Digital Voice Recorders

Gone are the days when you used the audio tape to record the voice. The all new digital voice recorders have made all to forget the conventional tape and has offered us more features than we can use. So a tape is now obsolete and has been taken over by the digital voice recorders. This small gadget has been quite useful since its launch and a great boon for professionals as well. So if there is a need to record voice, a digital voice recorder is what you should look for.

The digital voice recorders come as a handy solution for the busy business people who need to record notes, meetings, and ideas that can create a fuss if a tape would be used, instead of the digital voice recorder. A digital voice recorders is not all about recording voice, but it also has the capability to record and transfer information to your computer, making it easier to organize, edit and play back your voice files wherever you want.

With the increasing popularity of the digital voice recorders, there are many leaders in the electronics industry like Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, LG that provide the best digital voice recorders. But while buying a digital voice recorder, there are a few aspects involved in the selection of the best that you need to understand beforehand. So lets understand what a digital voice recorder is all about.

Look for the recording time.
Many digital voice recorders boast of the recording time by claming the higher side of it. The recording time depends on the quality of recording and the higher the audio quality the lower the recording time would be. So rather than looking for a recorder that claims 300 Hrs of recording, look for the real picture of the recording time it can give with the highest quality.

Look for more storage options
Apart from voice files many digital voice recorders can store files, documents and images. These are equipped with the USB mass support class that helps them to store these files. Now with the storage comes the organizer, which is also an important feature to look for. Be sure that the digital voice recorder will store voice files in a minimum of three separate folders.

Look for voice recording features
The best of the digital voice recorders also exhibit many ‘smart’ features that help you with the operations. Some of the interesting features you can find in the latest digital voice recorders are voice activation, which stops recording automatically whenever there is a long pause, or the cue/review feature that make it easier for you to find a particular recording part you want to play back. It can also have a LCD screen for better operations. Some of the latest voice recorders also include software, which helps in converting the audio in a text file helping you with the transcription.

Look for connectivity
Like any other latest gadget the digital voice recorders are equipped with USB interface for PC connectivity. It helps a lot in transfer of files from the recorder to PC and vice versa.

Looking for more information on Digital Voice Recorders check out
www.digitalvoicerecorders.org your guide to Digital Voice Recorders.

Source : http://www.articlewise.com/

Aintree to go-live with digital dictation

The Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has selected G2 Speech’s speech recognition technology for a trust-wide implementation in April.

G2 Speech’s MediSpeech, powered by Philips SpeechMagic, will be installed at the trust’s two hospitals for clinicians and secretaries to use to improve turnaround times in getting diagnosis letters sent to GPs.

MediSpeech identifies section headings in a dictated text and allocates each part of the report to the corresponding field in the hospital’s patient record system. The relevant data is made available for communication between the various medical specialties in the hospital, streamlining workflow and protecting patient privacy.

Aintree’s project manager, Elaine Kelly, told E-Health Insider: “We have had a pilot running in the surgical and medical directorate for a while now and have seen the benefits the system can bring. The main objective of the project was to meet PCT-set targets for diagnosis letters to be sent to GPs, and the pilot has seen a much faster turnaround of letters being transcribed and sent to GP practices.”

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Tape Transcription

Tape transcription involves a trained person listening to a prerecorded tape that is then converted into a written document. Transcription services are widely used in the fields of law, medicine, education, and business. The world of communications is ever-expanding, and in order to keep up, the need for trained transcriptionists is growing.

A person who does tape transcription must have excellent listening skills. Sometimes the quality of the tape is poor, and this can make it very challenging for the person transcribing the tape to do so accurately. Furthermore, when there are numerous people on a tape, it can be very difficult deciphering who is saying what, especially if the person speaking does not identify himself first.

Tape Transcription Services

Who uses tape transcription services? Well, court proceedings are often required to be transcribed if requested by the judge, the attorney, or the persons involved in the case. Doctors often dictate important information, such as patient records, operative summaries, and test results into tapes that must then be transcribed for written record. Professors often use transcription services for large lectures or conferences, as do corporate executives holding large business meetings.

There are many reputable transcription companies available that can supply professionals in the field of transcription to help meet your communication needs. If you must have accurate documentation of a meeting, than a you will need a trained transcriptionist to help you achieve this goal. More and more companies are hiring transcription companies to help them meet their deadlines with precision and accuracy.

