Health & Medical Administrative Services

Medical administrative assistants compile, process, and maintain medical records of hospital and clinic patients in a manner consistent with medical, administrative, ethical, legal and regulatory requirements of the health care system. Process, maintain, compile and report patient information for health requirements and standards in a manner consistent with the health care industry’s numerical coding system.

Office Technology/Medical Administrative Assistant AAS Degree

ACNT-1303. Introduction to Accounting I. (3 Credits)

(3-3-0) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. A study of analyzing, classifying, and recording business transactions in a manual and computerized environment. Emphasis on understanding the complete accounting cycle and preparing financial statements, bank reconciliations, and payroll.

BCIS-1305. Business Computer Applications. (3 Credits)

(3-2-4) CORE AREA 090 This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Students will study computer terminology, hardware, and software related to the business environment. The focus of this course is on business productivity software applications and professional behavior in computing, including word processing (as needed), spreadsheets, databases, presentation graphics, and business-oriented utilization of the Internet. Lab fee.

BMGT-1327. Principles of Management. (3 Credits)

(3-3-0) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Concepts, terminology, principles, theories, and issues in the field of management.

BMGT-1341. Business Ethics. (3 Credits)

(3-3-0) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Discussion of ethical issues, the development of a moral frame of reference, and the need for an awareness of social responsibility in management practices and business activities. Includes ethical corporate responsibility.

MDCA-1313. Medical Terminology. (3 Credits)

(3-3-0) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. A study and practical application of a medical vocabulary system. Includes structure, recognition, analysis, definition, spelling, pronunciation, and combination of medical terms from prefixes, suffixes, roots and combining forms.

MRMT-1307. Medical Transcription I. (3 Credits)

(3-2-4) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Fundamentals of medical transcription with hands-on experience in transcribing actual physician dictation including basic reports such as history and physicals, discharge summaries, consultations, operative reports, and other medical reports. Utilizes technology compatible with industry standards. Designed to develop speed and accuracy. Lab fee.

MRMT-2333. Medical Transcription II. (3 Credits)

(3-2-4) This course is taken for academic credit. (Prerequisite: MRMT 1307) Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Transcription of medical reports with increasing speed and accuracy including history and physicals, consultations, discharge summaries, operative reports, and other medical reports. Lab fee.

POFM-1300. Basic Medical Coding. (3 Credits)

(3-3-0) This course is taken for academic credit. (Prerequisite: MDCA 1313) Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Presentation and application of basic coding rules, principles, guidelines and conventions utilizing various coding systems.

POFM-1317. Medical Administrative Support (front Office). (3 Credits)

(3-3-0) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Instruction in medical office procedures including appointment scheduling, medical records creation and maintenance, telephone communications, coding, billing, collecting, and third party reimbursement.

POFM-1327. Medical Insurance. (3 Credits)

(3-3-0) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Survey of medical insurance including the life cycle of various claim forms, terminology, litigation, patient relations and ethical issues.

POFT-1220. Job Search Skills. (2 Credits)

(2-2-1) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Instruction in medical office procedures to familiarize the Medical/Nursing Assistant student with the basic operations/concepts/skills of the medical front office. This course emphasizes the interaction between assistant working to assist the physician or other medical professional and the business operations of the medical facility. This course includes fundamentals of: appointment scheduling, documents and maintain medical records, patient communications, third party reimbursement, an introduction to electronic medical record systems and practices, and introduction into applying governmental health care guidelines. Emphasis is on customer service and accuracy. Computer/web access required. Lab Fee.

POFT-1301. Business English. (3 Credits)

(3-3-0) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Introduction to a practical application of basic language usage skills with emphasis on fundamentals of writing and editing for business.

POFT-1321. Business Math. (3 Credits)

(3-3-0) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Fundamentals of business mathematics including analytical and critical thinking skills.

POFT-1429. Beginning Keyboarding. (4 Credits)

(4-3-3) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Skill development in keyboarding techniques. Emphasis on development of acceptable speed and accuracy levels and formatting basic documents. Lab fee.

POFT-2401. Intermediate Keyboarding. (4 Credits)

(4-2-4) This course is taken for academic credit. (Prerequisite POFT 1429) Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. A continuation of keyboarding skills emphasizing acceptable speed and accuracy levels and formatting documents. Lab fee.

What Medical Records and Health Information Technicians Do

Medical records and health information technicians organize and manage health information data.

SUMMARY

2021 Median Pay: $46,660 per year; $22.43 per hour
Typical Entry-Level Education: Postsecondary nondegree award
Work Experience in a Related Occupation: None
On-the-job Training: None
Number of Jobs, 2021: 186,400
Job Outlook, 2021-31: 7% (As fast as average)
Employment Change, 2021-31: 12,300

Work Environment

Medical records and health information technicians typically work in offices and may spend many hours in front of computer monitors. Some technicians may work from home.

How to Become a Medical Records or Health Information Technician

Health information technicians typically need a postsecondary certificate to enter the occupation, although some may need an associate’s degree. Certification is often required.

Pay

The median annual wage for medical records specialists was $46,660 in May 2021.

Job Outlook

Employment of medical records specialists is projected to grow 7 percent from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

About 14,900 openings for medical records specialists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

SUGGESTED CITATION:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Medical Records Specialists, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-records-and-health-information-technicians.htm (visited February 14, 2023).

Some careers in this field will require a bachelor's degree.

TVCC's AA degrees are fully transferable to public universities in Texas. See an academic advisor or TVCC's university transfer webpage for more information on this transfer opportunity.
Many of TVCC's AAS degrees lead to an online Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) degree with participating universities. See an academic advisor or the BAAS transfer website for more information on this transfer opportunity.