Healthcare records are compiled every time a patient sees a healthcare provider.  For many reasons, including insurance and billing, these records are organized, coded and entered into a computer for storage and easy retrieval.

The health care professionals who manage these records have many titles - health information coder, medical coding specialists, coding specialists or health information technician.

Regular duties include:

• Checking medical charts for accuracy and completion
• Verifying signatures
• Verifying medical data in computers
• Clarifying information or diagnosis by communicating with healthcare providers
• Utilizing computer software to analyze data

Depending on the type of employer, medical coders may specialize by department or disease, or even supervise medical clerks and transcriptionists.

Obtaining a healthcare career, in a short period of time, is part of the reality of being a medical coder.  Medical coding is an important healthcare profession and is one of the few that doesn�t require direct contact with patients.