Source : http://www.articleinsider.com/

Transcription Types

Something that makes a big difference to how long it takes to transcribe an hour of recording is whether you require your transcription to be verbatim.

It's easy to think 'Well I must need verbatim transcription or I wouldn't need a transcription,' but bear in mind that 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. Our cheapest level is what we call 'intelligent verbatim' which cuts out all these fillers but leaves the rest exactly as it's spoken. Somewhat more expensive is edited, which corrects the grammar and any mispronounced words as well as knocking out all the fillers. Here are some brief examples.

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Transcription Services: Better than Voice Recognition?

Is it vital to your business to have printed documentation? Do you feel like typing the information is taking away from time to devote to your business? If you answered, "yes" to these questions, then you are in need of transcription services.

A transcriber can work in a variety of fields and under a variety of circumstances. Some transcribers work in-house, some work on freelance terms, and some work for a transcription service. Transcription services are highly valued in business, and have become more prevalent in many industries.

To some, it may seem like an easy job, and if you are a fast and accurate typist, it is; but, the vital nature of the content does create an aura of stress. There is no room for making errors as a transcriptionist. Imagine if you were transcribing for a doctor and misrepresented a medicine! Being a transcriptionist is a very serious, meticulous, and deadline-driven job.

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Medical Transcriptionist - Are They Really In Demand?

The medical transcription field continues to grow in conjunction with the demands on the health care industry. For those who are suited to this job, there are some good opportunities. But isn't it just a case of listening to the voice of a health care professional and typing up exactly what's been said? While that's the basic idea behind the medical transcriptionists' job, there are some reasons that health care professionals and facilities want to hire those trained for the job.

The terminology is one of the biggest reasons training is so vital. While you don't have to be able to name the bones in the leg, you do need to learn to recognize words like "tibia." Terminology is one of the reasons medical transcriptionists need training, and one of the points that will be taught and practiced during Medical Transcriptionist training.

But is there really a need to learn those things? After all, you can certainly stop the tape and look up any words that you don't recognize. That constant starting and stopping are the difference between an experienced transcriptionist and someone who's filling in. If you have the right training and the right real world practice provided by most medical transcription training programs, you'll find yourself able to meet the demands of the terminology.

Specialized training is one of the many options of medical transcription training, and many health care professionals who have a specialty are seeking out those people who can most accurately transcribe notes and medical details. In that case, the transcriber learns those words that apply specifically to the system, disease or other narrow focus of a particular doctor's practice. Adding those specialties make you more valuable on the marketplace.

Remember that doctors aren't the only ones who need medical transcription, and you'll find most training programs offer at least some exercises and information to prepare you for those situations. You may be called on to create exit notes for patients at a hospital. The patient is about to leave and those notes have to be legible, accurate and available now.

One point of the training is to learn to be fast and accurate in real-life situations. A busy emergency room isn't going to suddenly quiet down so that you can concentrate on transcribing a doctor's orders for a patient who is about to be released. Many medical transcription schools will put students into those noisy, busy, stressful situations with orders to transcribe. As important as it is to learn the terminology, it's also vital that you learn to listen - regardless of what's going on around you.



There are even those outside the medical field that use transcription. Though the demand for attorney transcribers isn't as big as for medical transcription, there is definitely a need in that field.

There are other points that will become part of your training. How to make use of technology, software and resources that are available to help you better accomplish your tasks as well as the best ways to handle various situations you're likely to encounter. Take a look at the courses being taught by MT schools. You may be surprised at how thoroughly you'll be prepared for a career in medical transcription.

Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

Scott Knutson is an entrepreneur and writer. For more of his articles visit: Medical Transcription

GotVoice Introduces G2 -- Its Next-Generation Voicemail-to-Text Transcription Engine

GotVoice, Inc. (http://www.gotvoice.com), the messaging company, today announced the launch of its patented GotVoice G2 convergence communications platform. Featuring state-of-the-art technologies such as real-time voicemail-to-text transcription, GotVoice G2 strengthens GotVoice's position as a leading provider of voice convergence solutions for phone carriers, IP communications providers and voicemail solution providers.

