Healthcare industry is mainly related to hospitals, clinics and physician offices. With a highly competitive medical assistance industry and the need to see more patients in a timely manner, these healthcare professionals use to allocate the work of maintaining patient’s records and related documents to certain medical transcription professionals.
What is medical transcription?
Medical transcription is an associated healthcare profession, which is a process of converting pre-recorded voice files as dictated by healthcare professionals, into text format. In simple words, it is a methodical representation of language in written form. Persons who perform this process are identified as medical transcriptionists or medical transcription professionals.
Purpose of medical transcription
The sole purpose of medical transcription services is to provide a range of diagnostic, practical, therapeutic and straight patient care and support services. They are decisive to range of healthcare professionals and the patients they serve.
Complete process of medical transcription
It starts when a patient visits a doctor. Doctor sees the patient discussing his health problems, including past history and/or problems. He then executes a physical examination; will make a diagnosis. After that, the doctor decides the healing process for the patient with instructions provided.
When the patient leaves the clinic, the doctor uses a voice-recording device to record the information about the patient. DVR is also used to capture voice audio. He than contacts a medical transcription professional in order to convert pre-recorded voice files as dictated by him into text format. Medical transcription professionals or medical transcriptionists are allied healthcare professionals and have depth knowledge about each concept of transcription world.
They generally have many years of experience in the medical industry. They are well familiar with transcription codes and can offer extremely high quality as well as accuracy. They listen to the voice audio files sent by the doctors and prepare the associated text files with up to 99% quality accuracy. They make sure that prepared documents are HIPAA and DPA-compliant. Generally it is advisable to route your audio files to the same transcription teams so that they become familiar with your speech, style, and patterns for specific dictators.
Doctors can view or download completed documents online via medical transcription professional’s website. A copy of documents is also sent to concerned doctor by transcriptionists. Once downloaded, they can be used to send to other health care providers as well.
So this is what medical transcription is all about. For more information about medical transcription, please contact https://www.globalmeddata.net/new/default.asp
Showing posts with label medical transcription. Show all posts
Showing posts with label medical transcription. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Medical Transcription Terminology – What Medical Transcription Means?
Medical Transcription is the process of converting voice files (typically either cassette or digital format) into a written text or record utilizing medical transcription equipment and software.
As the demands of the health care industry rise, the need for competent medical transcription will also rise. Medical transcription is an occupation strongly linked with the healthcare industry in both the business and operational aspects. Good typing and listening skills, a flair for medical terminology and the ability to decode audio tapes and other electronic audio recordings into a precise, written text are essential for medical transcription field.
Medical Transcription in the linguistic sense is the systematic representation of spoken language (or speech) in written form. Medical transcription should not be confused with translation, which means representing the meaning of a source language text in a target language. Medical Transcription is the process of converting voice files (typically either cassette or digital format) into a written text or record utilizing medical transcription equipment and software.
Medical transcription can be executed by professionals called medical transcriptionists - MTs. MTs are usually employees in a hospital or who work at home as telecommuting employees for the hospital or other healthcare provider. To perform proper medical transcription, Knowledge of basic to advanced medical terminology is essential. It covers following factors:
• anatomy and physiology
• Ability to sort, check, count, and verify numbers with accuracy.
• Exposure of medical style and grammar.
• verbal communication skills
• Ability to follow verbal and written instructions.
• Knowledge and experience transcribing (from training or real report work) in the Basic Four work types: History and Physical Exam, Consultation, Operative Report, and Discharge Summary.
• Accurately transcribes the patient-identifying information such as name and Medical Record or Social Security Number.
• Performs quality assurance check.
The medical transcription process goes something like this - Use your DVR or audio recording device to capture your voice audio. Then simply attach your DVR to a computer where your audio-file will be sent to respective medical transcriptionists. Transcribers at remote transcription centre listen to the voice audio files and prepare the associated text files with up to 99% quality accuracy. Transcribers aim to route your audio files to the same transcription teams so that they become familiar with your speech, style, and patterns for specific dictators.
Once prepared, they can be used to send to other health care providers and cooperating professionals that require information on a client.
Once you get good command over all of such factors about medical terminology, you can perform medical transcription effectively. For more information about medical transcription, please contact us at: https://www.globalmeddata.net/new/default.asp
As the demands of the health care industry rise, the need for competent medical transcription will also rise. Medical transcription is an occupation strongly linked with the healthcare industry in both the business and operational aspects. Good typing and listening skills, a flair for medical terminology and the ability to decode audio tapes and other electronic audio recordings into a precise, written text are essential for medical transcription field.
Medical Transcription in the linguistic sense is the systematic representation of spoken language (or speech) in written form. Medical transcription should not be confused with translation, which means representing the meaning of a source language text in a target language. Medical Transcription is the process of converting voice files (typically either cassette or digital format) into a written text or record utilizing medical transcription equipment and software.
Medical transcription can be executed by professionals called medical transcriptionists - MTs. MTs are usually employees in a hospital or who work at home as telecommuting employees for the hospital or other healthcare provider. To perform proper medical transcription, Knowledge of basic to advanced medical terminology is essential. It covers following factors:
• anatomy and physiology
• Ability to sort, check, count, and verify numbers with accuracy.
• Exposure of medical style and grammar.
• verbal communication skills
• Ability to follow verbal and written instructions.
• Knowledge and experience transcribing (from training or real report work) in the Basic Four work types: History and Physical Exam, Consultation, Operative Report, and Discharge Summary.
• Accurately transcribes the patient-identifying information such as name and Medical Record or Social Security Number.
• Performs quality assurance check.
The medical transcription process goes something like this - Use your DVR or audio recording device to capture your voice audio. Then simply attach your DVR to a computer where your audio-file will be sent to respective medical transcriptionists. Transcribers at remote transcription centre listen to the voice audio files and prepare the associated text files with up to 99% quality accuracy. Transcribers aim to route your audio files to the same transcription teams so that they become familiar with your speech, style, and patterns for specific dictators.
Once prepared, they can be used to send to other health care providers and cooperating professionals that require information on a client.
Once you get good command over all of such factors about medical terminology, you can perform medical transcription effectively. For more information about medical transcription, please contact us at: https://www.globalmeddata.net/new/default.asp
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Outsourcing Medical Transcription Services: Affordable Option For Medical Transcription Firms
Outsourcing medical transcription services to us is really an affordable option for medical transcription firms, because we provide such transcription services at quite low rates.
Global MedData, Inc. is a one of the global leaders in Medical Transcription Industry. It has been providing Internet-enabled medical transcription services and data management services to hospitals, clinics and physician offices.
Its headquarters are based in Redwood City, California with European subsidiary in the United Kingdom. It is truly a global 24/7 medical transcription operation firm with an experienced medical transcription team and dedicated staff worldwide.
Its HIPAA and DPA-compliant medical transcription solutions leverage leading Internet technologies and the world’s most highly credentialed transcribers to provide easier, more secure, accurate and cost-effective medical transcription services. Some of the features of its medical transcription services are as follow:
• Up to the minute technology
• Balanced staff requirements
• FAST turnaround & distributions
• Document QUALITY and SECURITY
• Effective management costs
• Reduce backlogs
With total focus on customer value, Global MedData, Inc’s. web based medical transcription services provide for the entire transcription lifecycle, efficiently producing, co-ordinating, integrating and reporting.
Global MedData, Inc. aims to provide documents that are a minimum of 98.5% accurate as per audio inputs. Its quality assurance (QA) procedures are governed by the guidelines issued by the American Association of Medical Transcription (AAMT), working on a 3-tier quality process model.
So outsource medical transcription services to us and save up to 50% of your total costs. Contact us at: http://www.globalmeddata.net/new/default.asp now.
Global MedData, Inc. is a one of the global leaders in Medical Transcription Industry. It has been providing Internet-enabled medical transcription services and data management services to hospitals, clinics and physician offices.
Its headquarters are based in Redwood City, California with European subsidiary in the United Kingdom. It is truly a global 24/7 medical transcription operation firm with an experienced medical transcription team and dedicated staff worldwide.
Its HIPAA and DPA-compliant medical transcription solutions leverage leading Internet technologies and the world’s most highly credentialed transcribers to provide easier, more secure, accurate and cost-effective medical transcription services. Some of the features of its medical transcription services are as follow:
• Up to the minute technology
• Balanced staff requirements
• FAST turnaround & distributions
• Document QUALITY and SECURITY
• Effective management costs
• Reduce backlogs
With total focus on customer value, Global MedData, Inc’s. web based medical transcription services provide for the entire transcription lifecycle, efficiently producing, co-ordinating, integrating and reporting.
Global MedData, Inc. aims to provide documents that are a minimum of 98.5% accurate as per audio inputs. Its quality assurance (QA) procedures are governed by the guidelines issued by the American Association of Medical Transcription (AAMT), working on a 3-tier quality process model.
So outsource medical transcription services to us and save up to 50% of your total costs. Contact us at: http://www.globalmeddata.net/new/default.asp now.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Outsource Medical Transcription To Affordable Medical Transcription Company
Outsource your medical transcription work to one of the most affordable medical transcription companies. Just send us your details and we will take care of your medical transcription requirements.
We are an international leader in providing Internet-enabled medical transcription services to hospitals, clinics and physician offices. With a highly competitive medical assistance industry and your need to see more patients in a timely manner, we have developed an efficient transcription lifecycle management system.
With the help of such efficient transcription lifecycle management system, we provide accurate medical transcription to hospitals, clinics and physician offices. Our state of the art technologies enable us to deliver documents to clients in no time. Contact us now for a free trial.
We have a team of experienced transcription professionals that have completed numerous medical transcription projects successfully. Our medical transcription is as per current medical transcription codes and follow international guidelines. You can ask for a sample of our work to get a clear idea about the quality of our work.
