Sunday, August 31, 2008

Requirements for Medical Transcription Job Application

Requirements:

  • Graduates of Nursing, Medical Technology, Physical Therapy, other allied health courses, or a medical transcription course from a reputable transcription school.
  • With at least 1 year experience in Medical Transcription and 6 months in editing OR 2 years transcription experience.
  • Must be able to produce off edit work to a level of 98% accuracy.
  • Must be able to edit a minimum of 1,000 lines per day.
  • Excellent hearing acuity and listening skills.
  • Knowledgeable in basic computer operations and internet applications.
  • Must possess excellent English communication skills, oral and written.
  • Willing to work a 44 hour work week schedule.
  • Willing to be assigned to any schedule.
Responsibilities:
  • Transcribes and edits recorded or written material, including operative reports, discharge summaries, patient history and examinations, physician letters and notes, and pharmacy, rehabilitation, autopsy, and x-ray reports
  • Verifies accuracy of patient information such as name and identification number; verifies accuracy of transcription for correct punctuation, grammar, and spelling
  • Maintains logs of medical procedures, incoming dictation, and transcription records
  • Sorts, copies, prepares, assembles, and files records and charts
  • Distributes and collects dictation and transcribed reports; follows up on physicians’ missing and/or late dictation
  • Performs quality assurance documentation
  • May maintain disk and disk back up system; may order supplies and report equipment operational problems
  • May collect, tabulate, and generate reports on statistical data, as appropriate
  • May assist with telephone coverage
  • May take minutes of transcription department meetings
  • Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned
  • You can always expect above industry compensation package, but you should meet at least 80% of the qualification requirements to have a greater chance of hiring. If you’re well experienced, you can always bargain for a higher compensation package. It’s always up to you to prove your worth and skills with the interviewer.
Source : http://transcription.mixph.com/

Friday, August 29, 2008

How Useful is Six Sigma For The Medical Transcription Businesses?

Six Sigma may have been originally devised as a quality management system for use in the manufacturing sector, but over the years it has proved so versatile that now even businesses in the services sector have started using Six Sigma to reduce errors and improve the efficiency of their existing business processes. One of the most recent additions to the list of Six Sigma beneficiaries has been the medical transcription business.

In medical transcription, the thing that often makes all the difference between success and failure is the number of errors that might have been made by a transcription company. Most of the medical transcription projects are now outsourced to third party medical transcription companies and since clients expect a very high level of performance, these companies just cannot afford to make mistakes.

This is the reason why many of these companies have now started deploying time-tested and highly-effective quality control management methodologies such as Six Sigma. To get a better understanding of how useful Six Sigma actually is for the medical transcription companies, we'll discuss some of its associated benefits.

Significant Reduction in Transcription Errors

Since lives depend on accuracy, medical transcription executives just cannot afford to make errors while converting voice messages into electronic text form. Not to mention the transcription company's losses in case the errors exceed the acceptable limits, leading to the decommissioning of the entire project. However, since transcriptionists also have to meet deadlines, it often becomes quite difficult to achieve that perfect balance of productivity and quality. This is exactly where Six Sigma comes into play.

What Six Sigma does is that it helps businesses to identify the root cause that might have been responsible for the majority of errors committed by transcriptionists. Six Sigma focuses on the majority simply because it's just not possible for a company to look into each and every error committed while transcribing. After identifying the root cause, Six Sigma helps businesses to devise effective solutions that are acceptable to both the top management officials and the transcription executives hired by the company.

This way Six Sigma is able to solve the problems without affecting the morale and motivation of the employees.

Improved Quality Control

By combining statistical tools and techniques with advanced IT systems, Six Sigma enables transcription companies to keep an effective check over the final output. This certainly helps in improving output quality, but what is even better is that the objective is achieved without incurring huge costs. This becomes a possibility because most of the quality control systems are automated and have the capability to identify even the most difficult to detect errors and inaccuracies that might have occurred while transcribing.

Since no additional manpower is required for improving and maintaining the desired quality levels, medical transcription companies are able to make huge savings and that too without compromising on quality.

