As soon as you are ready to find medical transcription job opportunities, volunteer your time, effort and resources to establish your professionalism. Seek out and join a local chapter of the American Association of Medical Transcriptionists (AAMT) in your area, and ask how you may be of help to your local chapter. Volunteers are always needed and will be welcomed with open arms. This is a terrific way to brand yourself as a person who is serious about the medical transcription career. Veteran medical transcriptionists will take notice of you, and that will open the doors to medical transcription job opportunities in the future.
When seeking medical transcription job opportunities, market yourself to local medical transcription agencies. Set up an appointment or interview, if possible. Expand your network by talking to everyone you can in the medical transcription field and let them know that you are willing to do whatever it takes, including volunteer work, to get your foot in the door. Do not forget to thank those who have helped you along the way.
Unique strategies are sometimes required to locate medical transcription job opportunities. Look for unusual local situations. For instance, in the 1990s Orange County, California, declared bankruptcy. On a hunch, I called the Sheriff-Coroner's Office to see if they needed help. I was told that all but one full-time medical transcriptionist had been laid off, and there was a nine- month backlog of autopsy reports. Nine months! After interviewing there and being welcomed with open arms, I worked there every Saturday for almost a year. I received a wonderful education in Pathology terminology, and I must say it was the most rewarding experience I ever had. Additionally, the sole medical transcriptionist was nearing retirement which put me in a great position to receive a job offer once she retired.
In your quest for medical transcription job opportunities, ask your MT instructors if they might need help with transcribing classroom assignments. As an MT student, I can clearly remember how bad the assignment copies were. After I completed the medical transcription courses, I word processed the assignments, corrected the mistakes that had been in them, and then took them to a print shop for reprinting and binding. Then I sent these to my medical transcription instructor; it was my way of thanking her for all she had done for me. I also helped my medical terminology instructor, who was writing a book. I word processed the medical reports for her medical terminology book. In case you are wondering, I was working full time as a medical transcription and word processor all the while.
Volunteering is a wonderful way to find medical transcription job opportunities that are not advertised. It is something that most people do not think of doing. Even if you do not get immediate results from doing volunteer medical transcription work, people will have good things to say about you. The word will get out that you are looking for medical transcription job opportunities, and it will just be a matter of time before you get the chance to prove yourself as a medical transcriptionist.
Sphere: Related Content
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Medical transcriptionists now among RP's highest-paid
Medical transcriptionists are now the second highest-paid workers in the health sector after medical doctors, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) disclosed over the weekend.
Citing the results of the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics' latest Occupational Wages Survey, TUCP spokesperson Alex Aguilar said medical transcriptionists are now earning substantially higher compensation income compared to medical technologists, nurses and even dentists.
According to survey, medical transcriptionists get an average of PhP10,757 in monthly wages.
This rate is P1,462 or 16 percent higher than the average of P9,295 received by medical technologists; P1,813 or 20 percent higher than the P8,944 received by nurses; and PhP3,722 or 53 percent higher than the PhP7,035 received by dentists.
Medical doctors receive an average of P18,134 in monthly wages.
The survey covered only compensation income earners in medical, dental and other health jobs as opposed to those earning professional fees.
Aguilar said employment growth in outsourced medical transcription services is expected to outpace considerably the 25-percent annual job expansion in the country's booming contact centers.
He said medical transcription jobs are projected to increase at an average annual rate of 90 percent through 2010.
"The growth of medical transcription services is assured as long as we have enough supply of capable human resources," he pointed out.
Aguilar said fresh graduates of nursing, pharmacy, medical technology, public health, physical therapy and other allied medical courses should be encouraged to consider transcription work while they are waiting for higher-paying employment opportunities here or abroad.
"Nursing graduates, for instance, can work part-time or full-time as transcriptionists while reviewing for the licensure examination or while waiting for an overseas job placement," he said.
The local medical transcription industry is seen to generate US$ 238 million in revenues this year; US$ 476 million in 2008; US$ 952 million in 2009; and US$ 1.71 billion by 2010.
The industry now employs more than 17,000 medical transcriptionists.
This workforce is expected to hit 34,000 by 2008; 68,000 by 2009; and 122,000 by 2010, according to the Medical Transcription Industry Association of the Philippines Inc.
Medical transcription is the process of transforming voice-recorded or hand-written medical reports, such as dictation of physicians and hospital records, to text matter that may be stored as printed or electronic data.
In developed countries, electronic medical records have become the preferred means of data storage, giving medical professionals ready access to information regardless of location.
Aguilar said the United States medical transcription services market alone is worth US$ 25 billion annually and more jobs there are being entrusted to the Philippines which has ample supply of cost-effective, English-speaking human resources. Sphere: Related Content
Citing the results of the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics' latest Occupational Wages Survey, TUCP spokesperson Alex Aguilar said medical transcriptionists are now earning substantially higher compensation income compared to medical technologists, nurses and even dentists.
According to survey, medical transcriptionists get an average of PhP10,757 in monthly wages.
This rate is P1,462 or 16 percent higher than the average of P9,295 received by medical technologists; P1,813 or 20 percent higher than the P8,944 received by nurses; and PhP3,722 or 53 percent higher than the PhP7,035 received by dentists.
Medical doctors receive an average of P18,134 in monthly wages.
The survey covered only compensation income earners in medical, dental and other health jobs as opposed to those earning professional fees.
Aguilar said employment growth in outsourced medical transcription services is expected to outpace considerably the 25-percent annual job expansion in the country's booming contact centers.
He said medical transcription jobs are projected to increase at an average annual rate of 90 percent through 2010.
"The growth of medical transcription services is assured as long as we have enough supply of capable human resources," he pointed out.
Aguilar said fresh graduates of nursing, pharmacy, medical technology, public health, physical therapy and other allied medical courses should be encouraged to consider transcription work while they are waiting for higher-paying employment opportunities here or abroad.
"Nursing graduates, for instance, can work part-time or full-time as transcriptionists while reviewing for the licensure examination or while waiting for an overseas job placement," he said.
The local medical transcription industry is seen to generate US$ 238 million in revenues this year; US$ 476 million in 2008; US$ 952 million in 2009; and US$ 1.71 billion by 2010.
The industry now employs more than 17,000 medical transcriptionists.
This workforce is expected to hit 34,000 by 2008; 68,000 by 2009; and 122,000 by 2010, according to the Medical Transcription Industry Association of the Philippines Inc.
Medical transcription is the process of transforming voice-recorded or hand-written medical reports, such as dictation of physicians and hospital records, to text matter that may be stored as printed or electronic data.
In developed countries, electronic medical records have become the preferred means of data storage, giving medical professionals ready access to information regardless of location.
Aguilar said the United States medical transcription services market alone is worth US$ 25 billion annually and more jobs there are being entrusted to the Philippines which has ample supply of cost-effective, English-speaking human resources. Sphere: Related Content
Outsourcing Transcription - How to Get the Best Deal
There are many transcription services available but sometimes an affordable transcription service can seem hard to find. Transcription is not cheap, because it is a lot more involved than copy typing, but that doesn't mean you can't find a good deal with a transcription service, and what's more, by providing good quality recordings you can make the transcription more affordable, as it will take less time to complete.
When pricing up your options the most important thing to remember is that it's just not possible to type as fast as you speak. Even an experienced transcriptionist will be able to average four times as long for a good, clear one-to-one interview - so an hour of recording will take an average of four hours to transcribe. (Industry standards obtained from the Industry Production Standards Guide (1998), published by OBC, Columbus, OH, USA). But a poor quality recording will take much longer. So how can you make sure that your transcript is clear, in order to get an affordable transcription price? Basically, the easier you make the transcription for the transcriptionist, the more likely they are to be able to give you an affordable transcription quote.
First of all, use the best transcription equipment you can afford, and make sure it's right for your needs. This means that for interviews you should have a recorded with an external microphone rather than one built into the recorder, which is only designed to pick up dictation. For focus groups you should have several microphones so that all participants are audible, and for conferences the speakers should have good microphones and there should also be people in the audience with 'roving' microphones to take around to any audience members wanting to ask a question.