Our process starts with your dictation, which is uploaded through our secure online server. Your files are then prepared by our team of professional transcribers in one of our global processing centres and transformed into a document of your chosen format and template specific to your needs. Each file goes through a vigorous quality assurance process before being re-uploaded via our secure online server for your personal use.
So outsource your medical transcription work to us at: http://www.globalmeddata.net/new/Contact.asp and feel the difference.
We are an international leader in providing Internet-enabled medical transcription services to hospitals, clinics and physician offices. With a highly competitive medical assistance industry and your need to see more patients in a timely manner, we have developed an efficient transcription lifecycle management system.
With the help of such efficient transcription lifecycle management system, we provide accurate medical transcription to hospitals, clinics and physician offices. Our state of the art technologies enable us to deliver documents to clients in no time. Contact us now for a free trial.
We have a team of experienced transcription professionals that have completed numerous medical transcription projects successfully. Our medical transcription is as per current medical transcription codes and follow international guidelines. You can ask for a sample of our work to get a clear idea about the quality of our work.
Our process starts with your dictation, which is uploaded through our secure online server. Your files are then prepared by our team of professional transcribers in one of our global processing centres and transformed into a document of your chosen format and template specific to your needs. Each file goes through a vigorous quality assurance process before being re-uploaded via our secure online server for your personal use.
So outsource your medical transcription work to us at: http://www.globalmeddata.net/new/Contact.asp and feel the difference.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Medical Transcription Factors To Look Out For
As we all know, healthcare industry is expanding day by day like never before. It is gaining attention of corporate world quickly. And in that, medical transcription continues to play a vital role in the expansion of healthcare industry. Whether it is office of physicians, home healthcare services or Hospitals and residential care facilities, medical transcription is required.
Medical Transcription Introduction
Medical Transcription is also known as MT. It is a process, which converts voice-recorded reports as dictated by physicians and/or other healthcare professionals, into text format. The professionals who perform MT are known as "medical transcriptionists". A medical transcriptionist is the person responsible for converting the patient's medical records into text from recorded dictation.
Scope Of Medical Transcription Industry
As MT is becoming more and more popular these days, the scope of MT is quite bright. A recent survey tells that there are about 12,000 plus new MT jobs in coming 3-4 years. Moreover, around 12-14% increase rate in the MT industry makes it a better option than the other average occupations.
Some of the vital factors for medical transcription
Before stepping into this industry, one should be aware of certain things that are vital to excel in this field. First is the quality. It is the first thing to master when you are in MT field. To work on quality, you should focus on to the processes that other expert transcription vendors follows to achieve quality. As the time goes by, you will have a good command on accuracy of your work of transcription.
Use of latest tools & technologies in MT in the last few years is the beginning of online MT and connected document management systems. Proficiency in using latest tools & technologies can prove to be an added advantage in coming future.
For more information in this regard, please visit: https://www.globalmeddata.net/new/default.asp.
Source: http://goarticles.com/article/Medical-Transcription-Factors-To-Look-Out-For/4134242/
Medical Transcription Introduction
Medical Transcription is also known as MT. It is a process, which converts voice-recorded reports as dictated by physicians and/or other healthcare professionals, into text format. The professionals who perform MT are known as "medical transcriptionists". A medical transcriptionist is the person responsible for converting the patient's medical records into text from recorded dictation.
Scope Of Medical Transcription Industry
As MT is becoming more and more popular these days, the scope of MT is quite bright. A recent survey tells that there are about 12,000 plus new MT jobs in coming 3-4 years. Moreover, around 12-14% increase rate in the MT industry makes it a better option than the other average occupations.
Some of the vital factors for medical transcription
Before stepping into this industry, one should be aware of certain things that are vital to excel in this field. First is the quality. It is the first thing to master when you are in MT field. To work on quality, you should focus on to the processes that other expert transcription vendors follows to achieve quality. As the time goes by, you will have a good command on accuracy of your work of transcription.
Use of latest tools & technologies in MT in the last few years is the beginning of online MT and connected document management systems. Proficiency in using latest tools & technologies can prove to be an added advantage in coming future.
For more information in this regard, please visit: https://www.globalmeddata.net/new/default.asp.
Source: http://goarticles.com/article/Medical-Transcription-Factors-To-Look-Out-For/4134242/
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Medical Transcription Services Announced By Medical Transcription Company
Global MedData, Inc. is a US based medical transcription company and it has announced low cost medical transcription services with minimum turn around time.
Global MedData, Inc. is a famous US based medical transcription company. It has recently announced its low cost medical transcription services for UK, USA & India. It uses state-of-the-art technologies to ensure consistently high quality of medical transcription.
Global MedData, Inc. has developed a team of talented medical transcription professionals. These MTs have experience of more than 5 years and have successfully completed numerous medical transcription projects well before deadline. They provide entire range of English language based voice transcription services from audio and online voice files (including .MP3, .MP4, .DSS, .RM, .WMA, and .WAV files).
Some of the features of its medical transcription services are as follow:
• Up to the minute technology
• Balanced staff requirements
• FAST turnaround & distributions
• Document QUALITY and SECURITY
• Effective management costs
• Reduce backlogs
Its HIPAA and DPA-compliant solutions leverage leading Internet technologies and the world’s most highly credentialed transcribers to provide easier, more secure, accurate and cost-effective transcription.
So for more information about Global MedData, Inc. medical transcription services, please contact at: http://www.globalmeddata.net/new/Contact.asp. Or for a free quote about medical transcription rates, please email at: info@globalmeddata.com
Read more...
Global MedData, Inc. is a famous US based medical transcription company. It has recently announced its low cost medical transcription services for UK, USA & India. It uses state-of-the-art technologies to ensure consistently high quality of medical transcription.
Global MedData, Inc. has developed a team of talented medical transcription professionals. These MTs have experience of more than 5 years and have successfully completed numerous medical transcription projects well before deadline. They provide entire range of English language based voice transcription services from audio and online voice files (including .MP3, .MP4, .DSS, .RM, .WMA, and .WAV files).
Some of the features of its medical transcription services are as follow:
• Up to the minute technology
• Balanced staff requirements
• FAST turnaround & distributions
• Document QUALITY and SECURITY
• Effective management costs
• Reduce backlogs
Its HIPAA and DPA-compliant solutions leverage leading Internet technologies and the world’s most highly credentialed transcribers to provide easier, more secure, accurate and cost-effective transcription.
So for more information about Global MedData, Inc. medical transcription services, please contact at: http://www.globalmeddata.net/new/Contact.asp. Or for a free quote about medical transcription rates, please email at: info@globalmeddata.com
Read more...
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Medical Transcription Services: You Speak And We Will Transcribe
Remove your headache about documentation of patient’s records – Just contact us for your medical transcription requirements and we will do the rest.
If you don’t want to spend time in preparing documents regarding patient’s records and data, want someone to do it for you, then we are the best option for you. We offer accurate medical transcription services to doctors, practitioners and Hospitals at much lower cost than others.
Our medical transcription company is an international leader in providing Internet-enabled medical transcription and data management services to hospitals, clinics and physician offices. Our headquarters are based in Redwood City, California with European subsidiary in the United Kingdom. Our medical transcription services are as per HIPAA and DPA-compliant solutions.
Continued quality and accuracy throughout the lifecycle of the document make us a unique medical transcription company. To ensure that you receive the best quality services, we have added an extra tier within our QA model. After all, your satisfaction is our top priority.
To avail our services, use your DVR to capture your voice audio and then simply send it to us. Transcribers at our transcription centre listen to the voice audio files and prepare the associated text files with up to 99% quality accuracy. Our medical transcription services have more rapid turn around time than others.
Please contact us at: http://www.globalmeddata.net/new/Contact.asp for our medical transcription services or do email us at: info@globalmeddata.com for a free trial now.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Medical Transcription Services: MT Services At GMD Services Ltd
GMD Services Ltd is a prominent medical transcription company and it has successfully provided medical transcription services to worldwide customers with rapid TAT.
GMD Services Ltd is an authenticated medical transcription company in the USA and is an international leader in providing Internet-enabled medical transcription and data management services to hospitals, clinics and physician offices.
Its global headquarters are based in Redwood City, California with European subsidiary in the United Kingdom. Software development and technical support centres are based in US, UK & India, making this a truly global 24/7 operation.
It provides accurate medical transcription services. Its HIPAA and DPA-compliant medical transcription solutions leverage leading Internet technologies and the world’s most highly credentialed transcribers to provide easier, more secure, accurate and cost-effective transcription.
GMD Services Ltd aims for providing documents that are a minimum of 98.5% accurate. Its quality assurance (QA) procedures are governed by the guidelines issued by the American Association of Medical Transcription (AAMT).
Some of the advantages of GMD Services Ltd’s transcription services are as follow:
• Immediate ROI
• Improvements to Revenue and Productivity
• Reduction of Overhead
• Customization to Your Requirements
• Flexibility - Dictation can be recorded at any time or place
• Fast Turnaround - Dependant on urgency, Turn-Around Time (TAT) is 12, 24 or 48 hours
For more information about GMD Services Ltd, please visit: http://www.globalmeddata.net or email at: info@globalmeddata.com
GMD Services Ltd is an authenticated medical transcription company in the USA and is an international leader in providing Internet-enabled medical transcription and data management services to hospitals, clinics and physician offices.
Its global headquarters are based in Redwood City, California with European subsidiary in the United Kingdom. Software development and technical support centres are based in US, UK & India, making this a truly global 24/7 operation.
It provides accurate medical transcription services. Its HIPAA and DPA-compliant medical transcription solutions leverage leading Internet technologies and the world’s most highly credentialed transcribers to provide easier, more secure, accurate and cost-effective transcription.
GMD Services Ltd aims for providing documents that are a minimum of 98.5% accurate. Its quality assurance (QA) procedures are governed by the guidelines issued by the American Association of Medical Transcription (AAMT).