Six Sigma in the medical transcription business may be a relatively new phenomenon, but still there are many instances that prove the usefulness of Six Sigma in this highly demanding business domain. For proof, you just have to compare the "before and after" financial statements of the transcription companies that have implemented Six Sigma. You can then easily notice that the results after the implementations are far better than they were earlier.

About the Author:

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Basics of Academic Transcription

Academic Transcription is the conversion into written or printed form of a spoken language source like group discussion and lecture. It can also means the conversion of a written source into another medium, such as making digital version of thesis and dissertation. It refers to the transcription of lectures, seminars, discussions held in schools, colleges and Universities and this kind of transcription is used for academic purposes.

All academic institutions such as schools, colleges, Universities and individuals associated with them (teachers, Professors, students) require academic transcription in their related fields. Universities and research institutes record their educational and research materials for further study and analysis.

Audio recording has bought enormous opportunity for today’s learners. Recorded classroom lectures and focus group discussions are invaluable assets to students. Transcribing these recorded lectures can help hearing impaired students as well as those with learning difficulties. Transcription helps to concentrate on study rather than spending time in taking notes.

Academic transcription includes :

  1. Focus Group Transcription-This can be possible from audio tapes as well as video tapes. In fact, from a video source, it is easy to make out who is speaking what and correctly identify them in the transcript.
  2. Seminar Transcription- Mainly there are two types of seminars being held-single speaker and multi-speaker seminars. Recorded audio and video tapes on seminar are transcribed to distribute among fellow colleagues for further analysis.
  3. Thesis/Dissertation Transcription-It is the transcription of dissertation/thesis materials given by students into a text form. The submission of a dissertation is a pre-requisite for students pursuing PhD programs. Therefore, dissertation transcription is needed by the Universities to certify the student in a particular subject.
  4. Lecture Transcription- An audio is considered lecture or speech, if one or more people address an audience sequentially. There can be multiple speakers such as roundtables or panel discussions. Transcribed lectures are very useful for those who are absent to give their judgements.
This article is issued in general public interest, and contains information on transcription services compiled by GMRTranscription Services. To learn more, click on the link.

Source : http://www.articlesphere.com/

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Job Outlook of Medical Transcription

“Employment of medical transcriptionists is projected to grow faster than average for all occupations through 2014. Demand for medical transcription services will be spurred by a growing and aging population.”

U.S. Department of Labor

Bureau of Labor Statistics

The outlook of medical transcription looks good. This is a lucrative, in demand-career with great growth opportunities.

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

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

These are the most common.

Will voice recognition replace transcriptionists?

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


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

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

What about offshore transcription companies?

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

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

In some cases it can be done, but mandatory agreements required by HIPPA guidelines must be signed. And precautions must be taken so that data isn’t sent overseas. The overseas vendors must log on to U.S. database to do their work, which means extra systems and measures must be put in place. This can be expensive and time consuming.

Although, some companies may find the need for saving money is worth these risks, most won’t.

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

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

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

Be smart in your business, keep up with the times, adapt to technology and your future outlook will look better than ever.

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

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Choosing the Right Keyboard

There are many different kinds of keyboards out there. Choosing one that works for you is sometimes a matter of personal preference or could also be driven by sore wrists or an effort to avoid sore wrists. Whatever your reasons, it's important to know all the options.

First there is your standard fat and straight keyboard. This may be what most people are initially comfortable with because most of us learned to type on one of these or on a typewriter. ("Find your home row, everyone.") Perhaps you find this most comfortable, or perhaps you work off a laptop keyboard, making this your only option. It's definitely an option that several people choose as their personal preference.

Read More Article...

Monday, August 25, 2008

Medical Transcription Tips For Job Acceptance

If you are going to an interview for a medical transcription job or if you are being offered the job, there are some things you need to discuss which are very important to a transcriptionist.

Request samples of the format used by the client. Ask about the word processing program required, type size, paragraph and margins styles. If you will be working for a hospital get a copy of their operative reports, discharge and summary reports, and their H&Ps.

Request a list of the doctors and other healthcare personnel so you will have their correctly spelled names and titles.

Get a list of their approved abbreviations. Don't use any others if they are not on their list. There are a lot of abbreviations in medical transcription and you need to get this right.

