Healthcare Work From Home: Is It Possible?

The past few years have seen a seismic shift in how and where we work. These days, many people expect to spend at least some time working from home. This setup is more accessible in some industries than others – but even sectors that seem exclusively committed to in-person work offer some remote opportunities. Nowhere is this more evident than in the rapidly evolving field of healthcare.

Can You Work from Home in Healthcare?

Suppose you’re passionate about the healthcare field but also intrigued by the possibility of remote work. In that case, you might wonder: is it possible to work from home as a successful healthcare professional?

The most straightforward answer to this question is an unequivocal yes – there is remote work available in the healthcare field. That being said, work-from-home job opportunities are far more plentiful in some niches than in others.

This setup is more common for administrative, clerical, consulting, and sales roles. It is also possible for employees in select clinical positions to work remotely, at least part of the time.

If you’re intent on working from home, you’ll want to seek relevant training. And if you choose the correct career niche, you’ll find it much easier to score a remote position.

Types of Work-from-Home Medical Jobs

As we’ve mentioned, remote work in the healthcare field has traditionally been more abundant for administrative roles. That is changing, however; these days, there are opportunities for nearly any type of healthcare professional to work from home. These opportunities may be limited, but they’re certainly available if you know where to look. The following are a few of the most compelling work-from-home careers worth pursuing:

1. Medical Transcriptionist

As with any transcription job, this vital position centers around transforming audio files into written documents. With medical transcriptionists, however, medical records are produced during physical exams and other healthcare appointments that need to be converted to text. These days, most transcriptionists work extensively with speech recognition software.

As one of the most common and popular work-from-home options in healthcare, medical transcribing is uniquely suited to a remote setup. Transcriptionists need not be present for medical appointments; the audio files they work with can easily be acquired digitally. Likewise, any translations or reports they produce can be sent from remote locations to physicians or other healthcare providers.

2. Healthcare Recruiter

Healthcare HR departments rely on skilled recruiters to find and vet the field’s best and brightest professionals. This can easily be completed remotely, especially given the increased prominence of digital solutions in hiring and even onboarding. Remote recruiters may work directly for providers or facilities, although dedicated staffing firms employ many professionals.

In either capacity, healthcare recruiters must develop a strong rapport with job candidates while providing insights into the advantages of working for top organizations. To build enthusiasm, they may use testimonials or rich media to provide insights into company culture, which can be a strong driver of interest in an evolving job market. Increasingly, recruiters rely on AI solutions to help them match candidates with niche skills to relevant job openings.

3. Human Resources Manager

Many HR jobs have transitioned to fully digital in the past few years – and the healthcare sector hasn’t bypassed this trend. The HR manager role goes beyond healthcare recruitment to include several other essential tasks, such as payroll processing, benefits management, and personnel record keeping. The potential for remote work may depend on the HR professional’s area of expertise. Some exclusively remote opportunities are available, but many healthcare HR jobs now involve hybrid setups.

4. Telehealth Nurse or Nursing Assistant

In many situations, effective nursing calls for in-person patient care. However, there are plenty of times patients may prefer to handle interactions with nurses over the phone or via video chat. This is where telehealth nursing comes into play.

While telehealth nurses can provide various digital services, they are primarily relied on for counseling patients over the phone. This often centers around basic consultations and triage services concerning acute or chronic conditions. Telehealth nurses also frequently oversee remote monitoring, so patients do not need to travel in order to have their vitals checked. These nurses may work closely with telehealth nursing assistants or aides who help with monitoring vitals or may be responsible for scheduling and managing appointments.

5. Administrative Assistant

Maintaining complex caseloads in today’s fast-paced healthcare environment requires a lot of effort. Administrative assistants support an optimal workflow by managing files, processing documents, and generating reports. They may interact extensively with both patients and providers over the phone, so they must possess exceptional customer service skills. While many administrative assistants provide the first point of contact during in-person medical appointments, several aspects of this role can be fulfilled on a remote basis.

