Medical Transcription Proofreading Tips

The correct attitude for a Medical Transcriptionist should be one of independence and responsibility for his or her work. Medical Transcriptionists function with a minimum of direct supervision. The majority do have an immediate supervisor "somewhere" responsible for quality control. Working as a professional Medical Transcriptionist means to take pride in the accuracy and completeness of your work. A professional gains satisfaction from a job well done.

Excellent proofreading skills are critical for a Medical Transcriptionist. Proofreading is looking for mistakes of all types in a transcribed document and correcting them. The most common errors a Medical Transcriptionist will be looking for include:

• Omission of important dictated words
• Selecting the wrong English or medical word
• Misspelling words
• Typographical errors
• Grammatical errors
• Punctuation errors

Proofreading skills will improve with practice. You will know what your areas of weaknesses are as you proofread and find your errors. If you find that you miss few medical words, but misspell many English words, you can improve by paying particular interest in English words as you transcribe and proofread dictation.

Consider the following four-step method to help you achieve the best results from your proofreading:

1. Look words up in reference books as you encounter them. Don't wait until the end of the report. You will have forgotten how some of the words sounded. Search until you find and don't go any further in your medical transcribing until you find the words you get stumped on. Leave a blank if you exhaust all resources and still cannot find your word.
2. Briefly proofread what you transcribe as it appears on the screen of your word processor or the paper you are typing on. This will help you catch missed words and typographical errors as they occur. Print out your reports on paper if you are using a word processor. It is easier to proofread the printed report on paper than it is on the screen.
3. If you just cannot find a word, leave a blank of an appropriate length, according to how long or short the word sounds. Attach a flag (a flag is a sheet of paper clipped to the report or a sticky note placed on the report which identifies all blanks, which lines of the report they are located on, and what the dictated word sounded like to you.
4. Use a medical or English spellchecker as the final step in proofreading. Spellcheckers will not catch errors such as transcribing no instead of not or transcribing ilium instead of ileum.
   

Excellent proofreading skills come only after continual practice to perfect. Consider the following tips:

• To avoid omitting important dictated words adjust the speed control on the transcriber unit and transcribe slowly to assure no dictated words are overlooked. Slowly increase your speed of the tape, which will increase transcription speed as you learn to keep up with the dictator.

• The tape recording (if you are transcribing from a tape) does not perfectly reproduce the human voice. Sometimes the words and phrases sound garbled or something quite different from what they really are. A Medical Transcriptionist should never transcribe what he or she "thinks" they hear. You should transcribe only what makes sense in the context of the report. Careful word searching and careful attention to word definitions help the Medical Transcriptionist to avoid selecting the wrong English or medical word. The wrong medical word can convey a wrong diagnosis for a patient. The error can be carried in the patient's permanent medical record and cause extreme havoc and chaos. The professional Medical Transcriptionist NEVER transcribes anything that does not make sense and/or cannot be verified in a reference book. In other words, don't just make up a word either just to fill in all the blanks. It is better to leave a blank.

Misspelling of medical and English words can be avoided by careful proofreading and using a spellchecker.

Typographical errors are usually the result of carelessness or attempts to type too fast rather than focusing on accuracy. Careful proofreading will eliminate typographical errors.

Grammatical errors are hard to catch while transcribing and must be identified through careful proofreading.

Punctuation errors can actually change the medical meaning of a sentence. Keep your punctuation references within easy reach.

About Author : Connie Limon, Medical Transcriptionist. Visit us at http://www.aboutmedicaltranscription.info for more information about the unique and rewarding career choice of Medical Transcription.

Transcription Tips: Increasing Accuracy in Voice Recordings

Here are things you can do to increase the accuracy of the transcription for your recordings:

1. Reduce ambient room noise
   
   The quieter the room is, the better it will be for the recording. As transcriptionists rely solely on the sounds that we hear, background noises such as cars passing by, sounds of paper rustling, sounds of doors opening and closing, even the sound of the PA system all contribute to a higher noise level– and reduce the accuracy of the transcription
   
   
2. Use more than one recorder
   
   If you are recording for a group of people, centering the recording device around them will only ensure the accuracy of the people near the recording device. The voices or sounds made by the people farther away are more than likely going to be faint. Transcriptionists are less likely to be able to transcribe these. One solution is to place more recording devices. Transcriptionists can use the recordings from these other devices to check on the accuracy of the transcribe documents.
   
   
3. Encode with higher bit rates
   
   Once the recorder captures the audio, you will need to digitize it for uploading to our servers. The preferred format is either in wma, mp3 or wav– in that order. The preferred settings are 96kb for the bit rate, and 44khz for the sampling rate. The higher the bit rate, and the higher the sampling rate, the more higher the clarity of the voice recordings, and collaterally, the higher the accuracy of the transcription.
   
   
4. Provide notes of the event
   
   The words of interests like speakers’ names, events, places, and even powerpoint slides during the meeting are all materials that can help us transcribe more accurately.

Source : http://www.futuregen.sg/

Transcription Tips and Guidelines

Tips

Remember where the image controls are
The control buttons for zooming in and out and panning are located just above the image. Unfortunately, when the scrollbars are used to scroll down the image the controls are scrolled out of sight. Remember that when you get to the bottom of the image, and want to view additional lines, that you need to scroll back to the top to use the controls. NOTE! the Archives have changed the placement of the image controls to be centered above the image; on low resolution screens you may have to scroll to the right to bring them into view.

Use the tab key!
The tab key can be used to move from input field to input field. The first time you press tab it moves to the first input field, scrolling the window if necessary. This makes it easy to get to the form on a web page without having to use the scrollbar. It also is a much quicker way to move from field to field than having to use the mouse. When the page is first brought up, or if you have clicked in the top part of the window, you need to click in the lower part of the window before using the tab key.