Discuss the billing terms, whether weekly or every two weeks. Charging by the line, by the word, or hourly? If they don't have a form for invoicing these charges, you can prepare your own form.

If you will be using tapes, find out if they want them erased and rewound or just rewound. Will you be using a WAV pedal or c-phone instead of tapes? What are their set up procedures for this? Get the detailed requirements for any method of transcribing.

Clarify what the policy is with regards to editing a doctor's dictation. Does he want his grammar corrected? How do they want you to handle the blanks you leave? Sometimes they will have a certain form for flagging dictation.

What is the sign off for the doctor? Some require the dictation date, the doctor's initials, and the transcriptionist's initials. Some just require the date and doctor's initials. Also, some may require the line or word count at the end of the document.

These were some of the details that most jobs don't require but they have to be clarified for a medical transcriptionist. Having all of this made clear in the beginning will prevent any confusion on your first day of typing for them.

The doctor may ask for your own input into the organizing of the work, so don't be shy about putting forth your recommendations.

Ask questions, answer questions and this will help both you and the healthcare provider get a better understanding of what you both require in this position.

Marilyn Roberts is a home-based medical transcriptionist with many years of experience in this field. You can visit her site at http://www.medicaltranscriptionabcs.blogspot.com for more articles and helpful information if you are considering a career as a medical transcriptionist or if you are a beginning MT with lots of questions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Medical Transcription From Home?

Does anyone out there do medical transcription from home successfully? I already do this at work and have several years experience under my belt. I enjoy my job, and it also allows me to interact with patients/customers and to handle medical billing, which I also enjoy. But this is an idea in my back pocket that would eventually (possibly) allow me to spend more time with the family. On the other hand, I also know that starting up your own business can end up taking more time than ever away from the ones you want to spend more time with anyway!

So, if you have managed to make this work for you, I am open to suggestions and tips. Or if you have tried it and it didn't work out, I'd like to hear your perspective, too.

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Thursday, August 21, 2008

Medical Transcription Tips for Word Searching

Word searching is locating the medical word that is correct both in spelling and meaning. This is a Medical Transcription skill that takes time and practice to develop.

Tip #1:

If you find yourself unable to locate a medical word in your reference books, it might be the word has an initial letter different than the sound or initial letter you hear. For example, the v sounds very much like that of f, the letter m may actually be an x (xiphoid) and the k might be ch (ischemic).

In addition, medical terms that contain silent letters such as euthyroid, herniorrhaphy, pneumonia or words frequently mispronounced such as menstruation present a unique challenge for the Medical Transcriptionist.

Experience is often more the teacher in using available resources. The longer you remain a Medical Transcriptionist, the more proficient you will become in determining sound-alikes and locating terms with silent letters.

Tip #2:

When you are unable to locate a phrase under a particular entry, look under a related entry.

Tip #3:

When you hear a phrase you cannot understand, look first under the noun and not the adjective. Nouns usually follow adjectives. An example: If you are looking for bullous emphysema, look under emphysema (the noun) and not bullous. To find particular diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, look under disease.

An exception to the above tip is that in Latin phrases, the noun is followed by the adjective such as “fascia lata,” and “ligamentum flavum.” You would look under the first word with Latin phrases. Bacterial names are another exception in that the genus is given first, followed by the species: Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

If you exhaust all you know to do when word searching on the job, a Medical Transcriptionist should:

  1. seek another transcriptionist’s opinion
  2. refer to the patient’s chart
  3. contact the dictating physician for clarification
  4. leave a blank in the report and attach a note so that the dictator may insert the correct word

If you leave a blank in the report, you should flag the report by attaching a note with a paperclip. The note should list all blanks left in the report, and giving as many details as possible for ease of identification such as page and line number. The Medical Transcriptionist may also give a phonetic spelling of what the word or words sounded like to assist the dictator in filling in the blank or blanks.

The main thing to remember about word searching is to never guess at a word. A blank in the medical report does not reflect poorly on the Medical Transcriptionist who thoroughly researched for the words and exhausted all else before leaving the blank. Leaving a blank is the correct thing to do. Integrity and accuracy of the medical report is much more important than presenting documents that never leave blanks.

