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Health information technician vs medical records manager

The differences between health information technicians and medical records managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a health information technician and a medical records manager. Additionally, a medical records manager has an average salary of $75,232, which is higher than the $34,604 average annual salary of a health information technician.

The top three skills for a health information technician include patients, medical terminology and customer service. The most important skills for a medical records manager are patients, HIPAA, and patient care.

Health information technician vs medical records manager overview

Health Information TechnicianMedical Records Manager
Yearly salary$34,604$75,232
Hourly rate$16.64$36.17
Growth rate11%11%
Number of jobs120,78654,997
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 41%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age4545
Years of experience1212

What does a health information technician do?

A health information technician is primarily responsible for managing and handling patient information, ensuring accuracy and confidentiality. They coordinate with various health care workers to gather patient data, laboratory results, test findings, and medical histories, encoding them in clinical databases in a timely and efficient manner. They must analyze every information to detect any inconsistencies, performing corrective measures right away. Furthermore, as a health information technician, it is essential to utilize particular software and systems when processing information, all while adhering to the hospital's policies and regulations.

What does a medical records manager do?

The main job of a medical records manager is to secure and maintain electronic and written data within a medical records department. Medical records managers retrieve patient records for medical personnel and physicians. They supervise the department's employees. It is their responsibility to document a patient's health information, which may include symptoms, histories, and exam results. They ensure that the confidentiality of patients will follow the proper record-keeping practices. Also, they manage electronic health records and computer software.

Health information technician vs medical records manager salary

Health information technicians and medical records managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Health Information TechnicianMedical Records Manager
Average salary$34,604$75,232
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $45,000Between $50,000 And $111,000
Highest paying CityFairbanks, AKOakland, CA
Highest paying stateAlaskaNew Jersey
Best paying companyStifel FinancialAmazon
Best paying industryGovernmentTechnology

Differences between health information technician and medical records manager education

There are a few differences between a health information technician and a medical records manager in terms of educational background:

Health Information TechnicianMedical Records Manager
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 41%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common majorHealth Care AdministrationHealth Care Administration
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Health information technician vs medical records manager demographics

Here are the differences between health information technicians' and medical records managers' demographics:

Health Information TechnicianMedical Records Manager
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 16.5% Female, 83.5%Male, 21.1% Female, 78.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 8.6% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 8.1% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between health information technician and medical records manager duties and responsibilities

Health information technician example responsibilities.

  • Maximize ROI by effectively managing the microfiche process.
  • Assist patients and staff on filling out ROI's, and explain what exactly are being release or obtain.
  • Perform analysis and assembly of emergency room and surgery records and release records according to HIPAA regulations and confidentially.
  • Input data into a windows base in-house system.
  • Scan medical records in the EHR using the NEXTGEN software.
  • Attend advanced SQL coding workshops to optimize and refine database infrastructure.
  • Show more

Medical records manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage 2nd/ 3rd and weekend shift supervisors and staff and develop unit (s) QA activities.
  • Achieve this goal by providing clear policies/justification for initiatives which impact designated FTE's.
  • Prepare documents for FOIA requests.
  • Assign ICD-9 and CPT medical codes.
  • Have knowledge of the latest CPT coding.
  • Ensure compliance with medical/legal requirements, JCAHO standards.
  • Show more

Health information technician vs medical records manager skills

Common health information technician skills
  • Patients, 20%
  • Medical Terminology, 13%
  • Customer Service, 9%
  • HIPAA, 9%
  • Patient Care, 7%
  • Data Entry, 5%
Common medical records manager skills
  • Patients, 29%
  • HIPAA, 10%
  • Patient Care, 10%
  • EHR, 4%
  • Hippa, 4%
  • Medical Terminology, 4%

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