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Medical records clerk vs records coordinator

The differences between medical records clerks and records coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a medical records clerk and a records coordinator. Additionally, a records coordinator has an average salary of $40,360, which is higher than the $32,491 average annual salary of a medical records clerk.

The top three skills for a medical records clerk include patients, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for a records coordinator are customer service, data entry, and patients.

Medical records clerk vs records coordinator overview

Medical Records ClerkRecords Coordinator
Yearly salary$32,491$40,360
Hourly rate$15.62$19.40
Growth rate11%11%
Number of jobs129,99825,060
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 29%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age4545
Years of experience1212

What does a medical records clerk do?

Medical records clerks are employees in hospitals or clinics who manage office records. They are in charge of creating, updating, and filing patient-related medical records and other related documents. They ensure that all documents are correctly filled out and labeled before storing them safely in their respective storage areas. They may also be in charge of digitizing forms for easier access to files and back up purposes. They ensure that medical records are exact and updated. Medical records clerks should be organized and must always be on top of all tasks related to patient or medical records.

What does a records coordinator do?

A records coordinator takes responsibility for doing administrative and clerical work. Records coordinators maintain the filing system of the central records. They monitor, post, and process university forms for personnel and budgetary actions. It is their job to maintain an organized central filing system. They must know the requirements applicable to their organization. There are certain skills every records coordinator should acquire. Some of them are skills in procurement management, organizational, negotiation, finance and accounting, and analytical.

Medical records clerk vs records coordinator salary

Medical records clerks and records coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

Medical Records ClerkRecords Coordinator
Average salary$32,491$40,360
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $40,000Between $30,000 And $53,000
Highest paying CityRochester, NYTrenton, NJ
Highest paying stateAlaskaNew Jersey
Best paying companyUniversity of California, BerkeleyThe American Musical and Dramatic Academy
Best paying industryHealth CareEnergy

Differences between medical records clerk and records coordinator education

There are a few differences between a medical records clerk and a records coordinator in terms of educational background:

Medical Records ClerkRecords Coordinator
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 29%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common majorHealth Care AdministrationBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaStanford University

Medical records clerk vs records coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between medical records clerks' and records coordinators' demographics:

Medical Records ClerkRecords Coordinator
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 13.1% Female, 86.9%Male, 26.7% Female, 73.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 7.8% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 8.5% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between medical records clerk and records coordinator duties and responsibilities

Medical records clerk example responsibilities.

  • Manage transition from in-house transcription system to outsource transcription service.
  • Manage front office check-in, insurance verification and certifications from doctors.
  • Accept and process healthcare claims and confidential medical records; verify patient eligibility and manage the Medicare and Medicaid billing process.
  • Perform infant labs and update the system with results, triage incoming patients, perform necessary resuscitation to baby and mom.
  • Provide information to medical facilities and patients when necessary and respond to subpoenas and other general release of patient information.
  • Experience in CPT and ICD-10 coding.
  • Show more

Records coordinator example responsibilities.

  • Manage and maintain appropriate information in the electronic case file as required by federal, state, and HIPAA regulations.
  • Manage SharePoint site used for routing management approvals.
  • Assist DoD and contract personnel in digitizing intelligence onto secure severs for use by senior DoD agencies.
  • Maintain forms inventory in preparation for the EHR.
  • Forward records/documents as requested by FDA staff and outside vendors.
  • Perform software validation testing and QA testing for new CAPA system implementation.
  • Show more

Medical records clerk vs records coordinator skills

Common medical records clerk skills
  • Patients, 27%
  • Customer Service, 9%
  • Data Entry, 7%
  • Medical Terminology, 6%
  • HIPAA, 5%
  • Patient Care, 4%
Common records coordinator skills
  • Customer Service, 24%
  • Data Entry, 20%
  • Patients, 16%
  • HIPAA, 6%
  • Hard Copy, 3%
  • Subpoenas, 3%

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