Written by: Connie Limon, Medical Transcriptionist. Visit us at http://www.aboutmedicaltranscription.info for more information about the unique and rewarding career choice of Medical Transcription. Visit Camelot Articles http://www.camelotarticles.com for a variety of FREE reprint articles for your newsletter, web sites or blogs.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

IBM marketing software that makes speech just like text

ARMONK — IBM has begun selling speech-recognition software developed in the Hudson Valley to customers who hope to use the technology to develop real-world products.

The software, an outgrowth of IBM Research, is an effort to bring its intellectual capital to the marketplace.

Big Blue's selling the software to business clients, who then can find ways to incorporate it into new products. The company said its software will enable those clients to gain a competitive advantage in new markets.

"One of the unique ways IBM Research stays ahead of the competition is by looking at innovations that will have a real-world impact," said David Nahamoo, chief technology officer for speech technology at IBM Research. "We are helping the IT market explore new growth opportunities enabled by our state-of-the-art speech technologies and solutions."

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Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Antiguans sign up for medical transcription industry

Scores of young Antiguans turned out yesterday at the Multi-Purpose Cultural & Exhibition Centre to obtain first-hand information in relation to the Antigua and Barbuda Investment Authority’s (ABIA) Medical Transcription project that is to come on stream shortly.

The opening ceremony which was held under the theme “Global opportunity local participation” saw several officials including Minister of Education Bertrand Joseph, Chairperson of the Board of Education Dr. Ermina Osoba and Chairman of the ABIA Board of Management Senator Lenworth Johnson.

Medical transcription is the process whereby voice dictation that details an individual’s medical history is converted to an electronic text format. It has been growing rapidly as a global industry.

During his remarks, Joseph said opportunities will be made available for individuals to do a training course since the Ministry of Education through the Board of Education will be making part scholarships available to eligible people.

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Monday, August 18, 2008

A career in medical transcription

Medical transcriptionists, also known as Medical language specialists, are the key link between a physician and patient''s permanent medical record, which details the medical history, diagnosis, and treatment of the patient. Currently, there are 100,000 registered medical transcriptionists in the United States, the majority of whom are working from home, but opportunities also exist for transcriptionists to work in hospitals and in clinic settings.

Extensive training is required to enter into the field of medical Transcription and a student can expect to pay between $1,000 and $3,500 on average, for the cost of the training. In addition, one must have access to a personal computer and high-speed internet. Learning the medical language is exactly like learning a foreign language and does not happen overnight. Also, because the document that is transcribed is a part of a person''s permanent medical record, accuracy is a must. A highly trained medical transcriptionist can expect to earn between $20,000 and $40,000 yearly, however, there is a learning curve and one should expect to start at the low end of the pay scale while they are mastering the skills required to succeed in this profession. Most transcriptionists are paid by the line, therefore, in order to earn at a higher level, one must have the ability to type at a minimum of 80 words per minute.

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Wednesday, August 13, 2008

What is involved in Medical Transcription?

Medical transcription, as you may know, is transcribing audio cassette or digital dictation by physicians into hard copy or computer files for printing. In other words, physicians recount the patient's medical history, clinical findings and health care services on a tape recorder or digital recording system, which in turn is interpreted by the medical transcriptionist and generated into a written record regarding the patient.

Medical terminology is a mix of Latin and Greek word parts (roots, prefixes and suffixes), using English and a smattering of foreign terms. A working knowledge of biology, human anatomy and physiology is necessary to understand the dictation. Grammar, spelling and punctuation are necessary to create a document that is correct, professional-looking, and interpretable by others
(lawyers, health care professionals, etc.).

Is there a market for medical transcriptionists?

Most definitely, there is a market for skilled medical transcriptionists.

Training

Just having a computer at home and knowing how to type is definitely not enough to become a working, successful medical transcriptionist. Technical training is a necessity for the novice medical transcriptionist, usually in the form of a correspondence course or an apprenticeship. Experience in the field of transcription is invaluable to broaden your abilities and become familiar with the different medical specialties. Working for a transcription service, physician's office, clinic or hospital is a good way to start building your career.