Type the first letter of the value you want in a drop-down selection box
If you use the tab key to select an input field with a drop-down selection box you can select the value you want by simply typing the first letter of the value. If there are multiple values starting with the same letter, press that letter multiple times, the value will cycle through the possible values. For example, in the relation to head of household field, pressing 's' once will select "Son", pressing 's' a second time will select "Sister", and pressing it a third time will select "Servant". If you continue to press a letter it will cycle through the values over and over. Using the tab key and typing the first letter of your choice will generally be much faster than using the mouse to move between fields and select values in drop-down boxes.

A magnifying glass or virtual magnifying glass is sometimes quicker than zooming in on the image
If you just want to take a closer look at a word or name you may find it is quicker to use a magnifying glass or a program like Virtual Magnifying Glass than to reload the image at a higher magnification. On Windows XP there is a built-in magnifier intended for people with visual impairments that can be useful: start / Programs / Accessories / Accessibility / Magnifier

Entering a non-date value in the date of birth column
If the enumerator wrote something like "didn't know" in the month and date of birth column you can enter it by selecting "Other" in the month selection box and then entering the text in the day input box. If the enumerator entered a valid month but then something invalid for the day, e.g. May ? still select "Other" for the month and enter both the month and whatever else in the date column.

Deleting a duplicate line
If you have a duplicate line on a full page edit that line and set the line number to 99. Records with line set to 99 will be automatically deleted periodically. If you have a duplicate line on a page that is not yet complete you can also edit the line and change all the values to data from an as yet untranscribed line. To edit a line use the transcription page and click on the edit link next to the line in the table under the input form. Note: once a page is claimed the edit link will only appear when you are signed on/authenticated as the user that claimed the page.

1911: in the 1911 census you can delete an unwanted line by clicking on the Show Data link below the input form and then clicking on delete next to the line you want to delete.

Notes and corrections
You may edit or add notes to each line previously transcribed. As soon as a line transcription has been submitted, it is available for consultation, editing and/or annotation. Scroll down to the bottom of your screen to access the lines previously transcribed. Have a quick look to make sure there are no duplicate or missing lines. If you find errors in your transcription, you may correct them by clicking on the "Edit" button found at the end of each line. Do the necessary corrections and press Enter or click the "Submit" button, when you have completed editing each line.
Notes:
There are two types of Notes available: surname notes and line notes. It is important to remember that they serve different purposes and should be used accordingly.

Surname Notes are used to offer an alternative surname to the one listed on the census where the enumerator has made a spelling mistake in a name. It should always be attached to the line of the head of the family. A Surname Note affects a whole family, not only the individual listed on the line to which it is attached. Furthermore, whenever an alternative surname is suggested in a Surname Note, it will also be included in the National Surname Index with a link to the related family. Please remember that Surname Note cannot be edited or deleted. So they should be done with care!

Line Notes, on the other hand, are used to add a comment when a line is struck out, contains comments or other information not easily captured in the standard fields. Line Notes are attached to a line number, not to the individual listed on that line. Please remember that if you change a line number, the note will remain attached to the line number originally affected by the note. For example, line number 20 has a note attached, correcting the field known as "relation to the head of the family" for a certain individual. When reviewing your work, you realize that line 20 should actually be line 21; using the "Edit" button, you correct the field "line no." from #20 to #21 and click "Submit". The individual previously listed on line 20 is now appearing on line 21, as it should be, but the line note remained with line #20. Therefore, your Note is now attached to the wrong individual. You have no other option but to delete the Note attached to line 20, and to do a new one, this time, on line 21. You may use the copy/paste commands to save yourself some time. Always remember to delete Notes which are no longer needed, specially when correcting a line # to 99, as the Note will remained attached to the original line number. To view the complete list of all the line notes added to one page, first access the transcription page, after you are logged in, and scroll down to the bottom part of your screen, right under the transcription board. The delete option can be found under each line note.

1911: to delete a line note you have added in the 1911 index go to the transcription screen, click on Show data, click on the note link for the line the note appears on, and click the delete link next to the note in the list of existing notes for that line.

Surname Note:

Scroll to the bottom part of your screen, to the transcriptions board. Click on "Note" to the right of the line of your choice. The next screen will show the complete line with the information as entered. Under it, you will see "Add surname note". The field next to it contains the family name as it has been entered. You have the option to edit the name to offer an alternative: overwrite it with the alternative surname. If necessary, use the next field to add the appropriate comment to support your alternative, and click on "Submit alternative surname".
Line Note:
In the field "Add line note", include additional comments or other information not easily captured in the standard field. If a line is crossed out or a note appears in the margin in the original you can use a line note to include this information.
If you have records such as birth, baptism, or marriage records that indicate that information given in the census is incorrect, or giving additional useful information, you can add a line note citing that record and giving the alternate information. By using line notes the index stays true to the original census record while the user is alerted to the additional information. The ability to add information should only be used where you can cite a record, the index will become cluttered and confusing if a lot of unsupported information is added. Line notes are limited to about 200 characters so plan carefully in order to enter as much as possible in the space available. If you have important information to share, if necessary, you may add an additional line note to the same line.

Note: line notes should never be used to correct a transcription error! Correction notes should be used for that purpose.

Guidelines

Repeated values
Where the value of a field on the original census form indicates a repeat of the previous value either with a quotes/ditto mark or, in the case of the household number by being left blank, the value should be repeated in the transcription rather than using a ditto mark or leaving the field empty. This makes each record complete in itself which is useful for searching and sorting purposes.

Capitalization
The capitalization used in the original census form should be preserved in the name fields. Surnames should not be entered completely in upper case letters. Where output is desired with the surname in upper case it is trivial for the computer to produce all upper case from a mixed case value but not the other way around.

Errors in the original census
Where the enumerator has made a spelling error in a name or one of the other values seems to be or is in error, the transcription should be faithful to the value entered by the enumerator. Conflicts in the date of birth versus the age are particularly common and should be transcribed as they are written in the original census. For fields with selection boxes (e.g. month) the appropriate value in the box should be selected even if the enumerator has used a different abbreviation or misspelled the word.