Some of the advantages of GMD Services Ltd’s transcription services are as follow:
• Immediate ROI
• Improvements to Revenue and Productivity
• Reduction of Overhead
• Customization to Your Requirements
• Flexibility - Dictation can be recorded at any time or place
• Fast Turnaround - Dependant on urgency, Turn-Around Time (TAT) is 12, 24 or 48 hours
For more information about GMD Services Ltd, please visit: http://www.globalmeddata.net or email at: info@globalmeddata.com
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Why Medical Transcription? What Medical Transcription Is About
In today's rapidly growing Healthcare Industry, medical transcription is becoming more and more used option by healthcare professionals. Whether you are running a medical firm or an individual medical practitioner, it has become essential to use medical transcription in order to save your precious time.
What is medical transcription?
One of the most common questions if you are a beginner in this industry is - what is medical transcription. It is associated with healthcare business and in which it deals with the process of transcription or in other words, converting pre-recorded voice files as dictated by healthcare professionals into a document form.
Documents prepared by transcription covers certain information like patient evaluation, workup, healing actions, medical course, analysis and more. These all details are as per doctor's dictation or say as per doctor's words.
Why medical transcription?
Now when we are aware about it, let's see why it is required? It is required due to need of documentation regarding medication processes for medical insurance. One more reason is that nowadays, medical professionals are becoming busier and busier. They don't get much time for such documentation due to their practices.
In such cases, transcription plays an important role. Doctor just speaks into a tape-recorder and then sends these voice files to an MT. That provider converts it into a document format and returns to that doctor.
What is the process about?
There are three steps of it.
1) Dictation
2) Transcription
3) Result
For dictation, doctors use their DVR to capture their voice audio. Then simply they attach that DVR to a computer where your audio-file will be automatically uploaded and sent to an MT expert. Then expert transcriptionist listens to the voice audio files and prepares the associated text documents with quality & accuracy. After that, the resultant documents are dispatched to that particular doctor.
For more information about medical transcription, please contact us at: https://www.globalmeddata.net
Read more...
What is medical transcription?
One of the most common questions if you are a beginner in this industry is - what is medical transcription. It is associated with healthcare business and in which it deals with the process of transcription or in other words, converting pre-recorded voice files as dictated by healthcare professionals into a document form.
Documents prepared by transcription covers certain information like patient evaluation, workup, healing actions, medical course, analysis and more. These all details are as per doctor's dictation or say as per doctor's words.
Why medical transcription?
Now when we are aware about it, let's see why it is required? It is required due to need of documentation regarding medication processes for medical insurance. One more reason is that nowadays, medical professionals are becoming busier and busier. They don't get much time for such documentation due to their practices.
In such cases, transcription plays an important role. Doctor just speaks into a tape-recorder and then sends these voice files to an MT. That provider converts it into a document format and returns to that doctor.
What is the process about?
There are three steps of it.
1) Dictation
2) Transcription
3) Result
For dictation, doctors use their DVR to capture their voice audio. Then simply they attach that DVR to a computer where your audio-file will be automatically uploaded and sent to an MT expert. Then expert transcriptionist listens to the voice audio files and prepares the associated text documents with quality & accuracy. After that, the resultant documents are dispatched to that particular doctor.
For more information about medical transcription, please contact us at: https://www.globalmeddata.net
Read more...
Friday, October 8, 2010
Medical Transcription? Outsourcing May Lower Costs and Improve Quality
Want to organize physicians' handwritten notes and prescriptions into electronic documents without spending a fortune? An outsourced medical transcription service is the perfect solution for you.
All medical institutions require computerization of medical notes for clean and compact record-keeping, insurance claims processing, quick reference, conferencing and various other reasons. Hospitals and clinics have long been hiring full time transcriptionists to do the same. But this is an expensive option and not the ideal solution if you have varying volume of transcription needs.
Alternatively, you can give transcription duties to other clerical staff or use voice recognition software. But these solutions can be quite inaccurate, putting the health of your patients at stake. Your clerical staff may not be well trained for medical transcription and accuracy of voice recognition usually is too low to be useful. A medical transcription service gives you the best combination of expense, quality and accuracy.
How does a medical transcription service work?
* Physicians dictate their notes into a recording device, usually a toll-free phone line or handheld digital recorder. Most medical transcription services support both these methods. Some services also accept recorded cassettes. Mp3 is the preferred sound format when using digital recorders, though other formats can also be used.
* The recorded information is then sent to the medical transcription service provider. Information security during transfer is critical. Your patients' personal information must not be leaked out at any cost. Digital recordings are submitted via the Internet. This can be done using a secure web site and file transfer protocol (FTP) using custom software from the provider, or even through encrypted email. In case of a toll-free line, the information is directly recorded on the providers' servers.
* The recorded notes are then transcribed and returned to the hospital or clinic. Information is usually returned as word files, though other formats like pdf can also be specified. Delivery methods include secure web sites, FTP, custom software, encrypted email and in some cases fax.
More comprehensive medical transcription services are also available. They offer an online system that stores both the audio files and transcripts, organizes them by date, doctor, or patient, and keeps track of progress as they are being transcribed. These services are more expensive but offer substantial management benefits.
Important Considerations
Accuracy: The returned work must have accuracy close to 100 per cent. Select a medical transcription service that employs experienced and skilled medical transcriptionists and quality assurance professionals who review the transcriptions before delivering them to you. Your doctors should review and evaluate each transcript on delivery to prevent any damage to your patients' health and well-being.
Turnaround Time: It refers to the maximum time within which medical transcripts will be delivered to you after submitting the audio recordings. Most medical transcription services offer a turnaround time of 24 to 48 hours. Most also include a STAT service that allows you to specify a turnaround time of one-, two- or four-hours at an additional cost. Different types of notes can have different turnaround times.
Security: Medical transcription services are subject to HIPAA rules about patient confidentiality. The industry standard for internet security is 128-bit SSL security. Physical security at the provider location is also important. Careful employee screening and tracking is essential. Audit trails can assist in tracking employees. An audit trail keeps track of each individual who accesses a given set of notes and the modifications they make.
Sound Quality: Good quality of sound recording is essential for performance. Digital handheld recorders provide better sound, though they carry an additional hardware cost. Some medical transcription services charge lower prices if you provide them with better quality recordings.
Location of Service: Many medical transcription services use both domestic and international transcriptionists. There is generally no difference in quality and accuracy between the domestic and outsourced services. Having transcription teams all around the world enables the service providers to meet deadlines. You will most like pay more for service if you insist on using medical transcriptionists located in a developed country like the US.
How much will you have to pay?
You are charged per line of text. The industry standard is 65 characters in a single line including spaces. Some service providers however, include lesser number of characters in a single line. Price usually ranges from $.05 to $.20 per line. Before you hire a vendor, compare price quote from multiple medical transcription services at a B2B Marketplace. Also ask your friends and other doctors for recommendations.
Most medical transcription service providers offer free trial runs. Carefully assess the providers' ability to meet deadlines, the accuracy of transcripts, and ease of interaction with their customer service representatives during the trial run. Many providers assign a dedicated team of transcriptionists for long term contracts and also offer lower prices. Carefully evaluate your requirements, the providers and the available services before making a decision.
Read more...
All medical institutions require computerization of medical notes for clean and compact record-keeping, insurance claims processing, quick reference, conferencing and various other reasons. Hospitals and clinics have long been hiring full time transcriptionists to do the same. But this is an expensive option and not the ideal solution if you have varying volume of transcription needs.
Alternatively, you can give transcription duties to other clerical staff or use voice recognition software. But these solutions can be quite inaccurate, putting the health of your patients at stake. Your clerical staff may not be well trained for medical transcription and accuracy of voice recognition usually is too low to be useful. A medical transcription service gives you the best combination of expense, quality and accuracy.
How does a medical transcription service work?
* Physicians dictate their notes into a recording device, usually a toll-free phone line or handheld digital recorder. Most medical transcription services support both these methods. Some services also accept recorded cassettes. Mp3 is the preferred sound format when using digital recorders, though other formats can also be used.
* The recorded information is then sent to the medical transcription service provider. Information security during transfer is critical. Your patients' personal information must not be leaked out at any cost. Digital recordings are submitted via the Internet. This can be done using a secure web site and file transfer protocol (FTP) using custom software from the provider, or even through encrypted email. In case of a toll-free line, the information is directly recorded on the providers' servers.
* The recorded notes are then transcribed and returned to the hospital or clinic. Information is usually returned as word files, though other formats like pdf can also be specified. Delivery methods include secure web sites, FTP, custom software, encrypted email and in some cases fax.
More comprehensive medical transcription services are also available. They offer an online system that stores both the audio files and transcripts, organizes them by date, doctor, or patient, and keeps track of progress as they are being transcribed. These services are more expensive but offer substantial management benefits.
Important Considerations
Accuracy: The returned work must have accuracy close to 100 per cent. Select a medical transcription service that employs experienced and skilled medical transcriptionists and quality assurance professionals who review the transcriptions before delivering them to you. Your doctors should review and evaluate each transcript on delivery to prevent any damage to your patients' health and well-being.
Turnaround Time: It refers to the maximum time within which medical transcripts will be delivered to you after submitting the audio recordings. Most medical transcription services offer a turnaround time of 24 to 48 hours. Most also include a STAT service that allows you to specify a turnaround time of one-, two- or four-hours at an additional cost. Different types of notes can have different turnaround times.
Security: Medical transcription services are subject to HIPAA rules about patient confidentiality. The industry standard for internet security is 128-bit SSL security. Physical security at the provider location is also important. Careful employee screening and tracking is essential. Audit trails can assist in tracking employees. An audit trail keeps track of each individual who accesses a given set of notes and the modifications they make.
Sound Quality: Good quality of sound recording is essential for performance. Digital handheld recorders provide better sound, though they carry an additional hardware cost. Some medical transcription services charge lower prices if you provide them with better quality recordings.
