Clinical documentation improvement specialist vs medical service technician

The differences between clinical documentation improvement specialists and medical service technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a clinical documentation improvement specialist has an average salary of $64,797, which is higher than the $37,943 average annual salary of a medical service technician.

The top three skills for a clinical documentation improvement specialist include patients, patient care and clinical documentation improvement. The most important skills for a medical service technician are patients, customer service, and vital signs.

Clinical documentation improvement specialist vs medical service technician overview

	Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist	Medical Service Technician
Yearly salary	$64,797	$37,943
Hourly rate	$31.15	$18.24
Growth rate	11%	7%
Number of jobs	66,130	189,362
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age	45	36
Years of experience	12	-

What does a clinical documentation improvement specialist do?

Clinical documentation improvement specialists are professionals who are involved in the clinical documentation improvement (CDI) program that incorporates the terminology needed to translate a patient's condition into precise codes. These specialists must investigate complex healthcare reimbursement information to ensure that appropriate documentation is provided for proper patient care. They must collaborate with physicians and medical record coding staff so that they facilitate the clinical documentation improvement process. Clinical documentation improvement specialists must also train members of the patient care team about the documentation guidelines for medical records.

What does a medical service technician do?

A medical service technician provides health care and treatments to patients under the supervision or directives of a more experienced physician. Most of their responsibilities revolve around assessing a patient's condition, administering required aid, diagnosing patients, conducting check-ups, and counseling patients. There are also instances when a medical service technician may prescribe medications, conduct inspections at facilities to ensure sanitary conditions, and coordinate with hospital staff for requesting supplies. Furthermore, it is crucial to have accurate documentation of all processes and transactions, all while adhering to the hospital's policies and standards.

Clinical documentation improvement specialist vs medical service technician salary

Clinical documentation improvement specialists and medical service technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist	Medical Service Technician
Average salary	$64,797	$37,943
Salary range	Between $47,000 And $87,000	Between $23,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City	Madera, CA	Salem, MA
Highest paying state	California	Connecticut
Best paying company	Nuance Communications	Sunrise Systems
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between clinical documentation improvement specialist and medical service technician education

There are a few differences between a clinical documentation improvement specialist and a medical service technician in terms of educational background:

	Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist	Medical Service Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	University of Virginia

Clinical documentation improvement specialist vs medical service technician demographics

Here are the differences between clinical documentation improvement specialists' and medical service technicians' demographics:

	Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist	Medical Service Technician
Average age	45	36
Gender ratio	Male, 15.2% Female, 84.8%	Male, 30.8% Female, 69.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 8.9% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 4.5% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	9%	8%

Differences between clinical documentation improvement specialist and medical service technician duties and responsibilities

Clinical documentation improvement specialist example responsibilities.

Create documentation education classes to general surgery residents, increasing the leveling of reporting which lead to increase revenues.
Interact directly with physicians to query for more specific documentation and to provide documentation guidelines from ICD-9 and ICD-10 standards.
Prepare, maintain and update clinical documentation ensuring completeness and accuracy of services provide to the patients.
Assign the correct POA status.
Participate in the initiation of the CDIS program.
Train new employees on how to utilize radiology information systems.

Medical service technician example responsibilities.

Create and maintain confidential patient files; implement EHR systems to automate patient records management for the purposes of meaningful use.
Administer and document vaccinations and perform strep tests, finger sticks, urinalysis, and various need lab tests.
Run QC on all lab instrumentation ensuring reports are within acceptable limits.
Keep track of all POC inventory, reagents, QC materials and equipment validations.
Apply cold packs to affect injuries of the patient, fit crutches on patients.
Maintain all training and CPR certifications in order to actively participate in codes with in the hospital.

Clinical documentation improvement specialist vs medical service technician skills

Common clinical documentation improvement specialist skills

Patients, 18%
Patient Care, 13%
Clinical Documentation Improvement, 12%
CCDS, 8%
ICD-10, 7%
CCS, 6%

Common medical service technician skills

Patients, 18%
Customer Service, 6%
Vital Signs, 5%
Infection Control, 5%
Phlebotomy, 4%
CPR, 4%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist
Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist vs Medical Service Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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