Is Medical Coding a Stressful Job
By: Joann Owens
August 2023
Medical coding can be a rewarding career, but it can also be stressful.
A medical coder's job is to translate the patient's records into standardized information that can be used for data management and billing. Although it doesn't call for patient interaction, a medical coder's job can be stressful because of the following:
Hitting Quotas
Medical coding is a productivity-based position
Medical coders are expected to code a certain number of charts or current procedural terminology (CPT) in a day. If you're not used to a productivity-based job, this can cause a lot of stress. However, many experienced coders can attest that one can get better over time.
Interacting with Providers
The medical coder's job relies heavily on the patient's chart. If there is missing information, a medical coder can't do her job accurately. Hence, from time to time, a medical coder has to send queries to the provider.
If you're not used to communicating with providers, this can be a source of potential stress.
To mitigate this source of stress, experienced medical coders advise new ones to learn how to be an effective communicator. They also added not to take things personally when providers respond with frustration. It's not about you; the frustration can be due to their workload and on the process.
Meeting Hard Deadlines
The last few days of the month can be stressful for healthcare organizations and insurance companies. It's when they close the books and assess where they are standing financially.
As part of the organization, medical coders share the same amount of stress. Before the month ends, coders have to complete certain charts and code whatever needs to be coded.
To reduce the stress, medical coders are encouraged to stay productive
Is there missing information on certain charts? Then reach out to providers to fill it out. Do not wait for the last week of the month to take care of missing information as many providers could be to busy to send over the information before the end of the month.
Work Setting Challenges
Just like with other jobs, the work setting can have an impact on a medical coder's stress level
Medical coders can work in a variety of settings - clinics, hospitals, insurance agencies, and educational institutions.
There are also options to work on-site or from home. Many remote (work from home) medical coders are reported to have less stress compared to those who work on-site. But then again, this depends on the organization itself.
If you find that yourself stressed in your current work setting, you many find a career as a medical coder to be less stressful.
To sum it up, the stress of a medical coder's job depends on several factors. The most common sources of stress are quotas, provider interaction, end of the month deadlines, and workplace challenges. However, just like any other stressful situation, medical coders can mitigate their stress by learning how to communicate more effectively, taking time for self-care and mindfulness, and remembering that things can get better over time.
