Medical Transcription Trends

I want to be a medical transcriptionist but where do I start? Every medical transcription aspirant feels this way unless he/she is being guided by another practicing transcriptionist. So, where does one really start? OK, you need to find out two things even before you consider becoming a medical transcriptionist. One, you should learn about the expectations and challenges in the profession. Two, you should know if you fit into the profession. Only after you understand the profession should you even consider joining it.

Now, in today’s post, we will share with you three steps towards a career in medical transcription.

• Find out if you have the skills and the potential to be a medical transcriptionist. You need to know if you can handle the job. You also need to find out if you will be satisfied with what the profession has to offer you.
• Enroll yourself into a good medical transcription course. Now, you have to choose the course with care. You must find out if the course conforms to COMPRO, has enough dictation hours, and is followed by job assistance.
• Start looking for medical transcription opportunities beyond the ones offered by the medical transcription institute. After you finish your course, look out for opportunities. Submit your resume to job websites, apply to medical transcription companies, and even get in touch with local hospitals and clinics.

It is important you learn as much about the profession as you can before you step into the field. The more informed you are, the better prepared you will be.

What is your primary job in medical transcription? To transcribe medical information, right? Wrong. Your primary job is to create medical records; and transcribing is probably the biggest task in that job. Now, medical records lose their value if they are not completed in time. And they are of no use if they have errors.

As a medical transcriptionist, therefore, you need to create flawless medical records on time. That is what you ought to do. And, yes, there’s another thing: you ought to keep all the medical information that passes through your hands secure and confidential. In today’s post, we will look at the whys and hows of what all you ought to do as a medical transcriptionist.

The overall quality goal in the medical transcription profession is 98%. And that’s with respect to only the major and minor errors. When it comes to critical errors, you have to be 100% accurate. So, when something in the recordings doesn’t make sense or if there is an information gap, don’t assume. Ask for clarifications and research.

Quality makes sense only when you deliver the medical records in time. So, stick to deadlines, no matter what. Most medical transcription tasks have a turnaround time of 24 hours. You have to meet all deadlines and ensure that the quality does not suffer in any way.

You also need to ensure that all the medical information you have access to is not leaked out in any way. The security of such information is your responsibility.

The profession’s expectations are probably what makes medical transcription challenging but none of the expectations are unjustified in any way.

What is the first thing you do when you decide to be a medical transcriptionist? You start looking for a medical transcription course. But wait! Should that be the first thing to do? How did you even reach the decision of joining this profession? What prompted you? Do you even understand the profession well enough to be a part of it? Do you see it becoming a career in the long term?

You have got to be absolutely sure when you decide to get into the medical transcription field. Don’t take it as a fallover option that you can let go once you get a ‘better’ choice later. The profession requires you to be completely dedicated. You cannot even survive in the profession if you enter it casually. So, learn as much about it as you can before committing yourself to it.

Now, what should you know about the profession? You should find out the nature of the work, the benefits and the challenges. And after learning about all this, you need to figure out if you really fit into the profession. Are you as committed as the profession expects you to be? Will it be possible to keep yourself motivated in the long run? Will you be able to stop the everyday deadlines and quality goals from taking a toll on you? Are you sure you are ready?

It is only after you are absolutely sure that you should look for that medical transcription course. And I must warn you that you have gotta choose it with care.

Is the medical transcription profession for losers? Some people may tell you so. Why would they think that? Because this profession does not lay down a list of prerequisites. You don’t need to produce degrees or even possess any kind of experience. So, a high-school graduate can take up medical transcription and so can someone who has been a homemaker for years. This makes some people believe that absolutely anyone can become a medical transcriptionist and that the people who opt for the profession don’t have any skills to boast about.

Now, since this is a medical transcription blog, you know what I am going to say. That medical transcription is not as easy as it is made out to be. And it is definitely not a loser’s cup of tea. But you won’t believe me just like that, will you? So, let me present my case.

The reason the profession doesn’t have any prerequisites is that it is not looking for people holding a certain qualification or experience. It is looking for people with a certain aptitude and the willingness to make medical transcription their career. Now, how do you spell this requirement in terms of prerequisites?  You can’t. And that is why there are no eligibility criteria in the profession. However, any experienced medical transcriptionist will tell you that you need an aptitude for the profession. Now, it is up to you to find out if you are fit for the profession or not.

Deadlines are not the only challenges in medical transcription. The medical transcriptionist’s job is an extremely responsible one. The profession is a specialized one too. One gains the specialization through the training one attends before getting into the field. The medical records created in the job are crucial for the healthcare and insurance industries. You have got to not only meet every deadline but also ensure quality of records and confidentiality of information. That explains why medical transcription is not everyone’s cup of tea.

Would you still believe the people who tell you that medical transcription is for losers?

Well, the most effective way of getting recognized in the field of medical transcription is by doing good work. Meet every deadline and quality goal and ensure the security and confidentiality of medical information. However, if you want to be established beyond your known circle of clients/employers, seek the help of the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI).

Now, AHDI has established a few credentials for the medical transcriptionist, establishing his/her expertise in the field. Getting credentialed can help you in your medical transcription career though they are not mandatory. Let’s look at the credentials and designations AHDI offers.

Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT): The CMT credential establishes your expert knowledge in the medical transcription field. One has to pass an exam called Level 2 exam to become a CMT. Only the transcriptionists with at least two years of experience in acute care are eligible to take the CMT exam.

Registered Medical Transcriptionist (RMT): The RMT credential is for those who have less than two years of experience in acute care. One has to pass the Level 1 exam to get the credential.

