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The differences between health information technicians 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 health information technician and a release of information specialist. Additionally, a release of information specialist has an average salary of $45,891, 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 release of information specialist are patients, HIPAA, and customer service.
| Health Information Technician | Release Of Information Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $34,604 | $45,891 |
| Hourly rate | $16.64 | $22.06 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 120,786 | 68,103 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 41% | Associate Degree, 36% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
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.
Health information technicians and releases of information specialist have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Health Information Technician | Release Of Information Specialist | |
| Average salary | $34,604 | $45,891 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $45,000 | Between $23,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fairbanks, AK | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Stifel Financial | AstraZeneca |
| Best paying industry | Government | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a health information technician and a release of information specialist in terms of educational background:
| Health Information Technician | Release Of Information Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 41% | Associate Degree, 36% |
| Most common major | Health Care Administration | Health Care Administration |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between health information technicians' and releases of information specialist' demographics:
| Health Information Technician | Release Of Information Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 16.5% Female, 83.5% | Male, 14.4% Female, 85.6% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 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% |