Location of Service: Many medical transcription services use both domestic and international transcriptionists. There is generally no difference in quality and accuracy between the domestic and outsourced services. Having transcription teams all around the world enables the service providers to meet deadlines. You will most like pay more for service if you insist on using medical transcriptionists located in a developed country like the US.
How much will you have to pay?
You are charged per line of text. The industry standard is 65 characters in a single line including spaces. Some service providers however, include lesser number of characters in a single line. Price usually ranges from $.05 to $.20 per line. Before you hire a vendor, compare price quote from multiple medical transcription services at a B2B Marketplace. Also ask your friends and other doctors for recommendations.
Most medical transcription service providers offer free trial runs. Carefully assess the providers' ability to meet deadlines, the accuracy of transcripts, and ease of interaction with their customer service representatives during the trial run. Many providers assign a dedicated team of transcriptionists for long term contracts and also offer lower prices. Carefully evaluate your requirements, the providers and the available services before making a decision.
Read more...
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
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.
Read more..
* 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.
Read more..
Monday, September 27, 2010
ASTM Standards For Medical Transcription
Medical Transcription is about skilled human beings listening to dictations by physicians and typing up every word to make it into a recorded document/transcript. They must obviously have a proper understanding of medical terms and be able to understand most medical jargon and just cannot afford to make any errors.
Besides the human skills factor in transcription there are other factors too that contribute to the ultimate quality of medical transcription. There are four basic factors that determine the quality of a transcript. They are,
# Dictation
# Transcriptionist skill
# System Management
# Components of Quality assurance
An organization called ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) has been responsible for developing the Standard Guide for a Quality Assurance Program for Medical Transcription. ASTM International is over a century old organization and was originally known as the American Society for Testing and Materials. It is one of the largest voluntary standards development organizations in the world.
There are seven ASTM standards that are very important to the medical transcription industry and for proper healthcare documentation. These standards can ensure accuracy, security, and patient confidentiality during the maintenance, transmission, storage, and also during the retrieval process of healthcare documentation.
The ASTM E2117 - 06 is a Standard Guide for Identification and Establishment of a Quality Assurance Program for Medical Transcription. Similarly there is the WK10383 which is the New Standard Guide for Medical Transcription Workstations and this guide will help to make informed decisions related to the design of an efficient medical transcription work environment compliant with federal regulatory agencies.
And there is also a Standard Guide for Requests for Proposals Regarding Medical Transcription Services for Healthcare Institutions. More details are available at the ASTM website.
With medical transcription outsourcing becoming a common procedure today the importance of International Standards in medical transcription cannot be ignored and all industry standards have to be met.
Read more..
Besides the human skills factor in transcription there are other factors too that contribute to the ultimate quality of medical transcription. There are four basic factors that determine the quality of a transcript. They are,
# Dictation
# Transcriptionist skill
# System Management
# Components of Quality assurance
An organization called ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) has been responsible for developing the Standard Guide for a Quality Assurance Program for Medical Transcription. ASTM International is over a century old organization and was originally known as the American Society for Testing and Materials. It is one of the largest voluntary standards development organizations in the world.
There are seven ASTM standards that are very important to the medical transcription industry and for proper healthcare documentation. These standards can ensure accuracy, security, and patient confidentiality during the maintenance, transmission, storage, and also during the retrieval process of healthcare documentation.
The ASTM E2117 - 06 is a Standard Guide for Identification and Establishment of a Quality Assurance Program for Medical Transcription. Similarly there is the WK10383 which is the New Standard Guide for Medical Transcription Workstations and this guide will help to make informed decisions related to the design of an efficient medical transcription work environment compliant with federal regulatory agencies.
And there is also a Standard Guide for Requests for Proposals Regarding Medical Transcription Services for Healthcare Institutions. More details are available at the ASTM website.
With medical transcription outsourcing becoming a common procedure today the importance of International Standards in medical transcription cannot be ignored and all industry standards have to be met.
Read more..
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Performing Medical Transcription From Home - Legit Opportunity?
More often than not, most work-from-home opportunities are scams on one or more levels and they come in all shapes and sizes. The sole focus of this article is to share one such legitimate opportunity with you.
Forget about "stuffing envelopes;" most "data entry opportunities," "assembling products from home," and by all means, ignore all of the headlines you see everywhere about how you can make $30,000 per month by only working 30-minutes per week, as well as other outrageous claims.
In the same breath, don't be fooled by the majority of "Christian work-from-home" business opportunities, as most of them are scams as well. There are many unscrupulous individuals who use the word "Christian" as a preface to hopefully earn your trust and suck you in, and it happens day-in and day-out!
Admittedly, some of the scams out there are very well hidden, while others are just blatantly obvious to the everyday normal and prudent person, or they at least should be. But, if you're one of those everyday normal and prudent people who fell for what should have been a "too good to be true" business opportunity, don't beat yourself up too badly because millions upon millions of other educated and intelligent people just like you have been duped as well.
After all, it's human nature to want to make the most amount of money that we can by doing the least amount of work possible, isn't it?
If you're sick and tired of all of the scams and the hype, and you truly believe in working for a living, then welcome to the legitimate world of medical transcription!
Medical transcription is a highly specialized field, and it's certainly not for people who don't want to learn, nor is it for people who don't truly want to work for a living. The work is incredibly challenging; often-times tedious, and you need to achieve an accuracy rate of at least 98% in your transcriptions or you won't last too long in this business.
Another name for a medical transcriptionist is that of a "medical language specialist."
On the flip-side however, medical transcription can be one of the most interesting and educational fields you'll ever work in, especially if you have a real interest in medicine!
Medical transcription is one of the few jobs/careers where you can actually work from the comfort of your own home and make a reasonable living, if that's the route you'd like to go.
Maybe you've run across ads in the past, touting that you can make $30,000 -$45,000 or more per year working as a medical transcriptionist from the comfort of your own home? Those ads are legitimate and the earning potential is extremely accurate.
Naturally, some medical transcriptionists make considerably less, while others make considerably more; it depends on your experience, geographical location in some instances, how fast you can accurately transcribe a dictation, and also who you work for! Becoming a Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) may also play a part in increasing your income by 15% - 20% as well, but certification in this field is not really required like it now is for medical coding!
Education Requirements
You can realistically have a second grade education, or you can have a graduate degree for all that it really matters, though it helps tremendously to have at least a high school diploma or a GED certificate.
Training Requirements
Some doctors offices or even some very small clinics might take you on as an apprentice, but that really depends on your geographical location for the most part and how great the need is for a transcriptionist. Again, this is a highly specialized field, so this would be a rare opportunity if it did present itself, as there is an awful lot of knowledge to be learned prior to going to work as a transcriptionist.
You should expect in-depth training in everything from medical terminology, anatomy & physiology, disease processes, the very basics of chemistry, to an overview of pharmacology, so that you can be in a better position to decipher and transcribe lab results and prescribed medications, and the list goes on and on. When you finally start doing medical transcriptions, you'll soon come to appreciate why you spent so many hours learning everything that you were required to learn to do this job.
Fortunately though, there are special software programs geared specifically to this industry, and they are well-worth the investment.
There are numerous private schools (both online and classroom) which teach medical transcription, as well as many community colleges and adult education centers, and they all have their own curriculum and methods of teaching. Some of these schools are fully accredited and some are not, so you'll need to do your homework, as some schools are far better and more intense than others. The best medical transcription schools will probably take up upwards of 12-months to complete, but they're worth it in the long-term.
A viable starting point would be to contact "The American Association for Medical Transcription," and they'll be happy to point you in the right direction based on your wants, needs and circumstances, as well as answer any questions which you may have about this career field. The AAMT is an independent association and not affiliated with any schools or medical transcription companies, so you know you'll be receiving some highly objective advice.
And when you're doing your due diligence, don't be afraid to contact a variety of actual medical Transcription companies and find out what schools they recommend as well for those who are trying to break into the medical transcription field. Many of these companies prefer to hire graduates from certain learning institutions over other schools because of the schools' reputation for putting-out knowledgeable and experienced graduates.
Compensation
First and foremost, it depends on where you choose to work as an MT and in some instances, what your geographical location is.
There are two primary ways of being compensated in this industry: either being paid by the hour or by the number of 65-character lines you produce, and many (online) transcription companies will require a minimum of x-number of lines per hour or per shift, unless you act as a freelance medical transcriptionist, though even as a freelancer, you may be tasked with a quota as well.
Starting out, you may only be paid 4 cents - 6 cents per line, and that's because a transcription company doesn't want to invest too much money in you until they see how productive and accurate you are. You'll also receive a lot of invaluable advice and some help along the way through these online MT companies as well. Listen to what these people have to tell you, because they've usually been in the business for years and years, and they started-out just like you did.
So after you've slaved away for a year or so and received some solid training and experience, how much can you realistically make? Again...depending on your geographical location and a few other factors, you can expect to make $30,000 - $45,000 per year and even more in some cases, but you need to explore your many options.
And yes...there are even quite a number of highly experienced medical transcriptionists out there who specialize in certain medical specialties and make $75,000 - $100,000+ per year, but they all have a good 10 -15+ years of experience, and they're the best at what they do! Generally speaking, these are not classified as typical earnings.
It should also be noted that if you want to work from home for a medical transcription company, that many of the larger companies do provide an assortment of benefits, such as medical and dental coverage, paid vacations, etc.
Do not be intimidated by the thought of losing your MT job due to the voice recognition software which is currently on the market, as MT companies and hospitals have found that this software has proven time and time again to be more trouble than it's worth and has not saved them any money at all. Another great aspect of this business, is that the work load is not dictated by how the economy is doing.
Another solid point about medical transcription, is that men have just as many opportunities as women in this field, and similar to that of the nursing field...if you're not working in your chosen field, it's because you're choosing not to work. There will always be a gross shortage of good and highly-trained transcriptionists, so the career outlook in this field is quite stable for generations to come.
