Digital Recording For Transcription of Interviews - Top Seven Tips

• Check with the interviewee that they do not mind being recorded for later transcription. It is wise to do this when arranging the interview as it will be a bit late to make alternative arrangements when the interview is about to start. It is polite, however, to confirm at the start of the interview that the participant is still happy to be recorded.
• Conduct explanations about your research and give background information before switching on the recorder, to save on recording time. Although many digital recorders have many hours of available time, if you record this you will also need to remember to ask you transcriptionist not to transcribe it.
• Use an external microphone on your recorder. Internal mikes are only suitable for dictation (one voice).
• Record the interview in a quiet place. Background noise can drastically reduce the quality of the recording and increase the time taken to transcribe. The ideal environment is a quiet private room, where interviewer and interviewee can sit comfortably without feeling crowded, but not so large that the recording has an echo effect.
• Make sure you use a recorder that has a facility for transferring files to a PC. Some, called ?note takers? do not have the facility. You will have to send the entire machine to your transcriptionist, which obviously has a number of disadvantages.
• Use a file format that is compressed (see my article Digital File Types for Audio Transcription http://ezinearticles.com/?Digital-File-Types-for-Audio-Transcription&id=413748), so that sound recordings can be transferred over the internet to your transcriptionist
• Check your recorder is recording before proceeding with the interview!

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Audio Transcription

Audio Transcription is the process of changing audio files into verbatim transcripts for companies across industries - from medicine and insurance to airlines and automobiles, to corporate and media companies and many more. By outsourcing audio transcription, you'll save both money and cost and create a more productive atmosphere for your employees.

There are different types of audio transcriptions like audio transcription for business groups, for speakers, teleconferences, for media companies and production houses. In addition the above-mentioned services can also be available for transcribing of press conferences, scripts, educational institutes, corporate and government agencies.

The main benefit of using an audio transcriptionist is the fact that they are available 24/7, 365 days a year. Other benefit is that you can only pay for the time that an audio transcriptionist takes to do the work. You just pick up the phone; send a fax or e-mail explaining your requirements.

You can make use of an audio transcriptionist for convenience and flexibility. You use an audio transcriptionist when secretaries are not available due to bad weather, train delays or sickness. You don't need to train an audio transcriptionist; they use their own equipment. The cost depends on the job. They can charge by the hour, per taped minute, by the page or by the line. We can also charge by the item.

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What Education Does a Medical Transcriptionist Need?

If you are looking for a job in medical transcription, you will need some sort of formal MT training beyond high school. Fortunately, medical transcription education doesn't require the time and cost of a four-year degree.

A good MT education prepares you to transcribe medical reports. To do this, you need to be able to listen to recordings and understand medical terminology. Having the right education helps you do this.

A comprehensive medical transcription course will teach you medical terminology. It is essential for medical transcriptionists to understand medical jargon and identify proper terms to use. A good MT course program will teach you to use appropriate medical reference materials to make sure you get it right. With a good medical transcription education, you will be able to spot errors and edit to make the report clear and to correct grammar. You will learn the standards that must by used for medical records. Medical transcription education is also essential for learning legal and ethical requirements of medical records.

You also need strong computer skills and good grammar and punctuation skills. Pre-employment tests are often necessary, and you won't pass these without medical transcription education. Many medical transcription programs offer on-the-job experience, which will give you confidence when you look for your first job.

Medical transcription education can be attained in a variety of ways. There are certificate programs that last a year. If you want to advance your education, two-year programs are offered at vocational schools. Distance learning works well for medical transcription, so you may not even have to leave your home to learn.

As you can see, medical transcription education is essential to doing the job right. There is no other way to learn the terminology and technology necessary for work in this field. Fortunately, it is easy to find schools offering medical transcription education. You can even learn from home. Whatever your needs are, there is an opportunity for finding the right medical transcription education that will work for you.

For more information on starting a medical transcription career or making more money as an MT visit www.AskTheMT.com - an informative website dedicated to answering all your medical transcription questions

A Career In Medical Transcription: Is It For You?

You've very likely heard of someone who is making a good living as a medical transcriptionist. He or she might even be working from the comfort of their home. And you've probably asked yourself if this might be a career option for you.

It may well be. Let's take a look at the facts.

What exactly is medical transcription? In the course of their work, doctors and other healthcare professionals make dictated recordings of various things including physical examination observations, patient history, operative reports, referral letters, discharge summaries, observations regarding imaging data and so on.

A medical transcriptionist listens to these recordings and transcribes them into medical reports, correspondence, etc. She listens to a segment of recording, pauses the playback and keys in what is said before moving on to the next segment. She may do some editing for better grammar and clarity.

The transcribed document is sent back to the health care provider who then reviews it for accuracy and gets it signed. These documents become part of the patient's medical history records and perhaps insurance records.

To be effective at this job, you should understand medical terminology well. That includes anatomy, pharmacology, diagnostic procedures, treatment assessments and more.

Many distance education programs, colleges and vocational schools offer post-secondary training in medical transcription. Having a degree is not essential. With a home-study course, you can usually pick up the necessary knowledge within a year, often in less than nine months.

You can find work in hospitals, laboratories, physician's offices, firms offering transcription services, government medical facilities and so on. Working from home is also a possibility and many employers offer work-at-home options for transcriptionists. Apart from that, many individuals work as independent contractors.

With experience, it is possible to move into supervisory positions, which include editing work, teaching, consulting, etc.

What equipment would you need, if you wanted to do medical transcription at home? Not very much -- a computer with a medical spellchecker, printer, a transcriber and reference books are about all you need. To help you save on the actual typing, a word expander utility might help. If you are on a tight budget, buy second hand equipment will do just as well.

Medical transcription work does call for certain skills and mindset. Apart from basic computer skills, you must be detail oriented. If detail work bores you to tears, this might not be the career for you.

You must know typing, although speed will come with practice. You should also have excellent listening skills and grammar skills.

If you're planning to work from home, it is essential to be comfortable with working alone and meeting deadlines. You must be a self-starter who can work consistently without being driven by a boss.

Given the growth in health practices and hospitals and the need for standardization of records, the demand for medical transcription services is likely to keep growing. You should carefully analyze the pros and cons of this field before venturing into it. Medical transcription provides a rewarding and fulfilling career for many people and it can do the same for you too.

John Travers is a business consultant who has written about medical transcription, other business transcription services and related topics