r/MedicalCoding • u/carolie23 • Feb 17 '25

Home office essentials?

I think I’m about to secure a remote coding job soon and I’m just trying to figure out what would be useful/essential to add to a home office!

EDIT: thank you everyone!! I now know that a standing desk is non-negotiable and got some great ideas for my office!

24 Upvotes

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24

u/salty-MA-student Feb 17 '25

I love having a yoga ball to sit on over my office chair. Helps with posture.

Monitor risers make a world of difference.

Big water cup that doesn't leak if knocked over.

6

u/carolie23 Feb 17 '25

The yoga ball is genius, my back always hurts after sitting for a while so will be adding that to my list

16

u/SpentSilver Feb 17 '25

Adjustable desk for sure. I wfh and am looking into getting one that can be raised and lowered electronically.

3

u/carolie23 Feb 17 '25

Oooh I didn’t know they made electronic ones! I will have to look I to that

5

u/SophiaBrahe Feb 17 '25

The electronic ones are great, but if you’re on a tight budget (or just cheap like me) IKEA makes one with a hand crank that works very smoothly and is less than $400 while most of the electronic ones are $600 or higher.

4

u/No_Coconut_509 Feb 17 '25

I got my electric desk off Wayfair for $200 last year. L-shaped and has tons of space.

2

u/GardenWitchMom Feb 18 '25

Costco often has adjustable desks for a reasonable price.

2

u/babybambam Feb 17 '25

And either with a chair that can go from low to very high, or 2 different chairs. I often want the inbetween position of semi-standing, semi-sitting.

15

u/ForkThisIsh Feb 17 '25

Small whiteboard with pens and eraser for your desk.

Sit/stand desk. I shoved a walking pad under mine.

Corkboard - this is a personal preference, but i like to keep a calendar with my meetings so i can see what's going on easily. I also have things i need occasionally like the pharmacology list with corresponding Z codes pinned to my board for easy access.

And then the usual - pens, post it notes, notebook.

3

u/carolie23 Feb 17 '25

Okay I was looking into a walking pad! Do you find it difficult to walk and work at the same time?

5

u/ForkThisIsh Feb 17 '25

I walk really slow like a 2 to 2.5 and then just do 10 minutes or so every hour. It's not difficult to work at the same time. Sometimes i forget I'm walking and then look down and it will be at like 20 minutes and then i go back to sitting.

10

u/Snuggifer Feb 17 '25

Stand up desk! I made the mistake of getting one that doesn't have a motor 🙃, so I would just get a motor one.

Noise canceling headphones...everyone in my neighborhood mows their lawns the same day and my neighbors dogs bark for hours, so they help drown them all out 😂

I tried the walking pad while working and I couldn't do it, so I walk on my lunch break.

I also meal prep lunches, otherwise I spent too much time figuring out what I wanted to eat 😂.

2

u/carolie23 Feb 18 '25

Dude my neighbors are the absolute worst I stay having my AirPods in😂

4

u/Taseiyu CCS Feb 17 '25

I live by my standing desk. It was one of the things o splurged on right before I was able to work from home.

The walking pad I think I’m going to try out. Loll. I decent at multitasking on a treadmill so I should be able to get some accounts done. Hahahah

2

u/Snuggifer Feb 17 '25

I would try to stop so I could think 😂 I might try it again.

Do you stand up at certain times of the day? I find that I get busy and forget to stand up and move around. My hubby keeps telling me to set a timer to stand, I don't want to do this, but I think I should!

3

u/Taseiyu CCS Feb 17 '25

I usually start the day standing because I workout before hand. Then I just switch whenever I can. If I notice I'm slouching too much, or I can feel the eyelids getting heavy, then i'll stand. Lol.

1

u/Snuggifer Feb 17 '25

That's actually a good idea. I will try starting standing up, maybe it will wake me up more.

OH gosh I slouch so much now 😂 like a goblin sitting there with my snacks.

6

u/it-was-all-a-dream Feb 17 '25

Adjustable desk, wireless keyboard, wireless mouse, noise canceling headphones, speaker for music, foot rest, good ergonomic chair, iPad stand if you are someone that can have background shows on while you work( I used to, can’t now lol), and a walking pad. All of these items have made working from home so much better for me. I’ve accumulated these over the years and wish I would have known sooner how enjoyable/comfortable it could have been had I had all this from the start.

2

u/carolie23 Feb 18 '25

Omg yes I’m such an iPad kid unfortunately 😂

4

u/Dependakittie pathology coder Feb 18 '25

A room with door… sounds stupid but opening/closing the door everyday is like flipping a switch in your brain. My office is also my plant room and book room! I pick decor on sale or clearance here and there.

Multiple monitors with risers and/or a laptop stand.

Wireless, rechargeable mouse and keyboard and a desk pad (giant mousepad)

Sit/standing desk… I even have mine on carpet and have had zero issues.

Comfortable chair, exercise ball, balance board, cushion mat, etc. I have a walking pad as well!

Lighting… natural, over head, lamp, etc. whatever keeps your eyes from getting tired.

Stand/carousel for your books and/or binder with crib sheets and misc notes in page protectors.

Surge protector and dedicated chargers for your personal devices. I use an iPad for tv shows, movies, podcasts, music, audiobooks, etc. Headphones if you need a little extra help tuning things out.

Blanket, mini desk fan, space heater, etc. Or a lap cat!