Read more..
Forget about "stuffing envelopes;" most "data entry opportunities," "assembling products from home," and by all means, ignore all of the headlines you see everywhere about how you can make $30,000 per month by only working 30-minutes per week, as well as other outrageous claims.
In the same breath, don't be fooled by the majority of "Christian work-from-home" business opportunities, as most of them are scams as well. There are many unscrupulous individuals who use the word "Christian" as a preface to hopefully earn your trust and suck you in, and it happens day-in and day-out!
Admittedly, some of the scams out there are very well hidden, while others are just blatantly obvious to the everyday normal and prudent person, or they at least should be. But, if you're one of those everyday normal and prudent people who fell for what should have been a "too good to be true" business opportunity, don't beat yourself up too badly because millions upon millions of other educated and intelligent people just like you have been duped as well.
After all, it's human nature to want to make the most amount of money that we can by doing the least amount of work possible, isn't it?
If you're sick and tired of all of the scams and the hype, and you truly believe in working for a living, then welcome to the legitimate world of medical transcription!
Medical transcription is a highly specialized field, and it's certainly not for people who don't want to learn, nor is it for people who don't truly want to work for a living. The work is incredibly challenging; often-times tedious, and you need to achieve an accuracy rate of at least 98% in your transcriptions or you won't last too long in this business.
Another name for a medical transcriptionist is that of a "medical language specialist."
On the flip-side however, medical transcription can be one of the most interesting and educational fields you'll ever work in, especially if you have a real interest in medicine!
Medical transcription is one of the few jobs/careers where you can actually work from the comfort of your own home and make a reasonable living, if that's the route you'd like to go.
Maybe you've run across ads in the past, touting that you can make $30,000 -$45,000 or more per year working as a medical transcriptionist from the comfort of your own home? Those ads are legitimate and the earning potential is extremely accurate.
Naturally, some medical transcriptionists make considerably less, while others make considerably more; it depends on your experience, geographical location in some instances, how fast you can accurately transcribe a dictation, and also who you work for! Becoming a Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) may also play a part in increasing your income by 15% - 20% as well, but certification in this field is not really required like it now is for medical coding!
Education Requirements
You can realistically have a second grade education, or you can have a graduate degree for all that it really matters, though it helps tremendously to have at least a high school diploma or a GED certificate.
Training Requirements
Some doctors offices or even some very small clinics might take you on as an apprentice, but that really depends on your geographical location for the most part and how great the need is for a transcriptionist. Again, this is a highly specialized field, so this would be a rare opportunity if it did present itself, as there is an awful lot of knowledge to be learned prior to going to work as a transcriptionist.
You should expect in-depth training in everything from medical terminology, anatomy & physiology, disease processes, the very basics of chemistry, to an overview of pharmacology, so that you can be in a better position to decipher and transcribe lab results and prescribed medications, and the list goes on and on. When you finally start doing medical transcriptions, you'll soon come to appreciate why you spent so many hours learning everything that you were required to learn to do this job.
Fortunately though, there are special software programs geared specifically to this industry, and they are well-worth the investment.
There are numerous private schools (both online and classroom) which teach medical transcription, as well as many community colleges and adult education centers, and they all have their own curriculum and methods of teaching. Some of these schools are fully accredited and some are not, so you'll need to do your homework, as some schools are far better and more intense than others. The best medical transcription schools will probably take up upwards of 12-months to complete, but they're worth it in the long-term.
A viable starting point would be to contact "The American Association for Medical Transcription," and they'll be happy to point you in the right direction based on your wants, needs and circumstances, as well as answer any questions which you may have about this career field. The AAMT is an independent association and not affiliated with any schools or medical transcription companies, so you know you'll be receiving some highly objective advice.
And when you're doing your due diligence, don't be afraid to contact a variety of actual medical Transcription companies and find out what schools they recommend as well for those who are trying to break into the medical transcription field. Many of these companies prefer to hire graduates from certain learning institutions over other schools because of the schools' reputation for putting-out knowledgeable and experienced graduates.
Compensation
First and foremost, it depends on where you choose to work as an MT and in some instances, what your geographical location is.
There are two primary ways of being compensated in this industry: either being paid by the hour or by the number of 65-character lines you produce, and many (online) transcription companies will require a minimum of x-number of lines per hour or per shift, unless you act as a freelance medical transcriptionist, though even as a freelancer, you may be tasked with a quota as well.
Starting out, you may only be paid 4 cents - 6 cents per line, and that's because a transcription company doesn't want to invest too much money in you until they see how productive and accurate you are. You'll also receive a lot of invaluable advice and some help along the way through these online MT companies as well. Listen to what these people have to tell you, because they've usually been in the business for years and years, and they started-out just like you did.
So after you've slaved away for a year or so and received some solid training and experience, how much can you realistically make? Again...depending on your geographical location and a few other factors, you can expect to make $30,000 - $45,000 per year and even more in some cases, but you need to explore your many options.
And yes...there are even quite a number of highly experienced medical transcriptionists out there who specialize in certain medical specialties and make $75,000 - $100,000+ per year, but they all have a good 10 -15+ years of experience, and they're the best at what they do! Generally speaking, these are not classified as typical earnings.
It should also be noted that if you want to work from home for a medical transcription company, that many of the larger companies do provide an assortment of benefits, such as medical and dental coverage, paid vacations, etc.
Do not be intimidated by the thought of losing your MT job due to the voice recognition software which is currently on the market, as MT companies and hospitals have found that this software has proven time and time again to be more trouble than it's worth and has not saved them any money at all. Another great aspect of this business, is that the work load is not dictated by how the economy is doing.
Another solid point about medical transcription, is that men have just as many opportunities as women in this field, and similar to that of the nursing field...if you're not working in your chosen field, it's because you're choosing not to work. There will always be a gross shortage of good and highly-trained transcriptionists, so the career outlook in this field is quite stable for generations to come.
Read more..
Medical Transcription - Its Past, Present, and Future
Medical Transcription has become a common term today and is about human beings listening and typing out physician dictations. Technological advances have always defined the medical transcription process. It will continue to be so and one wonders what the future could bring for the medical transcription professional.
Looking back into the past history of medical transcription one has to mention about the clumsy medical record keeping methods of yesteryears. All early records were hand written medical records that were highly abbreviated because it was quickly written /scribbled by the physician who was also actually treating the patient.
Files kept in wooden filing cabinets, that consisted of collections of handwritten notes/scribbles along with typed documents had to be physically retrieved from shelves every time the physician wanted to have a second look at them. Further development for years just involved the duplication of medical records /documents using carbon paper. (I remember doing it myself)
Medical transcription need not actually only be associated with insurance claiming. Storage of medical records by transcription must have begun ever since computers came into use. It was the equivalent of stenography and writing in shorthand the dictations of business.
We know various automation systems had started evolving right from the year 1960. Computer systems were not useful enough for years to be used in transcribing records in the medical / health sector. Only much later in the early 90s did actual medical transcription come into existence.
Today when we talk of medical transcription it automatically encompasses infrastructure, the desktop computer, the Internet, digital transmission, information systems, PDAs, dictation systems, foot pedals, headphones and more.
The evolution toward the electronic patient record and HIPAA compliance is forcing everyone to catch up with technology and there is no looking back. Globalization has enabled the medical transcription professional to even sit at home and work for clients who may be located anywhere else on the globe or beyond.
The current developments in VRS (voice recognition software) and its evolution may some day totally automate and even remove the human element in the medical transcription process. Medical transcriptionist (MT) is already happy enough to just edit the documents produced by the VRS.
Future, technology may grow to replace the human element and medical transcription can mean just another chip on a board. (I don't mean to be sarcastic). But then we still value art don't we? Like a hand printed dress or antique furniture, manual medical transcription work will have its value and may become more precious. Won't it?
Read more..
Looking back into the past history of medical transcription one has to mention about the clumsy medical record keeping methods of yesteryears. All early records were hand written medical records that were highly abbreviated because it was quickly written /scribbled by the physician who was also actually treating the patient.
Files kept in wooden filing cabinets, that consisted of collections of handwritten notes/scribbles along with typed documents had to be physically retrieved from shelves every time the physician wanted to have a second look at them. Further development for years just involved the duplication of medical records /documents using carbon paper. (I remember doing it myself)
Medical transcription need not actually only be associated with insurance claiming. Storage of medical records by transcription must have begun ever since computers came into use. It was the equivalent of stenography and writing in shorthand the dictations of business.
We know various automation systems had started evolving right from the year 1960. Computer systems were not useful enough for years to be used in transcribing records in the medical / health sector. Only much later in the early 90s did actual medical transcription come into existence.
Today when we talk of medical transcription it automatically encompasses infrastructure, the desktop computer, the Internet, digital transmission, information systems, PDAs, dictation systems, foot pedals, headphones and more.
The evolution toward the electronic patient record and HIPAA compliance is forcing everyone to catch up with technology and there is no looking back. Globalization has enabled the medical transcription professional to even sit at home and work for clients who may be located anywhere else on the globe or beyond.
The current developments in VRS (voice recognition software) and its evolution may some day totally automate and even remove the human element in the medical transcription process. Medical transcriptionist (MT) is already happy enough to just edit the documents produced by the VRS.
Future, technology may grow to replace the human element and medical transcription can mean just another chip on a board. (I don't mean to be sarcastic). But then we still value art don't we? Like a hand printed dress or antique furniture, manual medical transcription work will have its value and may become more precious. Won't it?
Read more..
Monday, August 30, 2010
Medical Transcription Offers Real Typing Jobs
Medical transcription jobs from home provide legitimate typing jobs. Because of the aging population, the need for health care services has increased. This in turn has increased the need for medical transcriptionists and there is a lot of work available in this field.
Medical transcription jobs includes working for individual doctors at physician's offices, hospitals, and a variety of healthcare facilities, insurance companies, legal offices, research centers, laboratories, government medical facilities, and other organizations. However, you are not restricted to working in an office, and many transcriptionists work from home either as freelancers or employees.