Always try to make sure that you are recording in a quiet environment. Open windows can cause big problems unless you have a 'noise cancelling' microphone, which many digital ones are these days. So can air conditioning, so if you do have an air conditioning unit in the room try to ensure your speakers are not situated close to it. If conducting interviews by phone, and assuming that you have arranged these in advance (and asked permission to record, of course) then it's helpful to ask your interviewee to try to make sure they're in a quiet environment too!
If you are interviewing and you want the names included then it is helpful to spell out your interviewee's name at the beginning of the recording, before starting the interview, and speak out any information you would like on the transcript header e.g. the date, the job title of your interviewee etc. For conferences a speaker list and also a delegate list, if there will be audience questions, can save the transcriptionist a lot of time in trying to work out names and organisations.
During the interview, unless you need to interrupt in order to take back control of the interview, try not to speak over your interviewee. Often in a normal conversation we say 'yeah, yeah, yeah' or 'right' or 'OK' more to indicate we're listening than for any other reason. Every time you say that you are likely to be obscuring a much more important word or group of words spoken by your interviewee. And in conferences or panel discussions, if one speaker is giving a talk (i.e. without interruptions, not a discussion) make sure everyone else's microphones are turned off. I have, in the past, had to mark whole sentences or even paragraphs of a talk as inaudible, because all I could hear were two panel members chatting about their holidays or little Jonny's operation, and not the speaker!
Most transcriptionists work in a standard format, whether that be tabular, tabbed, interviews shown as initials or full names etc. Again most are happy to work to your specifications, but the standard format might well be cheaper, so think carefully about whether you need something different or not. Find out what the standard format is in advance if it concerns you, and you may be able to adapt it to your needs.
Finally, give some serious thought to whether or not you need a verbatim transcription. Verbatim transcription includes every repeated word, every 'um' and 'erm', all those 'filler' phrases like 'you know' and 'know what I mean' that may be repeated a hundred times in one interview, and can also include pauses, coughs, throat clearing etc. if required. Needless to say, this takes longer. If the transcriptionist can filter out all this stuff the transcript is quicker. In my company the cheapest level is what we call 'intelligent verbatim' which cuts out all these fillers but leaves the rest exactly as it's spoken. Different transcriptionists work this differently though, so always check when you're phoning for your quote. You can find detailed information about our editing levels on our website.
There are, of course, occasions when verbatim is required - depending on your topic it might be required for legal reasons, or you might be studying the language. But if you really don't need it, don't end up paying for it!
And finally, remember that the cheapest transcription quote might not be the most affordable one in the end. There is an oft-quoted phrase: if you pay peanuts you get monkeys. Will it really be cost-effective to send your hard-won interviews to the cheapest service if what comes back is gobbledygook and you have to go through the whole thing correcting every other word? How much time will you then waste that could have been spent more productively? Recommendation is always the ideal way to find a service, but if no one you know can recommend a transcription service then look for testimonials. A good company with a strong track record should always be able to provide these. If you're still not sure, ask questions and base your decision on the quality of the answers. Things you might like to ask are: turnaround time (when will you get the transcripts), confidentiality procedures, whether they have experience in your field, what the standard format is etc. Sphere: Related Content
When pricing up your options the most important thing to remember is that it's just not possible to type as fast as you speak. Even an experienced transcriptionist will be able to average four times as long for a good, clear one-to-one interview - so an hour of recording will take an average of four hours to transcribe. (Industry standards obtained from the Industry Production Standards Guide (1998), published by OBC, Columbus, OH, USA). But a poor quality recording will take much longer. So how can you make sure that your transcript is clear, in order to get an affordable transcription price? Basically, the easier you make the transcription for the transcriptionist, the more likely they are to be able to give you an affordable transcription quote.
First of all, use the best transcription equipment you can afford, and make sure it's right for your needs. This means that for interviews you should have a recorded with an external microphone rather than one built into the recorder, which is only designed to pick up dictation. For focus groups you should have several microphones so that all participants are audible, and for conferences the speakers should have good microphones and there should also be people in the audience with 'roving' microphones to take around to any audience members wanting to ask a question.
Always try to make sure that you are recording in a quiet environment. Open windows can cause big problems unless you have a 'noise cancelling' microphone, which many digital ones are these days. So can air conditioning, so if you do have an air conditioning unit in the room try to ensure your speakers are not situated close to it. If conducting interviews by phone, and assuming that you have arranged these in advance (and asked permission to record, of course) then it's helpful to ask your interviewee to try to make sure they're in a quiet environment too!
If you are interviewing and you want the names included then it is helpful to spell out your interviewee's name at the beginning of the recording, before starting the interview, and speak out any information you would like on the transcript header e.g. the date, the job title of your interviewee etc. For conferences a speaker list and also a delegate list, if there will be audience questions, can save the transcriptionist a lot of time in trying to work out names and organisations.
During the interview, unless you need to interrupt in order to take back control of the interview, try not to speak over your interviewee. Often in a normal conversation we say 'yeah, yeah, yeah' or 'right' or 'OK' more to indicate we're listening than for any other reason. Every time you say that you are likely to be obscuring a much more important word or group of words spoken by your interviewee. And in conferences or panel discussions, if one speaker is giving a talk (i.e. without interruptions, not a discussion) make sure everyone else's microphones are turned off. I have, in the past, had to mark whole sentences or even paragraphs of a talk as inaudible, because all I could hear were two panel members chatting about their holidays or little Jonny's operation, and not the speaker!
Most transcriptionists work in a standard format, whether that be tabular, tabbed, interviews shown as initials or full names etc. Again most are happy to work to your specifications, but the standard format might well be cheaper, so think carefully about whether you need something different or not. Find out what the standard format is in advance if it concerns you, and you may be able to adapt it to your needs.
Finally, give some serious thought to whether or not you need a verbatim transcription. Verbatim transcription includes every repeated word, every 'um' and 'erm', all those 'filler' phrases like 'you know' and 'know what I mean' that may be repeated a hundred times in one interview, and can also include pauses, coughs, throat clearing etc. if required. Needless to say, this takes longer. If the transcriptionist can filter out all this stuff the transcript is quicker. In my company the cheapest level is what we call 'intelligent verbatim' which cuts out all these fillers but leaves the rest exactly as it's spoken. Different transcriptionists work this differently though, so always check when you're phoning for your quote. You can find detailed information about our editing levels on our website.
There are, of course, occasions when verbatim is required - depending on your topic it might be required for legal reasons, or you might be studying the language. But if you really don't need it, don't end up paying for it!
And finally, remember that the cheapest transcription quote might not be the most affordable one in the end. There is an oft-quoted phrase: if you pay peanuts you get monkeys. Will it really be cost-effective to send your hard-won interviews to the cheapest service if what comes back is gobbledygook and you have to go through the whole thing correcting every other word? How much time will you then waste that could have been spent more productively? Recommendation is always the ideal way to find a service, but if no one you know can recommend a transcription service then look for testimonials. A good company with a strong track record should always be able to provide these. If you're still not sure, ask questions and base your decision on the quality of the answers. Things you might like to ask are: turnaround time (when will you get the transcripts), confidentiality procedures, whether they have experience in your field, what the standard format is etc. Sphere: Related Content
Medical Transcription sector to boom despite recession: report
Despite global economic downtrend, the Medical Transcription (MT) industry is looking for a further growth buoyed by a report of the NASSCOM stating that recession has not hit the healthcare industry.
Reverse is the trend in medical transcription outsourcing in the US, which is witnessing agonising attrition in large scale in IT, financial, manufacturing and other sectors.
As per a NASSCOM report, the MT industry will be worth Rs 40 billion by 2010 and could employ as many as 50,000 people. It predicts that this industry is here to stay for at least 10 years.
It estimated the size of the US MT industry, which is in the range of around $ 12 million in 2005, would reach $ 16.8 billion by 2010. The work offshored was expected to be in the region of $ 860 million in 2010, of which India is expected to capture $ 647 million. India remained a preferred offshore destination primarily due to availability of manpower and industry maturity.
The report also expected the employee strength of 18,000 in 2006 in India-based MT vendors would reach 52,000 by 2010. For an industry that witnessed too much crowding, too fast in India, a report conducted by US-based Stevens International Consulting expected the value of MT outsourcing in the US to double by 2005 to $ 4 billion. India could take as much as two-thirds of that increase, providing work to 45,000 transcribers. Sphere: Related Content
Reverse is the trend in medical transcription outsourcing in the US, which is witnessing agonising attrition in large scale in IT, financial, manufacturing and other sectors.
