Clinical Coding

KentishLady

Having been made redundant from my previous job I now find myself temping with my local council whilst I look for a new career which will use my brain (rather than the sort of admin tasks I am currently doing - yes i know they are important but I am bored out of my skull).

I'm thinking of clinical coding as a career because it is the sort of thing I find fascinating - taking information and classifying it /entering into databases. I have excellent computer skills, already have a basic knowledge of anatomy etc and spend a lot of time talking with doctors about cardiology, mental health and neurology type stuff due to the illnesses my husband and brother in law have. As a necessity I have had to research and understand both their conditions and the medications that they are currently on (as well as alternative medications their Doctors may subscribe).

I am applying for a trainee clinical coding position, but, in the event I am unsucessful I am also looking into what courses/training I can do in the meantime to support future applications. In the meantime I am hoping to begin work as NHS Bank Admin Staff and will at least be taking a medical terminology course with Pitman.

Are there any clinical coders out there who could offer any advice regarding what preparation I can do to help me break into this career?

Thanks

KL

ohreally

Search facility: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4232233

KentishLady

Thanks for the link - I had seen this thread when it was originally posted. I am already happy with what the job entails. My query is more about what training preparation I could do prior to working in the field.

ohreally

PM the individual working as a coder.

Gingernutty

Try the NHS Connecting for Health website.

There is a drive to make clinical coding a career in and of itself - to take the two three hour exams, one must be a member of IHRIM and maintain one's competencies by taking dedicated training courses and a mandatory biennial refresher course.

There are two sets of books and manuals, one for diagnoses (ICD-10) and one for procedures (OPCS 4.6). The ICD-10 set have recently been updated with new codes (August 2012) and the procedure manuals are due to be updated in April [STRIKE]next[/STRIKE] this year and will then be OPCS 4.7.

There are also regular updates to the nationally recognised rules called coding clinics. You tend to find a coder's books are covered in handwritten annotations reflecting the clinics and local policies.

For a hospital, the clinical coding section is vital. A large portion of the income derived from the PCTs and central government is set by the codes and the income they produce - don't kid yourself, statistics are only part of the equation. It's all about the money.

However, the codes each hospital sends out can be 'read' by a variety of organisations which generate statistics, use those statistics to plan and budget for the future and calculate mortality rates.

The job can vary depending on whether you work in a general hospital or a more specialised unit (like cancer, orthopedic, paediatric etc) and tends to attract a good rate of pay.

It's a very responsible position and trained and qualified coders are highly prized - the money they earn can be Band 3 or 4. Not bad considering a lot of HCAs are on Band 2.

Good luck, but don't underestimate the amount of information that needs to be taken on board.

KentishLady

Thank you Gingernutty. I'll carry on looking through the website you mentioned - I'm really quite excited about this - it is the nearest thing I have found to the sort of job I was doing before in a totally different environment.

I don't underestimate the challenge - it is the sort of thing I relish.

KL.