THE WORLD IS CHANGING RAPIDLY, SO ARE HEALTH CARE CAREERS

Home About Us Our Sponsors Careers Education Employers Labor Market Info Important Links Downloads Contact Us		Medical Transcriptionist  (Health Information Services) DID YOU KNOW?   (click for more) DID YOU KNOW?   (click to hide) Medical Transcriptionist - Did-You-Know: 1. [MTs] need to be very knowledgeable and conscious in their report for the patients care. 2. All technology is needed to assure that the information you are transcribing is correct. 3. [“…changes in technology will be the single greatest driver of change in healthcare documentation over the next decade and beyond.” (www.aamt.org/) ] 4. [MTs will provide an integral role in the future, when multiple electronic medical records {EMRs} are combined to form electronic health records {ERH}. (www.aamt.org/) ] 5. [“Speech recognition technology (SRT), also known as automated speech recognition (ASR), continuous speech recognition (CSR) or voice recognition (VR), refers to computer software systems that convert the spoken word to text. This technology is becoming more and more prevalent in the healthcare field, as it is being marketed to institutions and physicians as a way to increase productivity and lower costs. Already many MTs are using SRT in their jobs and that trend will continue to increase in future.” (www.aamt.org/ ) ] 6. [Clinical Documentation Specialist is a tentative working title for the projected role of the medical transcriptionist in the EMR/EHR environment.] How is technology impacting any of the following areas in the Medical Transcription field? 1. Education: Needed for accuracy in reporting patients care. [AAMT recommends that a medical transcription educational program be based on The Model Curriculum for Medical Transcription, 3rd edition, published by AAMT, which includes a course in transcription technology.] [Vance Digital records all “webinars” AAMT provides throughout the year for continuing education, and can be accessed through the AAMT website.] [Nationwide Recording Services has recorded AAMT’s Annual Convention & Expositions since the year 2000, which can also be accessed through the AAMT website.] 2. Research: Accuracy is needed when reporting patient care. 3. Direct patient care: N/A 4. Any other area you deem important: A negative impact is the way a provider dictates the patient’s information, so you need to have a workable relationship with the provider in order to verify the dictated report. DESCRIPTION OF WORK: Medical transcriptionists, also called medical transcribers and medical stenographers, listen to dictated recordings made by physicians and other health care professionals and transcribe them into medical reports, correspondence, and other administrative material. They generally listen to recordings on a special headset, using a foot pedal to pause the recording when necessary, and key the text into a personal computer or word processor, editing as necessary for grammar and clarity. The documents they produce include discharge summaries, history and physical examination reports, operating room reports, consultation reports, autopsy reports, diagnostic imaging studies, and referral letters. Medical transcriptionists return transcribed documents to the dictator for review and signature, or correction. These documents eventually become part of patients` permanent files. To understand and accurately transcribe dictated reports into a format that is clear and comprehensible for the reader, medical transcriptionists must understand medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, diagnostic procedures, and treatment. They also must be able to translate medical jargon and abbreviations into their expanded forms. To help identify terms appropriately, transcriptionists refer to standard medical reference materials—both printed and electronic; some of these are available over the Internet. Medical transcriptionists must comply with specific standards that apply to the style of medical records, in addition to the legal and ethical requirements involved with keeping patient records confidential. Experienced transcriptionists spot mistakes or inconsistencies in a medical report and check back with the dictator to correct the information. Their ability to understand and correctly transcribe patient assessments and treatments reduces the chance of patients receiving ineffective or even harmful treatments and ensures high quality patient care. Currently, most health care providers transmit dictation to medical transcriptionists using either digital or analog dictating equipment. With the emergence of the Internet, some transcriptionists receive dictation over the Internet and are able to quickly return transcribed documents to clients for approval. As confidentiality concerns are resolved, this practice will become more prevalent. Another emerging trend is the implementation of speech recognition technology, which electronically translates sound into text and creates drafts of reports. Reports are then formatted; edited for mistakes in translation, punctuation, or grammar; and checked for consistency and possible medical errors. Transcriptionists working in specialized areas with more standard terminology, such as radiology or pathology, are more likely to encounter speech recognition technology. However, use of speech recognition technology will become more widespread as the technology becomes more sophisticated. Medical transcriptionists who work in physicians` offices and clinics may have other office duties, such as receiving patients, scheduling appointments, answering the telephone, and handling incoming and outgoing mail. Mean annual salary for this position is $28,370. WHERE EMPLOYED: The majority of these workers are employed at hospitals, physicians offices, and transcription service offices. Many telecommute from home-based offices as employees or subcontractors for hospitals and transcription services or as self-employed independent contractors. Hospitals will continue to employ a large percentage of medical transcriptionists, but job growth there will not be as fast as in other industries. An increasing demand for standardized records should result in rapid growth in physician`s offices need for medical transcriptionists. PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS: In addition to understanding medical terminology, transcriptionists must have good English grammar and punctuation skills, as well as familiarity with personal computers and word processing software. Normal hearing acuity and good listening skills also are necessary. Employers often require applicants to take pre-employment tests. ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS: Employers prefer to hire transcriptionists who have completed postsecondary training in medical transcription, offered by many vocational schools, community colleges, and distance-learning programs. EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Completion of a 2-year associate’s degree or 1-year certificate program, including coursework in anatomy, medical terminology, legal issues relating to healthcare documentation, and English grammar and punctuation is highly recommended, but not always required. Educational program types for this career. EMPLOYERS: Potential employers for this career. LAST UPDATED: 9/9/2007 - Update Current status - Active
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