The Dark Side of Medical Transcription

By peeking into this dark side, we hope to help other MTs avoid the troubles that befell our three sources.

The Tale of the Rubber Checks
Joan Edwards (not her real name), like Trudy Schaefer Looney, got into transcription on a whim 14 years ago. "It was sort of by fluke," she said. "I basically trained myself. I started out with a doctor and his wife. It was a brand new practice, and we sort of trained each other."

Edwards worked there for 4 years until the clinic closed due to lack of business. She moved on from there, getting her own accounts and working directly for clinics. Everything in her MT world was fine until she started working for a medical transcription service organization (MTSO) 2 years ago. The warning signs were there. The company said it would get direct deposit for its 120 MTs nationwide. It didn't. The promised health care coverage never showed up. A notice was sent out by the company saying that 10 oncology MTs quit, all in the same day. And MTs were forbidden by the company from contacting each other, even if they worked on the same accounts. Also, a lot of times Edwards and other MTs saw discrepancies in the line counts. They thought they typed more lines than they were paid for, but the only way to prove it would be to purchase the company's own line counting software, which would cost a hefty $300.

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Medical 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.

In the time I've spent researching medical transcription schools, three names keep coming up as the ones that employers actually hire from regularly: Career Step, M-Tec, and Andrews School of Medical Transcription. Of them, CareerStep is the most affordable. The others have a still better repuation with employers, but CareerStep graduates are plenty well enough trained to find employment. My former employer, Medquist, requires that you take the Gold level or above from CareerStep (last I heard, anyhow), which is my recommendation as well. Expect to take a minimum of 6 months, often 9 months or more, to complete a course.

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.

About The Author
Stephanie Foster is a former medical transcriptionist and now runs http://www.homewiththekids.com/ . She shares what she learned about being a medical transcriptionist at http://www.homewiththekids.com/medical-transcription/.

RP to benefit from US plan on medical IT

MANILA, Philippines— The decision of incoming US President Barack Obama to spend billions of dollars to build a fully integrated health information technology system for American hospitals and doctors’ offices will generate new business for Philippine business process outsourcing companies, according to a domestic labor group.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said it was counting on the conversion to electronic records by US hospitals and doctors to boost local outsourced medical transcription and data encoding service providers.

TUCP secretary general Ernesto Herrera in a statement said the next US administration was doing this to reduce costs and reinforce America’s health care system by having electronic records that could be shared online by hospitals, clinics, doctors, post-acute care facilities and home care agencies.

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Transcription Training - Transcription company launches online training

MTS of Kansas, a medical transcription services company in Wichita, is opening an online medical transcription school called AMTEC.

MTS of Kansas, which has served medical care providers in Wichita and nationally since 1989, is headed by Donna Hill. She will lead the online school as well, with Donella Aubuchon. The online course is self-paced and will prepare students to participate in the standardized exam to become a certified medical transcriptionist.

Additional information about the school is available at studymt.net or by calling 316-239-6060.

Source : http://www.kansas.com/

Job opportunities galore in medical transcription

Hyderabad, Jan. 1 Job cuts, perks slash, cap on expansion are now common trends in the Indian IT/ITES sectors, reeling under the impact of the recession in the US.

However, there seems to be one segment, which is bucking this trend — medical transcription (MT). In fact, there are jobs to be grabbed, say some of the big companies.

Transdyne, among the top 10 MT companies in India, for example plans to add 300-400 staff in 2009. At present, the company has 1,200 employees, mostly in Hyderabad and a few in Vijayawada.

“Our optimism is based on the feeling that a big chunk of business was waiting to be moved to India from the US, which is the biggest source for the Indian MT industry,” said Mr Raghu Vasu, CEO of the company.

The Indian model for providing outsourced MT work is proven in the US. Also, since healthcare is reasonably recession proof, big budget cuts are not expected and hence contracts should be coming to competent Indian companies, he told Business Line.

Bangalore, Hyderabad and Delhi are the main centres for MT, with about a dozen companies being bigger than 1,000 employees.

