Transcend Ranked #1 Performing Medical Transcription Company by KLAS

ATLANTA, Jul 17, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- TRANSCEND SERVICES, INC. (TRCR: 9.39, -0.04, -0.4%) , the third largest provider of medical transcription services to the U.S. healthcare market, today announced that it has been ranked the #1 performing Medical Transcription Service Organization (MTSO) in the KLAS MTSO Study 2008.

KLAS is an independent-research company that healthcare decision makers rely on for accurate, honest and impartial information on vendor performance. KLAS conducts surveys of healthcare executives and professionals within the client base of each MTSO. The resulting 426 page report reflects the aggregated opinions of actual customers, comparing MTSO performance against participant objectives and expectations.

We are honored that our customers have ranked us number one," stated Sue McGrogan, Chief Operating Officer of Transcend. "Our primary mission is to consistently provide industry-leading customer service to our clients. I am extremely proud of our operational team and their tireless commitment to excellence for each and every customer."

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Conference Transcription – What the conference organiser needs to know

This article aims to provide advice to conference organisers in obtaining transcription that is accurate, timely and complete. It suggests ways in which the conference organiser can help the transcriptionist to ensure that the transcription is good quality and free of errors.

The most important piece of advice I would give as a transcriptionist is that if you’re going to have your conference transcribed you should arrange for completion of the transcription even before the conference even takes place! Of course you are going to want to send the transcript (or your interpretation of it) out to your speakers and delegates as soon as possible after the conference takes place, but a conference is a significant chunk of work to transcribe.

Let’s take an example of a conference where the talks (and possible workshops etc.) total 5 hours. Even if you have excellent audio recording equipment and supremely clear speakers, with minimal question and answer sessions or workshops (the point of which I will explain in a moment) the time taken to transcribe is going to be four times as long as the recording – so you’re looking at an absolute minimum length of time taken in this example of 20 hours. Twenty hours of work is probably a minimum of three days work for one person, and there’s a very good chance it will take longer.

Now if you start ringing round transcription companies once you have the recording ready to send, and you’re hoping to have the transcript returned to you in two or three days, you’re probably going to be out of luck. A good, established transcription company, employing fully trained and competent transcriptionists who are able not just to type but also to proof-read and edit, recognise the correct homophones (words that sound the same but are spelt differently), and punctuate English correctly, is probably not going to be sitting there waiting for your call. Although you might strike lucky they will probably be booked up for at least a few days!

So if you book in your recording before the conference and agree to send it on a certain date, they will be able to turn it around for you much faster.

Now, why might it take longer than four times the length of the recording? There are wide variety of reasons. Four times is the industry standard for a good, clear one-to-one interview with no background noise, good recording quality and no strong accents. It also does not take into account the possibility of specialist or technical terms, with which the transcriptionist will need to become familiar. So if you have any of those issues there will be extra time involved.

Question and answer sessions are often tricky because of the range of different voices involved. This applies to the audience but also to a panel if you are having panel sessions.

What can you do to reduce the time and therefore the cost? Firstly you can make sure that you have ‘roaming microphones’ that can be carried around the audience, so that questions are actually audible on the recording. Also a good conference recording set-up so that your main speakers can be clearly heard and individual microphones for each member of the panel.

Another very useful tip is to provide the transcriptionist with both a speaker list and a delegate list. Then during the conference ask the chairman to ask all delegates to state their name and position before asking the question. The transcriptionist may not be sure of the spelling but can then refer back to the delegate list to insert the correct spelling into the transcript. The same applies, of course, to speakers.

It is also very useful to provide the transcriptionist with any supporting material on the conference that you have available as this will help to establish ‘key words’, words that may be not in common usage but particularly relevant to the topic of the conference. A good transcriptionist will also probably be able to search out most unusual words using Google or a similar search engine, but this takes extra time, and if you have already provided material to help time will be saved.

Finally, if at all possible (and you may be at the mercy of the conference venue) make a digital recording, rather than a recording on cassette tapes. Digital recordings have a variety of advantages (please see some of my other articles for details) but importantly they are usually better quality than tapes and they can be worked on by more than one transcriptionist at the same time, meaning that your transcription will be completed sooner.

Source: http://www.articlealley.com/

Outsourcing Audio Transcription - Why It Works

Outsourcing transcription works for many reasons, but the nub of the matter is that although anyone can set themselves up as a transcriptionist, a good transcriptionist is much more than just someone who can type; transcription is a specialised business. That is why if your administrative/secretarial staff are not specially trained in transcription, or if they are simply overloaded, outsourcing can be the answer.

