How Do You Register As A Heath Information Techician

A registered health information technician (RHIT) is a certified professional who stores and verifies the accuracy and abyss of electronic health records. An RHIT also analyzes patient data, with the goal of controlling healthcare costs and improving patient care.

Although an RHIT is not involved directly with patient intendance, the job does involve frequent advice with doctors and other healthcare professionals to ensure efficiency and precision. RHITs ofttimes specialize in coding diagnoses and procedures using ICD-10, a system used by physicians and other healthcare providers to allocate and lawmaking diagnoses, symptoms and procedures recorded in conjunction with hospital care. Some RHITs specialize in coding or compiling data for specific diseases or illnesses.

Many RHITs work in hospitals and other healthcare facilities, including physicians' offices, nursing homes and mental health clinics. RHITs are likewise institute in any organization that uses patient data, such as pharmaceutical companies.

Qualifications

To become an RHIT, an applicant must consummate an acquaintance caste from a health information management program accredited past the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Data Management Didactics (CAHIIM), in addition to passing an American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) certification examination. The exam, which lasts three-and-a-one-half hours with no breaks, consists of 150 multiple-choice questions and covers topics such as information governance, disclosure of protected health information, data analytics and revenue cycle management.

Alternatively, an RHIT must take graduated from a health data direction program that has been approved by a foreign association -- such as the Canadian Health Data Direction Association -- that has a reciprocity agreement with AHIMA. RHITs must renew their certification every three years and also earn 20 continuing education units during that flow. They must also pay a $150 recertification fee.

Salary and expected task growth

Although an RHIT certification on its ain does not determine the bacon for a job, it tin help bolster a health information professional's resume. PayScale, a salary information website, lists the range for RHIT-related task salaries from $25,240 to $51,533.

The job outlook for RHIT jobs is strong, likely corresponding to the healthcare industry'south overall growth every bit infant boomers get older. Co-ordinate to the U.Due south. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities for medical records and health information technicians are projected to grow thirteen% from 2016 to 2026.

Common job titles

According to the University of Wisconsin, which offers a wellness information direction degree program, someone with an RHIT certification may agree one of the post-obit job titles:

clinical auditor or coder;
health data technician;
healthcare data analyst;
cancer registrar;
clinical information collection and reporting specialist; or
quality comeback specialist.

RHIT vs. RHIA

Similar to an RHIT, a registered wellness information administrator (RHIA) is an AHIMA-certified health information management professional. However, the two differ in a few ways, such as educational requirements. An RHIA must have received either a bachelor'south or master's caste from a CAHIIM-accredited health information management program and pass an AHIMA certification exam. An RHIA also deals more directly with HIPAA privacy and security, as well as data governance and analysis, while an RHIT tends to specialize in information capture and input.

Considering of the departure in education and responsibilities, RHIAs earn more than than RHITs, though salary estimates vary.

This was last updated in August 2018

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