Unreadable entries
In some cases the transcriber will not be able to make out what is written in a field. In these cases a question mark (?) can be used to indicate an unreadable value. If a value is partially legible then the part that is legible should be entered and the part that is not should be represented with a question mark. If the transcribers feel they can make a reasonable guess at the characters then they should enter their guess rather than using question marks. For example, if * represents an unreadable character in the original then:
Original Transcription
***** ?
Patt** Patt?
P***en P?en
*atten ?atten
[Something vaguely
resembling Patten] Patten(?)

Crossed out lines
If a line is filled in and then crossed out enter the values for the line and use the note link next to the line in the table below the input form to add a line note indicating the line was crossed out. If there was a note on the original form such as "dead" include that in the line note comment.

Blank lines
If a line is left blank all values for that line (except the line number!) should be set to blank. It is preferable for blank lines to be represented as blank rather than apparently missing. On the last page of a polling district there will usually be some blank lines, to fill these in use the link at the bottom of the transcription page which will bring up an alternate transcription form with all the default values set to blank, making it easier to add blank lines, you only need to fill in the line number for each line. If you want to fill in the rest of the page with blank lines there is a link at the top of this alternate transcription form that will fill in blanks from the last transcribed line to the end of the page. If there are blank lines in the middle of the page you will need to fill them in line by line.

Surname and givens order reversed
Some enumerators entered names with the given names first instead of surnames first. Sometimes entire pages were recorded this way, other times a single household. If a whole page is recorded this way or it is otherwise clear which is the surname and which is the given name then they should be entered in the input boxes labeled surname and givens regardless of the order in which they are written in the original. If the correct order for a single household is ambiguous then the names should still be entered according to the order they were written and a surname note should be added. For example, if an entry is written "John Henry" in an area where Henry is a common surname and John is not, then it should be transcribed with surname John and givens Henry but a surname note added with the surname Henry. Adding the surname note flags the entry so that users are alerted to the need to consult the image and judge for themselves, and adds an extra entry to the surname list making it possible to find the person if it turns out that what was written as the givens is actually the surname.

Abbreviated given names and initials
Sometimes the enumerator abbreviated given names, e.g. Geo. for George. Such abbreviations should be transcribed as they appear in the original. Some enumerators put periods after initials, others did not, and some were inconsistant. The preferred transcription is to record exactly what was written in the original but this is not critical and one should not enter corrections where the only difference between the original and the transcription is a period after an initial.

Two digit birth years
Where the enumerator has written birth years as two digit numbers instead of the full four digits the birth year should be expanded to four digits. Like month names that are abbreviated in various ways, the value of the birth year is not being changed when it is written in full and no interpretation is necessary.

Duplicate, missing, and corrected household numbers
The household numbers have no intrinsic meaning, they were just assigned in the order of enumeration. Since the order of enumeration is already reflected in the page and line ordering they carry even less significance (in the past the family number could be useful where the transcription was presented ordered alphabetically by surname of the head of household which is not an issue with our index). The importance of the household number in our index is in grouping people into households, so what the number is is less important than that all the members of a given household have the same, and preferably unique number. Having said that, where the numbers are clear and legible they should be entered as is. Where a number is repeated the onus is then on the user of the index to recognize the anomaly and draw their own conclusions. If two households have the same household number add 1000 to the household number for the second household in order to ensure it is unique. A line note should then be added to explain that this has been done. In the common case where the numbers have been written over it is preferable to choose the numbers that correctly group the households. Often the original numbers have been corrected but the correction is fainter or less clear than the original, it is still preferable to record the fainter but correct numbers or simply use sequential numbers where the overwriting makes the numbers in the original illegible. Note that the combination of page and line number create an unambiguous reference to a person and will normally provide a better means of refering to a record than using a household number both because of how commonly the household number is unclear and because the household number has no real meaning. Use of household numbers for references are mainly an artifact of printed transcriptions that have been reordered and online indices that do not provide listings of whole pages in the original order. In particular, note that refering to a page and line number does not tie your reference to a given index in any way, the page and line numbers correspond to the original documents.

Groups with no surname
There are several cases where a group of people did not use surnames including first nations peoples and religious orders. In these cases we have elected to use an identifying keyword for the missing surname and use the single name as a given name. Some example artificial surnames are: Sister (for nuns), Inuit, Blackfoot. This scheme has the added benefit that it makes it significantly easier to search the index.

Inclusion of titles
In cases where the enumerator has included a title it should be transcribed at the end of the givens field. For example, "Wood, Senator Josiah" should be transcribed surname "Wood" and givens "Josiah, Senator".

Source : http://automatedgenealogy.com/

When recording material for transcription

• Check the recorder each time to ensure that it is working properly.
• Replace batteries periodically. Weak batteries cause fluctuation in recording speed and volume.
• Record at the recorder’s highest volume.
• Spell our participants’ and company names when applicable.
• During interviews or conferences, balance microphones between speakers or directly in front of each participant so all voices are heard by the transcriptionist.When recording on micro cassettes, record on the 2.5 speed for best quality.
• By not rewinding tapes once you have finished recording, we know at a glance how long each tape is, allowing us to schedule your work promptly and keep production moving.
• Tell us what the outcome of your project is so we won’t spend time and money transcribing any information that is not required.
  

Source : http://www.andersontypefast.com/

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...

Medical Transcription Tips For New MTs

The question I am asked most often by new medical transcriptionists is how to get their first job. Most transcription jobs require experience as the medical providers do not have time to train new transcriptionists. So, how do you get experience if you have no experience? That is the struggle for beginners.

The good news is that there are transcription companies that will hire you and train you. Hospitals and clinics usually use a transcription company to do their transcription mainly because they don't have the time or personnel to train an inexperienced MT.

If you have taken a medical transcription course you were probably told to call the hospitals and clinics in your area or write them a letter about getting a job. Also to place ads in the newspaper, read the ads in the newspaper, and to contact medical transcription companies to see if they are hiring inexperienced MTs.