GotVoice combines its patented unified communications functionality with its industry leading voicemail transcription engine to bring GotVoice G2 to market. This unique technology pairing allows seamless access to any existing Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and/or voicemail system, as well as voicemail-to-text conversion -- without infrastructure upgrades or capital outlays. With GotVoice G2, carriers now have an economical and effortless method for delivering their subscribers' voicemail as both text and digital audio files via email and SMS, creating additional revenue streams and increased data traffic. GotVoice G2 is available today and carriers and IP communications providers may incorporate it into their existing voicemail system via OEM, APIs, White Label and Hosted Solutions.

Capable of supporting millions of users, GotVoice's new carrier-grade, high quality transcription engine is built for scalability and interoperates with all major voice & VoIP carriers. Trained against millions of individual speakers from major carriers throughout the United States including: AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T Residential, Qwest Residential, SBC Residential, Verizon Residential, Bell South, Comcast Digital, Vonage, Cox Digital and Time Warner Cable Digital the GotVoice G2 platform is designed specifically for voicemail and boasts unparalleled accuracy and speed.

"Carriers and IP Communications Providers want secure, seamless solutions for integrating with their disparate voice messaging systems," said Curt Blake, CEO of GotVoice. "Our GotVoice G2 platform enables carriers and solution providers to modernize and differentiate their offerings quickly, at a price they can afford and without risk."

To provide its unmatched voicemail-to-text accuracy and speed, the new GotVoice G2 platform utilizes advanced free-form speech recognition technology. This enables carriers and service providers to offer end-users voicemail-to-text faster, with better quality and at a lower price point than is currently available anywhere else in the market.

About GotVoice, Inc.

A pioneer in voice messaging services, GotVoice (www.gotvoice.com) enables the convergence of everyday voice into the digital world. Its patented communications platform empowers consumers and businesses to receive, consume and unify voice communications utilizing email clients, through their mobile phone interface or via the GotVoice Website. With popular features such as Voicemail-to-Text, Visual Voicemail, the ability to share voice messages as digital audio files and the unification of wireless, landline, PBX and VoIP voicemail, GotVoice makes seamless communication possible, anywhere. Founded in 2003 by industry veterans with backgrounds from RealNetworks, Microsoft, Starwave, AT&T and Corbis, GotVoice works with all major mobile, business and residential carriers.

Source : http://www.pr-usa.net/

Key Reasons Why Outsourcing Transcription Works

With the growing demand for high quality and HIPAA compliant transcription work, more and more healthcare organizations and physicians are turning towards outsourced transcription services to maintain their reports and documents.

Most in-house administrative assistants and secretaries cannot transcribe dictations as accurately as a certified transcriptionist, and you may be compromising quality and compliance as a result. Since you may also be responsible for training costs and certification for these individuals, the expense involved may overextend your budget.

Outsourcing transcription services presents one option for your healthcare organization and provides a number of benefits such as:

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Medical Transcription as a Home Business

The medical transcription industry continues to grow. As the need for individuals in this field keeps growing, the options for working at home also grow.

Starting a medical transcription home business is a good area to start in if you would like to work at home and receive the same pay you would if you were in the office. There are a couple of ways to work in your home-based MT business. One way is to find a traditional employer who gives you all the benefits of working in-house, but who allows you to do this from home. This is more likely to happen if you have worked for this employer in an office already. Another way to set up a medical transcription business is to accept clients through advertising. This would be a freelance MT business.

If you are going to start your own business, remember that it might take some time getting clients. Don't forget that you are not limited in location. You may be able to find clients for your medical transcription business through the internet. As demand increases, the needs for your services will increase.

Though you want to charge the going rate for medical transcription, working from home allows you to be flexible with fees. You can charge somewhat higher than somebody working in an office because your client does not have to pay for insurance or a pension for you. Working in your own home business also allows you to set your own hours. If you want to work full time, you can. If you want part-time hours, this is not a problem. If you want vacation time, just be sure you don't accept work that will not get done before you go.

If you like to be there to take your children to school and pick them up afterwards, a medical transcription business is a good option. It will pay more than most work-at-home jobs but offer all the benefits of being at home. You don't have to worry about the commute or the parking. With a medical transcription business, you can work in the morning or, if you are a night owl, work in the evening.

Many people prefer to work from home. Few can actually make a living this way. Medical transcriptionists are among these few, and opportunities are expected to grow in the coming years.

If you are interested in a job that allows you the flexibility to stay home, consider a medical transcription business. It is one of your best options for working from home.

