The Medical Transcription Profession

The professional healthcare team includes physicians, nurses, therapists, technicians, dieticians, and other healthcare support staff. A vital member of this team is the medical transcriptionist. While not as visible to the general public as those members of the team providing hands-on care, the medical transcriptionist plays an important role in documenting the quality of patient care.

Medical transcriptionists provide an important service to both physician and patient by transcribing dictated medical reports that document a patient's medical care and condition. These may include office chart notes, history and physical examinations, consultations, letters, memos, admission notes, emergency department notes, operative reports, discharge summaries, and many specialized laboratory tests and diagnostic studies. Medical transcriptionists transcribe reports from a variety of medical specialties, and each day's work presents a unique challenge and opportunity for learning.

Medical transcriptionists contribute to quality patient care through their commitment to excellence. Because each dictated report represents a part of a patient's life, the medical transcriptionist transcribes it with care, demonstrating an extensive knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, pharmacology, human diseases, surgical procedures, diagnostic studies, and laboratory tests in order to produce an accurate and complete permanent medical record.

A mastery of English grammar, structure, and style, a knowledge of transcription practices, skill in typing, spelling, and proofreading, and the highest professional standards contribute to the medical transcriptionist's ability to interpret, translate, and edit medical dictation for content and clarity.

Medical transcriptionists work in a variety of settings, including medical centers, general and specialty hospitals, clinics and group practices, radiology and pathology offices, government facilities, insurance companies, home offices, and other environments. Some medical transcriptionists combine their transcription skills with clinical skills to work as medical assistants. Others become supervisors, managers, and college teachers.

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What it Takes to be a Good Transcriptionist

One of the first helpful skills that may come to mind is being a good typist. This is definitely a plus but it can also be learned if you're not currently very fast. A good typing software program and a little practice will get you up to speed in no time.

Along with good typing skills there are a few other key traits.

Helpful Skills to be a Transcriptionist:

* Ability to apply common sense. Often times you won't understand what the dictation is saying and you'll need to try to put the phrase into context to figure out what the speaker means.

* A keen eye for detail. This will help in proofreading and editing to ensure you turn in the highest quality work.

* Strong work ethics. You'll have to meet deadlines and be extremely reliable.

* Good organizational skills. If you have a lot of clients it's important to stay organized.

* Good communication skills. For marketing your business and dealing with clients.

* Professionalism and discreetness (often times you'll be transcribing very sensitive documents which require full confidentiality).

* Basic computer skills and the ability to get around a word processing program

* A good grasp of the English language, good spelling and grammar skills

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Medical Transcription Home Study Courses

If you are interested in medical transcription training but have a busy schedule, there are options to brick-and-mortar vocational schools. You might want to consider medical transcription training at home.

MT home study courses work well for students who are independent. Self-discipline is essential for successful medical transcription training at home. It's a good option for students who do not have a vocational school nearby or who cannot physically attend classes for a variety of reasons. At home training can be the option of choice for those who learn best on their own.

Medical transcription training at home offers several advantages. One of these, of course, is the ability to work at your own pace. You can take the time you need in more difficult areas, but move quickly through coursework that you find easier. You don't have to pace yourself with your teacher and classmates. Another advantage is the ability to schedule coursework around other commitments, such as your job. You don't have to worry about following the class schedule.

Of course, the most obvious advantage of MT training at home is the ability to work in comfort. You don't have to commute. You don't have to look for parking. If you have a hectic schedule, you don't have to worry about showing up late for class. Homework gets done when you have time, and you can take tests when you feel you are ready for them instead of cramming to meet the teacher's deadline.

Some medical transcription schools offer video instructional videos. This gives you the opportunity to hear the terminology, an important part of medical transcription training. The ability to replay the videos as often as necessary to understand the terminology is another advantage to medical transcription training at home.

Medical transcription training at home is not for everyone. For those who are disciplined and don't need supervision, though, a home study course can be rewarding.

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Future Outlook For Medical Transcription

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the future outlook for medical transcription looks good. This is a lucrative, in demand-career with great growth opportunities.

If you?re considering a medical transcription course or are already taking one, this is good news. It means you will have plenty of employment as well as financial opportunities.

Although, medical transcription is predicted to grow and remain stable, there are a few common concerns among the MT community.

These are the most common.

Will voice recognition replace transcriptionists?

There has been talk for a long time about voice recognition and new software which will replace the jobs of MTs. This will not affect you any time soon. There are a number of growing issues and concerns with this software. It is not being used in a large setting and has not yet replaced the need for medical transcription on the whole.

Medical terminology is complex and the regulations for patient records are stricter than ever. At present, the most accurate way to transcribe these records is by trained MTs.

According to the Medical Records Institute, which actually promotes the use of computerized medical records, current research shows use of speech recognition in the medical fields is less than 1%.

What about offshore transcription companies?

Some companies are using offshore transcription companies to save money. However, while outsourcing medical transcription to offshore companies can save money, many companies are not following this route.

There are various concerns and issues with outsourcing to offshore companies. Offshore MT companies are not required to comply with HIPPA regulations. This means they don?t follow the HIPPA security and privacy guidelines to safeguard medical records.

In some cases it can be done, but mandatory agreements required by HIPPA guidelines must be signed. And precautions must be taken so that data isn?t sent overseas. The overseas vendors must log on to U.S. database to do their work, which means extra systems and measures must be put in place. This can be expensive and time consuming.

Although, some companies may find the need for saving money is worth these risks, most won?t.

I agree with the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics and believe the future of medical transcription looks good and there are many opportunities out there for the taking.

However, although the future of MT looks promising, times HAVE changed. MTs of today should start adapting to the ever changing business technology around them.

The technology is there and available for us to take our businesses to the next level. With a few clicks of a mouse we can build our own MT website, set up an online diary or download files for transcribing.

Be smart in your business, keep up with the times, adapt to technology and your future outlook will look better than ever. Mila Sidman is an experienced MT and owner of http://www.AskTheMT.com - an informative website dedicated to answering all your medical transcription questions.