Working On Site VS. Working at Home

With your sharpened skills, the next decision is, should you work on-site or become an independent? This is best answered by a self-evaluation test. Calculate your transcription productivity. How many lines can you transcribe in an hour or day? Calculate that by the price rate in your area. Would you make enough as a self-employed transcriptionist to pay for overhead and have a profit? If you are an average to low producer, employee status is probably best. The job offers a steady income and benefits, but there are ceiling wages and an uncontrollable work environment. If you are an above average or high producer, consider self-employment. Becoming an independent medical transcriptionist offers awesome benefits for some people. It affords the opportunity to increase your income, control your work environment, learn more and varied business skills, and grow. It requires self-discipline, organization, continuing education and reinvestment in your equipment and yourself. A successful transition into independent transcription can also build self-esteem and the skills and motivation to tackle larger projects.

There are many different working environments available to a trained, experienced MT, including hospitals, clinics, individual and group medical, chiropractic, radiology, physical therapy practices, national transcription services that hire or contract home-based MT's, local transcription services who may also hire or contract MT's, and owner-operator MT's (who may also subcontract work out).

Source : http://www.medword.com/

Monday, August 11, 2008

CBaySystems completes acquisition of stake in MedQuist

MUMBAI: CBaySystems Holdings today said it had completed the acquisition of 69.5 per cent stake in medical transcription services major MedQuist.

CBaySystems has bought the stake from Koninkiijke Philips Electronics for USD 287 million. MedQuist is the world's largest medical transcription services company while CBaySystems Holdings is a holding firm with a portfolio of investments in medical transcription, healthcare technology and healthcare financial services.

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Sunday, August 10, 2008

Sample Medical Transcription Resume: Make Your Case and Get That Medical Transcription Job Now!

Many medical transcriptionists want a sample medical transcription resume to follow in order to know what should be included in a resume. For those who are established in the medical transcription profession and have credibility within the medical field, here are some points to consider, followed by a sample medical transcription resume that outlines the salient information that should be included.

  1. Be as succinct as possible in your medical transcription resume, and highlight what skill sets you bring to the table.
  2. Limit your resume to one page. People are busy these days and often are overwhelmed due to information overload.
  3. Key in on the specific skill sets being sought for this particular medical transcription position.
  4. Include other vital information, such as volunteer work or supervisory/managerial positions that you've held while working as a medical transcriptionist.
  5. Tailor your medical transcription resume to each specific job for which you are applying.

    Here is a sample medical transcription resume that this author has used to land her last couple of outside medical transcription contractor jobs for orthopedic surgeons in the workers' compensation arena. It demonstrates how to put all five points into action. (Please note that headings should be centered and bolded.)

PERSONAL CONTACT INFORMATION

(insert your personal contact info here, including your e-mail address)

ADMINISTRATIVE QUALIFICATIONS

Typing speed of 120-130 w.p.m. with 95% accuracy; good command of the English language; strong editing, grammar, and punctuation skills; ability to edit "on the fly" when taking histories and when transcribing medical reports, making paragraphs flow smoothly; and strong computer (hardware and software) skills, saving the company down time and money.

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP SKILLS

Ability to put people at ease and to establish immediate rapport; ability to control the history interview process, keeping the patient on track; and getting salient information in a timely manner, all in a congenial and empathetic way. Cooperates and works well with co-workers, willingly shares new technical and medical information. Professional, dedicated, and committed to the success of the company through collaborative efforts with others.

WORKERS' COMPENSATION-SPECIFIC SKILLS

Good command/understanding of workers' compensation field, thus enabling me to ask the pertinent questions that will enable the doctor to intelligently address important workers' compensation issues (e.g., permanent disability, apportionment, and causation); over five years of experience taking patient histories (ranging from basic to complicated) on a daily basis, specializing in the field of orthopedics; and over 14 years of experience as a medical transcriptionist, historian, and medical records reviewer.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Company Name, Address, City State, Zip, Phone Number Employed From: June 19xx to 20xx Supervisor: Jane Doe

Company Name, Address, City State, Zip, Phone Number Employed From: June 19xx to 20xx Supervisor: Jane Doe

Depending on how much information and work experience you have, there may be room at the bottom of the page. If so, include this section:

QUALITIES AND CHARACTER TRAITS

Innovative, creative, proactive, energetic visionary, resourceful self-starter; practical, self-reliant, motivated problem-solver; versatile, talented trainer/teacher; organized, personable, and reliable support person with a winning attitude who takes great pride in meeting and exceeding her own definition and standard of excellence.

