An abstractor’s job is to condense large amounts of complex information into a summary that can be read quickly and understood. As a result, abstractor jobs are most common in fields such as health care and law, which produce large volumes of jargon-heavy records. In most cases, it is advantageous to work as an abstractor in a field with which one is familiar. Abstractors in any industry require certain skills, such as strong writing ability and attention to detail.
Working with electronic medical records (EMR) to eliminate duplicate records, provide easy access to the most important aspects of a patient’s medical history, and prepare summaries for insurance carriers and other outside organizations are common tasks for abstractors in the medical field. Abstractors are also frequently hired to help organize data from clinical trials. An abstractor is frequently used to prepare case studies and other papers for publication in medical journals.
An associate’s degree in a medically related field, such as nursing or pharmacology, is usually required for a job as a medical abstractor. This is largely due to the complexities of terminology that must be summarized. Clinical experience is frequently required of potential employees.
While most abstractor jobs in the health care industry require them to work with information provided to them, abstractor jobs in the legal field frequently require independent research. For example, title abstractors frequently double as title researchers. These individuals are frequently found in local courthouses examining all public records pertaining to a specific property. After the investigation is finished, the abstractor compiles his or her findings into a brief that all parties involved in a property sale can understand.
Individuals applying for legal abstractor jobs, like medical abstractors, should be familiar with the law. These positions are typically filled by paralegal and law students, but those with English degrees may also be considered. As independent contractors, title abstractors frequently work from home.
Applicants for abstractor positions should be well-organized and knowledgeable about the terminology used in the field in which they will work. It’s crucial to have a clear and concise writing style, as well as the ability to work independently. Because these jobs typically entail extracting the most important information from a mountain of paperwork, the ability to quickly scan a record for relevant information is essential.