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Snapshot

Snapshot

Career Cluster: Health Care; Human Services

Interests: Medical records and terminology, data entry, detailed work, problem solving

Earnings (Yearly Average): $34,970

Employment & Outlook: Faster Than Average Growth Expected


Profile

Profile

Working Conditions: Work Indoors

Physical Strength: Light Work

Education Needs: Technical/Community College, Bachelor's Degree

Licensure/Certification: Recommended

Physical Abilities Not Required: No Heavy Labor

Opportunities For Experience: Internship, Apprenticeship, Military Service, Part-Time Work

Holland Interest Score*: CSI

[1] * See Appendix A


Duties and Responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Contacting medical personnel to obtain missing data on medical records

  • Coding, indexing and filing records of diagnoses, diseases, operations and treatment

  • Compiling medical care and census data for statistical reports

  • Preparing reports on admissions, births, deaths, transfers and charges

  • Transcribing medical records

  • Releasing information to persons and agencies according to regulations

  • Organizing, analyzing, and evaluating health records according to established standards

  • Reviewing medical records for completeness, accuracy and compliance with requirements


Relevant Skills and Abilities

Relevant Skills and Abilities

Communication Skills

  • Speaking effectively

  • Writing concisely

Interpersonal/Social Skills

  • Cooperating with others

  • Working as a member of a team

Organization & Management Skills

  • Following instructions

  • Organizing information or materials

  • Paying attention to and handling details

Research & Planning Skills

  • Analyzing information

  • Using logical reasoning


Famous First

Famous First

The first centralized system of medical records for hospitals was developed by Dr. Henry Plummer and Mabel Root at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, in 1907. The system provided a file for each patient that contained all records of hospital treatment, including lab test results, enabling medical staff to review the patient's entire history. (Previously, each department maintained its own files on patients.)


Careers in Human Services

Health Information Technician

by Simone Isadora Flynn

Overview

Sphere of Work

Health information technicians, sometimes referred to as medical records technicians, maintain medical information systems. They are responsible for the compilation and organization of medical records, including patient lab results, medical histories, and x-rays. Under the direction and supervision of medical records administrators, technicians process and maintain records that may be used and accessed by medical personnel and patients, as well as medical researchers, government inspectors or regulatory agencies, and insurance companies.

Work Environment

Health information technicians spend their workdays in the offices of hospitals, medical or dental practices, rehabilitation facilities, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, government health agencies, and medical laboratories. Technicians generally work forty-hour weeks but may be required to work evening or night shifts to meet the facility's constant need to access medical records.

Occupation Interest

Individuals drawn to the profession of health information technician tend to be organized and detail oriented. They must be accurate and thorough, with the ability to identify and solve problems quickly. Health information technicians should be self-motivated and enjoy working in a medical environment.

A Day in the Life—Duties and Responsibilities

Health information technicians are responsible for the compilation, organization, and maintenance of medical records. These records may include lab results, medical histories, physical exam reports, x-rays, prescriptions, treatment plans and orders, and records of surgeries and hospitalizations. Technicians enter patient data into medical information systems, review the records for accuracy and completeness, and report any errors or omissions in medical records, at times requesting additional information from medical professionals and administrators. They then respond to requests for specific records by providing access or copies to medical personnel or patients. They may also respond to information requests from researchers studying various diseases or injuries, regulatory agencies inspecting the facility, or insurance companies verifying claims.

Some health information technicians choose to specialize in a particular area of recordkeeping. Those working in medical coding are responsible for assigning standardized classifications to procedures noted in medical records, which can then be easily interpreted by insurance companies for billing and reimbursement purposes. Other specialists may update national disease databases, such as the patient cancer registry, with patient information and pathology data.

Health information technicians may also work with their supervisors to create and implement practices and procedures for health information organization, classification, analysis, and retrieval. They may assist in the transition from paper medical records to electronic health records. Experienced technicians may also train office staff in electronic health record software.

As the work involves constant handling of private medical information, technicians must ensure the confidentiality and security of records within the medical information system. All health information technicians, regardless of specialty, are responsible for educating themselves about the administrative, physical, and technical patient privacy safeguards included in the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Work Environment

Physical Environment

Health information technicians generally work in comfortable offices within hospitals, medical or dental practices, rehabilitation facilities, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, government health agencies, and medical laboratories. Although their interaction with patients is generally minimal, they may risk exposure to infectious diseases.

Human Environment

Health information technicians should be comfortable interacting with physicians, insurance representatives, laboratory staff, government inspectors, office staff, supervising medical records administrators, and patients. Due to the sensitive nature of medical diagnosis and treatment, health information technicians must be empathetic and tactful when interacting with patients and their families and must uphold patient confidentiality.

Technological Environment

In the course of their work, health information technicians use a wide variety of tools and equipment, including computers, electronic medical records software, medical coding charts, insurance rate charts and books, printers, calculators, photocopying machines, telephones, word processing software, facsimile machines, and scanners. Some technicians, particularly those specializing in coding, may need to have a basic understanding of medical equipment in order to categorize procedures properly.

