A health care management degree can train you to take patient information and keep medical records up-to-date and organized. Read on to learn about requirements for this online bachelor's degree program, courses to expect, online education environment, and possible careers.
What Are the Requirements for an Online Bachelor's Degree in Medical Records?
Most bachelor's degree programs that train you to make, keep and organize medical records are available through studies in health information management or health care management. These programs combine business skills with organizational methods. You'll also take courses in health care that will train you in medical terminology and medical ethics.
Admissions requirements for a health care management bachelor's degree program, which will train you in medical records, include a high school diploma. Some schools require that you have an associate's degree prior to enrolling in a bachelor's degree program. You may have to complete an interview with an admissions representative. For online programs, you'll need a high-speed internet connection with software that includes Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Office and Microsoft Project.
<table border="1"><tr><td><b>Prerequisites</b></td><td> High shool dipoma, associate's degree (varies), interview, high speed Internet, and word processing software</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Common Courses</b></td><td> Medical laws, lomputer literacy, finance in health care</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Online Class Environment</b></td><td> Fully available online, though internships are done in-person</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Possible Careers</b></td><td> Medical officer manager, billing supervisor</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Median Salary (2020)</b></td><td> $44,090 (<i>for all medical records and health information technicians</i>)*</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Job Outlook (2019-2029)</b></td><td> 8% growth (<i>for all medical records and health information technicians</i>)*</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i>
</p><h3 id="section---WhatCoursesWillITake">What Courses Will I Take?</h3><p>Through the bachelor's degree program in health care management, you'll learn how to use computer programs for medical purposes and study organizational methods. You'll learn how to keep medical records up-to-date and accurate. You may also study coding, which is used to identify which procedures a patient underwent, along with their diagnosis, so you can properly bill the health insurance company. Some other topics could include:
</p><ul><li>Marketing techniques in health care
</li><li>Public health issues
</li><li>Assessing quality of health care
</li><li>Medical laws
</li><li>Computer literacy
</li><li>Finance in health care
</li><li>Accounting principles
</li><li>Organizational behavior
</li></ul><h3 id="section---HowDoOnlineProgramsWork">How Do Online Programs Work?</h3><p>At some schools, courses in health management are available completely online. Internship requirements, however, must be done in-person, whether your program is primarily online or on campus. For online programs, the internship is usually arranged in part by your school and is completed your junior year.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatCanIDoWithThisDegree">What Can I Do With This Degree?</h3><p>With a bachelor's degree in health care management, you can become a medical officer manager. This involves working at doctor's offices, hospitals or nursing homes and tracking patients' medical records, scheduling appointments and answering phones. You could also be a billing supervisor, making sure bills are sent correctly to the correct insurance company.</p>
