Translating medical information from patient records in hospitals, into alphanumeric codes
Overview
The clinical coder was approved for delivery on 12/04/2019. This Advanced apprenticeship standard awards you with a level 3, qualification when completed. The usual duration of this apprenticeship is 18 months, but this does not include the End-Point Assessment Period.
What the course covers
The Clinical Coder apprenticeship will teach you how to assess patient records and translate the data into alphanumeric code that provide an accurate representation of a patient’s treatment and experiences within a healthcare environment.
Working both independently and as part of a Clinical Coding team, your role will typically involve analysing patient data and locating missing information through a range of means such as contacting other medical clerks or requesting diagnoses from clinical staff where necessary, before inputting it into a Patient Information System (PIS).
You will learn how to identify and use appropriate medical terminology and anatomical terms, and use them to allocate diagnosis, procedure or treatment codes to a patient file on the PIS. You will be able to extract information from a range of clinical documentation and health records and identify any issues with the quality of data, taking the required action and escalating it to senior medical professionals.
You will need to be proficient using various IT systems and applications, such as excel, email and the internet, and you will learn how to link them to other medical programmes and software to be used in the wider healthcare sector.
Careers and jobs associated
- Senior Clinical Coder
- Clinical Coding Team Leader
- Clinical Coding Supervisor
- Clinical Coding Trainer
- Clinical Coding Auditor
- Clinical Coding Assistant Manager
- Clinical Coding Manager
If you would like to find out more about the clinical coder apprenticeship standard, skills, learnt, assessment methods and duties of the role, visit the Institute for Apprenticeships.