I got my first MT job by answering an ad in the newspaper from a small transcription company. I was in my last weeks of school and didn't do very well on transcribing dictation at the interview, but I was hired because I did know the medical terminology very well.

All of the above can work if you persist and don't give up. I recently had a new MT email me about trying to get her first job and I told her about all of the above methods. Then I told her to be sure and go to the MT forums such as MT Desk and ask there about who was hiring beginning MTs.

Read More Article...

Transcription Tips and Guidelines

Tips

Remember where the image controls are

The control buttons for zooming in and out and panning are located just above the image. Unfortunately, when the scrollbars are used to scroll down the image the controls are scrolled out of sight. Remember that when you get to the bottom of the image, and want to view additional lines, that you need to scroll back to the top to use the controls. NOTE! the Archives have changed the placement of the image controls to be centered above the image; on low resolution screens you may have to scroll to the right to bring them into view.

Use the tab key!

The tab key can be used to move from input field to input field. The first time you press tab it moves to the first input field, scrolling the window if necessary. This makes it easy to get to the form on a web page without having to use the scrollbar. It also is a much quicker way to move from field to field than having to use the mouse. When the page is first brought up, or if you have clicked in the top part of the window, you need to click in the lower part of the window before using the tab key.

Type the first letter of the value you want in a drop-down selection box

If you use the tab key to select an input field with a drop-down selection box you can select the value you want by simply typing the first letter of the value. If there are multiple values starting with the same letter, press that letter multiple times, the value will cycle through the possible values. For example, in the relation to head of household field, pressing 's' once will select "Son", pressing 's' a second time will select "Sister", and pressing it a third time will select "Servant". If you continue to press a letter it will cycle through the values over and over. Using the tab key and typing the first letter of your choice will generally be much faster than using the mouse to move between fields and select values in drop-down boxes.

A magnifying glass or virtual magnifying glass is sometimes quicker than zooming in on the image
If you just want to take a closer look at a word or name you may find it is quicker to use a magnifying glass or a program like Virtual Magnifying Glass than to reload the image at a higher magnification. On Windows XP there is a built-in magnifier intended for people with visual impairments that can be useful: start / Programs / Accessories / Accessibility / Magnifier

Entering a non-date value in the date of birth column
If the enumerator wrote something like "didn't know" in the month and date of birth column you can enter it by selecting "Other" in the month selection box and then entering the text in the day input box. If the enumerator entered a valid month but then something invalid for the day, e.g. May ? still select "Other" for the month and enter both the month and whatever else in the date column.

Deleting a duplicate line
If you have a duplicate line on a full page edit that line and set the line number to 99. Records with line set to 99 will be automatically deleted periodically. If you have a duplicate line on a page that is not yet complete you can also edit the line and change all the values to data from an as yet untranscribed line. To edit a line use the transcription page and click on the edit link next to the line in the table under the input form. Note: once a page is claimed the edit link will only appear when you are signed on/authenticated as the user that claimed the page.

1911: in the 1911 census you can delete an unwanted line by clicking on the Show Data link below the input form and then clicking on delete next to the line you want to delete.

Read More Article...

Transcription Tips

TIPS FOR GETTING HIGH QUALITY COURT/INTERVIEWS/ FOCUS GROUPS TRANSCRIPTS

1. First of all do a test of the equipment and all microphones and play it back to ensure the equipment is hooked up properly and that you are getting a clear recording. Check your recorder for hums, faulty microphones, bad connections or loose wires. Make sure the tape is recorded on the correct speed.
2. Use high quality tapes. They are less likely to jam, break or distort voices. Do not use a tape twice.We can also transcribe digital files, DVD’s, CD’s, i.e. MP3’s, WAV files, etc.
3. Always use an external microphone, and if possible use an individual microphone for each person.If there are no microphones, have anyone speaking sit close to the recording device.
   
4. Please instruct everyone at the hearing/interview or focus group to speak loudly and clearly into the microphones or position the person(s) in front of the recording device. If they do not speak into recorder or microphone the tape will not be clear. If necessary, remind them again during the session.
5. For legal proceedings, please have each person (attorneys, clients, etc.) introduce themselves and spell their names, when introducing themselves. Ask that only one person speak at a time and remind them again during the hearing/interview if necessary. Try to eliminate side conversations. It will also help greatly if people do not interrupt each other. (It makes it very difficult to transcribe when more than one person is talking at the same time.)
6. Beware of background noise (fans, air conditioners, sirens, ruffling papers, open windows and doors, etc) in the room that creates extraneous noise and can affect the quality of your audio.
7. If someone in the room has a persistent cough, ask him/her to turn away from the microphone or recording device when coughing, so the other people’s words are not overshadowed and the transcriber’s ears don’t burst. (Just a little joke on the ears.)
   

Source : http://www.wordtechsecretarialservice.com/

Some Useful Tips For Transcription System

Follow these tips to ensure a smooth, accurate, and cost-effective transcription process.

When recording material for transcription:

• Check the recorder each time to ensure that it is working properly.
• Replace batteries periodically. Weak batteries cause fluctuation in recording speed and volume.
• Record at the recorder’s highest volume.
• Spell our participants’ and company names when applicable.
• During interviews or conferences, balance microphones between speakers or directly in front of each participant so all voices are heard by the transcriptionist.
• When recording on micro cassettes, record on the 2.5 speed for best quality.
• By not rewinding tapes once you have finished recording, we know at a glance how long each tape is, allowing us to schedule your work promptly and keep production moving.
• Tell us what the outcome of your project is so we won’t spend time and money transcribing any information that is not required.
  

Source : http://www.andersontypefast.com/

Transcription Tips

If you are thinking of a telecommunicating career then probably the first one that comes on your mind is transcription service. So many people think the profession of a transcription as a very complex and hard one and most of them don’t understand the word transcription in a better way as well.

