Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Tips to transcribe difficult terms

Materials that are full of technical, financial or specialized terminology may be unfamiliar to the transcriptionists. It may be necessary to listen to words, terms, sentences or even a whole section several times in order to transcribe them properly. In such circumstances, it helps enormously if a glossary of keywords can be provided in advance or words can be spelt out while dictating.

If you are working with a new author or in a new area of business, you would be wise to get prior information about vocabulary and difficult words that may crop up. These words may not be specialist terms but may just be terms that are specific to the particular recording to be transcribed. Getting such a glossary avoids you using incorrect words throughout a document. Also, if you have a prior knowledge of a topic and information on the kind of words or names that may come up, you will find it easier to decipher words that on the first hearing you may think are audible.

Knowing how to spell difficult names or words will help not only to make the final version of your document more accurate, but it will make your task more enjoyable. There is nothing more frustrating than hearing a word time and time again and having no way of checking whether you are transcribing it correctly. This is particularly the case with people’s names because no dictionary, specialist or otherwise will help you check the accuracy of the spelling.

If you are transcribing the recording of a meeting, you might wish to ask for a glossary, which contains the following-

1. The name of the attendees
2. The name of the project being discussed and related projects
3. Name of other people and organizations who are closely involved in the project
4. Relevant addresses, place names, property names
5. Technical phrases, jargons, abbreviations that may be used during the course of meeting

Create your own glossaries as you work. In addition to requesting a glossary from the authors, you may find it helpful to note down, as you transcribe, any words that you find difficult to hear or spell for your own future reference. In this way, you can create your own on-going glossary that you can refer to and add to any time-in financial, medical or legal terms.

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Monday, February 23, 2009

Medical Transcription And Voice Recognition

Medical transcription (MT) assignments are one of the highly acclaimed outsourced jobs in the healthcare industry and are mainly aimed at enabling US and UK based healthcare providers to have cost-effective solutions in maintaining day-to-day patient records. In the competitive healthcare arena where medical facilities are finding it difficult and expensive to maintain their own in-house transcription facilities, having these jobs outsourced spells huge savings in cost and effort. All major medical transcription service providers are now offering their medical transcription and voice recognition services in a highly customized and time-bound manner.

Voice recognition technology has a key role to play in medical transcription services and is one of the major advancements being made in the transcription sector. Voice recognition technology uses computers to recognize doctors’ dictations but current technologies are not capable of providing 100% accuracy in the transcribed documents and hence all documents generated using voice recognition technologies still require manual proofreading to maintain the high accuracy levels required.

Almost all medical transcription facilities are now offering their services in accordance with the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) regulations. These regulations ensure that all online transactions involving patient records are done in a safe and secure manner. The archival facilities provided by transcription firms are highly beneficial to clients as retrieval and transmission of patient records in future will be much easier.

To have accurate documentation of medical reports, most MT facilities have employed highly skilled and trained transcriptionists. The proofreaders and editors working in these medical transcription facilities make sure that all processed records maintain high accuracy levels of up to 99%. Most of these medical transcription facilities take care to update the knowledge base of their employees so that they remain well informed about the latest developments in medical treatments and medicines. This helps them handle their jobs easily and accurately.

The medical transcription facilities also have a number of related services for their clients which include medical coding and medical billing. To provide benefits for the healthcare industry on the whole, most medical transcription providers are now offering their services for a wide range of healthcare clients. Healthcare clients in the US who are heavily dependent on medical transcription and voice recognition services include private practitioners, hospitals, clinics, long term care facilities and acute care centers. Medical transcription firms provide their services for short term as well as long term requirements and hence all categories of medical care providers are ensured smooth functioning and timely completion of assigned jobs.

By: Rajeev R
Article Directory
: http://www.articledashboard.com
As a pioneer in medical transcription, we at Outsource Strategies International (OSI) are dedicated to providing quality HIPAA compliant online medical transcription services. We offer medical billing and coding outsourcing services as well.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Audio Transcription

What is Audio Transcription

Because businesses with traditionally printed materials need to provide alternative formats for those with visual impairments, audio transcription is a popular option. An audio transcription services bureau will transform your traditional document into an audio presentation that preserves the integrity of the original presentation. A good audio transcription will even include descriptions of diagrams, pictures and illustrations where necessary.

