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

Local medical transcription company generates 100 jobs, sets sights on 50 more

Wayland-based SOAP Transcription Services, Inc. recently opened a new training center in Holland. With that opening comes the opportunity to train and hire 50 medical transcriptionists. The company hopes to train and hire another 50 in 2008.

All of this is due to tremendous growth in the company since 2006, which generated 50 jobs and increased revenue 47 percent.

Medical transcription is a $25 billion business. The Department of Labor predicts an 18 percent to 26 percent growth in the industry. Part of the growth is because HIPAA regulations require all hospitals to convert medical records to digital format. Another reason is the country's aging population, which will create more medical records.

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