Definition of Clinical Medical Coding

Those interested in a career in the medical field, or those who simply want to understand their medical bills better, may be interested in a definition of clinical medical coding. Clinical medical coding is the term used for a specific job where the person in question is translating medical notes into code for the purposes of insurance and billing. 

The best way to understand the definition of clinical medical coding is to look at the process of what clinical medical coding entails:

• When a patient undergoes any type of medical procedure, the doctor or nurse performing the procedure will take notes using specific references and required terminology. These notes, often written in medical shorthand, are taken and used in order to document the patient's condition, treatment, and other details.
• The information regarding the patient's situation and any treatment received needs to be given to the billing department so that it can be, in turn, given to the insurance company who will pay for the services. However, the medical coder first goes over the notes and translates them, from the doctor's terminology into a specific medical code designed just for use by the billing department.
• There is a general universal code that is usually used for this purpose, although it may vary depending on the medical field, institution, etc. The code is a way of simplifying the information and paring it down into categories that are easy to separate for billing purposes, so that the insurance company and/or the customer can be properly charged and the charges can be properly documented.

Medical coding is a useful career skill, and often a two-year degree in coding can be an excellent entry into the job field.