Published: 27th January 2022.
Written by Jodie Magrath
A Diploma of Clinical Coding is a great way to specialise your skills in the medical administration field. Whether you work in a large hospital, a general practitioner’s office or a specialist healthcare facility, this course will give you the skills to assign health care codes to medical paperwork. This qualification allows you to examine clinical records and translate this information into clinical codes for data collection. If you have strong analytical skills and a solid understanding of medical procedures, this could be a good pathway for you.
The Diploma of Clinical Coding addresses a range of topics to prepare you for work in this developing industry. You’ll learn the skills to process complex patient records and improve your understanding of the healthcare system. This course will give you an advanced knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology. You’ll also explore industry-specific subjects such as participating in coding audits, interpreting relevant protocols and standards and workplace health and safety.
A Diploma of Clinical Coding is an ideal course of study for the following careers:
Clinical Coder
A Clinical Coder uses patient records to create codes used for research and data collection. You’ll look at clinical documents and examine the treatments that have occurred at a healthcare facility. If relevant criteria are met, you’ll translate this information into clinical codes. This information is generally used to create statistics on healthcare procedures.
Senior Clinical Coder
A Senior Clinical Coder supervises a team of staff as they use clinical records to create statistical codes. You might lead a large or small team in a hospital or other healthcare setting. Senior Clinical Coders ensure patient records are analysed accurately to determine information such as the procedures that have taken place. This information is changed into coding classifications for research or data collection.
Practice Manager
A Practice Manager oversees the everyday management of a medical, dental or healthcare facility. You might supervise staff and take care of administrative systems. Practice Managers deal with any issues that arise and ensure the facility is complying with all relevant regulations. You might liaise with patients and other medical service providers when required.
Higher education pathways
A Diploma of Clinical Coding will give you the opportunity to work in specialist roles within the medical administration industry. You might also decide to extend your skills with a Certificate IV in Medical Practice Assisting or a Diploma of Practice Management. If you want to take your studies further, you could enrol in a university degree such as a Bachelor of Health Information Management or a Bachelor of Applied Business (Management). A university degree can further your career opportunities and may allow you to take on a position with more responsibility. You may be able to use a Diploma of Clinical Coding as a pathway to these courses.
Getting started
If you’re considering enrolling in a Diploma of Clinical Coding, make sure you gather some important information before deciding on a course provider. Providers often vary in the way they deliver their courses, so you’ll need to contact a range of providers to find out about the duration of the course, costs, any prerequisites and the content the course will cover. Once you have all the information, you can compare details and find the course that is right for your individual circumstances.