Patient coordinator vs registration coordinator

The differences between patient coordinators and registration coordinators 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 coordinator, becoming a registration coordinator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a registration coordinator has an average salary of $39,641, which is higher than the $32,954 average annual salary of a patient coordinator.

The top three skills for a patient coordinator include patients, customer service and patient care. The most important skills for a registration coordinator are patients, customer service, and patient registration.

Patient coordinator vs registration coordinator overview

	Patient Coordinator	Registration Coordinator
Yearly salary	$32,954	$39,641
Hourly rate	$15.84	$19.06
Growth rate	-4%	-8%
Number of jobs	97,878	70,846
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age	40	49
Years of experience	4	2

What does a patient coordinator do?

A patient coordinator functions as the primary point of contact between health care professionals and patients in a medical facility. They mostly perform administrative tasks such as greeting visitors, answering calls, responding to inquiries, managing schedules, arranging appointments, processing payments, gathering information, and keeping records. Moreover, they assist in filling out forms, escorting patients to different rooms or offices, and setting treatment plans. Most importantly, they discuss and share necessary information with patients and families regarding medications, procedures, and proceeding care according to a physician's assessment.

What does a registration coordinator do?

A registration coordinator is in charge of organizing and overseeing the registration procedures in programs and projects. Their duties primarily depend on their industry or place of employment. Still, it typically includes coordinating staff, managing the budgets and schedules, setting goals and guidelines, liaising with external parties, and developing strategies to optimize operations. Furthermore, a registration coordinator must monitor the progress of all efforts, resolve issues and concerns, and enforce the company's policies and regulations.

Patient coordinator vs registration coordinator salary

Patient coordinators and registration coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Coordinator	Registration Coordinator
Average salary	$32,954	$39,641
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $41,000	Between $28,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	Brockton, MA	-
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	-
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between patient coordinator and registration coordinator education

There are a few differences between a patient coordinator and a registration coordinator in terms of educational background:

	Patient Coordinator	Registration Coordinator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Patient coordinator vs registration coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between patient coordinators' and registration coordinators' demographics:

	Patient Coordinator	Registration Coordinator
Average age	40	49
Gender ratio	Male, 11.2% Female, 88.8%	Male, 18.9% Female, 81.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 25.4% Asian, 6.2% White, 51.4% 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 coordinator and registration coordinator duties and responsibilities

Patient coordinator example responsibilities.

Comply with HIPAA regulations by discreetly and professionally handling all patients private medical information.
Gather personal plus insurance information and perform thorough insurance breakdowns for patients.
Communicate directly with patients to obtain initial patient information and respond to inquiries.
Process and update HIPAA relate paperwork and other require institutional forms as necessary.
Obtain all necessary documentation prior to surgery such as proof of identification, copy of insurance and require insurance referrals.
Respond in writing to all grievances in accordance with CMS and DNV guidelines.

Registration coordinator example responsibilities.

Complete follow up calls to patients about their office visits and schedule surgery dates and times.
Provide Commercial/private health plans, Medicare and Medicaid metrics and data collection.
Call each patient day before surgery or procedure and give them their Pre-Op instructions and arrival time.
Complete Medicaid application for clients without insurance.
Communicate effectively with patients, physicians, insurance companies, case management and all hospital departments.
Provide follow-ups when necessary for patients regarding their insurance coverage status as it relates to clinical visits and/or medication prescriptions.

Patient coordinator vs registration coordinator skills

Common patient coordinator skills

Patients, 30%
Customer Service, 11%
Patient Care, 6%
Patient Flow, 5%
Excellent Organizational, 4%
Check-In, 3%

Common registration coordinator skills

Patients, 28%
Customer Service, 20%
Patient Registration, 8%
PowerPoint, 4%
Medical Terminology, 4%
Patient Demographics, 4%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Patient Coordinator
Patient Coordinator vs Registration Coordinator

Updated January 8, 2025

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