As per a NASSCOM report, the MT industry will be worth Rs 40 billion by 2010 and could employ as many as 50,000 people. It predicts that this industry is here to stay for at least 10 years.
It estimated the size of the US MT industry, which is in the range of around $ 12 million in 2005, would reach $ 16.8 billion by 2010. The work offshored was expected to be in the region of $ 860 million in 2010, of which India is expected to capture $ 647 million. India remained a preferred offshore destination primarily due to availability of manpower and industry maturity.
The report also expected the employee strength of 18,000 in 2006 in India-based MT vendors would reach 52,000 by 2010. For an industry that witnessed too much crowding, too fast in India, a report conducted by US-based Stevens International Consulting expected the value of MT outsourcing in the US to double by 2005 to $ 4 billion. India could take as much as two-thirds of that increase, providing work to 45,000 transcribers. Sphere: Related Content
What do I think about taking a free medical transcription course
Quite often I have people asking me if I know of a good free medical transcription course. Quite frankly, I have no idea why anyone would want to take free classes to become an MT. The old saying stands “you get what you pay for”. If you are truly interested in becoming a medical transcriptionist and beginning a new career then you want the very best education you can get.
Anyone offering a free medical transcription course is not going to pay very well. Why would they, they had to educate you first. The reason they offer free medical transcription training is so that they can pay you very little and so that you will have to stay working for them. You will not be able to take that free training and go work for anyone else as the education will be limited to their company format only. It is not worth it!
Many of the top medical transcription schools offer payment plans if money is a worry, and if you don’t want to pay for your education then you cannot be very serious about becoming an MT. This job is not just a typing job. This job is a part of the medical industry. Maintaining completely accurate health care records is a must and there are many factors that you need to learn to create those health care records. Medical terminology, grammar and proper formatting of reports as well as the HIPPA rules are just a few.
Bottom line, if you want a real, legitimate career in medical transcription forget about anyone offering a free medical transcription course. Get your medical transcription training from one of the recommended medical transcription courses by AHDI and you will be able get a legitimate medical transcription job after you graduate and be paid what you are worth.
Sphere: Related ContentWill advances in technology affect the future of the medical transcription profession?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions I see. Unfortunately, there are so many naysayers out there spreading their negativity and convincing people, who otherwise would have found a wonderful career, not to pursue it. I was very happy to see this question asked of David Clegg, Deputy Chairman of the Employment Security Commission in NC.
I had thought about becoming a medical transcriptionist, but I think they might be a dying breed due to technology advances. Do you agree? – Betty Normandin, Pinehurst
The health industry is going to be one of the most robust sectors of the economy. Medical transcription will be expected to grow as an occupational category but it is going to be one that will have to adapt to quickly changing technology. ESC data show that the occupation will grow about 2 percent a year. The average wage for that job now is around $35,000.
As I have been saying for the last few years, technology is not perfect but medical reports do have to be perfect. There is just too much that computers cannot take into account such as the many different accents, editing of grammar, proper formatting, etc. MTSO’s as well as medical transcriptionists will definitely have to adapt to new technology and we are. Things cannot, will not and should not stay the same. We are always evolving and those of us who can accept that and adapt to it, instead of fear it, will succeed.
Thanks so much to Betty Normandin for asking the question and to David Clegg for answering it so honestly.
Sphere: Related ContentOutsourcing Transcription Work - White Paper
Transcription is basically defined as any typing of oral recordings (intelligent verbatim transcription) – these days on a digital recorder, often supplied by a company called Olympus and recorded onto a CD or digital file.
The file is then sent to a transcriber (typist) who uses software to turn the recorded work into a manuscript. This is the transcript and hence we get the word transcription.
Transcription has become fairly big business and a lot of companies and firms are experimenting with outsourcing transcription work.
General Dictation
There are two sorts of outsourced transcription work, the first being day to day, general dictation by managers, fee earners and professionals and these tend to be mainly letters, memos and reports. There are big enterprises in the UK and the USA that outsource the typing work to call centre operations in India and South Africa. These operations can be running many hundreds of thousands of recordings at any one time and the turnaround rate is usually within hours.
The cost of outsourcing day to day transcription work is usually very good and can safe companies considerably, though not as one much as one would expect. Firstly, a secretary on site can often be handling lots of different things at any one time, including enquiries, telephone calls and some junior fee earning managerial tasks. A secretary offshore in India can simply type a letter.
Recordings – Interviews & Research
The second sort of transcription is the longer recordings of interviews, reports, consultations and conferences.
These tend to be bulk orders and will be a number of tapes, CDs or digital files recorded of discussions, meetings or straightforward one to one interviews - the transcription is simply a full record of the recording.
Court transcription services are a good example of this, although most courts have their own select list of transcribers who will simply do court work and nothing else on a set contract with their machinery in the courtrooms.
The second type of recording (ie: conferences and meetings) tends to be very time consuming, and often companies & organisations will look to outsource this so that they can free up staff internally to deal with other work.
A good example of this is solicitors firms where a police station interview needs transcribing; usually a secretary would have to do it. However a secretary transcribing a 30 minute police station interview requires about four hours of time. Four hours of a secretary’s day would be very costly to a solicitor when the secretary is also taking telephone calls, general typing and admin work.
Another example would be a company who had an employment tribunal hearing and need a recording of a disciplinary meeting transcribing. The cost of transcribing a disciplinary meeting again can be measured in terms of the time it would take someone from a department to sit down and type out the whole meeting. This means that for every 20 minutes of recording, somebody has got to sit for probably in the region of about three hours to transcribe. Three hours of somebody’s time to do this is often too expensive for the company and usually somebody volunteers to do it, realises how hard the work is within about five minutes and says they won’t do it with the work being outsourced at that stage!
These are the reasons why transcription has become so popular to be outsourced – it frees up staff time and also gets rid of a very unpopular task that can be turned around quickly and effectively offsite by experienced transcribers.
TRANSDYNE Transcription Services is an online cost-effective outsourcing operation that is cost effective for companies and organisations to have work transcribed, whether for small or large orders. The company regularly deals with universities, plc’s and SME’s across the US. Sphere: Related ContentOutsourcing vs. In-house Medical Transcription
Effectively, outsourcing is the modern day progression of an idea that has always existed in trade, but has found new application with the advancement and adoption of new technologies.
Applied to the area of medical services, as healthcare organizations and providers grow in size and operations, it becomes imperative that their focus be directed to their core activities (patient care) while non-core functions (like transcription and billing) are contracted out or outsourced to organizations which specialize in that particular function. This allows medical providers to do things a lot more efficiently and enables them to do more with less.
With the daily challenges of managing patient information and stringent regulations, managing a full medical transcription staff also puts a strain on the time and resources of a medical organization. Outsourcing medical transcription work in such a scenario is not only immensely beneficial, but also comes with a few other advantages that are not possible with in-house transcription. Listed below are a few of these benefits.
1 Lower Capital Investment & Equipment Expenses
When you outsource your medical transcription requirements, you no longer have to own or maintain a dictation system, a typing platform or worry about upgrading your equipment. Your capital expenses on maintenance with the average maintenance agreement can cost upwards of 10% of equipment costs, annually. Maintaining an in-house transcription team also places certain office equipment and space expenses which are removed by outsourcing.
2 Turnaround time guarantees & Volume fluctuations
While the number of documents generated by a healthcare organization averages out across months, on a daily basis document volume can fluctuate heavily because of dictation frequency and patient volume. This not only increases management overhead but also delays transcription more often than not. With a medical transcription vendor, you are provided with guarantees on turnaround time so that patient documents are never delayed. This removes the need for you to set document priority based on the criticality and urgency of a document and ensures that all documents are available when you need them.
3 Reduced management overheads
The amount of time needed to manage medical transcription in-house can be a large overhead when you consider tasks like managing dictations, allocating transcription work, setting document priority and maintaining archives of audio and documents. Outsourcing reduces these overheads effectively improving efficiency in other areas.
