What is a Patient Registration Certificate?
There are many avenues you can take to work in the medical field, including a career in patient registration. If you like working behind the scenes and collecting and managing information, continue reading to learn how to obtain a certificate that is related to patient registration.
<h3 id="section---PatientRegistrationCertificatesDefined">Patient Registration Certificates Defined</h3>
<p>There are a number of educational programs that are related to patient registration. These include patient admission coordinator, patient registration specialist, medical registration specialist and patient management certificate programs.
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<h3 id="section---ImportantFactsAboutThisFieldOfStudy">Important Facts About This Field of Study</h3>
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<table border="1"><tr><td>Common Courses</td><td> Medical law and ethics, filling out insurance forms, information technology in healthcare</td></tr>
<tr><td> Online Availability</td><td> Some online programs are available, though on-campus training is more common</td></tr>
<tr><td>Key Skills</td><td> Interpersonal communication, basic word processing, organizational skills</td></tr>
<tr><td> Continuing Education </td><td> After earning a certificate, students might consider an associate's or bachelor's degree in a related field, such as healthcare administration</td></tr>
<tr><td> Median Salary (2021) </td><td> $37,190 (<i>for all medical assistants</i>)</td></tr>
<tr><td> Job Outlook (2021-2031) </td><td> 16% growth (<i>for all medical assistants</i>)</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i>
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<h3 id="section---Coursework">Coursework</h3>
<p>Through these programs, you can expect to explore courses that relate to customer service, keyboarding, healthcare information and medical terminology. Patient registration certificate programs also help students to develop the skills that are commonly used on the job. For instance, emphasis might be placed on clerical procedures, telecommunication systems operations and medical coding. Since many patient registration positions do not require a certificate or degree, gaining relevant skills might also help you to enhance your job prospects.
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<h3 id="section---Requirements">Requirements</h3>
<p>Most patient registration certificate programs do not have any prerequisite coursework. You do need a high school diploma, and some programs may also require assessment testing. Generally, certificate coursework can be completed in less than a year.
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<h3 id="section---RelatedCareerOptions">Related Career Options</h3>
<p>Once you receive a certificate, you may consider related positions such as medical transcriptionist or medical assistant. Medical records technician is another similar position, which, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, usually requires an associate's degree (<i>www.bls.gov</i>). You can also prepare for supervisory, management or coordinator positions in patient registration by obtaining an associate's or bachelor's degree in a similar field such as medical office or healthcare administration.</p>