5 Skills You Need to Be a Good Medical Coder

The great thing about medical coding is that it’s a feasible career option for anybody. But there are certain skills required to truly thrive in this profession. The good news is that many of these skills can be learned—though some people have these skills naturally.

Here are five skills you need to be a good medical coder:

1. Research

Health organizations depend on medical coders to provide accurate coding to ensure they are reimbursed properly. Since codes are so important, researching the right ones is crucial. To be a great medical coder, you need to be thorough and quick with your research. Do you know the right codes for headache symptoms? What about arthritis? Sickle cell anemia? You never know what you might run into each day and you need to be prepared to do the research for it.

2. Organization

Medical coders also need to be highly organized. You don’t want to put the wrong codes for a patient, or confuse one patient’s codes with another’s. Staying highly organized in your workspace and having the right reference materials will go a long way toward ensuring that your codes are accurate and consistent.

3. Memorization

The best way to ensure accurate and consistent coding? Memorize them. Well, memorize the most common codes, at least. (There are far too many, and they change too often, to memorize them all.) One great way to improve your medical coding memorization skills that is to invest in some medical coding flashcards (or flipbooks!).

4. Diligence

Companies that hire medical coders love employees who are diligent, reliable and always looking to do their best work. Since many medical coding positions are remote these days, diligence is a crucial skill if you want to experience success as a medical coder.

5. Passion

Finally, you need a passion for this industry and helping people. Medical coders have lots of people depending on them, from doctors and nurses to patients and insurance companies. Also, many medical coders come from tough backgrounds. By having a grateful attitude and a passion for your work, you’ll go far.

Looking to improve your medical coding skills? Why not take one of our medical coding courses? You’ll gain the knowledge and skills you need to succeed on the job in no time.