What is a Medical Transcriptionist?
A medical transcriptionist is one who transcribes written reports or converts voice-reports by doctors and healthcare professionals into text. A medical transcriptionist will convert all important and new patient information, provided by medical professionals, into written format. The medical transcriptionist will convert digital copy into written text and will also assist with the editing and collecting of information as written and digital copy; they will convert all important and confidential patient medical information into text.
The medical transcriptionist will use various processing technology such as computers and speech recognition. They may be employed by a hospital or a medical clinic or be directly employed by a private medical practice. There is also the opportunity to work from home and telecommute.
Medical Transcriptionist Job
An MT’s job is simply to perform medical transcription. Duties and responsibilities which make up the MT’s job are: to accurately transcribe patient information such as the name which appears on the medical report, address and occupation and government identification numbers; to accurately transcribe, valuing all elements of proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, and to also edit and seek inconsistencies; consult various medical references to ensure proper terminology as well description of all healthcare procedures; transcriptions must be kept in a log; MT’s may assist with assembling, preparing, copying and sorting charts and records; collect dictation recordings and distribute transcriptions; search out physician’s missing dictation; return all printed and digital reports on time; check their work for quality and accuracy; might help with digital information maintenance; might report technological issues and help inventory management of materials used in transcription; might help with gathering and distribution of statistical information.
The process can be as follows: a patient will visit a doctor about a health issue and the doctor will examine the patient, make an initial diagnosis, and recommend the next steps (referral; testing; prescription). When the doctor leaves the patient the doctor will deliver the confidential patient information into a portable recording device or into a central server. Here the report is held. A medical transcriptionist now accesses the voice file. The MT will transcribe the voice file into the desired written format for the medical report. This is now a legal document. When the patient again visit’s the doctor, the doctor can now call up this report and use it in further treatment of the patient.
The document must be properly formatted and must be reviewed and edited. If the MT makes an error in the document (i.e. Lists the wrong medication, or lists an incorrect diagnosis) the patient could receive improper care from the doctor and be at great risk. The doctor and the MT both have a responsibility to make sure the information is accurate.
The MT’s duty is to transcribe exactly what is said by the doctor and not make any changes, but is allowed to notify of any possible errors. A doctor may not speak properly or may mumble or maybe there is a technical error with the recording device. National or regional accents can also contribute to misunderstandings. An MT will often be called upon to consult medical references when doubt arises. If an MT flags a report, the doctor will be required to fill in the blank. An MT should never guess or assume what a doctor meant to say.
The health industry often changes and new information comes about all the time. It is an MT’s obligation to update themselves on new medicines and terms. Personal references must be kept new and recent.
Medical Transcriptionist Salary
As with many professions, the pay band for an MT is very large. The top end of earnings can be more than $35,000 annually. Beginning wages are smaller but reflect the MT’s lack of knowledge and experience in the field. Starting wages can be paid in different forms — an MT working for a hospital or clinic might be paid hourly or salaried. An independent medical transcriptionist, working from home or by contract, might work out a pay agreement based on the amount of work.
By being paid hourly or by being paid by amount of work will give one the greatest freedom to make as little or as much as desired. Obviously, as one gains experience in the field not only will they be able to ask for more money, but their knowledge will make the work faster and less time consuming.
It is a profession that will allow the person to realize their full earning potential if they choose to.
Medical Transcriptionist Career Outlook
Much has changed in the field since its early stages. Technology has improved and equipment has become more advance and sophisticated. Typewriters became word processors and now SR (Speech Recognition) has come into increased use. SR is now taken even further with natural language recognition, interpreting one’s speech rhythm and patterns beyond mere word recognition.
The storage of information has also changed drastically. Large rooms filled with ceiling-high filing cabinets, storing thousands of pages of medical information, have now given way to the convenience of digital storage. There is now the ability to store hundreds of thousands memory drive. The digital form also allows greater access for doctors and medical professionals — not only is it easier to share information amongst various departments within a unit, there is also no geographical limitation. No doubt as storage from digital to digital, the MT will also be working less with paper hard copies and instead with digital soft copy.
This will also require Medical Transcriptionists to protect patient security and confidentiality in a different form. It will forces the MT to become even more technology-savvy as they move away from paper storage to the processing and storage and delivery of data within a digital medium. Access to patient information and ease of it in digital format will now be a concern of the Medical Transcriptionist. Adaptation, as with anything, is key.
Medical Transcriptionist Requirements
There are skills and abilities directly and indirectly related to the work. All will be useful. A basic understanding of medical terms is an asset; for the written element of the job, one should have above-average skills when it comes to spelling and grammar; an excellent memory and communication skills are key; skills with handling numbers; with the dependency and shift towards the digital form, a strong technological awareness is becoming more important; follow instructions both verbal and written; typing skills must be well above average.
Knowledge of the medical field is key. Terminology is of great importance; physiology and anatomy; various diseases; grammar related to medical writing; knowledge of four key aspects of the health field — Discharge Summary, Operative Report, Consultation, History and Physical Exam; multiple reporting and formatting.
Medical Transcription Work
It is a field where the employee can work as they please, as they would like to suit their lifestyle. A Medical Transcriptionist can work at a hospital or clinic and with that comes the security and assurance of steady and known regular pay. Paid hourly work means that all overtime is subject to an increase in pay.
One can work independently from home and perform much of the work by telecommuting or VPN (Virtual private Network). This allows for personal and career freedom as your own hours can be set. You can work independently for a hospital or clinic or a practice of family doctors. You can have multiple contracts and work as much as you want. The majority of Medical Transcriptionists work from a home office.
There is concern over outsourcing. Some medical establishments are outsourcing transcription to save money. But the concerns are security of medical information; quality of work as many of the countries where work is outsourced to, English is not the native language.
Medical Transcription Certification
There are programs advertised at numerous schools online, ranging from a one-year to two-year course. Completing a course and achieving certification is the best way of securing work. Schooling will give you theory and practice and better prepare you.
School will familiarize you with the technological aspects of the profession; it will strengthen your reading and writing skills; it will allow you to become familiar with and proficient with various written and digital formats; it will expose you to the ethical questions of a profession where access to individuals and their health records are readily available; it will educate you on the business of the medical industry and give you a better idea of what personal path you would like to follow within the profession.
Medical Transcriptionist Work at Home
The medical transcription business in the U.S. is estimated at $10-$25 Billion. The majority of Medical Transcriptionists work in a home office. Working at home allows you freedom. You can work hours more suitable to you and your lifestyle. You can customize your home office to suit your professional needs. Inconveniences and distractions that come from regular work environments — commuting, office hazards and distractions, resource availability — can be minimized. medical transcriptionist jobs Working from home can also mean the ability to have satellite capabilities. If work is where home is, then work can also be wherever home happens to be.
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