Clinical coder

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health informatics diagnosis clinical medicine

A Clinical coder also known as Diagnostic coder is an integral part of modern medical informatics. A coder analyzes and translate the medical terminology from clinical statements to a medical information database. These informations are generally used for statistical studies of morbidities, co-morbidities and mortalities and clinical use in participating countries of W.H.O.

The coder's role is therefore, to extract most relevant information from clinical note and to assign appropriate codes which represent a complete picture of the patient's hospital stay.

The coding process is the translation of written medical terminology in to codes.Each code is a set of characters that classify given entity. Accurate assignment of codes dependent upon an understanding of the medical terminology adherence to the principles for the use of ICD-10 and OPCS-4.

The development of coding skill is only possible through both training and experience.