A registration specialist’s specific job responsibilities vary depending on the industry in which they work. In most cases, the registration specialist will work with customers or clients to gather pertinent information and enter it into a computer system that tracks client data. Many of these specialists work in the health-care industry, where they will assist patients at the front desk or registration desk of a clinic, hospital, or other medical facility and provide them with the necessary paperwork to complete. The specialist will then organize the data in files, both on computers and on paper.
Other responsibilities of the registration specialist in the health-care industry include assigning patients to specific rooms or beds, managing employee shifts, and coordinating equipment throughout the facility. The registration specialist’s other responsibilities may include filing admittance and discharge paperwork when a patient is ready to leave a facility. The specialist must have a thorough understanding of local laws and regulations pertaining to the paperwork he or she is responsible for; privacy concerns are common, particularly in the health-care industry, and if the paperwork is mismanaged, laws may be broken.
In other industries, the registration specialist’s responsibilities may differ. A vehicle registration specialist, for example, will be solely responsible for managing vehicle ownership records, driver’s licenses, permits, and other special documents or endorsements. A basic understanding of computer operations is required, as is on-the-job training so that the specialist can learn any specific software used in a given setting. While there is no set educational requirement to work as a registration specialist in many cases, almost all employers prefer candidates who have completed high school and have some post-secondary training.
Candidates can often obtain the necessary training through certificate or associate’s degree programs. Depending on the complexity of the job, a candidate may be required to undergo job training for several months or even years after being hired. Some post-secondary education may be required, particularly if the specialist works in the health-care industry, but the requirements will vary depending on the position and local laws or regulations. A health care employer, for example, may require medical terminology training to ensure that the specialist has a solid understanding of the process of denoting various medical processes and functions.