One last point: The very last sentence of the resume is a powerful thing–if the resume has been read all the way through. You can–and I have done this–use that very same sentence–at the TOP of the resume to grab the reader's attention. When you do, change the heading to: SELF-ASSESSMENT STATEMENT.

Now isn't that a powerful sample medical transcription resume? As a secondary benefit, when a medical transcription resume is this solid, this good, it will make it even easier for you to sell yourself to a prospective employer when you meet face to face because you will have all the self-confidence you need to make your case and get that medical transcription job you want now!

About the Author:
Mary Ruff-King also has documented a marketing technique that medical transcriptionists can use to find a list of specific employers (whether it be doctors, hospitals, or clinics) by location and with all contact information on her blog at www.mtmasterycenter.com

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

Friday, August 8, 2008

College offers Medical Transcription Program - Comprehensive one-year program: trains students for entry level position

Newton — Are you interested in a career in healthcare, but not sure about working directly with patients? Fortunately, there are many opportunities in healthcare for people who prefer to work behind the scenes. One such career training option, medical transcription, can be found at Sussex County Community College.

Medical transcriptionists (MTs) are the healthcare professionals who listen to recorded dictation and transform it into a permanent legal document that becomes part of a patient’s medical record. This could be a health history, a letter to the insurance company, MRI results, an operative report, or even an autopsy.

The Medical Transcription Program at SCCC is a comprehensive one-year program that trains students to become entry-level transcriptionists. Students will learn the necessary medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, and medical transcription skills. Students are also introduced to the electronic health record. During the final semester, students participate in a supervised on-the-job externship program and take the national certification exam. Additionally, certain basic skills are necessary to become a successful medical transcriptionist: strong English grammar skills, good computer skills, and good typing speed.

Variety of work place settings available

There are a variety of work place settings available to MTs including hospitals, doctors’ offices, other healthcare offices, transcription services, pharmaceutical companies, medical malpractice attorneys, and health insurance companies. Many MTs work from home. They are able to receive the recorded dictations over the Internet, transcribe the report into a formatted document, and return it to a client over the Internet.

Donna Mappa, a program graduate, currently transcribes from her home office for Dr. Denise Autotte, a Family Medicine physician in Hamburg. Mappa said, “I really enjoyed the learning process; it was all very interesting. I was pleasantly surprised by the sisterhood I developed with my classmates.” When asked what she likes best about medical transcription, Donna said, “The thing I like best is that each report is like a story, and I feel a sense of responsibility and accomplishment to be a part of that.” Donna “I really enjoy and appreciate the flexibility it gives me to be at home

Job opportunities expected to be good

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of MTs to grow faster than average. As the nation’s baby-boomers reach older adulthood, they will invariably seek more healthcare services, more diagnostic testing, and more procedures. This will result in a strain on the existing MT workforce. “The medical transcription industry is currently facing a serious labor and skills shortage.” noted Keith Flannery, vice president, Medical Transcription Industry Association, As such, job opportunities are expected to be good, especially for those who are certified.

In an effort to replenish the workforce, the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity has launched its NextGen recruitment campaign to attract a new generation of skilled MTs. In conjunction with the Department of Labor an apprenticeship program has been created for MTs. This program offers certified graduates structured on-the-job learning and technical instruction.

In addition to medical transcription, SCCC offers a variety of healthcare programs including Medical Assistant, Medical Office Assistant, Medical Coding and Billing, Professional Medical Coding, Surgical Technology, Nursing, Respiratory Therapy, Health Information Technology, and Emergency Medical Technician.

For more information specifically regarding the Medical Transcription Program, call Paige Gebhardt at 973-300-2261. For information about any of the other programs, call the Department of Allied Health at 973-300-2332.

