The Ins And Outs Of Medical Transcription

Medical transcription is the process of transferring dictated medical information into writing. These recordings are typically provided by doctors or other health care professionals, and given to transcription professionals. Those who have made their career in medical transcription typically have equipment built especially for transcription that allows them to easily re-listen to parts that they need to slow down or hear again. This equipment is called a medical transcriber and the professional is called a medical transcriptionist.

The transcribed information is then saved as a part of a patient's medical records and is still the primary way that physicians communicate with other healthcare providers who access the patient's record. These records are important in maintaining a continuity of patient treatment and care.

When a doctor meets with a patient, they discuss the issues as hand, discuss treatments and procedures, etc. When the doctor is done visiting with the patient, the doctor can make an audio recording with his own digital handheld recorder, or often calls a phone number and leaved his recording directly into the computer systems of the medical transcriptionist company. When this patient visits the same or other doctor, the doctor will request the medical records and review them before treating the patient.

Because these records need to be understood by medical professionals in many areas, the format of the transcribed documents needs to be uniform. It is typically required for transcriptionists to have an understanding of medical terminology and have training in medical records.

The demand for medical transcription jobs is expected to increase as the demand for standardized documentation and the secure sharing of patient's information increases. Also, the ageing population who tend to visit the doctor more regularly and have a longer medical history also helps medical transcriptionist's job security. An exception to this is when transcription is outsourced to other countries. This is done to save on costs, however, a new home based position was created in order to edit the documents and ensure proper formatting and accuracy.

Because of modern technology many transcription companies allow for remote work agreements which allow their employees to work from home office. A typical income for a medical transcriptionist whether working from home or in office can be as high as twenty to thirty dollars per hour depending on the level of experience and if you are being paid as an employee with benefits or as a self employed independent contractor.

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About the Author:
Oracle Transcription Inc's (http://www.oracleti.com/) mission is to help healthcare organizations reduce their overall medical transcription service costs by improving their documentation efficiency. Art Gib is a freelance writer.