Patient care specialist vs scheduling specialist

The differences between patient care specialists and scheduling specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a patient care specialist, becoming a scheduling specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a scheduling specialist has an average salary of $37,269, which is higher than the $34,157 average annual salary of a patient care specialist.

The top three skills for a patient care specialist include patients, patient care and data entry. The most important skills for a scheduling specialist are patients, medical terminology, and home health.

Patient care specialist vs scheduling specialist overview

	Patient Care Specialist	Scheduling Specialist
Yearly salary	$34,157	$37,269
Hourly rate	$16.42	$17.92
Growth rate	-4%	-8%
Number of jobs	146,861	73,381
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	40	49
Years of experience	4	2

What does a patient care specialist do?

A patient service or care specialist works at different medical facilities. Primary responsibilities include checking patients in and out, scheduling follow-up appointments as well as checking patient eligibility for services or programs. Patient service specialists should maintain a systematic referral log to correlate patient referrals to other specialists. Applicants for the job should have the basic computer knowledge to effectively manage data of patient's files, knowledge of medical terminologies, and possess good interpersonal and customer service skills.

What does a scheduling specialist do?

A scheduling specialist is responsible for managing the department's meeting, conference, and event schedules, as well as negotiating with suppliers and third-party vendors for appointment and program needs. Scheduling specialists may also perform administrative and clerical duties as needed, especially on communicating with clients and informing them of meetings, and responding to their concerns and inquiries. A scheduling specialist must have excellent communication and organizational skills, as well as knowledge of the data processing procedures to maintain the organization's database, updating clients' information, and tracking business transactions.

Patient care specialist vs scheduling specialist salary

Patient care specialists and scheduling specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Care Specialist	Scheduling Specialist
Average salary	$34,157	$37,269
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $55,000	Between $27,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New York
Best paying company	KPG	Bristol-Myers Squibb
Best paying industry	Health Care	Transportation

Differences between patient care specialist and scheduling specialist education

There are a few differences between a patient care specialist and a scheduling specialist in terms of educational background:

	Patient Care Specialist	Scheduling Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Patient care specialist vs scheduling specialist demographics

Here are the differences between patient care specialists' and scheduling specialists' demographics:

	Patient Care Specialist	Scheduling Specialist
Average age	40	49
Gender ratio	Male, 20.3% Female, 79.7%	Male, 23.9% Female, 76.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 6.3% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	7%	9%

Differences between patient care specialist and scheduling specialist duties and responsibilities

Patient care specialist example responsibilities.

Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic.
Utilize software applications to document call interactions using medical terminology and responsible for initially engaging patients by explaining the services.
Verify CPT codes along with diagnosis code for guarantee payment for surgeries.
Process daily fee tickets and correctly enter office visit ICD 9 and CPT codes into the system for billing.
Adhere to HIPPA confidentiality guidelines.
Track Medicaid eligibility of clients.

Scheduling specialist example responsibilities.

Manage clinic visit schedules, rehabilitation conferences, medical exams, trial appearances, depositions, etc.
Treat all patients with compassion and dignity no matter what their socioeconomic status is.
Job entail becoming familiar with medical insurance carriers, which include Medicaid and Medicare programs.
Schedule patients for radiology procedures, including complicate scheduling for multiple exams in one patient visit.
Register patients into EMR system, ensuring accuracy when updating patient information, demographics and insurance.
Schedule outpatient appointment for radiology patients, verify insurance, obtain authorization from insurance companies for special procedures.

Patient care specialist vs scheduling specialist skills

Common patient care specialist skills

Patients, 33%
Patient Care, 17%
Data Entry, 5%
Medical Terminology, 4%
CPT, 2%
CPR, 2%

Common scheduling specialist skills

Patients, 25%
Medical Terminology, 8%
Home Health, 7%
Patient Care, 5%
Insurance Verification, 4%
Excellent Interpersonal, 4%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Patient Care Specialist
Patient Care Specialist vs Scheduling Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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