Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Medical Transcription - Myths and Realities: The Basics
Unless you have some sort of super anti-spam e-mail blocker installed on your computer, you have probably received e-mails with titles such as "Make $150,000 a year as an at home medical transcriptionist - no investment required". Many of these e-mails are nothing but solicitations to try and get you to buy some sort of e-book, or other item, that will teach you how to become a medical transcriptionist. While remembering that many of these e-mails are nothing more than spam, it is equally important to remember that many of them are legitimate.
To start with, medical transcription is one of the fastest-growing of the medical related career fields. A study conducted about 6 years ago found that transcription, and related fields, would continue tremendous growth for many years to come. This is due in part to the rapid advance in the number of retiring "baby boomers". As well, virtually all medical career fields are nearly recession proof, as no matter what the economic climate, people are always going to need medical care; thus, doctors and other medical professionals are always going to need medical transcriptionists.
In essence, a trained medical transcriptionist can take the notes (most commonly being voice recordings) of doctors, nurses, etc., and translate them into various forms, including medical reports, charts, etc. Potential medical transcriptionists will need good listening skills, as medical terminology may sound the same, but have different meanings depending upon the context in which it's used. The final results of a medical transcriptionists work must be 100% accurate, as this work is what's used to document a patient's medical history. As well, a transcriptionist's work may be utilized during certain legal proceedings, so everything must always be perfect. Legal matters can hinge entirely on the accuracy of the transcriptions. And, no matter what the outcome of the proceedings, all transcripts most generally become a matter of public record.
A medical transcriptionist is normally employed in one of the following 4 ways:
In an actual hospital
In a doctor's office, clinic, or other outpatient medical care facility
In labs, medical schools, third-party transcription services, etc.
As independent or "home-based" medical transcriptionists
Most appealing to potential new transcriptionists is the possibility of working from home. While being home-based has its benefits, it has its challenges as well. The lack of a normal "9 to 5" work schedule, and structured office environment are two good examples of such challenges. As well, if you decide to become home-based, you will likely need to form your own business legally, set up your tax requirements, etc. All of this is really not anywhere near as difficult as it may sound. But all potential home-based transcriptionists will want to keep these things in mind.
Getting Started in Medical Transcription
In most cases, the only things you will need to get started in a medical transcription (besides an intense motivation to work at home) will be a computer and an Internet connection. The Internet connection assumes that you select an online medical transcription school, which is highly recommended. An online program will most closely approximate the real world experience. And as you start out this extra online experience will give you a significant competitive advantage.
As far as computers go, it is generally not necessary to go out and buy a brand new computer in order to get started in a medical transcription school. A used Windows based computer will do nicely. You really just need something that is a Pentium class or higher and that has Internet connectivity. You will also need a good word processing software package, such as Microsoft Word. Any computer that was manufactured in the past 5 years or so should be adequate for most medical transcription schools. If you feel compelled to purchase the latest and greatest computer make sure you shop around. A lot of the high end capability of most new computers will be wasted as most of what you will be doing will revolve around word processing. The most intensive computer activity you will likely be performing — either in your training or on the job — will be downloading digital dictation files from the Internet to your hard drive.
Once you have the requisite equipment, you are ready to enroll in a medical transcription school. If you have done your homework you should feel confident about your enrollment decision. Paying for your schooling is probably the biggest obstacle most people have to overcome. Many medical transcription schools have counselors that work with prospective students to help them explore financing options. A reputable school will probably have access to Sallie Mae financing, which is an academic finance company that specializes in educational funding. Depending on your school, you may also find a variety of other financing options and possibly scholarship opportunities that will help defray the costs of the program. Don’t be afraid to ask about these things when you discuss your enrollment options with an enrollment counselor.
It can be hard to know where to start in selecting the right medical transcription school. Make sure you choose a medical transcription school that understands your needs as a person, and can work around your budget, schedule, and lifestyle to aid you in becoming the best MT possible! Remember, all you need are a few basic skills and a medical transcription education, and you'll be on the road to personal freedom and financial stability!
Medical Transcription - The Time Factor
In the US it is mandatory for medical professionals to keep an accurate medical record of all aspects of a patient. The medical professionals gather the data related to the patient in audio format by using a dictaphone or voice recorder. The details of the patient are then transcribed in text form. This process of transforming dictation of physicians and other healthcare professionals from audio format to written text is known as Medical Transcription (MT). This written text may be stored as printed and/or electronic data. The preferred means of data storage are electronic medical records, which allows medical professionals the ability to access information, regardless of the geographical location.
Medical transcription is an ancient process. In olden times, Vaidyas (medical practitioners) in India used the services of their disciples to record the process of treatment in text form. It was a fully manual process. It has evolved now to digital form and speech recognition technology. The person who undertakes the process of transforming (transcribing) medical data from audio to text is known as Medical Transcriptionist and to a lesser extent, a Medical Transcriber.
Medical Transcriptionists are essential in all hospitals. They document patients' healthcare information for their permanent medical records. Physicians or other healthcare providers dictate this information to them through the use of hi-tech tape recorders. Medical transcriptionists are highly sought after and when they become certified, they have invaluable knowledge that provides a lifetime of job options. Its possible now for the medical transcriptionists to work from home using the internet. The digital recordings of a doctor's notes are downloaded from a central source and transcriptionists transcribe them on computers in their own homes. They can then be uploaded back after completion of the transcription.
Completion of a 1 year certificate course or a 2 years associate's program is usually required to work as a medical transcriptionist. It is increasingly becoming a highly-paid career, though not without its share of difficulties. Long sitting hours often lead to back pain, eye strain and headaches in addition to the stress of concentration needed to provide accurate transcription. The accuracy in medical transcription is of paramount importance as the future treatment strategy of the patient is decided based upon this data in text form. The poor quality of some of the audio files further adds to the woes of the transcriptionist. However, people are still flocking to this career due to the high levels of salary.
The process of transcription is usually outsourced overseas. South-East Asian countries are the main beneficiaries of these outsourcing jobs. The primary reason for outsourcing to these countries is the low cost and availability of educated personnel. One other aspect is the time factor. And the winner in this aspect is India. There is approximately a 12 hour time gap between the US and India (more than one time zone is followed in the US). A medical professional can gather data from his patients all day long. He can then upload data at the end of the day to India where it is early morning.
The data can then be transcribed during the day in India. The transcribed files in text format can then be uploaded back to US at the end of the day, where it is early morning. Thus the gathering of data being done in US, while night time in India, can be transcribed in India, while night time in the US, which creates an ideal cycle, beneficial to personnel both in the US as well as in India. It is a win-win for both. The medicos don't lose a single day and the transcription firms in India can work during the day. All this can be easily achieved due to the time factor. In this way the time factor plays the role of a catalyst in furthering of trade relations the two countries and both the countries are mutually benefited.
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