4 Benefits from economies of scale
Transcription firms usually handle dictations from several hundreds and sometimes thousands of medical professionals on a daily basis. Because of the volumes they handle, transcription of documents is streamlined with the implementation of commercial workflow systems, set workflow practices and quality assurance processes. These practices improve quality while reducing costs. More often than not, these cost benefits are passed on to customers reducing your transcription expense while improving quality.
5 Online Documents and Archives
The advent of online medical transcription and associated document management systems, in the last few years has resulted in a number of web based tools that simplify organization and management of documents. In-house transcription requires a painstaking system of distributing and archiving reports generated on a daily basis. Shifting to an outsourced transcription solution usually comes with a free online document management system that removes a number of these document management overheads. These free systems provide a simple a number of secure document management features in an easy-to-use interface. Apart from removing the IT costs associated with owning and maintaining such systems, they result in a number of staff efficiency gains.
6 Lower direct labor costs
Hiring transcribers as full time employees adds to your direct labor costs in terms of salaries, payroll benefits and payroll taxes, increasing the total cost of running your organization. Outsourcing removes a large number of these costs.
We have gone over the efficiency and quality benefits that accompany outsourced medical transcription solutions. We also touched on the broad cost benefits associated with medical transcription outsourcing. Let us now break down some of these expenses to get a clearer picture. The actual amounts spent on each of the below expenses vary from organization to organization.
If you have done the calculation above, it becomes apparent that if you do your medical transcription within the organization, wages constitute only a percentage of your total cost.
When you outsource your transcription the rest of the overheads mentioned above are managed by the transcription provider who takes advantage of economies of scale.
Other bonuses like web-based document management systems and support for a number of features and options, contribute towards making medical transcription outsourcing an invaluable and essential tool that helps a focused Medical Service Organization devote its time to its core function, that of Patient Care.
Sphere: Related ContentMonday, February 23, 2009
Outsourcing Transcription: What Are the Driving Forces?
Medical transcription is accelerating rapidly in virtually every area. Volume, line count, productivity demands, investment costs, managerial requirements, industry regulations, staffing pressures, physician expectations, process complexity—all these burdens are increasing at an overwhelming pace. For these reasons and more, a growing number of medical facilities are transferring their transcription services to external companies.
The driving forces behind outsourcing can be divided into three basic areas: turnaround, technology, and management.
Turnaround
The most clear-cut reason for outsourcing is increasing productivity and turnaround time (TAT). Not too many years ago, a TAT of 48 to 72 hours was common and acceptable. Those days are gone. In the modern world, physicians and patients expect complete medical records to be available within hours of dictation. Healthcare facilities also have a strong financial motivation to ensure quick TATs due to the billing cycle’s dependency on completed transcription. In addition, JCAHO requirements and other regulations have also added pressure to increase TAT.
The ability to meet strict TAT demands is increasingly difficult for even the largest hospital chains. The primary reason is staffing. The number of qualified medical transcriptionists (MTs) entering the job market in the United States is decreasing every year. In fact, there are more MTs retiring than who are joining the profession. Add growing demands to a shrinking workforce and it makes for an extremely difficult situation.
Assuming a healthcare facility is able to recruit an adequate number of MTs, there is the problem of fluctuating volume. The maximum capacity MTs can accommodate remains constant, but the number of transcription files can vary dramatically. Many hospitals find themselves paying massive overtime during busy periods while still failing to meet TAT requirements. Meanwhile, the same hospitals are paying MTs to remain idle during slow periods.
By outsourcing transcription work to a large medical transcription service organization (MTSO), a facility will be reasonably assured of steady productivity and a consistent TAT on all transcription files regardless of any fluctuations in volume. Furthermore, pricing is based on the number of lines transcribed. Rates will not increase with volume, nor will you pay for any MTs not actively working on your files.
Technology
In addition to MT salaries (and the salaries of their supervisors), healthcare facilities must also account for the cost of transcription technology. Having the right hardware and software is critical for optimizing productivity, but identifying the “best” technology is an extraordinarily difficult process—especially considering it is a perpetually moving target. Which new applications and upgrades are worth investing in? The answer varies from hospital to hospital, doctor to doctor, and worktype to worktype.
Speech recognition can be a valuable tool in some areas—radiology, for example—but it produces limited results in others. Some doctors will benefit from handheld PDA dictation capability that automatically matches patient schedule and/or admission, discharge, transfer to the dictation file, while others will be more comfortable using more traditional dictation methods. Some facilities will use the full range of capabilities allowed by their transcription software, while others require only a small number of its resources. Uncertainty leads many facilities to pay for unnecessary technology.
Avoiding obsolescence is another major concern. Rapid advancements in software increase the risk that an expensive new application will be quickly outdated, and the life span of new hardware seems to shrink every year. Also, system maintenance can consume a great deal of time and capital.
Maintaining top-of-the-line equipment and software for every step of the transcription process would be cost prohibitive for almost any medical facility, even assuming the IT staff has the expertise to select and maintain the ideal technologies. An MTSO, however, is able to take advantage of industry expertise and economies of scale to consistently identify and incorporate the best, new technology.
Partnering with an MTSO usually ensures that transcription services will be performed on state-of-the-art hardware and software. Plus, a facility will be able to pick and choose which technological capabilities are right for its needs and budget, rather than being forced to install a complete system with capabilities it will never use.
Management
Medical transcription is a complex and unique area of expertise within the healthcare industry. The process, protocols, and technology involved are highly specialized to the task. With 24/7 service being the norm for medical transcription, healthcare facilities are finding it difficult to keep qualified MT supervisors on the job around the clock.
Transcription requires active management and strict quality assurance. It is necessary to have managers with a thorough understanding of the medical transcription field. Managers must oversee MT training, develop appropriate compensation packages, monitor transcription quality levels, evaluate process problems and improvements, and other specialized tasks. This is in addition to standard human resources concerns such as recruitment, sick days, turnover, etc.
Too often these responsibilities fall on the health information professional, a position that has grown increasingly challenging as job responsibilities continue to grow. Without the necessary transcription background or time required to properly manage an MT workforce, productivity and efficiency may suffer. MTSOs specialize in the transcription process and are able to alleviate the burden of MT management from facility administrators.
Conclusion
In the past, healthcare facilities have been concerned about instability and interruptions in the flow of transcription files when dealing with an outside company. Today, transcription outsourcing is an established industry with proven leaders. As healthcare administrators seek new solutions to their transcription needs, the advantages of outsourcing become increasingly apparent.
Growing volume is making it increasingly difficult for healthcare facilities to achieve aggressive turnaround times on their own—especially as the MT workforce continues to shrink. Furthermore, advances in transcription technology require capital investments that many healthcare facilities are unwilling to make because of costs and uncertainty. In addition, managing the MT staff requires a level of expertise that is often impossible for administrators who are in the business of overall patient care, not transcription alone.
These forces are driving modern medical facilities to seek partnerships with outsourcing companies that specialize in and optimize the transcription process.
Top Ten Reasons to Outsource Medical Transcription
What is Outsourcing? Subcontracting. Support. Managed services. However you define it, outsourcing has become the hot, creative solution that is helping more and more hospital CFOs, Health Information Managers (HIMs), and owners of physician practices do more with less. Less money. Less time. Less resources.
In these challenging times of tight budgets, compressed deadlines, exploding amounts of information, and stringent compliance regulations, managing medical transcription yourself can cost you in more ways than one. That's why outsourcing medical tanscription has become such an attractive solution for so many.
While outsourcing medical transcription is not a new concept, it might be new to you. And when done correctly, it's a pain-free process that gives you the freedom to focus on more important things, like patient care. Please take a few minutes to read the Top 10 Reasons why it can help you now to outsource medical transcription --- and in the long run.
Reason 1: Eliminate Capital Investment with Medical Transcription Outsourcing
When you outsource your entire medical transcription process, you no longer have to own a dictation system or invest in a typing platform or worry about upgrading to the very latest equipment.
In fact, all your capital expenses for supporting dictation and transcription are greatly reduced because you no longer have to own or maintain them. And maintaining these systems and varying equipment can really cost you, with the average maintenance agreement costing upwards of 17% of equipment costs, annually. Even if you only partially outsource your medical transcription, you can still reduce your expenses and make your budget work harder for you.