Source : http://www.strausnews.com/

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Medical Transcription Outsourcing - Is It Bad?

So you have finally completed the schooling in order to receive a certificate to be a medical transcriptionist and there are plenty of hospitals that hire medical transcription outsourcing companies. You are finally ready to work and find that just like the schools had offered, there is plenty of work to go around. You have no problem picking any amount of jobs and companies to work for to keep you gainfully employed for at least the next few years.

Now what I bet you did not realize is the controversial career you have just embarked on. With all of the American outsourcing to different countries, medical transcription outsourcing is no different. Except when you realize that we are sending private information across the information super highway and private information can become public instantly.

There are numerous complaints made from heads of major companies down to the 'average' employee just like you and me about the transcription outsourcing problem.

Not only does it take away jobs from those people that have been in the business for a long time, but it desperately hurts those that are trying to get a foot in the door. You have trained and spent a lot of time dedicating yourself to earn your certificate and now the transcription outsourcing has either brought down your line wages or it has made the job extinct.

With a number of countries participating in the transcription outsourcing not all news about the outsourcing is controversial. There are countries that are bidding with competitive rates and not making our current line wages sink below the poverty level.

A number of countries are also being proactive in making sure the level of transcription outsourcing is up to the same level as that done in the states. Some countries have a knowledge for the English language and the slang that may even put some of the native speakers to shame.

If someone were to ask you about the transcription outsourcing controversy you can stand very proud of your career and know that not all transcription outsourcing is bad.

If it were, then you and I would not be able to work such a great career from home. Just make sure that you are educated on the different transcription outsourcing that are available today. If you sign on with a company make sure that their practices are legal and above the board when it comes to line wages and employment opportunities.

Find out about medical transcriptionist training - available courses, schools, medical transcription job openings, salary at Certmedicaltranscriptionist dot com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

HOW TO BECOME A MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTIONIST

There are lots of institutions and schools available who impart efficient training for medical transcription . Essentially, entry level transcriptionists must graduate from a MT certificate program and according to industry standards are considered experienced only after 3-5 years of full time equivalent work hours. The reigns of medical transcription are in the hands of “The American Association for Medical Transcription”, which also offers a Medical Transcriptionist Certification Program (MTCP). To obtain certification, an individual must pass a 2-part test – a written test on essential knowledge (terminology, language use, anatomy/physiology, etc.) and a dictation transcription covering report types and specialties. However, Certification is a fairly new development that has been created to improve professionalism and quality of MT work product.

It takes most students about 6-9 months to complete the program, although some take a little longer. A proper training program includes overview in depth on Medical terminology, English and grammar usage, building up English and medical vocabulary and the most important part of keyboard and typing skills. During this period, students are exposed to a variety of dictations from all fields of medicine so that they are ready to give the desired output as required by the industry.

Successful medical transcription training results from a combination of knowledge, skills, effective transcription experience with careful assessment and evaluation by professional and caring instructors.

Source : http://www.medical-transcription1.com/

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Transcription Companies And Your Healthcare Organization

While some healthcare organizations turn to their administrative staff members for dictation and transcription projects, others are making the most of outsourcing options available from medical transcription companies. Medical transcription companies can help healthcare organizations of all sizes and budgets enjoy the benefits of high quality reports and transcription service and make use of today’s innovative technologies to submit reports and data. Turning to outsourced transcription companies offers several benefits and can even keep your costs for these services as low as possible. When you need quality, HIPAA-compliant reports on a consistent basis, transcription companies offer a wealth of benefits with a fully-equipped team of professionals standing by.

Transcription companies make it easier than ever to complete dictation and transcription projects with ease. Your healthcare professionals simply send over dictation tapes and recordings via the web or mail to the company, and they manage the transcription and reporting. After submitting the dictation, there is very minimal communication and contact required; this saves your doctors and physicians time during their busy schedules, and saves the organization time overall.