When freelancing or working from home, you can charge slightly higher fees than medical transcriptionists working in an office because clients do not have to pay employee benefits. They set their own hours and can choose to work part time or full time.
The person who transcribes the dictation is called a medical transcriptionist, typists, medical word processors and medical secretaries. They use a transcription machine and a word processing program to transcribe dictation into a typed document. When transcribing digital recordings, they use a specialized foot pedal and software.
What kind of work will you do as a medical transcriptionist? You simply transcribe or type dictated information into a word processing program.
The health professional dictates the patient information into a recorder or through a phone dictation system. Medical transcriptionists transcribe this information into a typed document. The transcribed documents are sent back to the dictator as a digital file or hard copy for verification and approval and they become part of a patient's permanent medical record.
What skills do you need? You need to be familiar with many medical specialties and must be able to produce accurate transcription. The finished transcription work or transcribed documents provide legal documentation of patient care. They are needed for insurance reimbursement, litigation and scientific research.
To get medical transcription jobs, you will need to be proficient with medical terminology and you may need to have formal medical transcription training. As health records contain patients' personal information and medical information, transcriptionists must keep all information confidential.
How do you start getting medical transcription work from home?
You can receive and send transcription work through the Internet, making it possible to work from any location. Many medical transcriptionists can work from home either as independent contractors or home-based employees.
Client for transcription from home jobs may include medical professionals, physicians, therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and insurance companies. It may be easier to start by working for larger medical transcription service offices. Some individual transcriptionists may be open to helping you get started.
You may be able to find clients advertising, through the Internet and online job sites and freelance sites.
If you want to do transcription work from home as an employee, you are more likely to get work from home from an employer you have worked for in an office previously.
If you're looking for legitimate typing work from home, consider medical transcription. It's one of the best home typing jobs from home and there is plenty of work available.
Read more..
Medical transcription jobs includes working for individual doctors at physician's offices, hospitals, and a variety of healthcare facilities, insurance companies, legal offices, research centers, laboratories, government medical facilities, and other organizations. However, you are not restricted to working in an office, and many transcriptionists work from home either as freelancers or employees.
When freelancing or working from home, you can charge slightly higher fees than medical transcriptionists working in an office because clients do not have to pay employee benefits. They set their own hours and can choose to work part time or full time.
The person who transcribes the dictation is called a medical transcriptionist, typists, medical word processors and medical secretaries. They use a transcription machine and a word processing program to transcribe dictation into a typed document. When transcribing digital recordings, they use a specialized foot pedal and software.
What kind of work will you do as a medical transcriptionist? You simply transcribe or type dictated information into a word processing program.
The health professional dictates the patient information into a recorder or through a phone dictation system. Medical transcriptionists transcribe this information into a typed document. The transcribed documents are sent back to the dictator as a digital file or hard copy for verification and approval and they become part of a patient's permanent medical record.
What skills do you need? You need to be familiar with many medical specialties and must be able to produce accurate transcription. The finished transcription work or transcribed documents provide legal documentation of patient care. They are needed for insurance reimbursement, litigation and scientific research.
To get medical transcription jobs, you will need to be proficient with medical terminology and you may need to have formal medical transcription training. As health records contain patients' personal information and medical information, transcriptionists must keep all information confidential.
How do you start getting medical transcription work from home?
You can receive and send transcription work through the Internet, making it possible to work from any location. Many medical transcriptionists can work from home either as independent contractors or home-based employees.
Client for transcription from home jobs may include medical professionals, physicians, therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and insurance companies. It may be easier to start by working for larger medical transcription service offices. Some individual transcriptionists may be open to helping you get started.
You may be able to find clients advertising, through the Internet and online job sites and freelance sites.
If you want to do transcription work from home as an employee, you are more likely to get work from home from an employer you have worked for in an office previously.
If you're looking for legitimate typing work from home, consider medical transcription. It's one of the best home typing jobs from home and there is plenty of work available.
Read more..
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Medical Transcription - The Myths and Truths
In recent times there have been many myths and misconceptions regarding medical transcription, giving it a bad press. Given below are a few myths:
* Medical transcription is easy and anybody can be a transcriptionist: This is a common myth about transcription, given that entry into this profession is relatively easy. No formal qualifications are required except for an aptitude for the English language, good keyboard skills and a keen ear. In spite of the easy entry to qualify as a medical transcriptionist, a person has to go through extensive training in medical terminology, procedures and drugs. This profession also requires a person to constantly educate themselves on the latest developments in the medical field
* Medical transcription is just a data entry service: Transcription is a service, which requires attributes like good listening, applying context when in doubt and an extensive knowledge base to draw from unlike data entry. Moreover transcription goes beyond just a data entry service by having additional benefits like effective report distribution, archiving and adding value to the healthcare facility in terms of reducing staff burden, reducing capital investment in medical transcription, and freeing up resources like utilities and real estate.
* Medical transcription can be replaced with voice recognition software: Voice recognition software is software that automatically converts the dictation of the healthcare professional into a typed text. On the face of this, it sounds like the answer to the transcription needs of a healthcare facility.
But this software is not easy to use due to the following reasons:
1. The software has to be 'taught' to recognize the voice of the user and terminology used
2. A healthcare professional has to dramatically slow down his usual way of dictation and speak in a structured way, including punctuation etc., resulting in loss of productivity of the healthcare professional.
3. In spite of all these preparations the accuracy of the voice recognition software has been found to be only 60%-80%.
Because of such low accuracy levels the need for transcriptionists arises to proof read the reports and edit them to bring them up to the desired level of accuracy.
Outsourcing transcription is time consuming: Outsourcing transcription can be made easy and quick by analyzing the specific needs of the healthcare facility and evaluating a prospective service provider by these attributes. A quick way to assess the service provider is through:
1. Methods of quality assessment
2. Billing method used
3. Technology used
4. Measures for ensuring HIPAA/HITECH compliance
5. Training methods used
6. Assessing if all the work in done in-house or through the use of sub-contractors.
7. Testimonials
8. Free trial
Read more..
* Medical transcription is easy and anybody can be a transcriptionist: This is a common myth about transcription, given that entry into this profession is relatively easy. No formal qualifications are required except for an aptitude for the English language, good keyboard skills and a keen ear. In spite of the easy entry to qualify as a medical transcriptionist, a person has to go through extensive training in medical terminology, procedures and drugs. This profession also requires a person to constantly educate themselves on the latest developments in the medical field
* Medical transcription is just a data entry service: Transcription is a service, which requires attributes like good listening, applying context when in doubt and an extensive knowledge base to draw from unlike data entry. Moreover transcription goes beyond just a data entry service by having additional benefits like effective report distribution, archiving and adding value to the healthcare facility in terms of reducing staff burden, reducing capital investment in medical transcription, and freeing up resources like utilities and real estate.
* Medical transcription can be replaced with voice recognition software: Voice recognition software is software that automatically converts the dictation of the healthcare professional into a typed text. On the face of this, it sounds like the answer to the transcription needs of a healthcare facility.
But this software is not easy to use due to the following reasons:
1. The software has to be 'taught' to recognize the voice of the user and terminology used
2. A healthcare professional has to dramatically slow down his usual way of dictation and speak in a structured way, including punctuation etc., resulting in loss of productivity of the healthcare professional.
3. In spite of all these preparations the accuracy of the voice recognition software has been found to be only 60%-80%.
Because of such low accuracy levels the need for transcriptionists arises to proof read the reports and edit them to bring them up to the desired level of accuracy.
Outsourcing transcription is time consuming: Outsourcing transcription can be made easy and quick by analyzing the specific needs of the healthcare facility and evaluating a prospective service provider by these attributes. A quick way to assess the service provider is through:
1. Methods of quality assessment
2. Billing method used
3. Technology used
4. Measures for ensuring HIPAA/HITECH compliance
5. Training methods used
6. Assessing if all the work in done in-house or through the use of sub-contractors.
7. Testimonials
8. Free trial
Read more..
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Medical Transcription and Voice Recognition
Medical transcription (MT) assignments are one of the highly acclaimed outsourced jobs in the healthcare industry and are mainly aimed at enabling US and UK based healthcare providers to have cost-effective solutions in maintaining day-to-day patient records.
In the competitive healthcare arena where medical facilities are finding it difficult and expensive to maintain their own in-house transcription facilities, having these jobs outsourced spells huge savings in cost and effort. All major medical transcription service providers are now offering their medical transcription and voice recognition services in a highly customized and time-bound manner.
Voice recognition technology has a key role to play in medical transcription services and is one of the major advancements being made in the transcription sector. Voice recognition technology uses computers to recognize doctors’ dictations but current technologies are not capable of providing 100% accuracy in the transcribed documents and hence all documents generated using voice recognition technologies still require manual proofreading to maintain the high accuracy levels required.
Almost all medical transcription facilities are now offering their services in accordance with the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) regulations. These regulations ensure that all online transactions involving patient records are done in a safe and secure manner. The archival facilities provided by transcription firms are highly beneficial to clients as retrieval and transmission of patient records in future will be much easier.
To have accurate documentation of medical reports, most MT facilities have employed highly skilled and trained transcriptionists. The proofreaders and editors working in these medical transcription facilities make sure that all processed records maintain high accuracy levels of up to 99%. Most of these medical transcription facilities take care to update the knowledge base of their employees so that they remain well informed about the latest developments in medical treatments and medicines. This helps them handle their jobs easily and accurately.
The medical transcription facilities also have a number of related services for their clients which include medical coding and medical billing. To provide benefits for the healthcare industry on the whole, most medical transcription providers are now offering their services for a wide range of healthcare clients.
Healthcare clients in the US who are heavily dependent on medical transcription and voice recognition services include private practitioners, hospitals, clinics, long term care facilities and acute care centers. Medical transcription firms provide their services for short term as well as long term requirements and hence all categories of medical care providers are ensured smooth functioning and timely completion of assigned jobs.
