Medical Records Administrator
A Medical Records Administrator, also known as a health information administrator or health information manager, plays a crucial role in managing and safeguarding medical records within healthcare environments. These professionals are responsible for ensuring the privacy, safety, and accessibility of patient information, which involves building and maintaining medical information systems utilized by various stakeholders, including healthcare providers, patients, and insurance companies. Typically, they work in hospitals, insurance firms, and government health agencies, overseeing tasks such as budgeting, staff training, and supervision of health information technicians.
To pursue a career in this field, candidates generally require a bachelor’s degree in medical records administration or a related area, alongside relevant administrative experience. The job demands individuals to be organized, detail-oriented, and capable of problem-solving, as well as knowledgeable about healthcare regulations like HIPAA. Medical Records Administrators often work a standard 40-hour week, with the potential for overtime during peak periods. With an anticipated increase in demand for these professionals due to an aging population, the career outlook is promising, offering a yearly average salary of approximately $110,680.
Medical Records Administrator
Snapshot
Career Cluster(s): Business, Management & Administration, Health Science
Interests: Management, record keeping, budgeting, business administration, training and supervisory roles, health science technology
Earnings (Yearly Average): $110,680 per year $53.21 per hour
Employment & Outlook: 28% (Much faster than average)
Entry-Level Education Bachelor's degree
Related Work Experience Less than five years; work experience in an administrative or clinical role in a hospital or other healthcare facility
On-the-job-Training None
Overview
Sphere of Work. Medical records administrators, also called health information administrators or health information managers, are responsible for overseeing the privacy, safety, and accessibility of medical records. They build, implement, and maintain medical information systems for use by physicians, nurses, patients, medical researchers, hospitals, medical offices and clinics, government inspectors or regulatory agencies, and insurance companies. Medical records administrators also prepare budgets, head committees, manage work teams, and train and supervise health information technicians who enter patient data into the medical information system.
Work Environment. Medical records administrators work in the medical records or health information offices of hospitals and other medical facilities, insurance and pharmaceutical companies, government health agencies, and medical laboratories, among others. They generally work forty-hour weeks, often with occasional overtime or evening hours to meet increased workloads or troubleshoot problems related to the medical records system.
Occupation Interest. Individuals drawn to the profession of medical records administrator tend to be organized and detail-oriented. Those most successful at the job of medical records administrator display traits such as accuracy, initiative, and thoroughness, as well as the ability to problem-solve. Medical records administrators should have training in management and record-keeping.
A Day in the Life—Duties and Responsibilities. On a typical day, a medical records administrator may have to prepare a budget for their department, attend a seminar on advances in record-keeping software, or respond to an emergency related to the system, such as a loss of records or an unauthorized user gaining access. Chief among an administrator’s responsibilities is ensuring the security of all medical records. Administrators are in charge of training and supervising staff and may oversee health information technicians as they enter patient data into the medical information system or review medical records for accuracy and completeness. They also liaise with insurance companies and other department heads as needed.
In addition to the range of responsibilities described above, all medical records administrators are responsible for educating themselves and their staff about the administrative, physical, and technical patient privacy safeguards included in HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), a federal law that mandates industry-wide healthcare information standards and requires protected health information to be handled in a confidential manner.
Work Environment
Immediate Physical Environment. Medical records administrators generally work in well-lit and temperature-controlled offices. They may be at risk for job-related injuries such as eyestrain and backache.
Human Environment. Medical records administrators should be comfortable interacting with patients, physicians, insurance representatives, government inspectors, and laboratory and office staff. Due to the private nature of medical records, medical records administrators should act with confidentiality and tact.
Technological Environment. Medical records administrators use a wide variety of tools and equipment to complete their work, including computers, tablets, smartphones, electronic medical records software such as eClinicalWorks or Henry Schein Dentrix electronic health record (EHR) software, medical coding charts, insurance rate charts and books, printers, calculators, photocopying machines, telephones, office suite software, fax machines, and scanners.
Education, Training, and Advancement
High School/Secondary. High school students interested in pursuing a career as a medical records administrator should study math, computers, and sciences such as biology, chemistry, and health. Classes in typing and bookkeeping are also recommended.
Postsecondary. Prospective medical records administrators should work toward an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in medical records administration, health information administration, or a related field from a program accredited by the CAAHEP (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs). Coursework in medical terminology, mathematics, and business may also prove useful. Students looking for work experience should apply for administrative internships or part-time clerical employment with local hospitals or medical offices. Prospective medical records administrators could also spend time working for a medical record software company.
In 2023, experts predicted that there would be about 61,400 openings for medical records managers from 2023 to 2033, as the large baby boom population becomes elderly, increasing the need for medical personnel. Medical records administrators who have knowledge of health information technology (IT) would have an advantage because they could more easily use eletronic health records (EHRs).
Related Occupations
− Bookkeeper and Accounting Clerk
− Computer & Information Systems Manager
− Health Information Technician
− Information Technology Project Manager
Bibliography
"Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act." California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), 2024, www.dhcs.ca.gov/formsandpubs/laws/hipaa/Pages/1.00WhatisHIPAA.aspx. Accessed 22 Aug. 2024.
“Medical and Health Services Managers.” . Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, 17 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm. Accessed 22 Aug. 2024.
"Medical Records Specialists." My Next Move, 2024, www.mynextmove.org/profile/summary/29-2072.00. Accessed 22 Aug. 2024.
“Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023: 11-9111 Medical and Health Services Managers.” Occupational Employment Statistics. Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, 3 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes119111.htm. Accessed 22 Aug. 2024.