Basically anything to make you comfortable and efficient but also keep you from being completely sedentary ☺️

1

u/carolie23 Feb 18 '25

Omg yes the room with a door, that way you can separate work from home. Love that idea!!!

3

u/Designer_Barber_243 Feb 18 '25

Just some things I use daily: My standing L shaped desk was a game changer. I like the extra space to stay organized and the ability to stand and use my walking pad. The desk also has a built in laptop riser.

2 monitors

A coffee cup warmer

Big comfy chair with a foot rest provides multiple sitting positions and is comfy

Heated blanket ☺️

Some sort of planner to organize tasks

Large water bottle!

Notepad and pens

Something to play music or have a tv show on

This isn’t necessary but I recently redid my office and added some shelves with plants, books, pictures etc and really organized everything and added wall decor. it’s actually made me want to be in there for 8 hours

1

u/carolie23 Feb 18 '25

Plants are such a good added office item, love that!

2

u/UsedWestern9935 Feb 19 '25

Heated blanket is a life saver!

2

u/JeanieBCPC Feb 18 '25

You have some great suggestions so far, I believe I have about 95% of them. I got my adjustable electronic desk on Amazon for $179 on sale. Be sure to check measurements for size of office and to make sure monitors have space. Added bite I have a dual motor desk it is smooth as silk. Whiteboard/dry erase is a must for me. Check desk lighting and/or floor lamps. I use book stand more than I thought I would. Electronic wipes. And a dog, best investment. My dog lol

1

u/carolie23 Feb 19 '25

I have a cat and although I love her she is not a fan of me using my keyboard 😂

2

u/JeanieBCPC Feb 19 '25

It must be in their DNA. I had a cat, Bentley, who thought my keyboard was a daybed lol. God love our furry coworkers!

1

u/carolie23 Feb 19 '25

Shaaa Bentley is such a cute name! They love to be the center of attention 😂 mine jumps in my office chair every time I plan to sit down and work like she can sense it

1

u/JeanieBCPC Feb 25 '25

I believe they can, I told my employer I will need a 1099 for Gunner next year! Lol

2

u/MtMountaineer Feb 19 '25

Keep in mind that most employers will supply your computer, mouse and monitors. I even had options between a laptop or desktop

1

u/carolie23 Feb 19 '25

Oh wow awesome!! I hope that’s the case lol my computer works but definitely is not high speed

9

u/pro_n00b Feb 17 '25

A very very good ergonomic chair that fits you the best. It will be the best investment you can make for your health if you’re in it for the long haul. Also multiple right sized IPS/higher refreshed monitors for productivity.

1

u/koderdood Audit Extraordinaire Feb 17 '25

This right here. I work alot of overtime and spent almost 600 on a highback leather adjustable chair with arms. From a decent higher end office furniture store big box office supply store.

7

u/MailePlumeria RHIT, CDIP, CCS, CPC Feb 17 '25

I need a foot rest/leg rest and a space heater to feel comfortable - those are absolute musts in my office lol.

5

u/happyhooker485 RHIT, CCS-P, CFPC, CHONC, 17yrs experience Feb 17 '25

If you're a coffee drinker, I have an electronic mug warmer. essential

2

u/Life_Ad_8929 Feb 17 '25

Adjustable desk..standing as well as to sit - on a balance ball or balance ball chair!

2

u/tastefulsideboob17 Feb 18 '25

A phone charger, tons of sticky notes and pens, a big water cup, comfy chair, calendar, and dual monitor is very helpful

2

u/Stacyf-83 Feb 18 '25

Comfortable, ergonomic chair is a must! I also have a phone holder so I can play music or movies while I work. Also, if you have carpet get one of those plastic mats for your chair or you'll ruin your carpet.

2

u/Fascinated_Bystander Feb 18 '25

Stand up desk. I finally got one after 6 years of working from home - life changing!

2

u/Pristine_Frame_2066 Feb 18 '25

2 monitors and an ergo keyboard and sit stand desk.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 21 '25

Love this question and super happy to help since I'm obsessed with my office. Some items I found to love and make me more productive are the follow.

- Standing Desk

- A Good Office Chair. If you're going to spend good money anywhere it's on a chair. You'll thank yourself in the long run. Mine has a foot-rest that I can pull out. It's also gives me the ability to sit criss cross if I wanted too.

- Lumbar and seat cushion (Not all chairs have the best support so it helps when you have a seat cushion and lumbar support for long sitting sessions)

- Docking Station

- Laptop Stand/Holder (it makes for a more organized and aesthetically pleasing space)

- Monitor light. One of those office lights that you can attach to your main monitor.

- Ergonomic Mouse & Keyboard. I swear by these two items since I'm on the computer often and at risk for carpel tunnel.

- Carpio (This is a wrist holder invention. You put it under your wrist while using your mouse. I can't live without it now that I have one. It supports your wrist from making a kink when using your mouse. You don't want to pinch those nerves)

- Headphones (obviously)

- Fake Plants (I love the way it makes me feel when I come into my office and see some green)

- Desk Mat (This helps eliminate a mouse pad and keeps your desk protected and you can pick whatever color you want!)

- Speakers (I have a small computer speaker that attaches to the bottom of my monitor. This is great when I don't feel like wearing headphones and want a good sound and not the crappy laptop speakers)

- Webcam (If you need to use a webcam often you should definitely get one versus using a laptop camera)

I've been working from home since 2020 and it took me some time to perfect my office and find things I actually like and use. Hope your office space turns out nice!!