However, both the meaning of transcription and the profession of transcription are quite simple. Transcription is nothing but the art of converting recorded audio or video signals into a text format. It is just the ability of hearing the audio version quite perfectly and converting into written form in a consistent manner. Looks simple, right!!

However, the most important qualities that any body who is looking to take transcription as a profession should posses are:

• Great listening ability
• Good typing skills (55 WPM or better)
• Reliable computer
• Good head phones
• Perfect internet connection and
• Sometimes a good phone
  

If you have all these with you and if you are excited of making your bread with the profession of transcription then you should just start providing these services. However, it is always better to undergo a bit of training from good training institutes before you take up transcription service providing as your profession.

People go for transcription services in two ways: as full time job and as a freelancing job. But mostly transcription comes as a regular work rather than as a freelancing job. However, it is also a better idea to take up transcription as your full time day time job and a freelancing job at home or in weekends. This helps you in not only getting a variety of jobs at work place but will also provide good amount of income.

Transcription services are of many kinds. There are generic transcription services where you don’t need any specialized background. Mainly transcriptions of presentations and class room discussions come under this category. However, there are quite a few types of services which need a specialized background. The two main types of those transcription services are medial transcription service and legal transcription service.

If you have a good legal background and if you are excited of these types of transcription services then you should go about this profession. It is always a better idea to join an established company before you start your own, may be at home. These services are normally not outsourced to low cost countries. Hence, this can be an exciting opportunity for young legal people in developed countries.

Medical transcription also requires a solid medical background. Currently, developing countries like India, China are getting great opportunities in this sector.

Source : http://www.transcriptiontips.co.uk/

Medical Transcription Proofreading Tips

The correct attitude for a Medical Transcriptionist should be one of independence and responsibility for his or her work. Medical Transcriptionists function with a minimum of direct supervision. The majority do have an immediate supervisor "somewhere" responsible for quality control. Working as a professional Medical Transcriptionist means to take pride in the accuracy and completeness of your work. A professional gains satisfaction from a job well done.

Excellent proofreading skills are critical for a Medical Transcriptionist. Proofreading is looking for mistakes of all types in a transcribed document and correcting them. The most common errors a Medical Transcriptionist will be looking for include:

• Omission of important dictated words
• Selecting the wrong English or medical word
• Misspelling words
• Typographical errors
• Grammatical errors
• Punctuation errors

Proofreading skills will improve with practice. You will know what your areas of weaknesses are as you proofread and find your errors. If you find that you miss few medical words, but misspell many English words, you can improve by paying particular interest in English words as you transcribe and proofread dictation.

Consider the following four-step method to help you achieve the best results from your proofreading:

1. Look words up in reference books as you encounter them. Don't wait until the end of the report. You will have forgotten how some of the words sounded. Search until you find and don't go any further in your medical transcribing until you find the words you get stumped on. Leave a blank if you exhaust all resources and still cannot find your word.
   
2. Briefly proofread what you transcribe as it appears on the screen of your word processor or the paper you are typing on. This will help you catch missed words and typographical errors as they occur. Print out your reports on paper if you are using a word processor. It is easier to proofread the printed report on paper than it is on the screen.
   
3. If you just cannot find a word, leave a blank of an appropriate length, according to how long or short the word sounds. Attach a flag (a flag is a sheet of paper clipped to the report or a sticky note placed on the report which identifies all blanks, which lines of the report they are located on, and what the dictated word sounded like to you.
   
4. Use a medical or English spellchecker as the final step in proofreading. Spellcheckers will not catch errors such as transcribing no instead of not or transcribing ilium instead of ileum.
   
   Excellent proofreading skills come only after continual practice to perfect. Consider the following tips:
   
   
   • To avoid omitting important dictated words adjust the speed control on the transcriber unit and transcribe slowly to assure no dictated words are overlooked. Slowly increase your speed of the tape, which will increase transcription speed as you learn to keep up with the dictator.
     
   • The tape recording (if you are transcribing from a tape) does not perfectly reproduce the human voice. Sometimes the words and phrases sound garbled or something quite different from what they really are. A Medical Transcriptionist should never transcribe what he or she "thinks" they hear. You should transcribe only what makes sense in the context of the report. Careful word searching and careful attention to word definitions help the Medical Transcriptionist to avoid selecting the wrong English or medical word. The wrong medical word can convey a wrong diagnosis for a patient. The error can be carried in the patient's permanent medical record and cause extreme havoc and chaos. The professional Medical Transcriptionist NEVER transcribes anything that does not make sense and/or cannot be verified in a reference book. In other words, don't just make up a word either just to fill in all the blanks. It is better to leave a blank.
     
   • Misspelling of medical and English words can be avoided by careful proofreading and using a spellchecker.
     
   • Typographical errors are usually the result of carelessness or attempts to type too fast rather than focusing on accuracy. Careful proofreading will eliminate typographical errors.
     
   • Grammatical errors are hard to catch while transcribing and must be identified through careful proofreading.
     
   • Punctuation errors can actually change the medical meaning of a sentence. Keep your punctuation references within easy reach.

About the Author:

Connie Limon, Medical Transcriptionist. Visit us at http://www.aboutmedicaltranscription.info for more information about the unique and rewarding career choice of Medical Transcription. Join Camelot Articles http://www.camelotarticles.com and submit your original articles for website promotion and backlinks.

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

General Recording Tips for Transcription

When recording an interview, meeting, lecture or other event with the intention of having it transcribed later, you can help make the transcription process as efficient and accurate as possible. While it's not always possible to follow all of these tips, taking them into account can help ensure better transcription by improving sound quality and minimizing incidental noise.

The better the recording, the more accurate and cost-effective the transcription will be.

As much as possible, try to follow these guidelines for best results:

• Ask participants to avoid talking at the same time.
  
  
• Before you start the event, a sound check (where you record a few words from each subject and then listen to make sure the result is clear) is helpful. When doing a sound check, make sure to speak at the distance from the mike that you will be at during the entire interview.
  