Reason 2: With Medical Transcription Outsourcing, Manage Report Volume and Staffing Fluctuations
There are some things you just can't control, no matter how hard you try. Report volume and staffing are just two of them, as these variables fluctuate without warning. Having to react to these challenges at a moment's notice can bring your day, department, and transcription process to a screeching halt.
Not to mention how these gyrations can negatively affect your budget. By outsourcing all of your medical transcription --- or even just the overflow --- you can cost-effectively manage sharp increases in report volume or a shortage in staffing without having it impact your turnaround time, workflow, quality, or compliance.
Reason 3: Outsource Medical Transcription and Reduce Management Expenses
Whether you're a CFO, Health Information Manager, or head your own physician practice, managing medical transcription in-house can be a costly proposition. With so many vast, overlapping layers to manage --- from dictation and routing to transcription and archiving --- there are variables at every turn, eager to steal your time, attention, and budget dollars. By outsourcing all or part of your transcription process, you are free to concentrate on more important priorities and leave all the headaches and stringent demands to your outsourcing partner. Outsourcing also reduces the need for robust in-house staffing which results in additional cost savings for you.
Reason 4: Reduce Direct Labor Costs
If you are managing your medical transcription process in-house, then most likely you are also carrying direct labor costs that are putting a strain on your already tight budget. As an integral part of document creation, transcriptionists and coding specialists are imperative to the success of your medical transcription process. Yet, hiring such staff as Full-Time Employees (FTEs) means not only having to pay their salaries, but also having to provide them with benefits. By outsourcing all or part of your medical transcription process, you can gain greater control, streamline your staff, and greatly reduce or eliminate these expenses.
Reason 5: Improve Report Accessibility and Distribution with Medical Transcription Outsourcing
A major benefit of outsourcing your medical transcription is finding a solution that's web-based. Through a secure, password-protected process, one can log-on to a user-friendly interface, search, view, edit, and print reports --- from any computer with Internet capabilities. You can also distribute documents to multiple destinations with the touch of a button. Older technologies, such as dictaphones and tape, do not give you that kind of easy, immediate accessibility. And because the solution is web-based, it comes with powerful keyword search capabilities so you can easily retrieve what you want, when you want it. You'll also have access to an entire year's worth of records, not just the last month or so by outsourcing your medical transcription.
Reason 6: Reduce IT Responsibility
When you manage medical transcription in-house, it greatly impacts your IT department. Not only are they expected to manage and troubleshoot the various medical transcription platforms and technologies you own, but they often inherit the maintenance of your onsite equipment. In addition, they're expected to keep up with the latest technology demands and updates to keep the system running to the best of its abilities. By outsourcing your medical transcription, you not only free up your IT team to work on more important things, but you also rescue a vast amount of space on the server that was once dedicated to supporting your dictation system. It all adds up to a more efficient, productive IT team and a faster, leaner server.
Reason 7: Eliminate HR Transcription Staff Recruitment
It's no secret there's a domestic shortage of qualified, certified medical transcriptionists. And maintaining a pool of dependable prospects you can call at a moment's notice puts a definite strain on any already burdened Human Resources (HR) department. With so few qualified medical transcriptionists to choose from and the constant need to fill the hospital's pipeline with new prospects, HR is caught in a losing proposition --- trying to fulfill constant requests from the HIMs and looking at a shallow prospect pool. By outsourcing your medical transcription, you eliminate the constant cycle of unsuccessful recruitment efforts and the inefficiencies and lost man-hours they incur.
Reason 8: Improve Report Accuracy and Turnaround Time
When you manage your own medical transcription process, you are ultimately responsible for the accuracy and turnaround time. Are you able to stringently measure performance and impose penalties if quality levels are not met? You can if you outsource your medical transcription process. Outsourcing medical transcription services regularly document their accuracy and turnaround time rate, making sure they have metrics that prove they're meeting Quality Assurance levels. Many outsourcing services also provide performance guarantees right in their contracts, which range from productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness to quality, turnaround time, and resource utilization.
Reason 9: Shorten Account Receivable Cycle
One of the easiest ways to shorten the accounts receivable cycle is to streamline your medical transcription process. If you manage your own medical transcription, you are managing people, records, medical coding, HIPAA compliance, technology, turnaround time, and all the possible variables that come with it. By outsourcing your medical transcription, you greatly simplify workflow. What was once ten steps can be reduced to five. This allows you to better meet 24-hour and even 12-hour turnaround time, but also realize soft cost savings that can be very meaningful. And ultimately, shorten your accounts receivable cycle.
Reason 10: Take Advantage of a Single-source Medical Transcription Solution
When you have to piece together your own medical transcription process, the entire weight of the solution is on your shoulders. Researching the right technology, platform, equipment, and recruits. Working closely with IT, accounts receivable, and HR. Squeezing every penny in your budget. Struggling with HIPAA compliance. And dealing with the day-to-day problems, cost surprises, and emergencies that constantly crop up. By outsourcing your medical transcription process to a single source, you free yourself of the burden, save substantial money by consolidating all your services with one provider, and still maintain complete control of the process --- while ensuring all necessary standards of quality, turnaround time, and HIPAA compliance are met.
Sphere: Related Content
The Risks In Offshore Outsourcing
Outsourcing, specifically offshore outsourcing is growing at a promising rate every year and shows no signs of slowing. Although some organizations have apprehensions on taking on this venture, it has not stopped the development of offshore outsourcing.
However, just like with anything else in the business world, there are always risks entailed with every endeavor and offshore outsourcing is not an exception. There are quite a few risks that organizations which, practice offshore outsourcing or those who are planning to, should know about.
Data Protection
Security practices differ from country to country that is why it is a must to check whether the vendors you have partner up with has the kind of protection and security practices that your company requires. When working on international business, the risk of security leakages is high. Although this is not really that much of a major concern in offshore outsourcing, data protection and security should be implemented as much as possible.
Cost-Reduction Expectations
Organizations automatically assume that they will be able to save a lot basing on a man-to-man comparison. This should not be the case since there are hidden costs that underlie in different offshore outsourcing models. Cost-reduction expectation should also take this into consideration. The cost savings in offshore outsourcing is gradual and does not happen in a short span of time.
Loss of Business Knowledge
There are some organizations that have business knowledge that is inherent only with the developers of applications. This knowledge could be a competitive advantage over other companies in the same industry. It should be carefully evaluated whether such knowledge base is to be outsourced or not since doing so entails the risk of losing this to other companies.
Failure of Vendor Organization to Deliver
It is important to always have a backup plan in case the vendor organization fails to deliver. This however rarely happens but it does and can happen. The client company should assess the different consequences if such thing should happen. Will it make a big impact on the company? What can the company actually do if it happens? Analyzing these risks is very crucial when offshore outsourcing.
Government Policies
When offshore outsourcing, you need to ensure that the vendor organization you have team up with follows the rules and regulations stipulated by the local government. Mostly, the issue of transparency is most important here given that this is part of the USA Patriot Act.
Cultural Differences
Although some nations, such as India, are proficient in speaking the English language, there are still some noticeable differences such as in pronunciation, accents and diction.
Not just with language, there are certain cultural differences that could become problematic in the future. This includes difference in religions, the way of dressing and communication - the way how messages are conveyed to superiors or underlings.
Knowledge Transfer
It takes time and a lot of effort to transfer knowledge from the client company to the vendor organization. It has been observed that during the initial stages of the agreement that there is a decline in productivity. This is due to the fact the most of the time during the initial stage is spent on transferring knowledge.
Different strategies may need to be implemented to increase the pace of knowledge transfer thus increasing the productivity level only in a short amount of time.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Virtual Transcription Services
Digital transcription is fast becoming the norm now that digital equipment has made it possible for transcription companies to provide online dictation and transcription services, delivering completed transcripts to clients located anywhere across the globe in record time. The process of transcription online (virtual transcription) means that transcription companies can rapidly and easily transcribe all kinds of standard and non-standard recordings (digital sound transcription, multimedia transcription, CD transcription, VHS and cassette tape transcription, mini and micro cassette transcription etc.), providing clients with accurate transcripts in the hard copy format of their choice.
Transdyne has resolved any security issues associated with online transcription by uploading files to secure websites. Clients send us their sound (or visual) files online in wav or any other compatible format, and we will deliver the completed transcripts via FTP, True Share, secure email, and, of course, courier, fax or regular mail. Our audio transcription services include converting your files into the optimal quality digital format to process.
