A recent salary survey conducted by our sister publication Medical Records Briefing found the same trends prevail year after year: the 145 HIM professionals who responded feel they are overworked and underpaid.
The 2015 HIM director and manager salary survey found:
- 58% of respondents work 42-50 hours a week
- 81% of respondents do not receive overtime pay
- 54% of respondents do not think they are fairly compensated for their work
On the bright side, 72% of respondents received a raise within the last year, but many HIM professionals say they are taking on additional responsibilities. Three-quarters of HIM managers and directors handle release of information (ROI), and 73% are responsible for record and document processing, including retrieval, reconciliation, deficiency analysis, and record completion. Other responsibilities include:
- Coding (72%)
- Clinical documentation improvement (45%)
- Recovery Audit defense efforts (30%)
HIM directors and managers also say they feel undervalued.
Things are a little different for coders. In the 2014 JustCoding salary survey, coders reporting feeling more fairly compensated than in previous years despite their growing responsibilities.
The complete 2014 JustCoding Salary Survey is available to platinum members in our Special Reports and News section. Keep your eyes open for JustCoding’s 2015 Salary Survey. The survey will be sent out soon and we hope you’ll participate!