  
• Try to minimize background noise. Some common sources of background noise include:
  
• Traffic, construction and other street noise coming through open (or even closed) windows.
• Noise from other rooms or hallways through open doors.
• Machinery running in the background, e.g. fans or air conditioners.
• TV sets and radios.
• People making noise in the background.
• Pets or other animals.
• Clocks that chime (especially those that do so every fifteen minutes).
• Doors shutting or slamming.
• Coughs, sneezes, etc.
• If anyone is leaving or entering the room during the conversation, encourage them to close the door softly and encourage speakers to pause while the door is being opened.
  
  
• Ensure that a microphone is close to the person speaking. One mike per person is ideal.
  
  
• Try to place microphones quite close to the speaker and pointing directly toward him or her.
  
  
• If in an interview with only one microphone, direct the mike to the interviewee as it will be less of a concern to miss out on transcription of the questions than the answers.
  
  
• If you have a choice of microphones, you might prefer an omnidirectional mike (which picks up sounds from all directions) if you do not have one mike available per speaker or if a speaker will be moving during the event. Conversely, directional mikes work best if you have one mike per speaker and the speakers will not be moving much.
  
  
• If you use lapel mikes, make sure they won't be rubbed by a piece of clothing and that they pick up the speaker's voice when his or her head is turned.
  
  
• If recording onto a cassette:
  
  • Make sure the tape is wound ahead or runs for ten or fifteen seconds before beginning to talk; otherwise the beginning of the recording can be cut off.
    
  • If possible, pause the conversation when flipping the tape over. You may wish to time the event and flip over or replace the tape at a convenient natural pause (e.g. when a speaker is taking out visual aids and not talking) when you are close to the end of the tape.
    
  • If you are using a machine that records at two different speeds, you will get better quality sound with the faster tape speed. This is the one that puts less total time on each cassette, but the difference in the sound quality is significant. Using the higher speed will make for fewer inaudible sections during the transcription.
  
  
• If possible, encourage speakers to make some verbal reference to things they may be indicating visually.
  
  
• If it's important to get down references to people, places, Web sites, organizations, etc. that the transcriber might not know or be able to easily distinguish, it's ideal to repeat them clearly or even spell them out.
  
  
• Alternatively, if your project involves reference to much jargon, or technical terminology, consider sending the transcriptionists a list of terms likely to have been used. The more context the transcriptionist has, the more accurate their work.
  
  
• If you feel comfortable that the recording is quite clear, you may wish to urge an interviewer not to repeat back what the respondents say, as some interviewers are inclined to do. Alternatively, you might direct that the transcription leave out such repetitions.
  
  
• Alternatively, if you're concerned about sound quality of a recorded interview, you might prefer to have an interviewer repeat important responses.
  
  
• If an interviewer is using a standard list of questions, you may want to provide that list with the recorded interview.

Source : http://www.wordsworthcoop.com/

Medical Transcription Job Opportunities Tips and Techniques

As soon as you are ready to find medical transcription job opportunities, volunteer your time, effort and resources to establish your professionalism. Seek out and join a local chapter of the American Association of Medical Transcriptionists (AAMT) in your area, and ask how you may be of help to your local chapter. Volunteers are always needed and will be welcomed with open arms. This is a terrific way to brand yourself as a person who is serious about the medical transcription career. Veteran medical transcriptionists will take notice of you, and that will open the doors to medical transcription job opportunities in the future.

When seeking medical transcription job opportunities, market yourself to local medical transcription agencies. Set up an appointment or interview, if possible. Expand your network by talking to everyone you can in the medical transcription field and let them know that you are willing to do whatever it takes, including volunteer work, to get your foot in the door. Do not forget to thank those who have helped you along the way.

Unique strategies are sometimes required to locate medical transcription job opportunities. Look for unusual local situations. For instance, in the 1990s Orange County, California, declared bankruptcy. On a hunch, I called the Sheriff-Coroner's Office to see if they needed help. I was told that all but one full-time medical transcriptionist had been laid off, and there was a nine- month backlog of autopsy reports. Nine months! After interviewing there and being welcomed with open arms, I worked there every Saturday for almost a year. I received a wonderful education in Pathology terminology, and I must say it was the most rewarding experience I ever had. Additionally, the sole medical transcriptionist was nearing retirement which put me in a great position to receive a job offer once she retired.

In your quest for medical transcription job opportunities, ask your MT instructors if they might need help with transcribing classroom assignments. As an MT student, I can clearly remember how bad the assignment copies were. After I completed the medical transcription courses, I word processed the assignments, corrected the mistakes that had been in them, and then took them to a print shop for reprinting and binding. Then I sent these to my medical transcription instructor; it was my way of thanking her for all she had done for me. I also helped my medical terminology instructor, who was writing a book. I word processed the medical reports for her medical terminology book. In case you are wondering, I was working full time as a medical transcription and word processor all the while.

Volunteering is a wonderful way to find medical transcription job opportunities that are not advertised. It is something that most people do not think of doing. Even if you do not get immediate results from doing volunteer medical transcription work, people will have good things to say about you. The word will get out that you are looking for medical transcription job opportunities, and it will just be a matter of time before you get the chance to prove yourself as a medical transcriptionist.

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

Mary Ruff-King is a veteran MT who helps entry level MTs with tips on how to find medical transcription job opportunities. Other tips are provided at MT Mastery Center.

Transcription Tips

TIPS FOR GETTING HIGH QUALITY COURT/INTERVIEWS/ FOCUS GROUPS TRANSCRIPTS

1. First of all do a test of the equipment and all microphones and play it back to ensure the equipment is hooked up properly and that you are getting a clear recording. Check your recorder for hums, faulty microphones, bad connections or loose wires. Make sure the tape is recorded on the correct speed.
   
   
2. Use high quality tapes. They are less likely to jam, break or distort voices. Do not use a tape twice.
   
   We can also transcribe digital files, DVD’s, CD’s, i.e. MP3’s, WAV files, etc.
   