Education, Training, and Advancement

High School/Secondary

High school students interested in pursuing a career as a health information technician should study typing and bookkeeping, which will provide a strong foundation for work in the field. Students interested in this career path may benefit from seeking volunteer positions, administrative internships, or part-time clerical work with local hospitals or other medical facilities.

Suggested High School Subjects

  • Applied Communication

  • Biology

  • Business & Computer Technology

  • Business Data Processing

  • English

  • Health Science Technology

  • Keyboarding

  • Mathematics

College/Postsecondary

Postsecondary students interested in becoming health information technicians should obtain an associate's degree in health information technology, medical secretarial science, or a related field from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Coursework in medical terminology, mathematics, and business may also prove useful. Students can gain work experience and potential advantage in their future job searches by securing administrative internships or part-time clerical employment with medical facilities.

Related College Majors

  • Medical Office Management

  • Medical Records Administration

  • Medical Records Technology

Adult Job Seekers

Adults seeking employment as health information technicians should have, at a minimum, an associate's degree from a CAAHEP-accredited program. Some senior health information technician positions require extensive experience and bachelor's degrees, so job seekers should educate themselves about the educational and professional requirements of their prospective employers. Professional medical administration associations, such as the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Managers, Administrators and Receptionists (AMSPAR), may offer workshops, job postings, and networking opportunities.

Professional Certification and Licensure

Certification and licensure is not legally required for health information technicians, but it may be required as a condition of employment, salary increase, or promotion. Some technicians may choose to obtain the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) designation offered by AHIMA. This credential is available to individuals who have completed a training program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) and pass an examination. Health information technicians interested in pursuing certification should consult credible professional associations within the field and follow professional debate as to the relevancy and value of any voluntary certification program.

Additional Requirements

As professionals in this role have access to confidential medical records, health information technicians must possess a high level of integrity and professional ethics.

Earnings and Advancement

Earnings of health information technicians depend on the geographic location of the employer and the employee's experience and occupational specialty. Median annual earnings of health information technicians were $39,970 in 2013. The lowest ten percent earned less than $22,700, and the highest ten percent earned more than $57,320.

Health information technicians may receive paid vacations, holidays, and sick days; life and health insurance; and retirement benefits. These are usually paid by the employer.

Metropolitan Areas with the Highest Employment Level in this Occupation

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Hourly mean wage Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL 4,870 1.31 $19.10 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA 4,580 1.15 $20.41 Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 4,540 1.65 $19.62 New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ 4,390 0.84 $22.17 Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 3,490 1.96 $17.21 Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA 3,450 1.97 $21.03 Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX 2,860 1.33 $18.67 Philadelphia, PA 2,830 1.54 $17.54 Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH 2,260 2.24 $19.34 St. Louis, MO-IL 2,250 1.74 $18.63

[1] (1) Does not include self-employed. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Employment and Outlook

There were approximately 185,000 health information technicians employed nationally in 2012. Over one-third of jobs were in hospitals. The rest were employed mostly in physicians' offices, nursing care facilities, outpatient care centers and home healthcare services. Employment of health information technicians is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2022, which means employment is projected to increase 20 percent to 28 percent. This is due to rapid growth in the number of medical tests, treatments, and procedures, and because medical records will be increasingly scrutinized by third party payers, courts and consumers.

Employment Trend, Projected 2010–20

Health Technologists and Technicians (All): 24%

Health Information Technicians: 22%

Total, All Occupations: 11%

Note: “All Occupations” includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections Program

Related Occupations

  • Clinical Laboratory Technologist

  • Dental Assistant

  • Library Technician

  • Medical Assistant

  • Medical Records Administrator

Related Military Occupations

  • Health Services Administrator

  • Medical Record Technician

More Information

American Academy of Professional Coders

2480 South 3850 West, Suite B

Salt Lake City, UT 84120

800.626.2633

www.aapc.com

American Health Information Management Association

233 North Michigan Avenue

Suite 2150

Chicago, IL 60601-5800

312.233.1100

www.ahima.org

Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education

233 North Michigan Avenue

21st Floor

Chicago, IL 60601-5800

www.cahiim.org

Citation Types

Type
Format
MLA 9th
Flynn, Simone Isadora. "Health Information Technician." Careers in Human Services, edited by Michael Shally-Jensen, Salem Press, 2015. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=CIHS_0013.
APA 7th
Flynn, S. I. (2015). Health Information Technician. In M. Shally-Jensen (Ed.), Careers in Human Services. Salem Press. online.salempress.com.
CMOS 17th
Flynn, Simone Isadora. "Health Information Technician." Edited by Michael Shally-Jensen. Careers in Human Services. Hackensack: Salem Press, 2015. Accessed July 05, 2025. online.salempress.com.