What does a transcriptionist do?

A transcriptionist takes audio recordings, whether they be on tape or digitally recorded, and creates a typed transcript of the recording. Such recordings may be dictation (one person speaking), interviews (one or two people being interviewed), focus groups (a group of people under guided discussion), meeting recordings etc.

What's so special about that?

A transcriptionist is more than 'just' a typist because s/he is doing more than just typing what's on a written page. The transcriptionist has to understand the content of the recording in order to be able to punctuate it correctly and correctly spell homophones (words that sound the same but are spelt differently). The transcriptionist may also need knowledge of a particular vocabulary (e.g. for medical or legal transcription) and a general transcriptionist still needs a better than average vocabulary and general knowledge, in order to correctly pick up on things like place names, names of events, technical details etc. A transcriptionist these days is probably also an expert researcher on Google - a great way to fill those general knowledge gaps provided you know how to do it properly! Of course this person is also an expert typist with a fast typing speed - audio typing takes longer than copy typing for precisely the reasons listed above, but the industry standard for a fully experienced transcriptionist is that it takes about an hour to transcribe fifteen minutes of good quality interview recording (a bit less for dictation and more for groups or for recordings with 'issues' as indicated below.) Even someone who touch types may find that without transcription experience it takes much, much longer. Finally the transcriptionist also needs to have excellent attention to detail in order to proofread the work thoroughly before handing it over to the client.

Why outsource?

If your staff are not trained transcriptionists and you have transcription required on an ad hoc basis, then the reasons listed above should make the answer obvious. A meeting transcription might take a trained transcriptionist a full day to transcribe, so a non-trained member of staff could easily take two days - two days when they are unable to complete their normal day-to-day functions. The results may also be disappointing if their grammar and ability to punctuate is not up to scratch. The outsourced transcriptionist will complete you work without taking anyone away from their normal duties.

It is also useful where company politics might come into play! I have recently transcribed a number of disciplinary interviews etc. for a variety of clients who preferred that their secretarial staff were not party to the contents of the meetings.

Also if you do not require transcription on a regular basis you may not have the relevant equipment, and this can be quite costly. If recording on to digital formats there is freely available software that will allow your staff to listen to the recording, rewind, play it back at varying speeds etc. but without a transcription foot pedal the time taken to transcribe is increased even further.

Finding a good transcription company to outsource your work to

Anyone can call themselves a transcriptionist so how do you know if you're going to get a decent service? There are a number of things you can do - and some you shouldn't! One of the don'ts is asking for a CV. Why not? Because a transcription service is a business, not your potential employee. You wouldn't ask a solicitor, estate agent, builder or chiropodist for a CV, so why ask a transcriptionist? Instead go by recommendation, just as you would do for another business, or if you don't know anyone who can recommend a good transcriptionist look for testimonials. Many transcription services show these on their websites.

Another don't is to ask for the transcriptionist to take a test - frankly, if they have time and inclination to do this they're probably not very busy - and while that might be because they've just started up a business but have years of excellent experience (if you're lucky!) it might also be that they're simply not very good. If you do require a test then you should expect to pay for it at the normal rate.

If you have a significant number of recordings that are going to need transcribing in a short period of time then you might want to ask what procedures the service has in place to project manage large jobs like this, whether they employ people directly, subcontract etc. If they subcontract, you might need to check their confidentially procedures to ensure that this won't be an issue. If all your questions are answered quickly and positively then the chances are you're talking to someone who is familiar with working with such projects!

Other things you should be asking are price (obviously) and turnaround time (when they can get the recordings back to you). Do bear in mind that a good service might well be a busy service so if you can book in advance of wanting to send your recordings, so much the better.

Questions your potential transcription service should be asking you include: what kind of transcription is it (interview, focus group etc.), how long is your recording, what kind of recording (e.g. standard cassette tape, digital recording in .wma format), what's the recording quality like, is the speech clear, do you need a verbatim transcription and when do you need your transcription returned?

If you have a specific requirement regarding formatting now is the time to say so, as most services have their own standard formats which will be used unless you state otherwise, although they're very happy to format in any way you require.

About the Author

Anne Hickley has many years experience in a wide variety of administrative posts. Roles have included provision of secretarial services, PA work, project management and administration, academic and business report writing and editing, and recruitment. She runs Penguin Office Services(http://www.penguinofficeservices.co.uk) and Penguin Transcription

(http://www.penguin-transcription.co.uk)

Home Medical Transcription : A Decent Living or a Scam?

