- Knowledge on Medical Terminologies and Clinical Anatomy :
A medical coder assign codes to represent different aspects in health care such as diagnoses, conditions and illnesses , medical procedures medications and equipment used. Hence sound knowledge in the above said elements are required understand the clinical documentation in order to apply right ICD and CPT Guidelines.
Organizations use various software applications and therefore it is essential for medical coders to be proficient in navigating these tools starting from generic applications like Microsoft office to specific medical coding applications like Epic, Centricity, AdvancedMD, Flash Code, Eclipse etc., It is also essential to have good typing speed .
- Meticulous and Organized :
Attentive to details is a critical skill required for medical coders as error rate. Assignment of inapt alphanumeric codes can cause significant problems. Inaccurate assignment may lead to rejection of claims from the insurers or too little repayment.
Medical coders will also juggle between various documents and reports during their work, therefore organization skills also play a key role
- Knowledge on Ethical standards :
Medical coding professional will have access to patient’s private information. A Medical coder should adhere to policies and legal requirements regarding privacy, confidentiality, disclosure and security of patient information. Hence its essential for the medical coder to have a good knowledge about local and international code of ethical standards and professional conduct ( e.g., Code of Ethics stated by AHIMA, AAPC, DHA etc.,)