Basic Training

• The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) explains that an associate degree typically serves as a minimum education requirement as long as it is issued from one of the two hundred schools accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education. These schools teach the fundamentals such as anatomy and physiology. They expand on the U.S. healthcare reimbursement system and code classification. Patient privacy and information security standards wrap the classes. Upon graduation, the medical record coder must pass an exam with the AHIMA to become a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT).
  
  

RHIT Certification

• The RHIT represents a significant credential, according to AHIMA. Only candidates with an associate degree or higher can sign up for the exam. This test evaluates the individuals' ability to enter medical records and ensure their completeness and accuracy. Agility with the computer and filing system to gather patient's information is also tested. Finally, the exam covers questions to gauge their understanding of medical standards with patient safety and privacy.
  
  

AAPC Certification

• An employer looking to hire an RHIT who specializes in medical coding typically expects the applicant to have received a certification granted by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC), the Board of Medical Specialty Coding (BMSC), or the Professional Association of Healthcare Coding Specialists (PAHCS). These associations offer certifications for general office use, or for specific areas of medicine such as interventional radiology cardiovascular procedures.
  
  

Employment

• About 172,500 medical records and health information technicians worked in the United States in 2008, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Hospitals hire 39 percent of the RHITs and the physician offices welcome the other 61 percents. BLS estimates that this profession will increase by 20 percent between 2008 and 2018 because of the aging population and the resulting increase in medical procedures.
  
  

Earnings

• BLS established that the median annual salary was $30,610 in 2008 for medical records and information health technicians. Top 10 percent earnings exceeded $50,060. Best compensations were in positions serving the federal executive branch and the general and surgical hospitals.