I work in the medical records field as a release of information associate. We release copies of medical records to various requestors. I would recommend this field to anyone who enjoys working in the office/administrative end of the health care field. It is best to have a good working knowledge of medical terminology, know the laws concerning the privacy of medical records, and good computer skills. I really enjoy working in this field and would choose this field if I had to do it over again. Some of the pros of this job include knowing that you are helping patients get correct treatment from their healthcare providers by sending their information to physicians, working in an office that has daytime hours and getting weekends off, scanning and copying records for insurance companies and attorneys to help patients with payment of claims. Some of the cons would be spending a lot of time doing data entry that can get monotonous, and sometimes dealing with people via phone or fax who do not understand the stringent rules we have to follow to be able to release records. One thing that may not be known about this job is you have to really understand the HIPAA law and how it relates to release of information to be able to do the job correctly.
I am a Medical Transcriptionist. I received my training through an online course completed at home. Upon completing my course, I eventually obtained my current job with a neurosurgeon. I am able to work from home transcribing his office notes.
There are many pros to this job. I love being able to work from home and the pay now is relatively good for the hours I work. There is also an online network of medical transcriptionist that are able to help me if I get stuck on new terminology or have technical problems. I do not have as much flexibility in scheduling hours with this doctor than I would like but having him speak in clear, concise English and dictate puncutation more than compensates for the more structured schedule I maintain.
The cons are relatively few really. Sitting in the same position for many hours at a time when working on a deadline sometimes becomes a problem. You have to remember to stretch and move around. Finding a job in this field can be relatively difficult if you start out trying to work from home. Most online companies require two years experience in a hospital or clinic setting. If you live in a bigger city, this kind of experience may be more easily attained. Being in a rural area may present a problem. The pay can start out slow until you are more familiar with what you are doing and get faster as you get more comfortable with your work.
All said and done, I would definitely choose this field again although I would choose to go to a more qualified online school.