Coders work a variety of hours - Redpen

You asked:  This may be a dumb question - Do coders work various shifts or usually just during the day? Do they work weekends? Is there ever a need for a chart to be coded "stat" like there is with MT? Do any coders work part time?

Coders work in a variety of situations.  I think most work the "usual" business shift during the day, but there are others who work different shifts.  I knew one facility where the coders worked evenings in order to access patient records without getting tangled up in the activity on the floors during the day.   At other places, there might be space limitations in the coding office, so coders might choose to work different shifts.  Some work weekends.  An increasing number of coders work from home.  Some of them work nontraditional hours. 

Depending on the facility, there may be a need to code a chart stat.  For instance, they may have a policy that the record be coded before the patient can be transferred out.  That would be unusual, though.

Records, whether in an office or at a hospital, are coded as soon as possible because they cannot be billed without it.   For that reason, coding isn't something done whenever they get around to it--it is a priority item.  Since revenue depends on it, accuracy is also emphasized.

Yes, coders work part-time. 

There are a lot of different jobs in the coding field.  They can range from an entry-level clinic position paying $24K and requiring scrubs; to a $30K hospital position coding inpatient records wearing business casual; to a $70K position in interventional radiology with a nice office and the expectation that you wear a high-end suit.  There are consultant and auditing positions that pay $2K a week and require you to travel.   There are also contract positions which pay on production and can return $100K+ salaries for working in your home office.  For privacy and security concerns, these usually require a separate office and may actually require you to sign a contract agreeing to wear a suit or suit-equivalent while working.  They do not want to hear pet and other household noises over the telephone, and video conferencing will require furnishing the office in upscale office furniture. 

The important thing to note is that coding is not a jammie-job.  It's a technically complex job closely intertwined with a facility's revenue stream, so it comes with expectations more akin those you would expect of an accountant than a clerical worker.  Some coders do work shifts, but for the most part, I think those jobs are mostly on the lower end of the salary scale.  The higher-end jobs are primarily those conducted during regular business hours.

Thanks for reply - MT Looking to Coding

Coding at home - Locust55

Coding at home - Anonymous

Coding electronic health records - Locust55

Coding at home - Redpen