Our online transcription service is equipped with state-of-the-art digital equipment, and offers superior, efficient and complete solutions to the process of transcription - from the initial dictation phase to the final phases of document management, production, distribution and storage.
Transdyne is a leading national outsourcer of transcription services. To provide superior quality online transcription services, we employ both highly experienced transcriptionists AND information technology experts who ensure that your dictations and recorded material are efficiently converted into data before being sent to the transcribers.
Internet transcription is useful in all the specialized areas of transcription. Online medical transcription is a rapidly growing sector of outsourced transcription, for example, and online medical transcription is fast becoming one of the major specializations of Transdyne online transcription services.
Transdyne is not a specialized transcription company. We provide general transcription services, as well as a complete range of specialized professional transcription services, including:
- Academic Transcription
- Legal Transcription (Court Transcription, Interview Transcription …)
- Corporate Transcription (Conference Transcription, Meeting Transcription, Insurance Transcription …)
- Multi-media transcription (Video Transcription, Podcast Transcription, Cassette Transcription …)
- Medical Transcription (Hospital Transcription, Medical Record Transcription …)
- Dictation Services
- Typing Services, and much more
A major advantage of online transcription is that it makes it possible for us to offer first-rate accurate transcription at unbeatable rates. Clients also appreciate virtual transcription services because they are fast, efficient - and simple to work with. In addition, clients no longer need to worry about such considerations as time zones, geographical location or business hours.
Sphere: Related ContentHow Useful a Tool is Transcription Software?
Some transcription companies, businesses and hospitals who depend heavily on transcription services (medical record transcription, medical dictation transcription, academic transcription, corporate transcription, legal transcription, insurance transcription, media transcription, to name only a few) have started using Voice recognition software (VRS), computer software that transcribes digital voice recordings without the need for typing and dictation services or transcriptionists.
Their reasoning behind choosing to replace traditional on-site transcription staff with transcription software is that the turnaround time for transcribing using VRS is shorter than for the traditional process of transcription and dictation, and that it is less expensive to acquire this transcription software than to train and pay on-site professional transcriptionists.
It is true that VRS has improved steadily over the past two decades, and the most recent versions of this transcription software claim to be nearly as accurate as traditional dictation and transcription services.
The key word here is “nearly”. Nearly is not good enough. Nearly doesn’t warrant replacing human transcriptionists with transcription software. That is our belief at Transdyne. We are a transcription company that doesn’t believe in delivering anything less than 99% accurate transcription, dictation and typing services.
The two major problems connected with this type of transcription software are:
- Changing speech patterns, different accents and non-verbal noises that commonly exist in the dictation process and in multiple voice scenarios (conference transcription and multiple speaker interview transcription, for example) seriously affect the functioning of VRS;
- Even if it has evolved, this transcription software is still far from efficient and is in no way reliable;
At Transdyne, we believe that there will always be a need for human transcribers to ensure quality control of transcripts, dictation and typing services. We are convinced that only with the continued support of expert (human) professional transcriptionists to manage the process of transcription, can we honor our 99% word for word accuracy guarantee on all our transcripts.
Transcription software is certainly going to become more sophisticated, and it may even eventually replace certain subsets of the process of transcription. Until then, Transdyne will continue to rely on its expert staff of human transcriptionists to provide its clients with the premium quality accurate transcription and dictation services they have come to expect.
Your business deserves the best quality transcription and dictation services. Think twice before you entrust these vital components of your business to transcription companies who will compromise the quality of your product, touting the wonders of new technology in an effort to save on hiring professional transcriptionists.
At Transdyne, some of the best human transcriptionists, dictation and typing staff in the country will be happy to serve your needs – in person. So if you are considering outsourcing transcription work, contact Transdyne today to discuss a solution to your transcription and dictation needs.
Sphere: Related ContentWhy Opt for Outsourced Transcription?
Outsourcing transcription services is an ideal way to handle transcription, dictation and typing needs while minimizing service costs, capital expenditures, and turnaround time.
Online outsourcing means that transcriptionists no longer need to be on-site, or even in proximity to, the businesses employing their services. The best outsourcing transcription companies provide online dictation and transcription services (including digital audio transcription, cassette transcriptions, all varieties of hospital transcription, legal transcription, corporate transcription, medical transcription etc.). And a well-equipped outsource transcription company is able to take advantage of time zone differences and, in some cases, lower labor costs, to deliver low cost transcription services and dictation at extremely high turnaround rates.
By outsourcing transcription services to Capital Typing, you will get the following advantages:
- Technical and functional superiority over your competitors – without any capital investment;
- Minimization of on-site transcription staff related expenses;
- Elimination of expenses associated with the physical maintenance of office space for transcription services;
- Minimization of costs related to the acquisition of transcription software (and training on-site transcriptionists to use it);
- Improved time-zone advantage for the completion of transcription services;
- Online access to status reports, transcription and dictation retrieval;
- Security of transcripts and voice recordings (secure data transmission and secure FTP access)
- Most important, outsourcing transcription to a reliable, low-cost transcription company like Transdyne will give you the time to focus on your principal field of competence, thus enhancing your business’s productivity.
Outsourcing your dictation and transcription requirements to Transdyne is, without a doubt, the answer to your transcription and dictation needs. We employ trained, skilled professional transcriptionists from all over the U.S., and direct a group of partners from around the nation. Our clients benefit from the most efficient, accurate transcription service offered by any transcription company nation-wide.
Sphere: Related ContentOutsourcing vs. In-house Medical Transcription
Effectively, outsourcing is the modern day progression of an idea that has always existed in trade, but has found new application with the advancement and adoption of new technologies.
Applied to the area of medical services, as healthcare organizations and providers grow in size and operations, it becomes imperative that their focus be directed to their core activities (patient care) while non-core functions (like transcription and billing) are contracted out or outsourced to organizations which specialize in that particular function. This allows medical providers to do things a lot more efficiently and enables them to do more with less.
With the daily challenges of managing patient information and stringent regulations, managing a full medical transcription staff also puts a strain on the time and resources of a medical organization. Outsourcing medical transcription work in such a scenario is not only immensely beneficial, but also comes with a few other advantages that are not possible with in-house transcription. Listed below are a few of these benefits.
1 Lower Capital Investment & Equipment Expenses
When you outsource your medical transcription requirements, you no longer have to own or maintain a dictation system, a typing platform or worry about upgrading your equipment. Your capital expenses on maintenance with the average maintenance agreement can cost upwards of 10% of equipment costs, annually.
Maintaining an in-house transcription team also places certain office equipment and space expenses which are removed by outsourcing.
2 Turnaround time guarantees & Volume fluctuations
While the number of documents generated by a healthcare organization averages out across months, on a daily basis document volume can fluctuate heavily because of dictation frequency and patient volume. This not only increases management overhead but also delays transcription more often than not.
With a medical transcription vendor, you are provided with guarantees on turnaround time so that patient documents are never delayed. This removes the need for you to set document priority based on the criticality and urgency of a document and ensures that all documents are available when you need them.
3 Reduced management overheads
The amount of time needed to manage medical transcription in-house can be a large overhead when you consider tasks like managing dictations, allocating transcription work, setting document priority and maintaining archives of audio and documents. Outsourcing reduces these overheads effectively improving efficiency in other areas.
4 Benefits from economies of scale
Transcription firms usually handle dictations from several hundreds and sometimes thousands of medical professionals on a daily basis. Because of the volumes they handle, transcription of documents is streamlined with the implementation of commercial workflow systems, set workflow practices and quality assurance processes. These practices improve quality while reducing costs. More often than not, these cost benefits are passed on to customers reducing your transcription expense while improving quality.
5 Online Documents and Archives
The advent of online medical transcription and associated document management systems, in the last few years has resulted in a number of web based tools that simplify organization and management of documents.
In-house transcription requires a painstaking system of distributing and archiving reports generated on a daily basis. Shifting to an outsourced transcription solution usually comes with a free online document management system that removes a number of these document management overheads.
These free systems provide a simple a number of secure document management features in an easy-to-use interface.
Apart from removing the IT costs associated with owning and maintaining such systems, they result in a number of staff efficiency gains.