The bureau takes your original documents, discusses your requirements and narrates the text, as well as any image descriptions, to suit your needs. The master recording is indexed for easy searching, and then archived to CD or audio cassette tape according to what the job demands. The reverse is also possible – you can provide dictated audio and have it transcribed to a text file for printing.

Who Needs Audio Transcription Services

Being in compliance with the latest legislation, including the DDA, isn’t always easy – but offering your printed material to customers and readers in alternative formats such as audio cassette, CD or even downloadable MP3 format, can help. This is why most businesses producing printed matter could benefit from finding an audio transcription bureau.

Plus, audio transcription services can provide your firm with more direct access to a sizeable customer base. As many as two million people in the UK have visual problems – if you’re only producing publications and promotional materials in traditional printed form, you could be missing out on some great business opportunities.

Audio Transcription Options

From advertisements to brochures and newsletters, most firms invest a great deal of time and money designing printed materials for promotions, publicity and providing information to clients. When choosing an audio transcription services bureau, firms should consider how they can best translate the quality of their original design into an audio presentation.

Adding custom audio intros, transitions and outros can further personalise and enhance the impact of your audio recording. Some services offer a selection of stock tracks that can be used, and others allow you to provide your own musical selections for this purpose. Enhancing your audio presentation with custom audio snippets can add a whole new dimension to your corporate identity – think about the Intel chimes at the end of virtually every computer ad on TV. That simple pattern of four chimes is just as identifiable as the Intel logo itself.

When setting up your audio transcription service, consider what medium is best for your customer base. Most transcription services offer output to cassette and CD – some firms offer downloadable MP3 or .wav files as well. If the majority of your business is conducted online, consider whether people will want to wait for an audio catalog on CD or would rather be able to click and listen immediately. Similarly, you’ll need to weigh up the costs associated with CDs and audio tapes to determine which best suits the needs of your business.

By: Rachel Patton
Article Directory
: http://www.articledashboard.com
A2i Transcription Services offer a range of "Access 2 Information" services including: audio transcription and braille translation.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

This Simple Audio and Transcription Tip Will Save You Hundreds of Dollars Over the Next Year

Here's the scenario:

* You have your call or presentation recorded.
* You want the audio recording cleaned up.
* You also want the call transcribed.

Here's where the big mistake comes in...

Many people don't know which order to have things done in.

Do they have the audio edited and then transcribed, or do they have it transcribed first and then edit the audio?

Well, I'm hear to tell you the best way to handle this situation. This tip will save you literally hundreds of dollars over the next year.

1. Have the recording transcribed first.

2. Then go through (or better yet - have your assistant go through) the transcription and highlight the portions that should be deleted from the audio. Do the highlighting digitally with a software like Microsoft Word.

3. Then, send the marked up transcription to your audio editor.

The reason this will save you so much money is by being specific about what needs to be taken out of the recording, your audio editor will spend less time communicating with you and less time working on your project. He or she will be able to easily locate the edit points and remove the unwanted parts without having to listen to the entire audio.

"So," you might say, "that's great and all, but what if I don't have my recorded calls and presentations transcribed."

Well, that's another big mistake people often make. They spend the money to have a presentation recorded and sometimes event edited, but they don't put in the extra money for transcription.

I'm hear to tell you that transcription can pay for itself, if you follow these steps:

1. Turn your recorded teleseminars into free or paid products. Remember to require an opt-in before you give away a free gift. With the audio, include the transcripts as a pdf eBook. This will double the value of your product and allow all types of learners to consume your content.

2. Chop up your transcript into marketing materials! Some great repurposing opportunities are blog posts, articles for submissions, press releases. You can even turn them into PowerPoint Presentations, lay them over the video and submit them to the viral video engines.

3. Don't do it all yourself! This one is the real kicker. The beautiful thing about recordings is that they multiply your reach and the impact you have on the world with little added effort. What would the point be of taking yourself away from your high payoff activities when you could hire someone else at a fraction of what you charge to do these things even better and faster for you?

