-house for hospitals or other medical facilities.
Along with transcriptionists, this field consists of editors, quality assurance and management personnel who are part of a team that makes sure the medical reports comply with specifics laid out by the clients (medical providers) and federal law. I do medical transcription for a living and below are links to my articles answering questions about this career in more detail.
Medical coders translate information in patient files pertaining to diseases and procedures into numeric or alphanumeric codes. These codes are used in billing and for data organization. The coding process isn’t is easy as it sounds which is why specialized training is required. Coders sometimes have to be detectives to figure out the right code for a specific issue.
Medical billers are responsible for obtaining reimbursement for health care from insurance companies and individuals. There are some schools that provide medical coding and billing training together since these two jobs are often interlinked.
You can definitely work at home doing medical transcription as an employee or independent contractor. Some coders and billers work at home, but this isn’t the norm for entry-level workers yet. Some hospitals hire MTs and coders and have them work in-house for a training period and then send them home.
Starting a health information business has the same benefits and pitfalls of starting any other business. Some questions you should ask yourself and be able to answer clearly are:
Who do you know? Do you have business leads already?
Do you have any experience in the health care field?
Why should a doctor hire you instead of outsourcing to an MTSO (medical transcription service organization)?
Do you have any experience owning a business or have you at least educated yourself on the necessary state and federal small business requirements?
Do you have the capital required to start your business?
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