Clinical documentation improvement specialist vs release of information specialist

The differences between clinical documentation improvement specialists and releases of information specialist can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a clinical documentation improvement specialist and a release of information specialist. Additionally, a clinical documentation improvement specialist has an average salary of $64,797, which is higher than the $45,891 average annual salary of a release of information specialist.

The top three skills for a clinical documentation improvement specialist include patients, patient care and clinical documentation improvement. The most important skills for a release of information specialist are patients, HIPAA, and customer service.

Clinical documentation improvement specialist vs release of information specialist overview

	Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist	Release Of Information Specialist
Yearly salary	$64,797	$45,891
Hourly rate	$31.15	$22.06
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	66,130	68,103
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Associate Degree, 36%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	12	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 release of information specialist do?

A release of information specialist is primarily in charge of retrieving and releasing data to qualified recipients while adhering to the guidelines and confidentiality protocols that aim to protect sensitive information. Although the extent of their responsibilities usually depends on their industry or company of employment, it usually includes maintaining records of procedures and transactions, preparing and processing documents, organizing files, producing progress reports to managers, and keeping an eye out for any inconsistencies, resolving them promptly and efficiently.

Clinical documentation improvement specialist vs release of information specialist salary

Clinical documentation improvement specialists and releases of information specialist have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist	Release Of Information Specialist
Average salary	$64,797	$45,891
Salary range	Between $47,000 And $87,000	Between $23,000 And $91,000
Highest paying City	Madera, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	California	Connecticut
Best paying company	Nuance Communications	AstraZeneca
Best paying industry	Health Care	Insurance

Differences between clinical documentation improvement specialist and release of information specialist education

There are a few differences between a clinical documentation improvement specialist and a release of information specialist in terms of educational background:

	Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist	Release Of Information Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Associate Degree, 36%
Most common major	Nursing	Health Care Administration
Most common college	Duke University	University of Southern California

Clinical documentation improvement specialist vs release of information specialist demographics

Here are the differences between clinical documentation improvement specialists' and releases of information specialist' demographics:

	Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist	Release Of Information Specialist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 15.2% Female, 84.8%	Male, 14.4% Female, 85.6%
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, 10.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 8.4% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between clinical documentation improvement specialist and release of information specialist 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.

Release of information specialist example responsibilities.

Manage and track various holds on inventory: ship on quarantine; FDA hold; and quality hold.
Apply insurance knowledge to interpret EOB, all manage contracts and fee schedules for physician services and hospital services.
Generate reports for managing compliance with Medicaid documentation in support of electronic billing to MCO
Deliver customer service to patients and their families regarding access to their medical history information.
Assist clients with choosing a Medicaid HMO.
Handle Meditech requests then enter information into Esmartlog.

Clinical documentation improvement specialist vs release of information specialist skills

Common clinical documentation improvement specialist skills

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

Common release of information specialist skills

Patients, 24%
HIPAA, 16%
Customer Service, 6%
Medical Terminology, 5%
ROI, 5%
Hippa, 5%

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Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist
Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist vs Release Of Information Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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