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Medical Transcription Industry - Looking Out for Scams

Medical transcription is a very popular option for working at home. Landing that first job after training can be tough, but it's legitimate work once you get going.

But that's the challenge. Getting things going.

The first thing you need to understand about medical transcription is that you need training at the very least, and quite possibly some experience, before you can find that transcription job from home. Most employers will not train you on the job. Due to the sensitive nature of this field, they need people who are prepared to work and dedicated to their jobs.

Before you sign up with any online medical transcription school, you need to research them. You want to ensure that you have a good shot at actually landing a job afterward. Choose a poor quality school and you are less likely to land any job at all.

There are three schools that are commonly recommended by just about any MT discussion board. They are The Andrews School, M-Tec and CareerStep. The first two are considered by far to be the best, but many employers do approve of CareerStep as well. It's also more affordable than the other two, which is a consideration for many potential students.

That good reputation is key to getting a job in this industry. Without it you are going to struggle to find work. Good schools have a solid reputation, and many of them use the HPI training program. They may also offer job placement assistance.

Do not expect to pay just a few hundred dollars for training. Quality training is a bit pricey, and good programs run at least $1000 and often over $2000. This is not a cheap deal.

But what about community colleges, you may ask? Some do indeed have good programs for less, but they generally lack the reputation that helps you to land that ever so hard to find first job. Talk to the school in detail about their placement rate after training if this is the option you would prefer to pursue.

Watch out for companies that claim to give you training with no experience that will lead to a job. There is one company in particular which changes names regularly, which emphasizes its "Christian" character, yet is nothing more than a scam. They require students to purchase software, and then you never get good enough to get paid. The name change can make them hard to identify, but the routine stays more or less the same.

When it comes time to look for actual work, many employers will consider you to be an independent contractor rather than an employee. This is an important difference both at tax time and in how you get your equipment. You may be expected to provide your own, although some companies may send it to you.

As with any work at home job, employers should not expect you to pay for the privilege of applying to work for them. No fees to show that you're serious, for example. They should be clear about how you will get paid. In most cases you will be paid on production rather than hourly, typically a set rate per line. One line is often 65-75 characters in length.

As with any work at home opportunity, medical transcription scams are out there. But if you are careful and do your research, you can avoid these and enjoy a fruitful career.

About the Author: Stephanie Foster worked as a medical transcriptionist for three years and at http://www.homewiththekids.com/medical-transcription/ offers tips on getting into the field. She also shares information on other work at home scams at http://www.homewiththekids.com/scams/

Article Source: http://home-based-business.bestmanagementarticles.com

How To Choose A Good Medical Transcription Training Program

Many ideas abound about what constitutes a good MT program. Some people feel that the schools that advertise on TV showing a mother working at her computer while her children play quietly at her feet is an accurate portrayal of the life of an MT. What is true and what is not true in regard to MT education?

What is AAMT and COMPRO?

The American Association of Medical Transcription (www.aamt.org) is the professional industry organization that represents medical transcriptionists. The AAMT has developed a competency profile for medical transcription education (COMPRO). This profile outlines many of the areas that a good solid MT program should cover. In brief, some of these areas include the following: English language, medical knowledge, technology, healthcare documentation, and professional practice. Under each of these broad headings are very particular sets of competencies that an MT student must demonstrate to show they have mastered that area. The full COMPRO guidelines are listed on the AAMT's web site, and we highly recommend that all prospective MT students visit the site and go over the profile in detail.

Why Not a Less Expensive, Faster Program?

When you take the time to research the skills that a quality MT needs, it will become evident that a shorter, less comprehensive course of study isn't going to give you what you need to succeed in the workplace. Many prospective students who look into very inexpensive fast programs buy into the idea that they can learn medical transcription quickly and then begin making good money right away. You may hear some people say that a comprehensive education is not necessary and that you just type what you hear. This type of thinking is not only faulty but actually dangerous because in medical language many words sound alike but have very different meanings. Please see the example below:

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Text transcription VoIP solutions 'to be big in 2009'

VoIP solutions capable of voice-to-text transcriptions will be a big feature of 2009, it has been claimed.