For more information on starting a medical transcription career or making more money as an MT check out The Complete Medical Transcription System

Source : http://www.showmomthemoney.com

Advances in Voice Recognition Software Win Over Doctors

Most of us still don't have a computer that talks when we listen. But the newest voice recognition software is gaining support from skeptical doctors and helping in the complex effort to make electronic medical records electronic.

Voice recognition software has earned a reputation for being a gee-whiz technology that has yet to change the everyday life of most business users. However, recent improvements in the technology have convinced more doctors to make voice recognition part of their daily routines—and part of the complex, ongoing effort to make medical records electronic.

"We are moving fast in the emergency room and the voice interface makes us more productive and accurate," says Dr. Brian Zimmerman, an emergency room physician at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. In 2006, Miami Valley instituted Nuance's Dragon NaturallySpeaking voice recognition software with its electronic medical record (EMR) system to reduce the complexity of paper records.

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Virtual Assisting - The Transcription Niche

While growing your new virtual assistant business, if you have the skills and experience, transcribing is a great niche, or a great area to focus on while building your clientèle in other areas of virtual assisting.

Contrary to popular belief a transcriptionist is more than just a "typist." An effective transcriber, must be excellent spellers, be patient, be able to decipher various accents and dialects. We have to have a great eye and be a good proofreader. We have to be able to listen to people speak, use a foot pedal, type at the same time, and be relatively quick about it. Also, a good transcriber should be an intermediate to advanced user of a word processing program such as Microsoft Word or WordPerfect.

There are a wide variety of areas where your transcription skills can be put to use, some requiring experience in the area, such as legal and medical transcription, and some not, such as transcribing meetings, focus groups, and interviews, author's notes, podcasts, et cetera. However, both specialized and non-specialized areas have at least one thing in common. Each requires the ability to be able to follow directions! Although general punctuation and grammar guidelines are expected to be adhered to, each client will have their own set of guidelines that you will have to follow as far as how they want their projects completed.

As a transcriptionist that types projects frequently with a lot of scientific and medical jargon, one resource I have found has truly been a lifesaver is one of Google's many resources. Google Suggest http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=1&hl=en . As you type a word it "suggests" correct spellings. There hasn't been a word yet that it hasn't found for me (well maybe one or two doozies!). Clients often comment on how impressed they are with how well I do with spelling the difficult words. The cat's out the bag-Google Suggest is my secret weapon. A good transcriber will not riddle their documents with a boatload of "inaudibles" or "unintelligibles." An efficient transcriber will take the time to look up the words they aren't sure about, and as a last resort phonetically spell it and indicate with [sp] or [sp?] that they aren't sure if the spelling is correct.

How Fast Are You?

The question should be, "how fast do you need to be?" The answer depends on your client. I have some clients who require a fast turnaround of 24 to 48 hours on two to four hours of audio. How fast you can complete the job depends on a variety of factors. Is the audio clear? Do you have to start and stop to look up words a lot? Best case scenario, it takes me three to four hours to transcribe one hour of audio. This INCLUDES proofreading time. Worst case scenario, it has taken me up to six hours to transcribe one hour of audio - it was horrible. Speakers weren't speaking in the microphone; multiple speakers with very heavy accents, I had to keep going back to try and figure out what was being said. You get the picture. Some transcribers will simply put "inaudible" and continue moving forward, and sometimes so will I. but it absolutely drives me crazy to not be able to figure it out. So most times, if I feel I can do it and still meet the deadline, I will try to decipher the word(s), and clients appreciate the extra effort.

If you type less than 65 wpm accurately and can't say honestly that all of the above attributes apply to you, transcribing is probably not a good area for you to focus on!

Before accepting a transcription assignment, you should ask the client these questions:

1. Is the audio fairly clear?
2. Do you have a sample format?
3. Is there a lot of non-standard jargon (i.e., scientific, medical, et cetera?)
4. Do you require a thorough proofing (i.e., reading the document while listening to the tape after you've finished the transcription)
   

Depending on the answers to those questions, I then determine how long it is going to take me to complete an assignment.

Anything that needs to be completed in 48 hours or less, I charge a rush fee. The reason being is transcription is a time consuming task, and if transcription is what you are focusing on, for that block of time, you really do not have time to focus on non-transcribing projects. When charging for this service, you have the option of charging per audio hour, per page, or per line. Sometimes the client has a preference. My preference is per page.