Caleb Scoville helps consultants, trainers, coaches and service professionals, multiply their impact with information products and audio and video online marketing strategies. Find out the 5 simple steps to turn one hour into a successful marketing plan at www.northbankaudio.com/teleclass
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Medical Transcription Management Options

The Medical Transcription Manager

Many practicing and aspiring medical transcriptionists inquire about the potential for career advancement to in the medical transcription industry. This is not only a valid question, but also a great goal. There are plenty of opportunities for advancement in the medical transcription industry. Good medical transcription managers are in short supply. The reality is that many medical transcriptionists would rather retain the flexibility of being their own boss and doing what they enjoy doing on a production basis. As a result, healthcare providers and medical transcription services often have difficulty attracting qualified medical transcriptionists to management level roles. Most medical transcriptionists have a tremendous amount of autonomy and many are reluctant to give it up to take on additional responsibility. A promotion to medical transcription manager is frankly not always appealing to many independent medical transcriptionists.

However, there are many people who thrive on the challenges of working in a faster paced environment and in assuming higher levels of authority and responsibility within an organization. They see the benefits of advancing their medical transcription career and increasing their long term income potential as well as earning retirement benefits. A medical transcription management position can provide continued upward career mobility and result in a challenging and rewarding medical transcription career.
There are several options available for anyone considering a career in medical transcription management. The interesting thing to note is that the options continue to grow as technology developments transform the industry.

Medical Transcription Manager of Quality Assurance (QA)

A medical transcription manager of QA does just what the title implies. He or she reviews the transcribed documents that come in from home based medical transcriptionists; evaluates them against a set of quality criteria; and edits them to ensure they meet the quality standards prescribed by the healthcare provider. Medical transcription QA experts look for errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar – often using sophisticated tools to assist them in this effort. They also look for important medical transcription errors in the transcribed documents that could lead to misinterpretations of the data by a physician or other health care provider. The medical transcription QA manager is highly regarded and is integral to the optimal flow of any transcription operation.

Medical Transcription Supervisor

Another important medical transcription manager is the Medical Transcription Supervisor. Medical transcription supervisors work either for a hospital or a medical transcription service provider. The role of the medical transcription supervisor is to manage a team of medical transcriptionists. The medical transcription supervisor is responsible for scheduling, hiring, firing, evaluating, and managing all medical transcriptionists as well as medical transcription workflows and ensuring compliance with medical transcription report turnaround requirements. The medical transcription supervisor also ensures that all medical transcription associates are equipped with a full complement of medical transcription equipment and medical transcription resources to perform their jobs as efficiently as possible. The transcription supervisor facilitates the development of the medical transcription staff by working with HR and training departments to see that medical transcription resources are aligned with peak workloads and that all MT specialty areas are properly staffed to meet turnaround requirements. The Medical Transcription Supervisor generally reports to a Medical Records Director of a hospital or possibly a director or vice president of a medical transcription service provider. A medical transcription supervisor often possesses a CMT (certified medical transcriptionist) credential from an certifying organization such as AHDI(Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity).

Medical Transcription Trainer

Another important medical transcription management function is that of medical transcription trainer. MT trainers will train medical transcriptionists on new account types and specialty areas. Medical transcription account specific information will vary from client to client and each medical transcriptionist will require training on the account specifics, turnaround requirements, and special instructions relating to each medical transcription account they service. An MT trainer will be responsible for developing the talent pool of the oganization's medical transcription staff and will work closely with the medical transcription supervisor to ensure that the staff is optimally deployed for maximum effectiveness in meeting the production needs of the department or organization. Cross training is also an essential function of the MT trainer. It is imperative that all members of a medical transcription staff are capable of shifting their focus at a moment̢۪s notice to accommodate an urgent need resulting from either a new client startup or the absence of one or more key medical transcriptionists. A trainer may also monitor and recommend continuing education training opportunities to medical transcription associates throughout the year.

Medical Transcription Recruiter

The medical transcription recruiter is increasingly one of the most important medical transcription managers in an organization. Their job is to continually develop and replenish the base of medical transcription talent within an organization. The medical transcription recruiter is constantly searching the country for qualified medical transcriptionists to add to department or company staff. Medical transcription recruiters run ads, conduct interviews, and work with other medical transcription managers to forecast future needs for medical transcriptionists. They are also responsible for identifying opportunities to increase retention among existing medical transcription associates.

