News: HIM survey respondents say they feel undervalued

A recent salary survey conducted by Medical Records Briefing found the same trends prevail year after year: the 145 HIM professionals who responded feel they are overworked and underpaid.

The 2015 HIM director and manager salary survey found:

• 58% of respondents work 42-50 hours a week
• 81% of respondents do not receive overtime pay
• 54% of respondents do not think they are fairly compensated for their work

On the bright side, 72% of respondents received a raise within the last year, but many HIM professionals say they are taking on additional responsibilities. The majority, 76%, of HIM managers and directors are responsible for release of information (ROI), and 73% says they are responsible for record and document processing, including retrieval, reconciliation, deficiency analysis, and record completion. Other responsibilities include coding (72%), CDI (45%), and Recovery Audit defense efforts (30%).

This sounds like a familiar tune for CDI professionals who, like their HIM counterparts, do not feel they are fairly compensated for the work they do. The 2014 CDI Salary Survey found that 59.5% of respondents say CDI specialists are not fairly compensated, and that their education level, credentials, and increased duties should be reflected in their salaries. Read the full survey results here.

Moreover, HIM directors and managers say they feel undervalued. When asked about the level of satisfaction with their roles, compensation, and benefits, respondents had a lot to say.  

• "Underpaid and not compensated at all. There is no respect for the HIM professional; once again, we are labeled 'paper pushers.' "
• "The responsibilities I have are greater than a normal manager, and more comparable to a director level with the smaller facilities in our system. However, based upon my title, I am in a range for manager, and not based upon my skill set and responsibilities."
• "I don't feel like raises even keep up with the cost of living."
• "[HIM is] one of the lowest paid areas of the hospital. Directors in patient care and patient accounting make more. Registration and HIM are usually paid the least. This should be changed!"

Editor’s Note: This article is based on a story originally published in Medical Records Briefing.