Robert Poe from VoIP News explained that the service is already popular among users, because it allows them to read their messages "in any order instead of having to negotiate a tedious key-press menu to listen to them in sequence".

Additionally, many services allow voice messages to be recorded which are then sent as text messages or emails.

However, VoIP providers will also find the technology useful, as they will be able to charge for the service.

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How to Choose a Medical Transcription School

How to Choose a Medical Transcription Course of Study

After considering all the pros and cons of becoming a medical transcriptionist, perhaps the most important decision lying before you is that of choosing your course of study. The decision to pursue training in medical transcription represents a large investment of time and money. But the end result, as with any educational pursuit, is that you are investing in yourself.

A two-year course is the norm, and the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) also recommends that this include a 240 hour externship in an actual healthcare facility. This corresponds to 6 weeks of external study in addition to the formal training already received. In addition to community colleges, there are home study courses available both online and through the use of home study materials. A course that allows you ample access to the instructor for questions and assistance is essential. Likewise, access to fellow students allows opportunities for networking and support.

If you already know medical terminology and have good grammar skills, you are more than halfway there. Sometimes we recommend to these people to obtain practice tapes or CDs to measure their skill, and some are pleased to find that they are moving along just fine after a period of adjustment and heightened listening skills. Others find that they did not know as much terminology as they thought, and for them we recommend taking a course either at a community college or via home study.

Medical Transcriptionists must sometimes edit the words of the dictating physician and make corrections where appropriate. Courses in English grammar and punctuation, anatomy, physiology, terminology, and medical transcription are necessary. The AHDI recommends that the following course topics are included as part of your training: English grammar and punctuation, medical language, anatomy and physiology, disease processes, pharmacology and laboratory medicine, transcription technology, medical transcription practice, healthcare records, privacy, ethics, and other medicolegal issues

In addition, an effective course of study should be taught by qualified professionals, preferably Certified Medical Transcriptionists (CMTs) who are knowledgeable in their field. The ADHI recommends that at least 30 hours of real dictated physician reports be included in the formal training, plus an additional 10 hours of real dictated physician reports be included in the external practice module.

What about certification?
Watch out for schools that offer a "certificate". It should be clear that this is a certificate of completion of their course of study, NOT the designation "Certified Medical Transcriptionist". To learn more about Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) and Registered Medical Transcriptionist (RMT) designation, click here.

Get references! Ask the course operators to provide you with contact information of graduated students, and follow through to see where they are today in terms of their medical transcription career. Ask them to provide you with a list of employers who have hired their graduates. This is part of your due diligence in preparing for your career in medical transcription. Contact as many schools and graduates as necessary so that you will be starting off your new career with the utmost confidence that you have made the right choice. We have heard many times from MT students who are already in a course of study who feel they should have spent more time checking out schools prior to making their choice, so don't let the excitement of entering a new field deter you from taking enough time to fully evaluate your options.

Lastly, but certainly not least, the medical transcription school that you choose should provide a job placement program. When you are contacting schools, ask them about their placement program and continued post-graduate assistance.

Are there accredited Medical Transcription Schools?
The Approval Committee for Certificate Programs (ACCP) is a joint committee that was established by The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and AHDI to approve medical transcription education programs. Ask if the school you're considering is ACCP-approved.

Melinda Decker began her medical transcription career in 1987. In 1997 she purchased and launched the domain MedicalTranscription.com for her business. In 2001, illness forced Melinda to discontinue transcribing but once recovered, she relaunched the website to assist other transcriptionists in finding jobs. The website uses a database to match the abilities of the transcriptionists to the physicians and medical facilities that hire them. In addition, the website provides information for new transcriptionists and medical practice managers, as well the the discussion forum MT Brainstorm.