No doubt you have seen many ads by medical transcription schools claiming that you can make big money typing medical transcription at home. Can you really make a good living doing medical transcription at home, or is it just another scam? In this article, you'll learn the honest facts about home medical transcription.

Can you really make a decent living doing home medical transcription? Yes and no.

Yes - Many people are earning $50,000 to $80,000 or more per year typing medical transcription at home. They work where they want, when they want, and as much as they want.
The amount of medical transcription work that needs to be done FAR exceeds the available transcribers to do the work. When I say the demand exceeds the supply, I mean the situation is desperate.

No - Reading a few booklets and listening to a few tapes will not make you into an instant $50,000 per year medical transcriptionist. If you're not ready to commit to between six months and a year of hard study and practice, find another means of earning a living.

Typing medical transcription is not like typing a letter to your mother. It's far more challenging. Below are some of the challenges you must be prepared to meet.

1. You must have a good understanding of medical terminology. You need to know how to spell the names of the latest medical conditions, drugs, medical tests, treatments, and procedures, and just knowing how to spell them is not enough. Because of challenge #2 decribed below, you need to have some familiarity with medical conditions and what tests, drugs, and treatments are related to that condition. It's difficult to learn this with a mail order medical transcription course. This type of knowledge comes from experience.

- You don't need to be familiar with ALL medical terminology. Many transcriptionists specialize in specific areas such as gastroenterology or opthalmology. However, when you want to go on vacation, you'll need someone else to take over your work while you're gone. In reciprocation,
you'll need to cover for someone else when they go on vacation, and they may be transcribing to a different field than you're familiar with.

2. You need to be able to extract the transcription from a noisy electronic recording. Unfortunately, many doctors mumble, garble, don't enunciate, don't speak up, or talk too fast when they dictate. Combine the above problems with a thick, foreign accent and you can have real dificulty understanding what the doctor is saying. In many instances, the only way you will be able to decipher what the doctor is saying is if you are familiar with medical conditions and what tests, drugs, and treatments are related to that condition.

- Doctors dictate "on the fly". They don't have time to think about proper sentence construction as the words emanate from their mouth. Frequently the sentence they started doesn't make any sense or has an error by the time they get to the end. Do you edit what the doctor said, or just type the jiberish as dictated? Usually a doctor appreciates when you clean up their dictation. On the other hand, medical documents are often presented as evidence in legal actions. You're taking on liability if you change what the doctor actually said.

- Many transcriptionists have their own group of doctors that they type for and eventually become familiar with the idiosyncracies of each doctor. This makes understanding what they are saying much easier; however, when a you go on vacation, someone else will need to cover the doctors while you're gone. In reciprocation, you'll need to cover for someone else when they go on vacation. You won't be familiar with how the doctors dictate.

3. To make the earnings cited above, you need to be able to sit and type for long hours. You need to isolate yourself from the noise and distraction of other human beings (and some pets) and pound on that keyboard hour after hour. As I stated earlier, the amount of medical transcription work available far exceeds the available transcribers to do the work. Some transcriptionists let greed take control of them and sit at the computer for 16 hours seven days per week.

They get accustom to a $100,000 a year lifestyle. But what
does it do for their health?

- Medical transcription companies charge more for "fast turn around". Some pass part of this money onto the transcriptionist, others just demand the work get done immediately. In either case, fast turn around work prevents you from controlling your own working hours.

Now that I've discouraged you, the fact is that many medical transcriptionists do work where they want, when they want, as much as they want, and earn a respectable living. If you're up to the challenge, how do you became a medial transcriptionist?

Training
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You'll need to be proficient in the use of a computer. You'll need to be a fast typist. If you can't type as fast as the doctor dictates, you'll be working hard with the foot pedal to move back and forth in the recording. You must be comfortable using a Word Processing application such as Microsoft Word or Workperfect. You'll need to know how to format documents and how to use macros. If you don't use macros you'll be typing the same phrases over and over.

If you decide to sign up for a medical transcription course, make sure the course provides plenty of authentic dictations. You cannot become a medical transcriptionist by just reading medical terminology. You need to hear it spoken. Just listening to terms being pronounced is of limited use. You need to hear the terms used in a sentence. Simulated medical dictations are fine, but you need some practice with actual medical dictations.

- Find a course that teaches basic anatomy and physiology along with terminology.

The best way to learn
---------------------

The best way to learn is with on-the-job training. If you have a doctor friend or family member who does dictations, ask them if you can transcribe a low-priority dictaion for practice. If you're working at a clinic or hospital as a secretary or receptionist, investigate how the transcription gets done and volunteer to help.

