Top 12 Medical Records Clerk Skills to Put on Your Resume
In a fast-shifting healthcare world, a Medical Records Clerk anchors the flow of patient information—accurate, discreet, and ready when needed. Showcasing strong skills on your resume signals you can organize, maintain, and safeguard sensitive data without missing a beat.
Medical Records Clerk Skills
- HIPAA Compliance
- EHR (Electronic Health Records)
- ICD-10 Coding
- CPT Coding
- Medisoft
- Epic Systems
- Medical Terminology
- Data Entry
- Document Scanning
- Microsoft Office
- Patient Scheduling
- Records Management
1. HIPAA Compliance
HIPAA compliance means rigorously protecting Protected Health Information (PHI). For a Medical Records Clerk, that’s careful handling, storage, and sharing of records using approved procedures, with privacy and security locked in at every step.
Why It's Important
It shields patient privacy, reduces risk of breaches, upholds trust, and prevents costly penalties. Without it, everything else wobbles.
How to Improve HIPAA Compliance Skills
Keep learning: Refresh training regularly on Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules. Policies change; your habits should track with them.
Secure PHI everywhere: Lock screens, use encryption, store paper in restricted areas, and follow strict clean-desk practice. Don’t leave traces.
Minimum necessary: Disclose only what’s needed for the task. Trim the excess data every time.
Stronger access controls: Unique credentials, multi-factor authentication, tight role-based access, and quick terminations for inactive accounts.
Audit and report fast: Monitor access logs, spot anomalies, and escalate incidents immediately per your organization’s procedure.
Vigilance isn’t a one-time project. It’s daily discipline.
How to Display HIPAA Compliance Skills on Your Resume
2. EHR (Electronic Health Records)
EHR platforms house clinical histories, meds, allergies, labs, imaging, and more. As a clerk, you keep this digital chart accurate, current, and reachable to authorized users—fast and secure.
Why It's Important
Clean data powers better care, fewer errors, smoother coordination, and efficient operations. It’s the backbone of the record room.
How to Improve EHR (Electronic Health Records) Skills
Streamline entry: Use templates, smart tools, defaults, and picklists to reduce retyping and slip-ups.
Train often: Short refreshers on workflows, new features, and shortcuts pay off in speed and accuracy.
Improve data quality: Add validation rules, required fields, and standard naming/indexing conventions.
Lock down access: Role-based permissions, MFA, automatic logoff, and routine privilege reviews.
Boost interoperability: Support clean exchange (e.g., FHIR/CCD summaries), so information moves without friction.
Collect feedback: Clinicians and staff know the snags—fix what slows them down.
How to Display EHR (Electronic Health Records) Skills on Your Resume
3. ICD-10 Coding
ICD-10 coding classifies diagnoses and inpatient procedures for reporting, analytics, and reimbursement. In the U.S., that’s ICD-10-CM for diagnoses and ICD-10-PCS for inpatient procedures.
Why It's Important
Accurate codes support proper billing, quality metrics, and reliable data. Precision here prevents denials and messy rework.
How to Improve ICD-10 Coding Skills
Master the guidelines: Learn the ICD-10-CM/PCS structure and the Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting.
Stay current: U.S. code sets update annually (typically October 1). Adjust workflows with each refresh.
Practice scenarios: Work through case studies to sharpen selection and sequencing.
Use encoders and tools: Speed lookup, catch excludes notes, and reduce miscoding.
Audit and peer review: Regular checks uncover patterns and habits to fix.
Query when unclear: Follow a compliant provider query process to clarify documentation.
How to Display ICD-10 Coding Skills on Your Resume
4. CPT Coding
CPT codes capture procedures and services for documentation and billing. Clean coding here drives clean claims.
Why It's Important
It standardizes how services are reported, supports compliance, and keeps revenue flowing without avoidable denials.
How to Improve CPT Coding Skills
Build foundations: Learn code sections, guidelines, and the logic behind code families.
Keep up with updates: CPT changes annually (usually January 1). Refresh templates and payer rules accordingly.
Practice with cases: Realistic scenarios harden your instincts on modifiers, bundling, and laterality.
Use reference materials: A current professional edition and crosswalks/NCCI edits reduce errors.
Self-audit: Spot trends, correct quickly, and document your fixes.
Modifiers matter: Apply them precisely; sloppy modifier use invites denials.
How to Display CPT Coding Skills on Your Resume
5. Medisoft
Medisoft is practice management and billing software used to track patient data, appointments, insurance claims, and reporting across clinics.
Why It's Important
It tightens scheduling, billing, and data accuracy—less manual scramble, more reliable records.
How to Improve Medisoft Skills
Get trained: Complete role-specific training and refreshers to uncover time-saving features.
Clean data routinely: Merge duplicates, fix demographics, and standardize insurance profiles.
Automate where possible: Recalls, charge entry rules, and claim scrubbing reduce repetitive work.
Customize views and reports: Tailor screens, filters, and reports to match your daily workflows.
Strengthen security: Role-based access, frequent backups, and reliable patching.
Integrate smartly: Connect with clearinghouses and EHRs for smoother data exchange.
Update consistently: New releases fix bugs and add features—don’t lag.
How to Display Medisoft Skills on Your Resume
6. Epic Systems
Epic is a comprehensive EHR platform used by hospitals and large practices. For clerks, it’s about swift, accurate navigation and airtight documentation.
Why It's Important
It centralizes patient information, boosts data integrity, and smooths coordination across teams and departments.
How to Improve Epic Systems Skills
Learn the map: Understand modules, chart structure, and the quickest paths to common tasks.
Personalize: Use SmartTools (SmartPhrases, SmartTexts, templates) and favorites to shave off clicks.