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

8 VoIP Trends to Watch in 2009

The economic crisis will continue to shape the VoIP business in 2009. The most important trends of the year will occur either as a result of or in response to the downturn. Most will represent either providers' attempts to cope with the crisis or their failure to do so. Many will involve their efforts to help their customers cope, which is of course a way to help themselves cope as well. Several of the trends thus may be helpful to users, although some, like the first on this list, could pose problems. Either way, knowing which trends to watch is an essential first step in being prepared to deal with them. Here are eight to keep your eye on:

1. Ongoing shakeout among low-cost VoIP companies: It should surprise no one when more small VoIP companies go under or get absorbed in 2009, as happened to EQO Communications Inc., Jangl Inc. and TalkPlus Inc. in 2008. Many such startups offer similar sorts of cut-rate calling. More important, most are operating on timetables that no longer work. Their original plan was typically to add features and users until they hit the magic point where viral growth explodes. They could then make money through one of several methods, including advertising, for-pay "premium" features or large volumes of prepaid long-distance call completion.

Now, most startups don't have time for that. The downturn means they'll have to wait a lot longer than expected to reach viral critical mass. Potential new investors will hesitate to put up cash or will insist on investing at low valuations. Even if a startup has enough cash to get by for a while, existing investors may find neither waiting nor low valuations acceptable. If so, they could pull the plug and try to get some of their money back.

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Transcription versus Copy Typing - What are they and how do they differ?

What is audio transcription and how is it different from copy typing? Why does transcription cost more than copy typing? Is transcription expensive? Do you need transcription?

Many people are confused as to why transcription (audio typing) apparently costs more than copy typing, as both are typing services. This article aims to explain the differences between the two services and what makes up the costs for a transcription service.

Firstly let's take copy typing. This normally refers to the typing of written 'copy' - this may be a previously typed document (perhaps typed on a typewriter and needing to be input into a Word Processor) or a hand-written document. The cost will vary depending on the ease of readability but with basic copy typing there is no editing or interpretation required; the typist simply types what is written in front of them. The cost of the typing services will vary according to how difficult the writing is to decipher - it will be relatively cheaper if the original document is very clear handwriting or type-written.

Transcription, on the other hand, has no copy for the typist to look at, only an audio recording, which may be an audio tape, video, DVD or audio digital recording. This brings with it a number of issues that copy typing does not have: is the speech clear; is the content comprehensible (e.g. highly technical content might be full of words the transcriptionist is not familiar with); is the recording quality good (e.g. is there any background hiss on the tape or background noise from the surroundings the tape was recorded in); do you need verbatim transcription (word for word with all 'ums and ers', speech patterns and fillers such as 'you know', 'know what I mean' or 'kind of' repeated often through the recording; do you want the transcript edited to improve the grammar and sentence structure?

Clearly transcription is much more involved than copy typing. Another thing to bear in mind is that an hour of recording is not equivalent to an hour of transcription time.

Source : http://penguin-transcription.co.uk/

Job opportunities galore in medical transcription

Hyderabad, Jan. 1 Job cuts, perks slash, cap on expansion are now common trends in the Indian IT/ITES sectors, reeling under the impact of the recession in the US.

However, there seems to be one segment, which is bucking this trend — medical transcription (MT). In fact, there are jobs to be grabbed, say some of the big companies.

Transdyne, among the top 10 MT companies in India, for example plans to add 300-400 staff in 2009. At present, the company has 1,200 employees, mostly in Hyderabad and a few in Vijayawada.

“Our optimism is based on the feeling that a big chunk of business was waiting to be moved to India from the US, which is the biggest source for the Indian MT industry,” said Mr Raghu Vasu, CEO of the company.

The Indian model for providing outsourced MT work is proven in the US. Also, since healthcare is reasonably recession proof, big budget cuts are not expected and hence contracts should be coming to competent Indian companies, he told Business Line.

Bangalore, Hyderabad and Delhi are the main centres for MT, with about a dozen companies being bigger than 1,000 employees.

Unlike the BPO/ITES segment, where accent barriers and time differential for working are demanding, the MT sector does not require high English language skills and the outsourced work time coincides with the day in India. This provides opportunities for housewives, graduates etc to take up jobs.

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