   
3. Always use an external microphone, and if possible use an individual microphone for each person.
   
   If there are no microphones, have anyone speaking sit close to the recording device.
   
   
4. Please instruct everyone at the hearing/interview or focus group to speak loudly and clearly into the microphones or position the person(s) in front of the recording device. If they do not speak into recorder or microphone the tape will not be clear. If necessary, remind them again during the session.
   
   
5. For legal proceedings, please have each person (attorneys, clients, etc.) introduce themselves and spell their names, when introducing themselves. Ask that only one person speak at a time and remind them again during the hearing/interview if necessary. Try to eliminate side conversations. It will also help greatly if people do not interrupt each other. (It makes it very difficult to transcribe when more than one person is talking at the same time.)
   
   
6. Beware of background noise (fans, air conditioners, sirens, ruffling papers, open windows and doors, etc) in the room that creates extraneous noise and can affect the quality of your audio.
   
   
7. If someone in the room has a persistent cough, ask him/her to turn away from the microphone or recording device when coughing, so the other people’s words are not overshadowed and the transcriber’s ears don’t burst. (Just a little joke on the ears.)

Source: http://www.wordtechsecretarialservice.com/

Dictation for Transcription - Top Ten Tips

1. Use a noise-cancelling microphone if available. These cut down any background noise and aim to record only the voices speaking near to them.
   
   
2. Dictate in a quiet room, preferably alone and with as little background noise as possible. Avoid shuffling papers or tapping a keyboard while dictating as this can obscure your voice.
   
   
3. Speak clearly and don’t rush, although there’s no need to deliberately slow down from your normal speaking voice
   
   
4. You may not need to give any punctuation at all, as the transcriptionist can put this in for you, but if you’re going to give punctuation make sure you give ALL the punctuation. It’s quite disconcerting for the transcriptionist if you read a couple of paragraphs, then throw in the odd comma and full stop and then stop punctuating again. You can give all punctuation or just give full stops, quote marks and paragraphs, and allow the transcriptionist to decide where to put in commas, semi colons etc.
   
   
5. If you want the work produced to a standard format, send your transcriptionist a template or a copy of a piece of work formatted in the say way that you want this transcript formatted. Your transcriptionist can work to a variety of different templates provided by you. Just state which one at the beginning. E.g. ‘This is an email’ will tell the transcriptionist to use your email template.
   
   
6. Spell all names (at least the first time) including people’s and place names. Remember even ‘obvious’ names might be spelt more than one way e.g. Stephen Brown or Steven Browne.
   
   
7. If you require capitalisation of words that are not names do say so. Try to say the capitalisation before the word (e.g. ‘The (capital R) Regulations state that …’ instead of ‘The Regulations (capital R) state that …’ If you have words that, in your context are always going to be capitalised, you can say so at the beginning. ‘In the transcription the word Act will always be spelt with a capital letter.’
   
   
8. State ‘new heading’ when you want a new heading put in, prior to giving the heading title. E.g. ‘New heading: Focus Groups. To transcribe focus groups you will need …’ The Transcriptionist will then understand that ‘Focus Groups’ is the heading, and continue the remainder in a new paragraph below this.
   
   
9. If you want numbered paragraphs or a numbered list, state this before starting the list. E.g. ‘Numbered list. One. The bride’s veil. Two, the groom’s buttonhole’ will be transcribed as:
   
   1. The bride's veil
      
   2. The groom's buttonhole
   
   
10. If you make a mistake you can rewind and speak over the error to correct it, but if it’s only a small error it may be easier and less time-consuming to simply correct it on the tape e.g ‘Focus Groupings, sorry, Focus GROUPS, are easier to control if you …’ will be understood as ‘Focus groups will be easier to control if you …’

Penguin Transcription(http://www.penguin-transcription.co.uk), part of Penguin Office Services, offers an affordable transcription service by tailoring each quote to the exact requirements of the client. The more information the client can provide us with, and the better the quality of the recording for transcription, the more affordable the transcription service will be.

AUDIO TRANSCRIPTION NEEDS

Audio transcription is generally charged on an hourly rate. We may offer a "per minute of recording" rate if the proceedings have been professionally recorded and the quality is therefore very good.

Digital recordings will generally be of better quality than analogue ones. The length of time taken to transcribe recordings varies enormously, dependent on the following factors:

• clarity of the recording;
  
• clarity of the speaker(s);
  
• speed of speech;
  
• content of the recording;
  
• number of people speaking.

For your general guidance, we speak around four times faster than we can type, so a one-hour recording should take around four hours to transcribe (this is based on one person speaking clearly and following the guidelines given above). However, some good quality recordings will take less than this.

To keep transcription time to a minimum, try to bear in mind the following points for dictation:

• speak clearly, slowly and at an audible level;
• record in a quiet environment;
• spell out any technical words, names, etc.;
• start recording well before you speak;
• avoid using voice-activated recorders as these can often cut off the first few words.

Please remember, the better the sound quality on your recording, the less time it will take to transcribe. The above is given purely for guidance and time taken to transcribe recordings can vary, either way.

Source: http://www.premiertyping.com/

Medical Transcription Tips—Staying Organized

When operating a business, it is important to be organized. The day to day operations will run smoother if your "i's" are dotted and your "t's" are crossed. Here are a few tips to keep you organized when running a medical transcription business.

1. What day is it? Keeping a daily schedule of events will help you to manage your time. Since you are running an at home business, you are the secretary also. A desk calendar will give you the ability to look at the whole month at a glance when scheduling work over the phone. Your quick scribbles can then be transferred to a monthly planner that can be taken with you wherever you go. This avoids the problem of missed deadlines and too many projects scheduled at one time.
   
   
2. Invest in a filing cabinet. No office should be without one. Invoices and contracts should be filed appropriately so they are easily called upon if needed. Keep folders for each client. Any correspondence should be filed in these folders, too. Utilizing a filing system avoids a big pile of papers on the corner of your desk. Filing should be done on a weekly basis.
   