Read more..
In the competitive healthcare arena where medical facilities are finding it difficult and expensive to maintain their own in-house transcription facilities, having these jobs outsourced spells huge savings in cost and effort. All major medical transcription service providers are now offering their medical transcription and voice recognition services in a highly customized and time-bound manner.
Voice recognition technology has a key role to play in medical transcription services and is one of the major advancements being made in the transcription sector. Voice recognition technology uses computers to recognize doctors’ dictations but current technologies are not capable of providing 100% accuracy in the transcribed documents and hence all documents generated using voice recognition technologies still require manual proofreading to maintain the high accuracy levels required.
Almost all medical transcription facilities are now offering their services in accordance with the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) regulations. These regulations ensure that all online transactions involving patient records are done in a safe and secure manner. The archival facilities provided by transcription firms are highly beneficial to clients as retrieval and transmission of patient records in future will be much easier.
To have accurate documentation of medical reports, most MT facilities have employed highly skilled and trained transcriptionists. The proofreaders and editors working in these medical transcription facilities make sure that all processed records maintain high accuracy levels of up to 99%. Most of these medical transcription facilities take care to update the knowledge base of their employees so that they remain well informed about the latest developments in medical treatments and medicines. This helps them handle their jobs easily and accurately.
The medical transcription facilities also have a number of related services for their clients which include medical coding and medical billing. To provide benefits for the healthcare industry on the whole, most medical transcription providers are now offering their services for a wide range of healthcare clients.
Healthcare clients in the US who are heavily dependent on medical transcription and voice recognition services include private practitioners, hospitals, clinics, long term care facilities and acute care centers. Medical transcription firms provide their services for short term as well as long term requirements and hence all categories of medical care providers are ensured smooth functioning and timely completion of assigned jobs.
Read more..
Monday, August 2, 2010
Future of Medical Transcription
With the demand for quality medical transcription services rising, medical transcription (MT) outsourcing jobs seem to have a bright and secure future. Medical transcription is the most outsourced job in the healthcare industry and is provided with the aim of reducing both time and cost factors involved in the daily documenting of patient details. As the healthcare industry in the United States is closely associated with insurance firms, time-bound processing of patient records is essential for the smooth functioning of both healthcare and insurance firms.
Almost all US based healthcare facilities find medical transcription outsourcing to be highly beneficial and these services have now become an integral part of their daily functioning. By outsourcing these jobs, healthcare providers can concentrate more on providing better infrastructure and facilities for patients and have to worry less about hiring and training medical transcriptionists. With most transcription facilities functioning according to HIPAA regulations, all patient records remain secure, confident and safe.
To produce good quality patient records, most of these healthcare firms have employed highly skilled and experienced professionals in medical transcription, and their skills and knowledge play a key role in the success of these transcription firms. For new recruits, professional training is being given to achieve higher accuracy levels demanded by the industry. With the help of in-house language experts and proofreaders, most processed patient documents maintain high accuracy levels of up to 99%.
Now both established as well as new entrants in the healthcare industry including hospitals, clinics and private practitioners are aware of the benefits of medical transcription outsourcing and hence are moving towards these services. Most MT providers offer related services such as medical coding and medical billing for their healthcare clients.
India and Philippines are two emerging powers in the medical transcription field and are set to become the hub of future medical transcription jobs. The availability of a vast pool of graduates who are computer-literate and fluent in English and the turnaround time of 24 hrs for submitting assignments, are factors working in favor of the growth of medical transcription firms in these countries.
Right from its initial stages, the medical transcription industry has been undergoing revolutionary changes regarding the equipments and technologies used. From the initial typewriters and Dictaphone transcribers to high end computers, the medical transcription industry is always moving with the latest trends in technology. The quality in operations and the flexibility of the industry in adopting new technologies all ensure that the medical transcription community will have a long and bright future.
Read more..
Almost all US based healthcare facilities find medical transcription outsourcing to be highly beneficial and these services have now become an integral part of their daily functioning. By outsourcing these jobs, healthcare providers can concentrate more on providing better infrastructure and facilities for patients and have to worry less about hiring and training medical transcriptionists. With most transcription facilities functioning according to HIPAA regulations, all patient records remain secure, confident and safe.
To produce good quality patient records, most of these healthcare firms have employed highly skilled and experienced professionals in medical transcription, and their skills and knowledge play a key role in the success of these transcription firms. For new recruits, professional training is being given to achieve higher accuracy levels demanded by the industry. With the help of in-house language experts and proofreaders, most processed patient documents maintain high accuracy levels of up to 99%.
Now both established as well as new entrants in the healthcare industry including hospitals, clinics and private practitioners are aware of the benefits of medical transcription outsourcing and hence are moving towards these services. Most MT providers offer related services such as medical coding and medical billing for their healthcare clients.
India and Philippines are two emerging powers in the medical transcription field and are set to become the hub of future medical transcription jobs. The availability of a vast pool of graduates who are computer-literate and fluent in English and the turnaround time of 24 hrs for submitting assignments, are factors working in favor of the growth of medical transcription firms in these countries.
Right from its initial stages, the medical transcription industry has been undergoing revolutionary changes regarding the equipments and technologies used. From the initial typewriters and Dictaphone transcribers to high end computers, the medical transcription industry is always moving with the latest trends in technology. The quality in operations and the flexibility of the industry in adopting new technologies all ensure that the medical transcription community will have a long and bright future.
Read more..
Monday, July 26, 2010
Medical Transcription Introduction
Introduction to Medical Transcription
Medical Transcription is the process of converting voice dictation (typically either cassette or digital format) into a permanent written record utilizing word processing equipment and software.
Each day in hospitals all over the country, thousands of patients are admitted and discharged. Examinations are conducted, procedures are performed and recommendations are made. It is not uncommon for multiple physicians to be involved in a simple procedure for a single patient. Radiologists, Pathologists, Anesthesiologists, Surgeons, and a host of other medical specialists must all coordinate their efforts to ensure that patient care is both adequate and appropriate.
Underpinning all of these activities is a complex web of medical and patient information. Each patient-related activity and procedure must be meticulously documented and then added to the patient's permanent record. Physicians and medical record handlers alike must be extremely careful to ensure that detailed patient identification information accompanies each procedure and examination report to avert potentially disastrous mix-ups. Over time, all of this information accumulates in a centralized medical records repository where it serves as a critical resource for patient care - facilitating accurate diagnoses and appropriate treatments. Indeed, timely patient care often hinges on the ability of Radiology, Pathology, and other specialty departments to quickly conduct their examinations and report their findings.
Evolution and History of Medical Transcription
In the past, patient medical charts consisted of a series of abbreviated handwritten notes that were funneled into the patient's file for interpretation by the primary physician responsible for diagnosing ailments and prescribing treatment. Ultimately, this hodge-podge of handwritten notes and typed reports was consolidated into a single patient file and physically stored along with thousands of other patient records in a wall of filing cabinets in the medical records department.
Whenever the need arose to review the records of a specific patient, the patient's file would be retrieved from the filing cabinet and delivered to the requesting physician. To enhance this manual process, many medical record documents were produced in duplicate or triplicate by means of carbon copy.
In recent years things have changed considerably. Walls of filing cabinets have given way to desktop computers connected to powerful mainframe systems where patient records are prepared and archived digitally. This digital format allows for immediate remote retrieval by any physician who is authorized to review the patient information. Reports are stored electronically and printed selectively as the need arises.
While the transition from a paper based to an electronic format will take years to complete, considerable progress has been made. Handwritten reports are largely a thing of the past. Verbal dictation is now by far the most common method for documenting and reporting the results of examinations and procedures. Physicians generally use either a cassette based voice dictation system or a digital voice dictation system to record their findings. Dictating reports verbally not only allows physicians to be more thorough in their reporting, it also saves them a great deal of time. The Wall Street Journal recently reported the results of a study conducted by the Association of Legal Administrators suggesting that verbal dictation is the fastest way to create a document. The study states that "a 245-word document takes 9.34 minutes to create with an electronic dictaphone, compared with 16.46 minutes on a personal computer and 16.49 minutes by hand." (WSJ, Tuesday, October 22, 1996, page A1, column 5). Given the salaries of most physicians, the cumulative productivity savings associated with these technological enhancements is considerable.
The process of converting voice dictation to a typewritten format is known as transcription. Traditionally a staff of skilled medical transcriptionists working in the medical records department of the hospital has accomplished the work of transcribing medical records. In the early years of medical transcription it was not uncommon for very large hospitals to have staffs of 40 or 50 medical transcriptionists working one or more shifts. A transcription supervisor, who in turn reported to the Medical Records Director, generally oversaw these transcriptionists.
The Medical Transcription Outsourcing Trend
Increasingly, traditional hospitals are coming under competitive attack by more efficient managed care organizations. In an effort to remain competitive, many hospitals have turned to outsourcing as a means of cutting costs. Many of the processes that were previously performed internally are now being contracted out to third parties. Medical transcription is no exception. The outsourcing of transcription and other functions relieves hospitals of the administrative headaches and overhead burdens associated with internal production and allows them to focus their attention on improving service and lowering costs.
This new competitive climate has driven many hospitals out of business. Those organizations that have survived have done so by becoming more efficient and cost-conscious. There is considerable evidence to suggest that contracting out medical transcription is a much less costly alternative to producing reports internally. Most savvy healthcare providers today understand this and are responding appropriately. The significant cost-cutting pressures which continue to drive the industry toward consolidation, managed care and capitation virtually guarantee that the outsourcing trend will not only continue but accelerate in coming years.
This proliferation of outsourcing agreements has spawned a new generation of small medical transcription companies intent on carving out a piece of the pie. Interestingly, in spite of its rapid growth, the medical transcription industry is still considered a cottage industry. While there are a few truly national players, the industry is at this point still dominated by the hundreds of small local transcription companies located wherever hospitals are found.
