Position Overview
A patient registrar is an individual who handles admissions and patient registration procedures at hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities. The main work of people working at this position is to make sure that all patients are properly registered with the facility, and that their information is kept updated.
Requirements
Working as a patient registrar will require you to possess a high school diploma or a GED equivalent at the very least. Some exposure to frontline work in a medical facility will go a long way in helping you obtain this position. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are an absolute must if this is the career line that you want to pick up, as you will be in constant touch with people from different backgrounds. Also, it is imperative for people working as patient registrars to be knowledgeable about medical terms, processes and procedures, as they often come across them on any typical work day.
As a patient registrar, you will be constantly on the go, often doing multiple tasks at the same time. This is why it is important for you to be able to multitask efficiently. Since you will be communicating with external agencies such as insurance companies on a regular basis, it is important that you are pleasant and patient. A list of job duties specific to the role of a patient registrar is given below:
Patient Registrar Duties and Responsibilities
• Greet patients and their families as they arrive at the facility, and inquire into their purpose of visit.
• Provide patients and family members with information on offered services, and ways to avail them.
• Engage patients in conversation to derive information such as demographics, and ensure that they are properly keyed into predefined systems.
• Ascertain that all punched in information is accurate, and in accordance with the facility’s protocols and procedures.
• Obtain insurance coverage information, and ensure that it is properly verified by calling insurance company representatives.
• Provide patients with information on what their insurance covers, and calculate and communicate co-pays and out of pocket payments.
• Punch in patient information into predefined systems, ensuring that all information is correct and updated.
• Generate patient identification papers, along with tags or bracelets, depending on specific situations and instructions.
• Document information regarding additional information or directives, into each patient’s charts.
• Direct patients and their families to the right departments, or escort them.
• Obtain signatures of consent for treatment, and release of information to third party payers, and process patient status changes.