Medical Records Director

The Medical Records Director is typically a credentialed medical records specialist who oversees all aspects of the medical record production and archiving process. The medical records director will typically manage all medical transcription and medical coding supervisors and sometimes the medical billing functions of a healthcare organization. A medical records director will work with the medical transcription supervisor to ensure that all medical records documents are transcribed in accordance with contract requirements and that medical records are made available in a timely and professional manner to the healthcare professionals that need them. The secure electronic storage and delivery of medical records is a key function of the medical records director. This individual will need to continually search out best practices and evaluate new and innovative medical records technologies to ensure that the medical records department operates at peak productive capacity. The health and well being of thousands of patients depends on the quality production and timely dissemination of medical record information. The medical records director is also responsible to ensure that all processes, documentation, workflows, relationships, and systems are HIPAA compliant. A medical records director may possess one or more credentials or designations from a certifying organization such as AHDI, AHIMA, or AAPC. Credentials such as RHIA, RHIT, CCS, CPC, and CMT demonstrate a long term commitment to the medical records profession and are evidence of the medical records expertise developed by the medical records director over the years.

Voice Recognition Medical Transcription Specialist

The relatively recent emergence of voice recognition specialists and supervisors is a good example of how new career opportunities are created in response to significant technology advancements in the medical transcription industry. These are position that were not even on the radar screen a decade ago. As voice recognition technology gains a foothold in the medical transcription industry, more and more of the medical transcription workflow is going to be processed through a speech recognition engine. This will in no way eliminate the need for medical transcription, but it will transform the role of a growing subset of the transcription workforce. An increasing number of medical transcriptionists will use a speech recognition processed document as a starting point for their transciption activities. Speech recognition produced documents generally require significant editing. This editing process will be performed by medical transcrptionists whose role will change from traditional transcriptionist to medical language editor. The technology behind voice recognition processing is sufficiently different from traditional digital transcription that voice recognition supervisors will be required to manage these new processes.

By: cldunn-37017
Article Directory
: http://www.articledashboard.com
Christopher Dunn has been active in the medical transcription industry for over 15 years in both operations and training. For more information please visit the following websites: Medical-Transcription-Program.com Medical-Transcription-School.com

Friday, February 13, 2009

Medical Transcription Companies In Usa

As the demand for medical transcription work is increasing at a rapid rate, medical transcription companies are mushrooming in the USA. Medical transcription is a necessity in all healthcare facilities, whether they are clinics, hospitals, or other organizations. Medical transcription companies in the USA occupy a unique niche in the medical transcription field. No matter where you are located in the USA, these firms can help your practice in every stage of transcription process – all from dictation capture to document distribution.

Most of the medical transcription companies in the USA can provide superior quality, accurate medical transcription services as they employ highly skilled and experienced medical transcriptionists on staff. Moreover, these services are mostly cost-effective to cater to all kinds of budgets. These companies take care to apply and maintain up-to-date digital technologies to provide value-added transcription services.

In the USA, medical transcription companies provide services in almost all medical specialties. Professionals in these firms can undertake transcription of various medical reports including cardiology reports, operative reports, patient discharge summaries, emergency room reports, history and physical examination reports, chart notes, medical evaluations, peer reviews, psychiatric evaluations, x-ray reports and many more.

The greatest advantage of availing of the medical transcription services from a standard MT firm in the USA is that you can get access to accurate and efficient services within fast turnaround time. Apart from this, other benefits that you can gain include:

• 99% accuracy
• Security and confidentiality of the medical records and documents
• Three-tier quality checking with assured high quality work
• HIPAA compliant medical transcription services
• Electronic Medical Record (EMR) solution
• Total dictation and transcription solution

If you need a complete medical transcription solution or if you are considering outsourcing your medical transcription assignments, you will be able to find medical transcription companies online that can meet your needs. If you are interested in finding a standard medical transcription company in the USA, there are some important considerations that you need to take into account before making your choice. It is an excellent idea to conduct some research on your own in order to get the best deals.

By: Rajeev R
Article Directory
: http://www.articledashboard.com
Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a medical transcription company and a medical billing services company providing HIPAA compliant medical transcription services. We offer reliable family practice transcription services as well.