Start out with a specific type of transcription such as letters or office notes in specficic specialities. As you get more experience, your speed will improve and you can branch out into other types of transcriptions for other specialties.

The amount of medical transcription work that needs to be done far exceeds the available transcribers to do the work. Yes, you can make a decent living doing home medical transcription. You can work where you want, when you want, and as much as you want. But, medical transcription is an occupation only for those who are prepared to meet the challenge.

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About the Author

To learn how to maintain your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web site and make money on the Web visit bucarotechelp.com To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter visit http://bucarotechelp.com/search/000800.asp

Medical Transcriptionists in Davao can Earn P50,000 / Month

A medical transcriptionist in this city can earn from P20,000 to P50,000 a month, depending on the amount of work they do.

The MTC Academy, the country’s premier medical transcription education provider, is encouraging students, including graduates of nursing, pharmacy, medical technology, public health and allied medical courses to consider medical transcription work.

The first few medical transcription companies began operations not in Metro Manila, as expected, but in the countryside, said Wit Holganza, chief executive officer of MTC Academy, whose institution is located at E. Quirino Avenue, Davao City.

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Future Outlook For Medical Transcription

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the future outlook for 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.isnare.com/

About the Author:
Mila Sidman is an experienced MT and owner of http://www.askthemt.com/ - an informative website dedicated to answering all your medical transcription questions.

Start A Medical Transcription Business

A Medical Transcriptionist takes a physician's dictated notes and types them up to be put in the patient's medical file. When you consider how many patients any given doctor sees in a day you can just imagine the high demand there is for the services of an MT professional. Not to mention that medical reports are expected to be in file almost immediately and faxed to a referring physician when called for.

What skills and tools are needed to become a Medical Transcriptionist?

If you're interested in starting a business like this, you will need to find a good Medical Transcription Course at your local college or at an online school. The schooling is important, because you must be familiar with the medical terminology that physicians use on a daily basis and you won't get work without it. If you're committed to working from home you'll get it down in no time.

These training programs are usually fairly expensive but the good news is that you will come out with the skills and equipment that you need to move ahead. Check your community college as they may have courses at a far lower price.

Once you have obtained training, the next step is to decide whether you are interested in doing sub-contractor work for established MT companies or if you would like to strike out on your own and pursue your own clients.

Sub-contracting is an attractive option since you can focus on the work and not have to do all the marketing yourself. However, if you do decide to go it alone, you want to set up your own website to market your services, have a professional resume and cover letter created and come up with a plan to reach your intended clients. Your website should list your training, rates, the school you attended and any transcription experience you may have already as well as a little bio about who you are.

You may do best to market yourself locally first and then reach out into a wider market as you develop your clientele and gain valuable referrals from existing clients.

Will technology ever make the Medical Transcriptionist Job obsolete?

Possibly, but not in the near future. Despite the advances in technology and computer generated transcription programs, the field is still far from being automated and doctors and medical facilities all over the world continue to grow in their demand for trained transcriptionists.

A business as an MT is appealing for those desiring a home based career. While you are working on deadlines you do have a lot of freedom in determining your work hours. We wish you luck if you decide to move ahead towards a career in medical transcription.

Article Source: http://www.1articleworld.com

Robert Paul Williams is the Editor of Work At Home Business Website. Come Browse Our Free Article Library. Stay Informed with the Latest Home Business News, Success Tips & Strategies.

Transcription Service Company Awarded Statewide Contract

Reporters Transcription Center (RTC) has been awarded a service contract from the State of Maine. Working directly with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), RTC will provide transcription services for the office of Disability Determination Services (DDS) throughout the State. The contract has an initial term of one year and RTC anticipates there to be an additional two year extension. The estimated volume of transcription generated through the contract is projected to be 1 million lines annually.

One of the unique features of working with the Maine DHHS/DSS is that RTC will be one of the first companies to utilize the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Internet-based Electronic Records Express (ERE) for transcription delivery. Scott Mack, Director of Maine Disability Determination Services, explained that the ERE is an initiative by SSA and state Disability Determination Services (DDS) to offer electronic options for submitting health and school records related to disability claims. Having the ability to exchange information electronically ultimately benefits the patient because claims are processed much faster.

"The Social Security Administration, along with the Maine Disability Determination Services, is at the forefront of utilizing technology to make the exchange of medical information more efficient. We are pleased to be partnering with RTC, a company with the expertise and willingness to help us move forward in this endeavor," Mack said.

Source : http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/130369