Medical Billing and Coding Can Be The Next Big Thing!

Due to rise in healthcare facilities all over the United States, there is a dire need of medical professionals. To help with this kind of scenario, many medical institutes like hospitals, clinics and accredited schools have come forward. These institutes equip their students with all the necessary information, theories and practical training.

After completion of the course, placement assistance is also provided to the students. Major share of the health check facilities are governed by the Government authorities, whereas non-profit foundations and profit-oriented facilities have an equal share of 20% each. Therefore, there is a requirement of facilitators in good numbers.

There are number of courses one can go for, like Medical billing and coder, phlebotomy, pharmacy technician and dialysis technician. The technicians from certified career centers can help in filling the gap. In these medical centers, training in a specific field is provided to a candidate and after completion of the course, one can push his career to a new height.

Now for a course like medical coder training is scheduled in such a way that a student is able to learn each and every aspect of billing. The curriculum includes many activities like – documentation of insurance papers, billing procedures; need to facilitate patients claiming for the insurance, appointments need to be streamlined, processing of the bills and many more activities.

Moreover, a person needs to have excellent interpersonal skills as one to one communication is required at the front desk. This quality would also ensure that they are able to negotiate at the time of placements as well.

If we talk about the availability of this course, then many career centers in various states of America are training number of students. The fee is affordable, infrastructure is sound, learners gain hands-on experience, and skills set is increased etc. are the characteristics of these centers.

Moreover, the additional benefit for a trainee in these centers is that they can gain field experience. In the training period, a trainee can get an exposure by working in a medical facility; these centers do have some arrangement, where trainees are send to gain more and more exposure. Not only this, the trainees after completion of the practical training are offered Pre Placement Offers (PPO), which proves to be a boon for a candidate.

What are the Reasons for Performing Phlebotomy Procedures?

In hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, blood banks, physician’s offices and other healthcare centers, professionals take blood or samples of it. This procedure is done for multiple reasons. Some of these reasons are:

For lab tests – At the hospitals, physician’ offices or nursing homes, phlebotomy technicians draw blood from various techniques. They collect these samples for different medical tests and examinations. Various diseases are detected by theses samples. That is why specimen are collected at healthcare centers. Then they are taken to the laboratories for analysis.

For donation – At blood banks, it is collected with the help of phlebotomy procedure. Medical professionals draw it using different techniques. Then the fluid is stored in these banks for emergencies.

For removing extra iron – Phlebotomy is also used to remove extra iron from body. Some people suffer from disorders like hemochromatosis. In this genetic disorder, people take too much iron from their food, which can cause damages to liver and other parts. It also causes pain in bones, joints, and damages tissues. In this treatment, body is cleared of those blood cells that are rich in iron. When the procedure is done, extra iron is removed from patient’s body. It will protect patient from further damage in liver or other organs.

For Polycythemia – In polycythemia disease, the number of red blood cells are increased in total volume. Its treatment is done with therapeutic phlebotomy. This procedure can be done in every few days, weeks or in some cases months to prevent further damage.

This medical process is done for the treatment of various diseases as well as to detect them. Phlebotomy is also done for donating reason. At healthcare centers, these technicians are the trained professionals for performing this task.

A phlebotomist takes samples by using a needle from a vein. For this procedure, professionals clean the area with antiseptic and cotton. After the cleaning, they insert the needle of injection in that area where veins are showing. He inserts it into the right vein. When the phlebotomist gets the sample, he will take out needle. Some people feel light headed after this process. In this situation, patient must drink fluids for recovering.

One can make his career in this profession after getting phlebotomy training. At the training, one can learn different techniques of drawing blood. Right process is also taught at these courses. After completing your course, one can become phlebotomist. They can get job at any healthcare center where they are needed such as clinics, physician’ offices, nursing homes, hospitals etc.

Patient Care Technician – Helping different people with different tasks

In the healthcare field, patient care technicians (PCT) play an important role. They help healthcare professionals at hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and doctor’s offices. They are the helping hands of medical professionals. They work under the supervision of other professional like physicians and nurses.

A patient care technician assists sick and injured person with different tasks such as bathing, eating, grooming etc. They take vital signs and also collect specimen. They help physicians in several medical exams. They monitor the health of sick persons and take care of their medication.

Salary – Their salary is between 25,000 dollars to 40,000 dollars. It depends on their education, training and experience. Their median hourly wages are 11.74 dollars which may increase in upcoming years. Again, their hourly wages depends on their skills.

