Home Based Medical Office Clerk Jobs
Just as many office jobs are being outsourced to home-based workers, there is as big a demand for medical office jobs by entrepreneurs providing those services. Most home-based clerical jobs fall under a contractor status, though medical practices may hire clerks directly and set them up in a home office to save office expenses. Medical office clerks perform several types of duties.
Transcribe the Doctor’s Notes
The work of a medical transcriptionist easily can be performed from a remote location. Your home office may even provide a quieter environment than a busy medical office. While most medical transcriptionists work in hospitals, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that many are self-employed. You may contract with a number of different offices to transcribe spoken notes into clear and understandable reports. While transcriptionists in the past had to physically pick up recorded notes, they now can receive audio files electronically and submit reports in kind. You need a thorough knowledge of medical terminology. Most transcriptionists undergo a certification training process or take courses through a community college or vocational school.
Keep Track of the Books
Virtual assistants are becoming ubiquitous in offices around the world. For a medical office, you can provide bookkeeping services remotely to track invoices and payments, create spreadsheets and monitor spending. As a virtual bookkeeper, you can do everything from answering emails to forwarding medical reports per requests. You can maintain human resources files and create payroll programs for the head nurse or doctor to sign each week. Bookkeepers may handle all the office’s financial responsibilities with remote access. An associate degree in accounting or bookkeeping prepares you for the bulk of the responsibilities you’ll encounter.
Code Those Documents
Earn a certificate from a vocational school or an associate degree in health information technology to start a business coding medical documents for doctors’ offices. Correct coding is vital for a practice’s success, and professional coders are in big demand, according to the jobsite FlexJobs. Charts and medical records are sent to you electronically, and you are responsible for assigning the proper codes to each procedure so doctors receive correct reimbursement from insurance companies.
Make and Track Schedules
You may need to take a few courses in medical terminology, but as a scheduler for a medical office, you really just need basic computer skills and the ability to answer calls through a separate phone line in your house. Your task is to receive calls from patients and direct them to the office with questions or make appointments as requested. You also can tap into the office’s online scheduling program and add electronic requests for appointments to the schedule. Like many medical office clerical jobs, you can contract with a number of clients or work part-time for single office.
- ABC News: 10 Best (and Real) Work-at-Home Jobs
- Flex Jobs: Medical Coding Telecommuting & Part-Time Jobs
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook: Medical Transcriptionists
- International Virtual Assistants Association: 101 Ways to Use a Virtual Assistant
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook: Medical Records and Health Information Technicians
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook: Secretaries and Administrative Assistants - How to Become One
- Entrepreneur: 10 Things to Outsource to a Virtual Assistant
- Jupiterimages/Stockbyte/Getty Images