Targeted training: Short, role-based sessions on chart correction, scanning/indexing, and release workflows.
Follow updates: New releases bring changes—read the summaries and tweak your flows.
Use reports: Basic reporting can surface missing docs, unsigned notes, and indexing issues.
Lean on super-users: Share tips, log issues, and adopt proven shortcuts from peers.
How to Display Epic Systems Skills on Your Resume
7. Medical Terminology
The common language of healthcare—terms for anatomy, conditions, procedures, and treatments—keeps records precise and communication clear.
Why It's Important
Misinterpret a term and errors ripple. Get it right and the record speaks plainly to every clinician who reads it.
How to Improve Medical Terminology Skills
Take a focused course: Short, structured learning cements roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
Use spaced repetition: Flashcards, little and often, to lock in vocabulary.
Learn in context: Read real chart notes and practice decoding terms from usage.
Apps and quizzes: Quick drills turn idle minutes into learning boosts.
Keep a dictionary handy: Verify unfamiliar terms instead of guessing.
Break words apart: Decode complex terms by their components for faster recall.
How to Display Medical Terminology Skills on Your Resume
8. Data Entry
Data entry means getting information into the system quickly and correctly—then keeping it tidy as details change.
Why It's Important
Accurate data supports safe care, proper billing, and faster decisions. Sloppy inputs cost time and trust.
How to Improve Data Entry Skills
Standardize: Templates, picklists, and required fields crush variance and typos.
Validate: Add rules for dates, phone numbers, insurance IDs, and other high-risk fields.
Double-check critical items: Insurance plan, DOB, allergies—verify before saving.
Batch smarter: Use dual monitors, split view, and batch workflows to reduce context switching.
Shortcuts and macros: Keyboard fluency and quick-text snippets speed routine tasks.
Ergonomics and focus: Comfortable setup, minimal distractions, and timed breaks improve accuracy.
Protect privacy: Be mindful of who can see screens or printed material—always.
How to Display Data Entry Skills on Your Resume
9. Document Scanning
Scanning converts paper charts into searchable digital records—organized, backed up, and ready for the care team.
Why It's Important
It improves retrieval speed, strengthens confidentiality, supports disaster recovery, and keeps charts complete and legible.
How to Improve Document Scanning Skills
Right hardware: Reliable document scanners with sheet feeders and strong OCR performance.
Optimal settings: Typically 300 DPI for text, grayscale when appropriate, color for forms with colored notes.
Prep meticulously: Remove staples, fix tears, arrange order, and use separator sheets or barcodes.
Searchable outputs: Generate OCR’d, searchable PDF/A files with consistent naming conventions and indexing.
Quality checks: Spot-check batches for skew, cut-off margins, and misindexed pages.
Secure handling: Encrypt in transit, store in restricted folders, and follow retention and shredding policies.
Backups and redundancy: Routine backups aligned to your organization’s data retention plan.
How to Display Document Scanning Skills on Your Resume
10. Microsoft Office
Word, Excel, Outlook, and OneNote help create forms, track data, manage messages, and keep tasks organized—when used carefully within your organization’s privacy and security rules.
Why It's Important
These tools smooth everyday work, turning messy tasks into manageable workflows while keeping documentation sharp.
How to Improve Microsoft Office Skills
Templates everywhere: Standard forms and letters save time and reduce errors.
Keyboard shortcuts: Speed compounds—learn the ones you use daily.
OneNote for notes: Centralize process tips, checklists, and quick references (follow PHI policies).
Excel smartly: Data validation, filters, pivot tables, and cleaning functions tame large lists.
Mail merge: Generate consistent letters and labels fast.
Protect files: Passwords, restricted editing, and version control for sensitive documents.
Stay updated: New features and security patches keep things smooth and safer.
How to Display Microsoft Office Skills on Your Resume
11. Patient Scheduling
Scheduling aligns patient appointments with clinician time and resources—reducing idle gaps and long waits.
Why It's Important
It lifts patient satisfaction, improves throughput, and helps the clinical team run on time with the right info ready.
How to Improve Patient Scheduling Skills
Use integrated tools: EHR-connected scheduling reduces duplicate entry and errors.
Offer online self-scheduling: Allow patients to book, move, or cancel within defined rules.
Automated reminders: Text/email reminders with confirmations and two-way messaging cut no-shows.
Clear appointment types: Standard durations and visit types prevent overbooking chaos.
Pre-registration: Patients complete forms and insurance updates ahead of time.
Waitlist and backfill: Instantly fill cancellations to keep the day tight.
Analyze patterns: Adjust templates based on demand, seasonality, and provider rhythm.
Train and script: Consistent intake questions yield consistent schedules.
How to Display Patient Scheduling Skills on Your Resume
12. Records Management
Records Management is the disciplined lifecycle of patient information—creation, indexing, storage, access, retention, and secure disposition—under legal and ethical guardrails.
Why It's Important
It ensures accurate, accessible, and protected records that support care, compliance, audits, and reporting without leaks or gaps.
How to Improve Records Management Skills
Stay informed: Keep current on HIPAA, organizational policy, and relevant state retention rules.
Strong EHR governance: Defined policies for documentation standards, indexing, and corrections.
Retention schedule: Follow clear timelines for how long to keep and how to dispose of records.
Routine audits: Verify completeness, access appropriateness, and release-of-information processes.
Security controls: Role-based access, least privilege, MFA, and detailed audit logs.
Fast retrieval: Standard naming/indexing and robust search fields for quick finds.
Disaster readiness: Tested backups, recovery procedures, and downtime workflows.
How to Display Records Management Skills on Your Resume
