从事医疗保健一直听起来appealing to you. It’s a rock-solid industry that can have a direct positive impact on the lives of patients and their families. While patient-facing roles like nursing (and the hands-on unpleasantness that can come with them) aren’t your preference, the field of health information has certainly caught your interest. Ensuring that patient information is communicated clearly and securely is important for the entire health system and especially important for quality patient care. Health information professionals see the patient in a way that no other healthcare workers do.

You might not know it yet, but there’s a surprising variety of health information roles out there for you to potentially pursue as you progress along this career path. Many health information roles may seem fairly similar—but there are also plenty of differences you’ll want to be aware of as you plot your future career goals and roles.

“If you’re interested in health information, there’s something for everyone,” says Linda Kennedy, Health Information Management Department Chair at Rasmussen University.

To help you get a better idea of what’s out there and the differences between these roles, we’ve highlighted several options and placed them into categories that roughly align with how you may progress along a health information career path.

Early career health information roles

Learn more about some of the positions you may encounter early on in your health information career.

Medical biller

Medical billers, sometimes called billing clerks, help the keep the business side of the healthcare system running by submitting medical claims to insurance companies or government providers from physician offices, hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare clinics. They resolve problems with billing errors and denials and act as a liaison between the HIM department of a healthcare provider and insurance companies.

These professionals have a lot of responsibility for protecting patient and physician confidentiality. They also have to stay up-to-date on coding changes and government regulations. Knowledge of medical terminology, medical codes and computer skills is vital. While previous experience is preferred, earning aMedical Billing and Coding Certificatemight be a good first step to get to know the industry, learn medial coding skills and learn more about industry certifications.

患者注册商

患者注册商s have a more visible role in the handling of patient information. Patient care registrars take and make calls, serving as a liaisons between the patients and medical support staff. They’re often responsible for recording patients’ clinical and financial information including their insurance information and visit schedule. They also prepare new patient medical charts and are able to release medical records to patients, physicians, or third parties through the correct processes.

患者注册商s are exceptionally organized individuals able to handle complex medical charts. While experience with computers and programs like Word and Excel is important, medical knowledge can also be helpful. Patient registrars benefit from knowingmedical terminology和医学结算的基础知识。高中文凭需要适用于大多数患者注册商职位。有些雇主可能更喜欢在医疗办公室经验的候选人。

Insurance claims specialist

保险声称专家为保险公司工作，以确定进出的各种索赔的覆盖范围。它们能够准备可能需要进一步调查的索赔表和相关文件，并索赔可能需要进一步调查。对计费和编码的基本理解可以在日常职责中证明非常宝贵。像社会感知和批判性思维等技能也可以让你成为一个强大的候选人。虽然需要高中文凭，但雇主往往始终优先考虑大学或副学士学位。

Intermediate health information roles

The following health information jobs will likely require a bit more experience or education in order to land.

Health information technician

Health information technicians (HIT) play a vital role in the maintenance and security of patients’ health records. They use a variety of classification systems to code patient information for billing purposes and work within electronic health records systems to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the patient’s personal and health information. When a patient’s records need to be released, they maintain confidentiality and follow HIPAA Standards.

您可以在使用电子健康记录的任何地方找到健康信息技术人员，尽管这些雇主之间的要求可能会有所不同。大多数需要相当于一年的大学和正规医疗技术人员培训。这可能意味着追求一个Associate’s degreeand a HIT certification likeRHIT,RHIA,CCS,CCS-P..

发布信息（ROI）专家

发布信息（ROI）专家s have a particular role in the management of patients’ health information. They often have the same credentials as health information technicians, but take on a more specialized job role. ROI specialists collect information from various departments to compile in a patient’s medical record. They prepare medical records for release to other physicians, medical offices or to the patient for personal use.

ROI specialists can work for physicians, hospital systems or agencies that contract with hospitals. They should have a deep understanding of HIPAA and state regulations for the release of information and any state regulations that apply to health records. To land one of these roles, you’ll need at least a high school diploma—but often an Associate’s degree in a related field and RHIT certification are preferred.

Advanced health information positions

Get a taste of the health information roles you may advance into with the proper education and experience.

Health information manager

健康信息管理经理在健康信息方面拥有丰富的经验，能够协调和组织部门设定目标的所有活动，管理财务，设定政策，确保质量和管理人员。

HIM managers are masters of databases, spreadsheets, and electronic health record systems. They must have extensive knowledge of regulatory agencies and HIPAA. The best managers have excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

If you’re interested in advancing to this position, keep in mind that you’ll need at least anAssociate’s degree in health informationor a related field, though aBachelor’s degreeis often preferred. Additionally, most health information management candidates will need at least a few years of relevant health information experience. Professional certifications are a common requirement as well.

Revenue systems manager

Revenue systems managers provide leadership to the revenue cycle team while looking for ways to improve the efficiency of the billing revenue system. They provide analysis, create new processes and supervise a cross-functional team.

这个角色需要大量的regist知识ration and financial practices while still having the communication and leadership skills you would expect of a manager. As you might expect, this position typically requires substantial experience in medical billing management and will likely require a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject likeHealth Information Management.

Getting started on a health information career path

Now that know more about some of the potential health information careers out there, are you ready to take the first step on the path to a career in this field? At Rasmussen University, there are Health Information programs that can fit your education needs for nearly any stage of your career. You can start out by earning aMedical Billing and Coding Certificate如果您决定进一步追加额外教育，则在少于9个月 - 该证书可以无缝过渡到健康信息技术人员副学士学位和健康信息管理学士学位。¹Want to learn more? Visit the健康信息管理研究页面.

¹完成时间取决于接受的转移信贷人数，以及每个学期完成的课程数量。