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Health Information Technology Program versus just CODING - question


Posted: May 19, 2010

Does a Health Information Technology Degree Program that also includes ICD-9 coding, etc., put you in a better career position than just learning Coding alone?

I don't know but if you want to be a coder be sure it has a huge amount of coding - I really do not know though

[ In Reply To ..]
If I were wanting to be a coder, I would want a program that was really heavy on coding. In fact, I would want it to be almost 100% coding. I really don't know the answer to your question though. Just taking a stab at it.

No - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
No, it does not put you in a better position.

It is not necessary to have a degree to code. It doesn't matter if you have a degree that included English, math, and American history, and whatever else the college thinks is nice to know.

What does put you in a better position is a coding certification other than a CCA.

HIT programs take twice as long and cost about twice as much. Coders also make more than regular HIT graduates, so doesn't it make sense to learn coding and learn it well, so you can get a job quickly?

Many coders never go back for a degree, finding it unnecessary. Others do it part time if the job market in their area supports it.

In a college setting, the courses for the coding program are the same as most of the courses in the RHIT program. They will both have equal attention to coding and coding-related subjects. the distraction of the other courses can sometimes dilute the coding training, dragging it out over 2 years, at the end of which the student has taken coding, but can't do much with it.




I know what you mean - small message

[ In Reply To ..]
I have a friend with an RHIT and she tells me she can't code at all.

A lot of them cannot code - or do not like it

[ In Reply To ..]
A lot of RHIAs and RHITs can't code. There is just something about the way it's taught in college that leaves people hating it or unable to do it. Not everyone in college is cut out to be a coder, either.


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