6. Care Navigator

Today’s healthcare organizations increasingly recognize the value of patient empowerment. They promote this with help from care navigators, who work closely with patients to find solutions to their most pressing healthcare concerns. Effective case management is essential, as care navigators are charged with maintaining open lines of communication between patients and providers.

Empathy and problem-solving skills also come into play since many care navigators provide in-the-moment, over-the-phone (or sometimes, text-based) support to patients in crises. Their troubleshooting services help patients overcome significant roadblocks and, ultimately, receive the high-quality care they deserve. Relevant training can be obtained by enrolling in a health services administration program.

7. Change Management Consultant

Change management is an important niche in the medical field. It involves the practical implementation of innovative solutions, accounting for typical barriers to success. While many change management professionals work on-site, working remotely as a consultant is possible. In this role, change management professionals shed light on the chief issues impeding innovation. Much of their value lies in their outside perspective, which allows them to spot concerns that might not be immediately evident to in-house professionals.

8. Medical Billing Specialist

Serving as liaisons between insurance companies and healthcare providers, medical billing specialists submit claims and, when necessary, follow up to ensure payments are collected and reported. Their ultimate goal is to verify that medical practices are appropriately paid for the services rendered. When effective in their work, these specialists can drive significant improvements in revenue.

Like other administrative procedures, billing is primarily handled online or over the phone. Consequently, completing daily tasks at home is more than possible. Remote work opportunities are most frequently provided by large-scale health systems, although hospitals and large group practices may also allow medical billers to work from home.

9. Medical Coding Specialist

Medical coders use official classification systems to translate reports from healthcare providers into uniform codes. These codes are then used to produce clinical information and billable documentation. Both diagnoses and procedures are thoroughly documented to ensure accuracy and compliance.

As with medical billing, medical coding is ideal for working remotely. This administrative role requires little face-to-face interaction. A subset of medical coders has been working from home for years. Again, this is more common with large healthcare systems. Some remote workers are employed by dedicated billing and coding companies – while others work part time or as freelancers.

10. Medical Sales Professional

Sales is an important but often overlooked area of the healthcare industry, but it usually attracts many ambitious professionals. Sales roles involve marketing everything from medical equipment to pharmaceuticals. Representatives act as liaisons, speaking on behalf of manufacturers while meeting with healthcare professionals. In addition to helping attract new clients, they may meet with current clients to inform them about new offerings.

While many sales representatives and managers travel to meet directly with clients, it’s possible to thrive in this role when working from home. Under this approach, interactions take place over the phone or during video appointments. This allows sales representatives to easily get in touch with leads and clients nationwide while avoiding the cost and hassle of traveling hundreds (or even thousands) of miles.

11. Healthcare Legal Assistant

Spanning the divide between two opportunity-filled industries, healthcare legal assistants support lawyers who work with (or on behalf of) healthcare organizations. While they’re mostly charged with maintaining meticulous records, these professionals may also handle scheduling and draft court documents. Both remote and hybrid options are available. Employers may prefer a demonstrated background in healthcare, although exclusive experience as a paralegal may be sufficient.

12. Healthcare Research Assistant

This job is similar in some respects to the legal assistant position described above, but with one core distinction: research assistants gather and analyze data rather than focus on administrative tasks. Their research primarily involves medical pricing, so a basic understanding of healthcare concepts and procedures is essential. For this reason, preferred candidates will have some education or experience in nursing, such as an associate degree or a few years of work as an RN.

Start Your Healthcare Journey with Bryant & Stratton College

Whether you aspire to work from home or are seeking an in-person position, you’ll gain much-needed clinical and administrative skills when you enroll in one of the healthcare programs at Bryant & Stratton College. Request information today to learn more about our most compelling opportunities – and to discover how these could lead to your dream career.

*While there are opportunities for remote work, it may not always be possible to find work-from-home job opportunities in the healthcare field. This is due to the nature of the work in healthcare, which often requires in-person interactions with patients, specialized equipment, and the need for a secure and confidential environment.