6 Lower direct labor costs
Hiring transcribers as full time employees adds to your direct labor costs in terms of salaries, payroll benefits and payroll taxes, increasing the total cost of running your organization. Outsourcing removes a large number of these costs.
We have gone over the efficiency and quality benefits that accompany outsourced medical transcription solutions. We also touched on the broad cost benefits associated with medical transcription outsourcing. Let us now break down some of these expenses to get a clearer picture. The actual amounts spent on each of the below expenses vary from organization to organization.
Sphere: Related ContentThursday, February 5, 2009
How To Use Transcription Training Software
The days of manually entering dictations and data into a database are giving way to transcription software, and today’s skilled medical billing and coding specialists can capture and format data at incredible rates with the right program. Transcription training software is readily available for anyone who wants to learn how to capture a dictation and convert it to a report for a healthcare organization or doctor. From chiropractic offices to emergency room administrative staff, transcription training software can be used to train candidates effectively; the result is quality reports with a high level of accuracy.
Transcription training software is designed to guide billing and coding specialists through the entire dictation-to-reporting process so that they can provide high quality medical transcription services with ease. Software programs can be run within a medical office or at home to deliver well-formatted reports and documents for various specialties and organizations. After completing the training program, a coding specialist should be able to use real transcription software that is integrated with healthcare organizations’ transcription internal data systems; this can lead to accurate, reliable and efficient reporting for the long-term.
Transcription training software allows the user to learn the essential elements of medical billing and coding so that they can employ the correct formatting guidelines and protocol with ease.
Transcription training software is designed to:
• Provide tools for efficient editing – the program may include text editing tools and other features to make editing a very simple and smooth process. This helps improve turnaround times on reports and makes it easier for both quality control departments and medical coders to fix errors and improve the report at a touch of a button
• Make it easy to export and submit data – the program can be integrated with several other software programs and tools to help specialists submit the final report to a client’s specifications
• Incorporate electronic signature capabilities – today’s innovative software programs are equipped with electronic signature functions that make it easier for physicians and clients to obtain a complete report without ever having to print it out
• Provide access to medical spell-checking programs, dictionaries and word processor tools – these can help specialists draft up accurate reports so that they do not have to memorize medical terminology for every dictation. This can speed up the turnaround process and make workflow even more efficient.
• Employ tools for document distribution – part of the medical transcription process involves distributing the document to the appropriate departments. Trainees can learn how to distribute and organize the data for processing and distribution so that the final report gets into the hands of medical professionals in a timely manner
Transcription training software helps any medical coder or billing specialist learns how to refine the dictation-to-reporting process and create high quality documents on a consistent basis. A medical transcription company is staffed with well-trained transcription professionals who have completed a rigorous training program and have the necessary skills to provide quality services for healthcare organizations of all types and sizes. Transcription training software is a valuable tool for any company who needs to train candidates in the latest technologies and programs for better data management. Sphere: Related Content
Transcription training software is designed to guide billing and coding specialists through the entire dictation-to-reporting process so that they can provide high quality medical transcription services with ease. Software programs can be run within a medical office or at home to deliver well-formatted reports and documents for various specialties and organizations. After completing the training program, a coding specialist should be able to use real transcription software that is integrated with healthcare organizations’ transcription internal data systems; this can lead to accurate, reliable and efficient reporting for the long-term.
Transcription training software allows the user to learn the essential elements of medical billing and coding so that they can employ the correct formatting guidelines and protocol with ease.
Transcription training software is designed to:
• Provide tools for efficient editing – the program may include text editing tools and other features to make editing a very simple and smooth process. This helps improve turnaround times on reports and makes it easier for both quality control departments and medical coders to fix errors and improve the report at a touch of a button
• Make it easy to export and submit data – the program can be integrated with several other software programs and tools to help specialists submit the final report to a client’s specifications
• Incorporate electronic signature capabilities – today’s innovative software programs are equipped with electronic signature functions that make it easier for physicians and clients to obtain a complete report without ever having to print it out
• Provide access to medical spell-checking programs, dictionaries and word processor tools – these can help specialists draft up accurate reports so that they do not have to memorize medical terminology for every dictation. This can speed up the turnaround process and make workflow even more efficient.
• Employ tools for document distribution – part of the medical transcription process involves distributing the document to the appropriate departments. Trainees can learn how to distribute and organize the data for processing and distribution so that the final report gets into the hands of medical professionals in a timely manner
Transcription training software helps any medical coder or billing specialist learns how to refine the dictation-to-reporting process and create high quality documents on a consistent basis. A medical transcription company is staffed with well-trained transcription professionals who have completed a rigorous training program and have the necessary skills to provide quality services for healthcare organizations of all types and sizes. Transcription training software is a valuable tool for any company who needs to train candidates in the latest technologies and programs for better data management. Sphere: Related Content
Key Benefits Of Medical Transcription Software
The increasing demand for skilled medical billing and coding specialists can be attributed to the growing use of medical transcription software for healthcare organizations around the globe. Medical transcription software has slowly replaced the need for manual transcription services that could take up to a week to turnaround a dictation; today’s innovative software and technologies are designed to automate the dictation-to-reporting process so that the final product can be retrieved within 24-48 hours.
Many medical transcription companies now use medical transcription software to capture the dictation and turn it into an accurate report. Coding specialists must be trained to use the this specialized software, and these programs offer several benefits for any data processing agent.
Some of the key benefits of medical transcription software include:
- Easy voice capture and speech recognition capabilities. This makes it easier for the medical transcriptionist to capture the doctor’s dictation with utmost accuracy. Doctors can submit their dictation via phone or other recording device to make the audio file available to the coding specialist, and the voice capture technologies can make this process more accurate than conventional methods.
- Medical spell checking and dictionaries. Since a coding specialist may not understand medical terminology and phrases, a medical spellchecking function may be incorporated into the medical transcription software. This also makes the data capture more accurate and can save time in the grammar and spellcheck process.
- Easy document distribution. After the report has passed quality control and is ready for submission, medical transcription software can make documents available in a variety of formats. The report can be synchronized to a doctor’s handheld deviceor computer, or simply sent in electronic form for easy printing.
- Supports a variety of audio and video formats. Medical transcription software has been designed to support several audio and video formats so that doctors using different types of technology can benefit from the services. With fewer limitations, more healthcare organizations can begin to use medical transcription services with ease.
- Quick and simple editing interface. If errors are present or a medical transcriptionist needs to go back and edit certain areas of a document, the software allows for simple editing with a text editing tool and keyboard short cuts. This reduces turnaround time and improves the accuracy of all reports.
- Time code stamp functions. Medical billing and coding specialists can make use of time stamp functions on all their data with a touch of a button. This also reduces turnaround time and provides better, more accurate data for the doctor.
- Integration with many healthcare systems and programs. Doctors and physicians can access data easily with today’s innovative medical transcription software and platforms. This reduces time for finding and retrieving data so that reports are readily available, at their fingertips.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
What To Look For In Great Medical Transcription Schools
When you attend quality medical transcription schools you will find it a lot easier to get work. There are schools that have a 100% job placement record for those completing their courses.
While students are still training, they are sometimes offered positions on completion of that training.
Companies align themselves with a medical transcription education center that offers consistent standards while producing competent transcribers.
In fact, this is one of the tricks to achieving employment as soon as you complete your training. Working a job from home is easy for someone who has been properly trained.
Online medical transcription schools run programs on the net and are now making them interactive, fun and easy learning. You will learn to recognize, understand and pronounce medical words and phrases from audio libraries.
The medical transcription class has certainly changed. It is easy to learn terms by clicking and hearing its pronunciation and at the same time seeing its meaning.
Medical transcription schools has come a long way and now using medical software makes the job so much easier to learn. Online quizzes with instant results make learning fun and fast.
Cost of Medical Transcription Training
The cost of your training is anything upwards from $1300. There are variations in pricing and content of those courses. This is one time when you really need to consider the quality of the product.
Our medical transcription specialist team and other medical transcription colleagues will soon be disclosing a new medical transcription from home members site. There is nothing on the internet like this! Be ready sometime in the new year.
It is vital that you enroll in a medical transcription course that covers everything clearly and has a great support team to help you with any questions.
We have done all the trial and error for you and recommend the best of the best for your medical transcription success!