You can become a professional PCT after completing your training from a patient care technician school. These schools can provide you practical and classroom training in this field. They train you in:

• Vitals – Taking vitals such as temperature, blood pressure etc.
• Phlebotomy – Sometimes a PCT needs to collect blood samples for lab tests. That is why they are trained in phlebotomy, so that they can draw blood with different techniques.
• Preparing patients- They are trained in taking care of patients and preparing them for various medical treatments. PCTs take them in different rooms for examinations and tests.
• Medical Terminology – PCT also get training in medical terminology. It increases their knowledge of healthcare field and helps them in understanding the situation better.
• Specimen Collection – To identify disease or problem, various tests are done at hospitals. It is PCT’s work to collect samples for these tests. After collecting specimen, they deliver these samples at labs.
• Medical law and ethics – They are also trained in different medical laws and ethics.
• Anatomy and Physiology – They are trained in anatomy and physiology. It helps them understand their work and duties better. They know how to treat a person with a particular disease.
• EKG – These professionals are also trained in taking electrocardiogram. While taking care of people suffering from heart diseases, they must know about this procedure. They must know how to read electrocardiograms.

Before this training, you must become a certified nursing assistant (CNA). Your high school degree or GED is also required for it. You can also take National Certified Patient Care Technician (NCPCT) exam. After training, you can get job at hospitals, clinics and other healthcare centers. In the recent years, the demand of PCTs has increased rapidly.

Phlebotomy Trainees – A Big Job in the Hand

There are so many responsibilities on medical facilitators. There is no denial that any mistake by them can result in a blunder. However, there are no such cases, where there is a report on any such incidents. It is because so many efforts, which go in the training and the practical training also helps in making a perfect medical facilitator.

The institutes make sure that the students are able to make a difference, once they are out of the premises of the institute. So, effort from both the sides, from institutes as well as from students is required to make things work in a positive manner. Take the case of a phlebotomy trainer, the trainer needs to have practical knowledge about the same.

The phlebotomy training is one in which the trainer need to draw blood from patients or donors, who voluntarily donate blood to hospitals. The trainer needs to be extra sensitive; a single mistake can turn the game upside down. Therefore, an institute has to induct training and give as much as knowledge, which is required. However, the institutes need to permit the trainers to perform mandatory hours under the supervision of medical facility.

The responsibilities of a phlebotomy trainer are as follows –

• To comfort the patients, make them feel comfortable. Make the patients aware of the procedures.
• In a medical facility, it is required to draw blood from a patient, which is a high priority work, need meticulous and pins need to be put in the body in such a way that there is minimal pain to the patients.
• The verification and identification of a patient need to be maintained by a phlebotomy technician, it helps in checking the record of the patients, if the patient had any ailment, which can affect in the future as well. These analyses help in the long run.
• In case of a surgery or an emergency, the technician needs to make sure that all the things are in place. The needles, blood collection devices, gauze and cotton are some of the surgical facilities that need to be collected by a technician. There is no scope of any mistake by any sort; as phlebotomy certification is given to a trainer only when the trainee fulfils the mandatory working hours in phlebotomy.

The importance of Pharmacy Technician in Health Care Facilities

The job responsibility of a pharmacy technician has become huge. One decision made by them directly affects a patient. The pharmacy technician prescribes medication, making efforts to count number of tablets, labeling bottles and preparation of a dosage.

A pharmacy technician is not a pharmacist but provides assistance to a pharmacist. Apart from this, pharmacy technician also takes care of office job as well. The office job includes making use of computers, managing inventory and other clerical works. There is no requirement of a permit or license for pharmacy technician.

The pharmacy technician is able to perform activities broadly in two divisions –

Pharmacy technician working in a hospital

1. The assembly work of medication to the patients is under the supervision of the technicians.
2. Maintaining nursing stations, so that operations are handle smoothly.
3. The delivery of the medications to the patient rooms, technicians are the ones who are aware about the dosage, type of medicine to be given to a patient.
4. The responsibility of inventory is on the technicians.
5. There are patients, who are liable to claim insurance. A technician does the verification, authentication and distribution of insurance claim. 

Pharmacy technician working in a Retail store

1. The pharmacy technician is liable to work under a licensed pharmacist.
2. The availability of medicine over counter for desired customer.
3. The labeling of the prescriptions.
4. The clerical work like dealing with cash in hand and inventory.
5. The most important one is that pouring medication into the dispensing container.

Now, the question arises, which kind of institutes help in becoming a Pharmacy Technician.

The answer lies below –

The institute offering a course is enough to make an aspirant, a pharmacy technician. The Pharmacy technician schools should have a license and an accreditation to impart knowledge to a student. However, a college or a university, who have all the necessary accreditation, can impart knowledge for the course of pharmacy technician.

These institutes possess state of the art infrastructure, laboratories are equipped with all the necessary medical equipments. Moreover, students are able to have hands-on experience on live projects as well. The institutes help in releasing the dreams of aspirants and fee of the course is low so that more and more aspirants are able to serve our great nation.