| Are you ready to start a career that is | | | | To work at home effectively, you are going to |
| progressive, demanding and ready to open up in | | | | need a current Windows operating system, high |
| the years to come? Then, you should take a look | | | | speed Internet access, MS Internet Explorer that |
| at becoming a medical coding specialist. | | | | is version 6.0.2 or later, and Adobe 6.0 or later. |
| A medical coding specialist is someone who | | | | You will discover that while these basic things are |
| reviews medical records and then implements the | | | | very easy to get, you need to bring them |
| correct diagnostic code according to Company | | | | together and make them work for you with |
| standards. It is fairly exacting work but it is | | | | some effort. |
| definitely work that you might find enjoyable if | | | | 3. The Educational Requirements |
| you are a detail oriented person. | | | | When you are thinking about becoming a medical |
| Take some time and make sure that you | | | | coding specialist, remember that there is a certain |
| consider some of the ins and outs of the position | | | | amount of certification that is required. You will |
| before you apply or before you consider getting | | | | need to posses an Accredited Record Technician's |
| into the training that is necessary. Below I give | | | | certification or a Certified Coding Specialist |
| you the 4 important things you must know | | | | designation, which is issued by the American |
| before becoming a medical coding specialist. | | | | Health Information Management Association. If |
| 1. You Must Be Detail Oriented | | | | you do not possess this certification, you may |
| When you are interested in becoming a medical | | | | substitute work in medical record coding or |
| coder (as they are called sometimes), remember | | | | experience that would give you these skills and |
| that your job does require you to code using an | | | | knowledge. |
| ICD-9-CM codebook. You cannot use an encoder. | | | | 4. You Must Have Good Customer Service Skills |
| You are going to need to be able to work to tight | | | | In some positions, especially if you work away |
| deadlines. In many situations, you will need to | | | | from home, you will find that you need to think |
| provide a 48 hour turnaround on the jobs that | | | | about what you can do to really click well with the |
| you are given. Similarly, you are going to need to | | | | clients that you will be serving. There are many |
| pay intense attention to how well you are doing; if | | | | instances where you will need to work with the |
| you are going to be a medical coder, you will | | | | client to get the right result, and this does rely on |
| discover that you need to maintain 95% degree | | | | you having good interpersonal skills. |
| of accuracy on your assignments. | | | | I would ask that you take some time to really |
| 2. You Must Be Self Motivated | | | | consider what your options are going to be when |
| More and more medical coding specialists are | | | | you are thinking about moving ahead and getting |
| working from home. While this can give you a | | | | this job! Get more research on your options by |
| great deal of advantage when it comes to doing | | | | visiting websites that cover the career in more |
| the work and working the hours that you want, | | | | detail. |
| you soon realize that it can be a vast change | | | | Note: You are free to reprint or republish this |
| from having a job where someone else is going | | | | article. The only condition is that the links should |
| to be monitoring your time usage. | | | | be clickable. |