Photo of Medical record by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Pix4free

Often when medical jobs are discussed, and doctors, nurses, med techs, and radiologists are noticed. Most or some don’t know that there’s a medical records officer profession that is essential for efficient healthcare services. If you’re thinking about this career without spending a huge amount of money on a medical career, you can consider this job.

OTHER NAMES FOR THIS ROLE

• Medical records clerk

• Medical records administrator

• Medical records staff

• Patient registrar

• Medical Secretary

• Health records officer

• Medical records analyst

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Gather patient demographic and personal info.

• Safeguard data from theft and nature’s 

• Perform clerical duties such as answering calls, recording patient admission and discharge information.

• Maintain the accuracy and quality of records by following hospital standards.

• Provide medical records to appropriate offices or departments and to medical staff. 

WORKPLACE — WHERE DO THEY WORK?

• Hospitals

• Clinics

• Specialised medical research facilities

EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

In the Philippines, you can train as one by completing a certificate course in health information management. Some hospitals require candidates with a course in a medical background such as pharmacy, biology, nursing, and medical technology. In addition, you could be required to know some health records software used as a standard in hospitals, clinics, and laboratories.

PAYSCALE

According to Salaryexpert.com, the average salary of this job is 798,000 per year. Here’s a graphical representation:

Data source: SalaryExporer

Note: This data is subject to change depending on time and job market. Last update: November 21, 2024

JOB MARKET OUTLOOK

Medical records officers will continue to see a demand in the near future due to an increase in healthcare. People will become seniors and need healthcare.
 

PROSPECTS FOR CAREER ADVANCEMENT

Through experience and training, you could climb the career ladder and become a medical records manager.

RISKS OF BEING AUTOMATED OR REPLACED BY ROBOTS

According to willrobotstakemyjob.com, the chances of automation for this job are 92%. This could be due to advances in robotics technology, software, and artificial intelligence. But this result should not be taken as an exact measure to justify not taking the career of medical records officer. Even though there’s a risk of automation, human oversight is needed and robots won’t replace humans.

PROS AND CONS

PROS

• Contribute to the healthcare system.

• Gain knowledge in medical science and health software

• Work in an office environment far away from the risk of infections and biohazard specimens.

• You may choose a career path to other medical professions such as 

CONS

• The work can be sedentary, and you can gain more weight.

• You may work long shifts depending on the number of patients.