Transcribing can be a great niche to focus on; or if you find you thoroughly enjoy it; you might want to make that your complete focus; however, if transcription is the only serve you provide, I don't think you can officially call yourself a virtual assistant, by definition. One thing is for sure, you're not "just a typist."

Evelyn Mack is a owner of Emackulate Assistants, a virtual assistant company providing transcription, closed-captioning, administration, marketing, and event planning services. With nearly 20 years of experience in the corporate, legal, and educational environments, Evelyn now focuses her efforts in partnering with her clients for entrepreneurial success. Evelyn is the epitome of professionalism, with excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and expects everyone on her team to convey those same attributes. Her philosophy is"if you go above and beyond to ensure your client is happy with the end result, you are building relationships that are lifelines to the success of your business and theirs."

Evelyn Mack can be contacted at 1-800-363-6801 or via email at info@emackulateassistants.com Visit Emackulate Assistants on the web at: http://www.emackulateassistants.com

Subscribe to Emackulate Assistant's blog, "The Emackulate V.A." at http://www.emackulate.wordpress.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Medical Transcriptionist Training Expectations

The medical transcription field continues to grow in conjunction with the demands on the health care industry. For those who are suited to this job, there are some good opportunities. But isn't it just a case of listening to the voice of a health care professional and typing up exactly what's been said? While that's the basic idea behind the medical transcriptionists' job, there are some reasons that health care professionals and facilities want to hire those trained for the job.

The terminology is one of the biggest reasons training is so vital. While you don't have to be able to name the bones in the leg, you do need to learn to recognize words like "tibia." Terminology is one of the reasons medical transcriptionists need training, and one of the points that will be taught and practiced during Medical Transcriptionist training.

But is there really a need to learn those things? After all, you can certainly stop the tape and look up any words that you don't recognize. That constant starting and stopping are the difference between an experienced transcriptionist and someone who's filling in. If you have the right training and the right real world practice provided by most medical transcription training programs, you'll find yourself able to meet the demands of the terminology.

Specialized training is one of the many options of medical transcription training, and many health care professionals who have a specialty are seeking out those people who can most accurately transcribe notes and medical details. In that case, the transcriber learns those words that apply specifically to the system, disease or other narrow focus of a particular doctor's practice. Adding those specialties make you more valuable on the marketplace.

Remember that doctors aren't the only ones who need medical transcription, and you'll find most training programs offer at least some exercises and information to prepare you for those situations. You may be called on to create exit notes for patients at a hospital. The patient is about to leave and those notes have to be legible, accurate and available now.

One point of the training is to learn to be fast and accurate in real-life situations. A busy emergency room isn't going to suddenly quiet down so that you can concentrate on transcribing a doctor's orders for a patient who is about to be released. Many medical transcription schools will put students into those noisy, busy, stressful situations with orders to transcribe. As important as it is to learn the terminology, it's also vital that you learn to listen - regardless of what's going on around you.

There are even those outside the medical field that use transcription. Though the demand for attorney transcribers isn't as big as for medical transcription, there is definitely a need in that field.

There are other points that will become part of your training. How to make use of technology, software and resources that are available to help you better accomplish your tasks as well as the best ways to handle various situations you're likely to encounter. Take a look at the courses being taught by MT schools. You may be surprised at how thoroughly you'll be prepared for a career in medical transcription.

Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

Scott Knutson is an entrepreneur and writer. For more of his articles visit: Medical Transcription | Medical Transcriptionist | Transcription

Get a Deep Insight Into the Voice & Video Devices Market

Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report related to the Computing - Telecommunication industry is available in its catalogue.

2008 Trends to Watch: Voice & Video Devices

Improvements to both speech-based transcription and embedded speech technology have led enterprises to embrace speech recognition. The use of speech with video is also gaining interest although adoption will be gradual. In this brief, Datamonitor outlines the changes in the voice and video devices markets and explains which trends will have the biggest impact in 2008.

Provides an overview of the trends which will impact the voice and video devices markets in 2008. Explains the opportunities for embedded speech recognition. Discusses how speech recognition is being used in the healthcare industry. Analyses developments in the IVVR and video conferencing markets.

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Medical transcription firms fear further US dollar decline

MANILA, Philippines -- Despite a huge potential market in the United States alone, the medical transcription industry is challenged by the lack of qualified workers and the continued depreciation of the US dollar.