You can participate in a free transcription intro course to determine if medical transcription is the right choice for your career. If you are unsure of whether to commence in the field a medical transcription course like this is well worth the time invested.
When looking at MT schools consider whether they include equipment. Some schools include transcriber equipment with their training package.
Equipment includes a foot pedal, headset and a transcription software program. To successfully transcribe you will need all this equipment.
We believe it is best to do some of your training in the medical environment as this gives you a much firmer grounding in the profession. Some medical transcription schools incorporate this as a part of their learning.
Once you have selected a training establishment do some research and look for testimonials. It may pay to get onto some forums before you commit to a particular school and be open to feedback from others.
We recommend you look for medical transcription schools showing a good job placement record, MT schools that use current technology, training in digital technology, and utilizing interactive training systems. Sphere: Related ContentMedical Transcription Training
Employers will almost exclusively hire transcriptionists who have completed some kind of formal training in the area or who have experience. There are many ways to obtain such training, but for most a community college or vocational school will be the best option, especially if the training includes on-the-job experience. Do not worry about whether or not they offer the opportunity to earn the Certified Medical Transcriptionist designation. This is not a required certification in general, and in fact, most transcriptionists need a couple of years' experience before they can pass the test to gain this designation. I am not a CMT, but I was able to find a job.
Courses typically take several months to two years to complete, depending on the school chosen. Many vocational schools include the cost of books and course materials in their tuition, which may be helpful after you have landed a job. If you already work in a medical field, and simply want to switch to working from home, you may only need to learn transcription, as you may already have the vocabulary you need, but think carefully, as a refresher course may not be an entirely bad thing either.
It is also possible to take transcription courses at home. This option is more flexible but may be more challenging in other ways. Your selection of a course of study should depend on how you will best learn what you need to know.
You will need an assortment of reference books. Some you may recieve with your training, but you may find you need others. See the equipment page for suggestions.
College Courses
College courses are best for most people. Having an instructor to help you through the difficult parts and to keep you working on a schedule can be a great benefit. Many schools also offer job placement assistance, which may not be available through home study courses.
Community Colleges
Perhaps the cheapest method of instructor-led training you can get, but it may not be quick. A quick look at a local community shows a 22-25 unit requirement for certification in Medical Transcription. This would require a minimum of two semesters' work or more, depending on prerequisites and whether you attend part- or full-time.
Costs vary by what state you live in. Check with your local school.
Vocational Schools
Vocational schools cost more than community colleges, typically into the thousands, but may offer more flexiblity when it comes to the timing of your class. This may not be a quick solution either. With a quick look at a local vocational school's webpage, I found that its Medical Transcription training program takes about 28 weeks of classroom time and four weeks of an externship. Check to see if textbooks and other supplies are included in the cost.
Home Study
Home study courses offer the most flexiblity in many ways, but they offer challenges as well. You must be capable of working on your own. On the other hand, if you want to work at home, that's a skill you need. You'll need special equipment for this option in many cases, such as a foot pedal.
Which option is best? That depends in large part on how you best learn and what is available in your area. There's no one definite right answer that will meet everyone's needs. Sphere: Related Content
Courses typically take several months to two years to complete, depending on the school chosen. Many vocational schools include the cost of books and course materials in their tuition, which may be helpful after you have landed a job. If you already work in a medical field, and simply want to switch to working from home, you may only need to learn transcription, as you may already have the vocabulary you need, but think carefully, as a refresher course may not be an entirely bad thing either.
It is also possible to take transcription courses at home. This option is more flexible but may be more challenging in other ways. Your selection of a course of study should depend on how you will best learn what you need to know.
You will need an assortment of reference books. Some you may recieve with your training, but you may find you need others. See the equipment page for suggestions.
College Courses
College courses are best for most people. Having an instructor to help you through the difficult parts and to keep you working on a schedule can be a great benefit. Many schools also offer job placement assistance, which may not be available through home study courses.
Community Colleges
Perhaps the cheapest method of instructor-led training you can get, but it may not be quick. A quick look at a local community shows a 22-25 unit requirement for certification in Medical Transcription. This would require a minimum of two semesters' work or more, depending on prerequisites and whether you attend part- or full-time.
Costs vary by what state you live in. Check with your local school.
Vocational Schools
Vocational schools cost more than community colleges, typically into the thousands, but may offer more flexiblity when it comes to the timing of your class. This may not be a quick solution either. With a quick look at a local vocational school's webpage, I found that its Medical Transcription training program takes about 28 weeks of classroom time and four weeks of an externship. Check to see if textbooks and other supplies are included in the cost.
Home Study
Home study courses offer the most flexiblity in many ways, but they offer challenges as well. You must be capable of working on your own. On the other hand, if you want to work at home, that's a skill you need. You'll need special equipment for this option in many cases, such as a foot pedal.
Which option is best? That depends in large part on how you best learn and what is available in your area. There's no one definite right answer that will meet everyone's needs. Sphere: Related Content
Your Success Depends Highly On Medical Transcription Training!
If you are interested in finding the best of the best, top medical transcription training on-line and off-line this site is for you!
We offer you lots of great information that we have learnt as medical transcription specialists.
Medical transcriptionists are medical language specialists.
Transcription is the act of translating from oral (dictated) to written form (transcribed).
The transcriptionist interprets and then transcribes the language for the medical professional.
There are courses suitable for the beginner through to the professional medical transcriptionist, called transcription specialists.
Building your career towards becoming a medical transcription specialist will take a two or three years if you enroll in a medical transcription training course that has the highest rate of success.
We have done all the research for you to save you time and money... don't waste it trying different medical transcription courses when we have been through and tested many for you. The sooner you take action the faster your success will come to the fore.
When you get involved in this well paid industry, it is wise to do some medical transcription home study. This will provide you with the best possible chance of success.
Medical transcription training is vital in this ever changing occupation. You need to build up your knowledge and keep up-to-date with the ongoing changes.
Online medical transcription trainingis available with courses in anatomy and physiology, medical language and terminology, including Greek and Latin roots of medical terms.
Make sure your training includes heaps of practice in dictating from real doctors and other health professionals. You need to be able to adjust to different accents, styles of speech and to understand abbreviations.
There are also medical transcription courses in English grammar and punctuation, pharmacology, diseases and you will need a working knowledge of laboratory work.
Don't expect to finish your medical transcription courses and training in 6-8 weeks. It will take some dedication at first but is well worth it and the benefits will be fantastic for you and your family!
This gives you a better grounding in your work.
There are many medical transcription schools that are well worth checking out if you are serious about being the best in this field.
A word of warning - you will need to learn medical transcription from the best.
The medical transcription process is now a completely Internet enabled approach, historically the process could take days. As you learn, make sure you use the advantages this technology brings to you.
Medical transciption training helps you progress. When you become well educated there is a great opportunity for you to move into your own medical transcription business.
Medical Transcription Employment - A Great Career Choice
Medical transcription employment is one of the best career choices that you could make.
As you would have found out there is an overload of information on medical transcription over the Internet. We condense the information into an easy to read format for you.
This will help you make faster decisions and life much easier as we do all the research to help you succeed faster.
We have cleared out the rubbish and put our specialized knowledge in to help you find the most suitable medical transcription employment, to give you the best possible opportunity for success.
If you have no experience or have had experience in medical transcription and are serious about growing a career in this fantastic industry there is much you can learn from our Medical Transcription Specialist site.
Digital Transcription Is A Must
The direction the Internet is moving in has dramatically changed the job front of this industry. With Digital Transcription at the forefront, it is now possible to transcribe for an employer (company) in another state/province from which you live.
What this means is you no longer need to search for medical transcription at home jobs just in the area you live in.
The possibilities for working a contract with a company miles away in another state or country are now real for the modern transcriptionist.
Discover the secrets to MT employment our team of specialists recommend you check out if you want fantastic results!
Five years ago this was not possible. Technology is now making the life of a transcriptionist easier with the ability to make high financial rewards.
Tapes are being used less and less for medical transcription. Digital transcribers are outdating cassettes which have been used traditionally.
This is all great news for medical transcription employment and you for the future. The rate that medical transcription is moving will give many people around the world who want to either work from home, or in a company environment, the ability to live life on their own terms! Sphere: Related Content
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