Read more..
Medical Transcription is the process of converting voice dictation (typically either cassette or digital format) into a permanent written record utilizing word processing equipment and software.
Each day in hospitals all over the country, thousands of patients are admitted and discharged. Examinations are conducted, procedures are performed and recommendations are made. It is not uncommon for multiple physicians to be involved in a simple procedure for a single patient. Radiologists, Pathologists, Anesthesiologists, Surgeons, and a host of other medical specialists must all coordinate their efforts to ensure that patient care is both adequate and appropriate.
Underpinning all of these activities is a complex web of medical and patient information. Each patient-related activity and procedure must be meticulously documented and then added to the patient's permanent record. Physicians and medical record handlers alike must be extremely careful to ensure that detailed patient identification information accompanies each procedure and examination report to avert potentially disastrous mix-ups. Over time, all of this information accumulates in a centralized medical records repository where it serves as a critical resource for patient care - facilitating accurate diagnoses and appropriate treatments. Indeed, timely patient care often hinges on the ability of Radiology, Pathology, and other specialty departments to quickly conduct their examinations and report their findings.
Evolution and History of Medical Transcription
In the past, patient medical charts consisted of a series of abbreviated handwritten notes that were funneled into the patient's file for interpretation by the primary physician responsible for diagnosing ailments and prescribing treatment. Ultimately, this hodge-podge of handwritten notes and typed reports was consolidated into a single patient file and physically stored along with thousands of other patient records in a wall of filing cabinets in the medical records department.
Whenever the need arose to review the records of a specific patient, the patient's file would be retrieved from the filing cabinet and delivered to the requesting physician. To enhance this manual process, many medical record documents were produced in duplicate or triplicate by means of carbon copy.
In recent years things have changed considerably. Walls of filing cabinets have given way to desktop computers connected to powerful mainframe systems where patient records are prepared and archived digitally. This digital format allows for immediate remote retrieval by any physician who is authorized to review the patient information. Reports are stored electronically and printed selectively as the need arises.
While the transition from a paper based to an electronic format will take years to complete, considerable progress has been made. Handwritten reports are largely a thing of the past. Verbal dictation is now by far the most common method for documenting and reporting the results of examinations and procedures. Physicians generally use either a cassette based voice dictation system or a digital voice dictation system to record their findings. Dictating reports verbally not only allows physicians to be more thorough in their reporting, it also saves them a great deal of time. The Wall Street Journal recently reported the results of a study conducted by the Association of Legal Administrators suggesting that verbal dictation is the fastest way to create a document. The study states that "a 245-word document takes 9.34 minutes to create with an electronic dictaphone, compared with 16.46 minutes on a personal computer and 16.49 minutes by hand." (WSJ, Tuesday, October 22, 1996, page A1, column 5). Given the salaries of most physicians, the cumulative productivity savings associated with these technological enhancements is considerable.
The process of converting voice dictation to a typewritten format is known as transcription. Traditionally a staff of skilled medical transcriptionists working in the medical records department of the hospital has accomplished the work of transcribing medical records. In the early years of medical transcription it was not uncommon for very large hospitals to have staffs of 40 or 50 medical transcriptionists working one or more shifts. A transcription supervisor, who in turn reported to the Medical Records Director, generally oversaw these transcriptionists.
The Medical Transcription Outsourcing Trend
Increasingly, traditional hospitals are coming under competitive attack by more efficient managed care organizations. In an effort to remain competitive, many hospitals have turned to outsourcing as a means of cutting costs. Many of the processes that were previously performed internally are now being contracted out to third parties. Medical transcription is no exception. The outsourcing of transcription and other functions relieves hospitals of the administrative headaches and overhead burdens associated with internal production and allows them to focus their attention on improving service and lowering costs.
This new competitive climate has driven many hospitals out of business. Those organizations that have survived have done so by becoming more efficient and cost-conscious. There is considerable evidence to suggest that contracting out medical transcription is a much less costly alternative to producing reports internally. Most savvy healthcare providers today understand this and are responding appropriately. The significant cost-cutting pressures which continue to drive the industry toward consolidation, managed care and capitation virtually guarantee that the outsourcing trend will not only continue but accelerate in coming years.
This proliferation of outsourcing agreements has spawned a new generation of small medical transcription companies intent on carving out a piece of the pie. Interestingly, in spite of its rapid growth, the medical transcription industry is still considered a cottage industry. While there are a few truly national players, the industry is at this point still dominated by the hundreds of small local transcription companies located wherever hospitals are found.
Read more..
Friday, July 23, 2010
Medical Transcription Practice Tapes: Ways to Achieve Proficiency in Medical Transcription
Medical transcription is one of the most popular home businesses and is always high on the list of those who want to work at home. Running your own medical transcription business involves typing medical notes, including a history and physical, operative reports, follow up reports etc., so that the physician has detailed information about that patient. The physician also needs a medical transcript to send to the insurance companies so he/she can be reimbursed for services rendered.
A keen sense of hearing is an ace in the game of medical transcription. A typical hearing acuity alone will not assure a 100% accuracy in the medical transcripts you produce. If you wish to master the art of medical transcription, you need to have a well-developed sense of hearing. In this field, you can't afford to make mistakes when you're typing what the doctor says. This is because there is a very thin line between each word's pronunciation as with the terms "a rock" and "Iraq". And, in a case like this, slight misheards could mean a difference between life and death especially when you're dealing with the patients' medicines. We all know that it's hard to find a medical transcriptionist who is born with an excellent sense of hearing. But, it does come with practice. You have a lot of potential to achieve good listening skills. As we always say "practice makes perfect". You can start training your ears by watching English TV shows or by talking to different kinds of people and study their voice patterns and pronunciations. Also, you can start listening to the varying accents in English of American, Australian, British, Mexican, or Indian doctors. Really, it's your choice. Although, the best approach is exposure to real physician dictations, you can also enhance yourself through the use of medical transcription practice tapes.
But what are medical transcription practice tapes? Actually, medical transcription practice tapes are recording and storage devices used by doctors for their dictations, which are converted as wav or voice files in the computer just like that of an mp3. But, there are also those medical transcription practice tapes being used by students in some medical transcription schools, which may be bought online. They are not really that different from those used by physicians except for the fact that they are utilized for a specific purpose. Medical transcription practice tapes as the name implies are only used for practice and not for actual transcription. They either contain simulated or real physician dictations. Medical transcription practice tapes are for the use of beginners who have no exposure to real physician dictations as well as for already established medical transcriptionists who just want to attain a higher level of competency in the field.
Although medical transcription practice tapes may be rented, the best option for beginners is perhaps to have a copy of their own. These days, you need not go to a specific store to purchase medical transcription practice tapes. They are available online from several websites that specialize in medical transcription. They usually come in two sizes, that is standard-sized medical transcription practice tapes and micro-sized medical transcription practice tapes.
The duration of dictation for these medical transcription practice tapes and the level of the terms' difficulty vary as well. As an added feature, answer keys are provided to compare your work with.
Whoever said you can't learn on your own must be bluffing. Medical transcription practice tapes can truly make a difference in your performance, although it is necessary to have medical terminology skills beforehand. In fact, for beginners, early exposure to actual dictations could give you the edge you need, and for seasoned transcriptionists, or people going back into the field of medical transcription, the extra practice will definitely improve the skills necessary to become a true medical language specialist.
Read more..
A keen sense of hearing is an ace in the game of medical transcription. A typical hearing acuity alone will not assure a 100% accuracy in the medical transcripts you produce. If you wish to master the art of medical transcription, you need to have a well-developed sense of hearing. In this field, you can't afford to make mistakes when you're typing what the doctor says. This is because there is a very thin line between each word's pronunciation as with the terms "a rock" and "Iraq". And, in a case like this, slight misheards could mean a difference between life and death especially when you're dealing with the patients' medicines. We all know that it's hard to find a medical transcriptionist who is born with an excellent sense of hearing. But, it does come with practice. You have a lot of potential to achieve good listening skills. As we always say "practice makes perfect". You can start training your ears by watching English TV shows or by talking to different kinds of people and study their voice patterns and pronunciations. Also, you can start listening to the varying accents in English of American, Australian, British, Mexican, or Indian doctors. Really, it's your choice. Although, the best approach is exposure to real physician dictations, you can also enhance yourself through the use of medical transcription practice tapes.
But what are medical transcription practice tapes? Actually, medical transcription practice tapes are recording and storage devices used by doctors for their dictations, which are converted as wav or voice files in the computer just like that of an mp3. But, there are also those medical transcription practice tapes being used by students in some medical transcription schools, which may be bought online. They are not really that different from those used by physicians except for the fact that they are utilized for a specific purpose. Medical transcription practice tapes as the name implies are only used for practice and not for actual transcription. They either contain simulated or real physician dictations. Medical transcription practice tapes are for the use of beginners who have no exposure to real physician dictations as well as for already established medical transcriptionists who just want to attain a higher level of competency in the field.
Although medical transcription practice tapes may be rented, the best option for beginners is perhaps to have a copy of their own. These days, you need not go to a specific store to purchase medical transcription practice tapes. They are available online from several websites that specialize in medical transcription. They usually come in two sizes, that is standard-sized medical transcription practice tapes and micro-sized medical transcription practice tapes.
The duration of dictation for these medical transcription practice tapes and the level of the terms' difficulty vary as well. As an added feature, answer keys are provided to compare your work with.
Whoever said you can't learn on your own must be bluffing. Medical transcription practice tapes can truly make a difference in your performance, although it is necessary to have medical terminology skills beforehand. In fact, for beginners, early exposure to actual dictations could give you the edge you need, and for seasoned transcriptionists, or people going back into the field of medical transcription, the extra practice will definitely improve the skills necessary to become a true medical language specialist.
Read more..
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