According to the Medical Transcription Industry Association of the Philippines (MTIAPI), the medical transcription or MT market in the US alone is valued at $18 billion. The Philippines, though, serves only one percent of the total outsourced market.

MTIAPI has set a revenue target of $110 million this year and by increasing the country's market share even just three percent, the industry estimates $254 million in less than three years.

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What Exactly Is A Medical Transcriptionist?

To say the least about them, they are very special people who must possess the highest of ethics and morals. Medical Transcriptionists know more about a patient than anyone else except the physician......

Where do Medical Transcriptionists Work?

Medical Transcriptionists are professionals working in medical centers, general and specialty hospitals, clinics and group practices, radiology and pathology offices, government facilities, insurance companies, home offices, and a variety of other environments.

Medical Transcriptionists can combine their skills with clinical skills to work as medical assistants. Others become supervisors and managers in health information departments of hospitals and other environments. Some use their skills to become college teachers of Medical Transcription.

How much does Medical Transcriptionists earn?

The earnings of a medical transcriptionist vary according to:

• Skill level
• Place of employment
• Geographic area
• Method of compensation

Transcriptionists working in large metropolitan areas generally earn more than those who work in smaller cities. Transcriptionists who are paid on production often earn more than those who are paid on an hourly basis. In general, entry-level transcriptionists can expect to earn at least twice the hourly minimum wage in larger cities than in other areas. Experienced transcriptionists and those who are paid on production usually earn significantly more.

Where are there job openings for medical transcriptionists?

Job opportunities are all over the United States, Canada, and in American Hospitals in foreign countries. There is choice of work setting and also flexible scheduling with employment opportunities part-time, full-time, and work at home.

What are the skills required for medical transcription?

Skills required for the medical transcription profession include:

• Knowledge of medical terminology
• Knowledge of anatomy
• Knowledge of pharmacology
• Knowledge of human diseases, surgical procedures, diagnostic studies and laboratory tests
• Mastery of English grammar, structure, and style
• A knowledge of transcription practices
• Typing skill
• Spelling and proofreading skills
• High professional standards
  

Medical transcriptionists are very special people. They sign their initials on every finished transcribed medical document. They are experts in word processing units, computers, mag cards, memory banks and more. Most important, however, is that the medical transcriptionist is a practitioner of communication, who creates sense out of many diverse accents.

Source: ArticlesBase.com

About the Author:
Connie Limon. Visit http://www.aboutmedicaltranscription.info to learn more about the unique and wonderful profession of Medical Transcription. Sign up for our FREE newsletters about this career choice. Visit Camelot Articles http://www.camelotarticles.com for a variety of FREE reprint articles.

Digital transcription technology introduced

Digital transcription technology introduced to the High Court

Digital audio technology for recording and transcribing evidence has been introduced by the High Court in Wellington and Auckland. It is estimated that this technology will reduce court hearing time by between 20-30%, which will assist case throughput.

"For the Record or FTR, provides a high quality recording of the evidence which is then relayed to transcription staff located outside of the courtroom to be typed up as the trial proceeds. This is another demonstration of the Labour-led government's drive to modernise the court system to improve access to justice for all New Zealanders," Court's Minister, Rick Barker said.

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Medisoft Medical Billing Software Version 14 Now Available

Medicalbillingsoftware.com has announced the worldwide release of the Medisoft Medical Billing Software Version 14. This new version is designed to increase productivity in any medical office, as it simplifies the management of patient paperwork and data processing.

Medisoft v14 offers many features that are meant to ensure that more time can be spent on the patient than on paperwork — an important element of customer service in any industry.

The Medisoft medical billing software has a reputation for ease of use and the fact that it keeps practices running smoothly. This latest version includes a Dashboard feature that allows users to measure productivity and profitability through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

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Medical Transcription Training At Home

Advantages of Medical Transcription Training At Home

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source : http://www.askthemt.com/

How To Get Your Dictation/Transcription Needs Met

The process of dictation and transcription has become quite advanced in the past few years. Gone are the days of the quickly scribbled, often cryptic note in the patient's chart. Now there are so many compliance issues that it's sometimes tricky just to keep up. There are, luckily, a variety of ways to get your transcription done fairly painlessly.