   
3. Invest in bookkeeping software. Programs like Quicken or MS Money should be purchased for your business. Good recordkeeping is vital to a strong business. Keep track of money coming in from clients and money going out for expenses like equipment and office supplies. An accurate accounting of your finances will make filing the yearly tax forms a breeze.
   
   
4. Install a separate telephone line. The important thing about establishing a business in your home is to keep it separate from all other household business affairs. The last thing you want is your young child answering a call from a client. A separate telephone line allows all calls related to the business to be routed to a separate answering machine so missed calls can be identified and promptly returned.
   
   
5. Purchase business cards. The point of any business is to grow. You never know who you may meet at a party or other event. Business cards are a great networking tool. They advertise what you are all about and can increase the client base for your particular services.

Your medical transcription business will grow by leaps and bounds with a little business savvy. Treat your home office as if it were a separate entity. To keep up with the changes, organization is needed to keep things from getting out of control.

For more information on starting a medical transcription online information and help getting started as an MT visit - http://www.askthemt.com/ - an informative website dedicated to answering all your medical transcription questions

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Croydon

Medical Transcription Tips—Staying Organized at Home

When operating a business, it is important to be organized. The day to day operations will run smoother if your “i’s” are dotted and your “t’s” are crossed. Here are a few tips to keep you organized when running a medical transcription business.

1. What day is it? Keeping a daily schedule of events will help you to manage your time. Since you are running an at home business, you are the secretary also. A desk calendar will give you the ability to look at the whole month at a glance when scheduling work over the phone. Your quick scribbles can then be transferred to a monthly planner that can be taken with you wherever you go. This avoids the problem of missed deadlines and too many projects scheduled at one time.
   
   
2. Invest in a filing cabinet. No office should be without one. Invoices and contracts should be filed appropriately so they are easily called upon if needed. Keep folders for each client. Any correspondence should be filed in these folders, too. Utilizing a filing system avoids a big pile of papers on the corner of your desk. Filing should be done on a weekly basis.
   
   
3. Invest in bookkeeping software. Programs like Quicken or MS Money should be purchased for your business. Good record keeping is vital to a strong business. Keep track of money coming in from clients and money going out for expenses like equipment and office supplies. An accurate accounting of your finances will make filing the yearly tax forms a breeze.
   
   
4. Install a separate telephone line. The important thing about establishing a business in your home is to keep it separate from all other household business affairs. The last thing you want is your young child answering a call from a client. A separate telephone line allows all calls related to the business to be routed to a separate answering machine so missed calls can be identified and promptly returned.
   
   
5. Purchase business cards. The point of any business is to grow. You never know who you may meet at a party or other event. Business cards are a great networking tool. They advertise what you are all about and can increase the client base for your particular services.

Your medical transcription business will grow by leaps and bounds with a little business savvy. Treat your home office as if it were a separate entity. To keep up with the changes, organization is needed to keep things from getting out of control.

Source: http://www.askthemt.com/organized-medical-transcription-at-home.html

Dictation for Transcription - Top Ten Tips

1. Use a noise-cancelling microphone if available. These cut down any background noise and aim to record only the voices speaking near to them.
2. Dictate in a quiet room, preferably alone and with as little background noise as possible. Avoid shuffling papers or tapping a keyboard while dictating as this can obscure your voice.
3. Speak clearly and don’t rush, although there’s no need to deliberately slow down from your normal speaking voice
4. You may not need to give any punctuation at all, as the transcriptionist can put this in for you, but if you’re going to give punctuation make sure you give ALL the punctuation. It’s quite disconcerting for the transcriptionist if you read a couple of paragraphs, then throw in the odd comma and full stop and then stop punctuating again. You can give all punctuation or just give full stops, quote marks and paragraphs, and allow the transcriptionist to decide where to put in commas, semi colons etc.
5. If you want the work produced to a standard format, send your transcriptionist a template or a copy of a piece of work formatted in the say way that you want this transcript formatted. Your transcriptionist can work to a variety of different templates provided by you. Just state which one at the beginning. E.g. ‘This is an email’ will tell the transcriptionist to use your email template.
6. Spell all names (at least the first time) including people’s and place names. Remember even ‘obvious’ names might be spelt more than one way e.g. Stephen Brown or Steven Browne.
7. If you require capitalisation of words that are not names do say so. Try to say the capitalisation before the word (e.g. ‘The (capital R) Regulations state that …’ instead of ‘The Regulations (capital R) state that …’ If you have words that, in your context are always going to be capitalised, you can say so at the beginning. ‘In the transcription the word Act will always be spelt with a capital letter.’
8. State ‘new heading’ when you want a new heading put in, prior to giving the heading title. E.g. ‘New heading: Focus Groups. To transcribe focus groups you will need …’ The Transcriptionist will then understand that ‘Focus Groups’ is the heading, and continue the remainder in a new paragraph below this.
9. If you want numbered paragraphs or a numbered list, state this before starting the list. E.g. ‘Numbered list. One. The bride’s veil. Two, the groom’s buttonhole’ will be transcribed as:
   1. The bride's veil
   2. The groom's buttonhole
10. If you make a mistake you can rewind and speak over the error to correct it, but if it’s only a small error it may be easier and less time-consuming to simply correct it on the tape e.g ‘Focus Groupings, sorry, Focus GROUPS, are easier to control if you …’ will be understood as ‘Focus groups will be easier to control if you …’

Penguin Transcription (http://www.penguin-transcription.co.uk), part of Penguin Office Services, offers an affordable transcription service by tailoring each quote to the exact requirements of the client. The more information the client can provide us with, and the better the quality of the recording for transcription, the more affordable the transcription service will be. Why not visit our site and fill in an enquiry form at http://www.penguin-transcription.co.uk/PTS_enquiry_form.html to receive a quote for your transcription requirements.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anne_Hickley