Remember the last time you were in a medical facility waiting room? While you waited, did you notice your surroundings: the staff, the other patients, the lighting and the décor? Did you feel relaxed or tense, apprehensive or reassured by the atmosphere in the facility?
Chances are you felt all those things to some extent. Now imagine that you are behind the desk or working in one of the exam rooms. Working in a hospital means that you will be in constant contact with people who might be frightened or in pain. At the same time, you will be aware that you are there to help them through a stressful situation and that can make the work tremendously rewarding. A high level of energy and purpose are part of the everyday atmosphere in a medical environment, and most jobs involve a certain amount of inherent stress.
One medical job that offers the sense of accomplishment, but involves a lower level of hands-on patient contact is the job of being a medical billing & coding professional. This important job is on the front lines of patient records – the written documents that contain patients’ contact information, histories, diagnoses and treatment. The accuracy and clarity of these records has a direct impact on patient care and hospital billing practices; it’s a vital part of the facility’s effectiveness and economic well-being. Medical billing & coding professionals are highly trained, often at an academic institution. They are expected to pay close attention to the details of patient records, have a high standard for the accuracy of their data and understand how the medical specifics in each document fit into the needs of patients and medical staff.
The job of a medical billing & coding expert starts when he or she receives the notes, written by doctors or other medical staff, which result from a doctor’s visit. This information will constitute the beginning of a patient record or will be added to an existing record. This document includes patient contact information and also details of the doctor’s medical findings or diagnoses and any treatments the doctor has suggested. Professionals in the medical billing & coding department will review the information, confirm it with medical staff as needed, and translate it into a form of code that is easily and quickly understood by the insurance companies who receive this coded information. Becoming expert in this highly complex medical coding is an important part of a medical billing and coding career. ¹
What distinguishes a medical billing & coding clerk from a true professional in the field is the accuracy and timeliness of the final product and the coder’s ability to understand the nuances and importance of their work. Accuracy and speed are easily understood elements, but what does it mean to understand the importance of medical billing & coding?
Patients and medical systems both depend upon a smooth and effective flow of communication as a patient moves through this challenging experience. Highly technical and complicated records need to be simplified and streamlined in order to keep patients and staff informed and knowledgeable at every step of the process. Medical billing & coding professionals are the people who keep vital medical information flowing, in support of patients and medical staff.
¹http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_billing_(United_States)
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