• You can talk into a microphone and send the tape to a transcriber. You can use micro or standard cassettes.
• You can dial a phone number, give your I.D. number, dictate into the phone, and the transcriber at the other end will access your dictation, transcribe, and send back to you.
  

And there are the technological methods:

• Drop your file at a pre-specified ftp site, and the transcriber will download it, transcribe it, and send it back to you as a Word document.
• Send the file as an email attachment; transcriber will open, download, transcribe, and return.
• Voice recognition: After installing the software, your computer recognizes your voice patterns, and you simply talk while sitting in front of your computer. With some voice recognition programs, you have the advantage of immediacy; if you're sitting in front of the computer and dictating, then your report is printed out immediately and you can sign off. The disadvantage is that you need to sit in front of the computer; unless you're using a laptop, this can be limiting. Blind dictation is more portable; you dictate from anywhere into a recorder. Then the data is downloaded to a computer that has your voice-recognition software installed. Recently, a server-side recognition style has been introduced. You call in to dictate; the advantages are that you are not limited to using a single computer, you are free to dictate anywhere without having to download digital dictation files, and you don't have to worry about returning memory chips.
  

The disadvantages to voice recognition technology include:

• With the advanced models, you have to wait a day or two until the report is generated and sent to you to sign off. If there are errors, this will take even more time to edit.
• Voice recognition demands a lot more of your time. Instead of spending a minute or so dictating into a phone or a recorder, you are stuck in front of a computer and correcting mis recognized words.
• You are limited to using the particular computer that has your voice profile on it.
• If you aren't doing the downloading and editing yourself, then you also have to add the cost of hiring an assistant.
  

You can get a general-purpose voice-recognition package for around $100 from your local microcomputer store; work with it for a week. It may be just what you need, or it may just add to your stress and frustration.

Outsourcing Cost Considerations

The cost of hiring the work out varies. There are factors involved that can sometimes be confusing. For instance, consider that there is a big difference between audio hour and transcription hour. The industry standard is anywhere from 1:3 to 1:6; this means it can take from 3-6 hours to type one hour of spoken dictation. The variables that need to be considered are:

 The quality of the recording
 The amount of background noise
 The speed, accent, and clarity of the speaker’s voice
 The transcriptionist’s familiarity with the terminology being used
 The number of speakers/audio format

Another factor to consider is the method the transcriptionist uses to charge. Some transcriptionists charge by the transcription hour, and some by the audio hour. The cost to you is not that much different, whichever method is used. But keep in mind that if you are being charged by the audio hour, then your rate is fixed; if by the transcription hour, then the rate depends on how fast the transcriptionist can type.

My suggestion is that when you consider hiring a transcriptionist for your dictation, have an open discussion beforehand of the work involved, and what your expectations are. This way both of you have some clarity around your expectations and the outcome of the project.

Finding the Right Transcriptionist

Your dictation is an extremely important part of your business. It documents major aspects of your clients’ lives. It is imperative that you find a transcriptionist whose expertise is the English language (that is , they must excel at spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.), one who has more than a passing knowledge of your industry, and one who is accessible to you during the times that you would need to speak with them. Finding a transcriptionist that meets these qualifications would provide you with a unique partnership and hopefully, a lasting business relationship.

Make It Easier for the Transcriptionist

Use good quality equipment; test it first to make sure that the sound comes through clearly. Position microphones close to the speaker.

Make sure that your tapes are designed for voice dictation. They filter out background noise.

Speak clearly, and indicate the end of the dictation.

Dictate in as quiet an environment as possible. Move away from air conditioners and fans. Avoid noise, music, and acoustics whenever possible.

Don't eat or drink when dictating.

Discuss the purpose of the transcription and style preferences with the transcriptionist. Indicate whether you want the transcription to be verbatim, or if you want ums, hmms, ahs, etc. left out.

Spell unusual words and words with questionable spelling, i.e. Kathryn, Katherine, Catherine, or Caterine; this can help you avoid delays and revisions later. Provide supporting documents and words the transcriptionist may not be familiar with such as technical terms, names, streets, and cities.

About the Author:

Rita Ballard has been a virtual assistant since 2003. Her business, Healer’s Helper, provides administrative support to the healing professions: traditional healthcare, behavioral health, alternative and holistic health. Rita can be reached by emailing to Info@healershelper.com or by calling toll free – 877-716-4880, or locally, 360-736-2000. Please visit her website at http://www.healershelper.com