Can I learn medical coding in 3 months?

Learning is a basic necessity, especially when it comes to coding in the healthcare industry, because medical coding is full of challenges and requires learning and skills to overcome those challenges. This learning and education help medical coders run the medical coding process smoothly and boost medical practice revenue through their expertise and competence. Moreover, medical organizations also prefer such individuals for medical coding who learn medical coding and have the skills to deal with all the hurdles proficiently. Also, learning medical coding increases the chances of more jobs and salaries for medical coders. Medical facilities are willing to hire and offer more salaries to those who have learned to code and earn credentials.

This is the time to delve into the detail of how long it will take to learn to code, some factors that might affect the learning process, and whether it is possible to learn medical coding in three months.

How long does it take to learn how to be a medical coder?

Learning to code has become one of the most critical factors required for individuals who want to be medical coders. Many people are interested in pursuing medical coding career, but they may wonder how long it takes to learn it. So, let’s get the answer.

What is medical coding? - Formal definition

Medical coding is a process of assigning numeric or alphanumeric codes to different medical procedures, diagnoses, and treatments. The codes used in medical coding help healthcare providers to identify and track different medical conditions, procedures, and treatments for various purposes such as billing, record-keeping, and research.

Medical coding course eligibility

Medical coding course qualifications and eligibility are listed below:

• A degree (Bachelor’s or Master’s) or diploma in a relevant field
• There is no age limit.
• Some essential skills are necessary, such as computer, listening, communication, organization, etc.

How long does it take to learn to code?

Most coders believe that learning the fundamentals of coding takes three to six months. The timing it requires to learn coding depends on several factors. The time frame needed to learn to code depends on which type of coding position you prefer and your chosen learning approach. While some approaches are rapid, others can require several years. To answer the question, how long does it take to learn medical coding? There are three classes depending on duration and levels of coding skills.

Basic Proficiency: 3-6 months This level of proficiency would allow one to build simple applications and solve fundamental coding problems.

Intermediate Proficiency: 6-12 months At this level, one could build more complex applications and solve more difficult coding problems.

Advanced Proficiency: 1-2 years or more At this level, one would have a deep understanding of programming concepts and be able to build complex applications from scratch.

Factors that affect learning to code

Can I learn medical coding at home?

Many people wonder if they can teach themselves coding without going through a traditional academic program. The answer is yes, you can teach yourself coding. With the vast online resources, anyone can start learning to code without a formal education. While self-learning has advantages, it also requires a certain level of dedication and discipline. Learning to code can be challenging, and it is easy to get discouraged when you face difficult problems. However, you can become proficient in coding with consistent practice and patience.

For self-study purposes;

1. Familiarize yourself with the basics of coding, such as ICD codes, CPT codes, and HCPCS level II.
2. Go and identify the resources you need. For different resources;

• You can find online courses.
• You can learn from video tutorials.
• Online forums that offer support and guidance in learning different programming languages also help you.
• There are many websites available.
• Thousands of coding books are there to assist you.
• Attend seminars and communities to gather information.

3. Practice coding exercises to develop your coding skills and build your confidence.
4. Get certified because it helps you to demonstrate your expertise and increases employment opportunities.

Medical coding certification programs available online

Some main certifications include:

• Certified coding specialist (CCS)
• Certified coding associate (CCA)
• Certified professional coder (CPC)
• Certified professional coder-Apprentice (CPC-A)
• Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC)
• Certified Outpatient Coder (COC)
• Certified professional compliance officer (CPCO)

The pitfalls of teaching yourself to code

Some potential drawbacks of learning medical coding on your own include the following;

1. Lack of structured learning is the major drawback because it can be challenging to stay focused and organized without a course syllabus or class schedule.
2. Another pitfall is the limited access to resources; hence it becomes challenging to keep up with the latest changes without access to the latest resources and updates.
3. Without a teacher or mentor, there is a lack of feedback and support; hence the individual does not know if he is learning to code correctly.
4. As medical coding comprises complex concepts, sometimes it becomes difficult to understand those concepts.
5. Sometimes, it becomes confusing and frustrating because you do not know whether the available source provides the correct information

Is learning medical coding as hard as it seems?

After schooling and earning a degree in the required field, you may want to learn medical coding through certifications. But, you wonder if it is easy to learn or not. So, it depends on the type of certification you are learning for. Learning medical coding is not as hard as it seems if you can dedicate time, effort, and energy to learning a particular group of codes. These particular classes of code include:

• CPT coding
• ICD-10-CM
• HCPCS-II

Learning becomes relatively easy as you are not supposed to memorize all the codes but particular groups of codes, as mentioned above. Moreover, if you strongly understand some parts mentioned below, learning medical coding and earning credentials becomes easier. Those parts include:

• Anatomy
• Physiology
• Medical terminologies
• Radiology
• CNS and CVS
• Pathology
• Medicine
• Musculoskeletal system
• Anesthesia and some other sections.