Medical Transcription And the Accuracy of Medical Documents

The technique of medical writing is different from other writing like as seen in literature or essay/article writing for publications. How is it different? These are some of the typical features seen in medical writing:

* Has lots of abbreviations
* Have brief forms
* Shortcut language /word coinage

Medical transcriptionists do not have to bring out a polished document, or rewrite it several times like it is done by the other writers, especially when they have to work at a fast pace and still cannot afford to make any mistake on the job. It is not expected of them to do any creative form of writing at all, but a high level of accuracy in transcription is almost mandatory. It is also essential that a medical transcriptionist should produce a clean and accurate transcription of the source document /dictation.

Adherence to prescribed or suggested stylistic guidelines as prescribed by any specific agency is very important. These are usually the vendor specific instructions with regards to editing, punctuation, or the grammar. However in the absence of any specific guide lines, transcriptionists may follow the general medical transcription rules that is followed by other transcription professionals.

Medical transcription work is usually a bit challenging all the time mainly because dictations can very rarely be called perfect. This is understandable. An hospital environment is a real world and a dynamic place with many things happening. While dictating, doctors may even make some simple mistake or even make incorrect dictation due to the slip of tongue.

Remember for the physician giving dictation is not his real objective. However the regular habit of giving dictations and extended experience will bring forth a high degree of accuracy in his dictations. It is up to the medical transcriptionist to be alert to all the relevant issues and he must be able to correct all the "slip of the tongue" dictation mistakes made by the physician.

A sound knowledge of medical terms and experience in handling a wide range of dictations make a transcriptionist fit enough to face any types of audio files. But if a transcriptionist can preferably keep listening to one particular physician on a regular basis and get works on his voice files then he/she can get quite used to that physican's personal style of dictation. This kind of orientation can produce a highly accurate transcript.

The secret of the art of medical transcription is not in being aggressive but to become as subtle as possible with the work. Also it is basic to develop an attitude that tries to impress and get a favorable response from the dictator. Having a keen sense of awareness/ alertness to the possible mistakes in dictations along with good listening skills will go a long way in becoming a successful MT professional. However while editing a dictation, one must know where to draw the line without guess work and basic doubts must be referred back to the concerned doctor.

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