The dictation is then processed into a transcription by a staff of well-trained medical transcription professionals. After transcribing the data, the transcriptionist can code and store it accordingly to transfer it into a file. The files are stored on a secure server, and all information is held in strict confidentiality. Your transcription company can explain what type of security system they have in place for all data transmissions, and may also provide extensive information on their process for HIPAA law compliance and other rules and regulations that may apply to your business.After converting the data into a transcription,it is prepared for processing and reporting. At this stage, most reports are sent to a transcription companies’ quality control department to check for accuracy, HIPAA-compliance and other regulations that ensure utmost quality of the final product. This entire process can take just 24- 48 hours, which means your doctors, physicians and healthcare professionals can have their documents and reports in less than 2-3 days.

Today’s innovative technologies have made it easier for healthcare professionals to obtain data from transcriptionists at a touch of a button. Instead of waiting to print out reports and other information from the transcription companies, doctors can download the report directly to a computer or handheld device for easy access. During the dictation process, most doctors can also submit data directly over the phone or web-enabled device. This means the transcriptionist will receive a quality voice recording immediately, reducing the risk of errors and discrepancies and once again ensuring a final product of the utmost quality.

Transcription companies can manage the entire dictation-to-reporting process with accuracy and efficiency in mind, and will also ensure that all data remains confidential throughout the process. Instead of investing time and money to train your staff, outsourcing the project can help you make the most of your resources. When time is of the essence in your busy healthcare organization, transcription companies are a very valuable resource for your medical transcription needs.

Source : http://www.212articles.com/

Monday, August 4, 2008

Medical Transcription Abbreviations and Acronyms

Abbreviations, acronyms, and brief forms are often used in medical dictation to speed up communication, but they frequently create confusion instead. While the originator may think that dictating the abbreviation AML is the fastest way to communicate acute myelocytic leukemia, medical transcriptionists know better. They face the dilemma: Does AML mean acute monocytic leukemia, acute myeloblastic leukemia, acute myelocytic leukemia, acute myelogenous leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, or perhaps even some less common alternative? In the numerous publications devoted to translating medical abbreviations, abbreviations with a single meaning appear to be in the minority.

Clarity of communication is essential. Avoid the use of abbreviations, acronyms, and brief forms except for internationally recognized and accepted units of measure and for widely recognized terms and symbols. Do not use any that readers will not immediately recognize. Unless the abbreviations, acronym, or brief form is so widely used that it has in essence become a term in its own right, use the expanded term first, followed by its abbreviated form in parentheses. Then use the abbreviated form throughout the remainder of the document.

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Online Transcription Services

Online transcription is web-based transcription service where the operating system is independent and is cross browser compatible. Their services are accessed via a web browser who is not restricted by time zones or business hours. The mission is to offer each and every client high quality and professional transcription services, combined with the most competitive pricing schedules in the industry.

It is easy to use. All work is done at one central location using the business server. Multi-faceted tools are built to provide each client with a dedicated, private and secure area where a client can control, view or be notified via email on each phase of his transcription project.

Online transcription provides high quality service to suit each client. Their professionally qualified team specializes in many fields so that all work will be delivered with great care and reproduced as accurately, quickly and reliably as dictated by clients.

Online transcription service covers almost all fields like:

  • Legal, court document
  • All reports - medical, general, business
  • Interviews, conferences, meetings
  • Workshop, focus groups etc.

Benefits of using online transcription services are

  • Save money: Going digital reduces cost and time by eliminating postage, courier, hardware maintenance and other expenses.
  • 100% portable: Be anywhere in the world or in any time zone, you can upload, download and access all digital dictation.
  • Total cost-effective: Your hourly rate is spent on 100% productivity, not for the hours an employee spends in an office.
  • Always available: You can access experienced transcriptionists quickly and easily beyond office hours.
  • No HR costs: There is no need to advertise jobs, or interview candidates.Reliable and secure: All clients can communicate the server at any time.

Features of online transcription services that enable clients to share and access their information via Internet are,

  • Clients can dictate their reports via PC based dictation system. Digital handheld recorders are also used for this purpose
  • 24/7 accessibility from anywhere and any time
  • Report tracking is very easy on an online system.

By using digital equipment, both dictation and documents are transmitted electronically, eliminating cost, saving time and money.

This article is issued in general public interest, and contains information on transcription services compiled by GMRTranscription Services.

Source : http://www.articlecompilation.com

Transcription Services Outsourcing Services