Coders work in various contexts, with workdays varying depending on facility size and physician type. The following sample depicts a typical day in the life of a medical coder.
After settling in and grabbing a cup of coffee, the medical coder often starts the day by reading the previous day’s batch of patient notes to be coded. The type of records varies on the therapeutic context (outpatient or facility) and may necessitate some level of specialization. (In larger facilities, workers may focus on medical specialties, but coders in smaller or more general offices may see a diverse range of patients and medical issues.) Then the coder chooses the top patient Place the note or billing sheet on the stack and begin reviewing the documents to gain an understanding of the patient’s diagnoses and procedures conducted during the appointment. Coders extract crucial information from documentation, such as physicians’ names and procedure dates…