Medical Record Technology Course (MRT): Eligibility, Responsibilities

Medical Record Technology (MRT medical) course is designed to train students to become a Medical Record Technician or Health Information Technician professional. It is an administrative job which involves keeping and maintaining records in MRT medical office settings such as hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and doctor’s office. However, they do not have any direct contact with the patient’s condition, diagnosis or treatment. A Medical Record Technician or a Health Information Technician’s primary role is to compile and maintain patient’s records as per healthcare coding standards and keep them updated.

As per the Medical Record Technology (MRT course) programme eligibility criteria, one must have completed their graduation from a recognised University. The majority of the employers demand a certification in MRT medical course, however, one can enrol into a specialised coding programme to add points to their resume. For Medical Record Technician or Health Information Technician, one must be extremely detail oriented. Also, students must be updated as this is an ever-evolving profession and emerging technologies bring many changes and challenges to it.

What Does a Medical Record Technology Course Cover?

Under Medical Record Technology, the MRT medical course will cover a variety of topics and provide experience for the same over a duration of 24 months. One will get to learn from highly qualified healthcare professionals with hospital stimulated environment and equipment to aid learning. This MRT course provides proper guidance with a required set of employability skills to match the standard industry demands. Apart from technical training, the on-job training included in the MRT medical course provides better chances of placement and a bright career in healthcare.

Some of the topics covered under the Medical Record Technician are –

• Medical Terminology: The Medical Terminology is used as a medium of communication in healthcare facilities, hence it is essential to have a knowledge of the same. This MRT course offers the study of various terms, shorthand, prefixes and suffixes used in medicine.
• Medical Coding: A detailed study about all diagnostic coding, classification of disease, awareness about Medicare centres and medical service guidelines. The application aids in the practice of coding, read procedural statements, use coding manuals, interpret records, medical billing and review patients record.
• Anatomy and Physiology: In this topic, students will learn about the human body’s different anatomical parts, its function structure and nervous system. Also, they will learn about diseases i.e. how body system relates, application of anatomical knowledge to coding records and information.
• Healthcare Delivery: Here, candidates are trained to collect and collate data, which will help in enabling healthcare delivery.

This profession involves abstracting information from Medical Record Technology documentation and assign appropriate diagnosis and procedure codes. These codes are then used for various purposes like research, planning, reimbursement, to track and monitor disease pattern by health officials.

The Skill-Set Required to Pursue a Career as a Medical Record Technician –

• Reading comprehension
• Attention to precision
• Administration and management
• Basic knowledge of computers

Responsibilities of Medical Record Technicians are as Mentioned Below –

• Compiling patient health information records/files
• Ensuring complete and updated records of patients with every minute details enclosed
• Communicating with other health professionals or researchers when requested as per the facility’s laid down protocols
• Maintaining digital records of every patient’s medical history
• Improving data fetching, patient care and expenditure control with the help of advanced technologies
• Representing the healthcare facility/administrative authorities in legal interactions in case of medico-legal cases.

Career Opportunities and Growth Prospects in Medical Record Technology

Medical Record Technology (MRT medical) has been on the rise in the recent past due to the use of information technology in record keeping, meeting the set legal requirements, and the efficient management of patients’ information. It is worth pointing out that Medical Record Technician (MRT course) or Health Information Technician (HIT) is not only limited to hospitals and clinics but its career path provides a lot of opportunities in other fields of healthcare.

Job Roles and Work Environments

The duties of Medical Record Technicians may be performed in a variety of healthcare facilities including:

• Hospitals and Clinics – Records of patients, Medical billing, coding.
• The Nursing Homes and Rehabilitation Centers – Documentation processes for long-term care patients.
• Insurance Companies – Reviewing patient Medical Record Technology for claims processing and policy approvals.
• Government and Public Health Agencies – Assisting in disease surveillance and healthcare research.
• Medical Research Institutions – Supporting clinical trials with accurate Medical Record Technician documentation.
• IT and Healthcare Technology Firms – Working on Electronic Health Record (EHR) software development and implementation.

Career Progression and Specialisations

Medical Record Technicians can advance in the career ladder and acquire other certifications for the following positions:

• HIM: Manages all the activities in the MRT medical records department and ensures the compliance with the law.
• Health Information Technician: This is a professional who mainly works in translating the Medical Record Technology description of procedures as well as diseases into alphanumeric codes such as ICD-10, CPT and HCPCS.
• Compliance Officer: Ensures that healthcare facilities adhere to legal and ethical standards in patient data handling.
• Health Informatics in Healthcare: Concerns the patient data and the medical data used for analysis, research, and management in health facilities.
• CDI Specialist: Works with physicians and other healthcare personnel for the purpose of enhancing the clinical documentation.

Salary Trends and Job Demand

The prospect of employment in the Medical Record Technician field is likely to increase because of improvement in the use of Medical Record Technology and advancement in the healthcare sector.

The field of Medical Record Technology (MRT medical) is expanding and has many opportunities in various sectors of the healthcare industry. Due to the use of electronic health records, compliance rules as well as healthcare informatics, there is a high demand for Medical Record Technicians in MRT course. They are very important in the practice of efficient documentation, in the clinical decision-making process, and in compliance with the set guidelines. This has made the careers in AI, big data, and blockchain to be further boosted by the growth in technology. MRT medical course is one of the essential courses that can be taken in order to obtain a good start with a good paid job in the healthcare sector.

Future Scope of Medical Record Technology

Currently, the technologies that are being implemented in the healthcare sector include AI, ML, and Blockchain, and Medical Record Technology is not an exception. Emerging trends include:

• Integration of AI in Health Record: Application of AI in managing health records is helping in medical coding and billing.
• Telemedicine and Remote Healthcare: Electronic health records have now become compulsory for providing virtual healthcare services.
• Blockchain for Secure Patient Data Management: Ensuring tamper-proof and secure Medical Record Technology storage.
• Rising Importance of Big Data Analytics: This is enabling the healthcare facilities and insurers to make their decisions through investigation.

Keeping in mind the growing population paired with increased human lifespan due to advancements in the medical field, there is an ever-growing demand in the sector of healthcare professionals. Being a Medical Record Technician is a great way in serving the community as a healthcare professional without interacting directly with the patients in distress. Candidates can contact Tech Mahindra Smart Academy for Healthcare and enroll into the ever-growing profession by signing up for the MRT medical course to enhance the skills as well as upgradation of the pay scale.