Certified Medical Transcriptionist – Retired (CMT-R) Status: This status is given to those medical transcriptionists who have been awarded the CMT credential earlier but who no longer practice medical transcription. This status has to be voluntarily received by requesting the CMT credential to be retired.

AHDI Fellowship (AHDI-F): The AHDI Fellowship is offered to the medical transcriptionist who has achieved much in his life other than in his regular medical transcription practice.

You can learn more about these from AHDI’s website.

So, medical transcription is a specialized profession. And it has its benefits and challenges. But are you aware of the kind of challenges it has in store for you? You have an idea, you say. Let me give you an exhaustive – well, almost – list of challenges you have to face on the profession.

It all starts with stringent deadlines. Do you know that you have to cope with deadlines on a daily basis? Sometimes, the turnaround time of some tasks is less than four hours.

Then there are those quality goals that are really high. The profession expects at least 98 percent accuracy in its work.

Let’s not forget the incomprehensible recordings that you may have to deal with pretty often. Add to this difficult reviewers. Some reviewers may prolong the review rounds, eating up your time for other tasks.

You get no supervision in this profession. You will not have access to regular guidance in the profession and have to be prepared to handle crisis situations on your own.

Now, in spite of the everyday excitement of deadlines and quality goals, the work can tend to get monotonous over a period of time. You have to always keep yourself motivated; yes, you need self-motivation skills to survive in this profession.

Do you know your work is not about mere transcription. You are required to research and analyze information. Yes, as a medical transcriptionist, you need to refer to external materials and analyze information logically to deliver a complete, meaningful, and relevant medical record.

Oh yeah, the medical transcription professional also needs to learn regularly. What does that mean? Well, you need to keep updating your medical knowledge or you will soon be left with obsolete medical knowledge.

The medical transcription profession lets you work from home. So it is wise to make use of the available option. However, take up home-based medical transcription only if you are sure you are disciplined enough to prioritize work even when at home. In today’s post, we will look into tips to enhance your productivity in the job at home.

It is important to avoid physical discomfort as much as possible. Get yourself a comfortable seat. Your posture can greatly affect the way you feel. A comfortable seat will ensure that you don’t add backache or neck pain to your stress. Avoid getting a pain in your wrists by using ergonomically-enhanced keyboard and mouse.

Dedicate your home-office only to work. Having a laptop gives you the flexibility of being mobile. However, avoid working in any place you fancy. Stick to your workspace; it will not only provide you with a proper, noise-free environment but will also help you focus and be productive.

It is important you take logical breaks. Avoid sitting in one place for too long. Take a break, walk around your house or garden after you finish a logical chunk of tasks.

Work only during your stipulated work hours. Yes, you have to work with a routine and a plan. Make sure you do not work beyond your fixed hours. And work only during the fixed hours. This will help you enjoy the perks of being at home.

Spend time with family and friends. Don’t let your work take over your personal life. Spend time with them on a regular basis. Being close to loved ones keeps stress at bay.

What is the biggest challenge you face when you choose home-based medical transcription? Distractions? Well, it definitely one of the biggest challenges, but there is something else I call the biggest challenge. It is ensuring a regular flow of work and income while being at home. You are your own boss at home, and it is up to you to get work for yourself. How do you go about it? Here are some simple but effective tips.

• Join listings such as Craiglist. This list is popular and people prefer looking up services on this rather then searching for them through a search engine.
• Publish ads of your services in the classified section of the local newspapers. The print is far from being dead. People still check the classifieds.
• Get yourself listed in the yellow pages. Yes, those pages still exist, and work.
• Approach the local clinics and hospitals. A visit to the nearest hospital may fetch you a big opportunity. Even if they don’t have something for you now, they will get in touch with you in future. So, leave a copy of your resume with them.
• Submit your resume on job websites. This one is obvious. The first few offers may not be great but these job sites will open the door of opportunities for you.
• Submit your resume to medical transcription companies. Go through the requirements of the medical transcription companies and send them our CV.

Hope this post helps in your hunt for medical transcription opportunities. If you would like to add to this list of tips, we are all ears.

The medical transcription profession is extremely flexible so much so that it lets you work from home, on all days. But are you sure you can handle the work from? What could be so difficult, you ask? Answer the questions below to find out if you are right for home-based medical transcription.

• Can you work in isolation? If you can’t, you can’t work from home. Home-based medical transcription means working without company, without co-workers. While it may be comfortable for a day or two, not everyone can handle the isolation for a long term.
• Can you provide for a home-office that’s secluded and noise-free? If you can’t, you should not work from home. Medical transcription requires tremendous focus. If your working space is not peaceful or frequented by the other members of the family or guests, you cannot focus for long hours.
• Can you ensure the security of medical information while working at home? If you can’t, you should not become a home-based medical transcriptionist. Compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is very important irrespective of your place of work. If you cannot ensure HIPAA-compliance at home, you should not choose this profession.
• Can you prioriize your work even when at home? If you prioritize domestic chores over work or turn the television on at any given opportunity, you are likely to make your work take a backseat at home. As a home-based medical transcriptionist, you cannot let yourself get distracted by anything unless you have completed your work. If you cannot guarantee dedication, don’t go for the home-based work.

So, do you think you are ready?

As an aspiring medical transcriptionist, you need to find out as much about the medical transcription profession as you can. So, here’s a post for all those interested in the profession.

Understanding medical transcription

Medical transcription is not just about transcribing medical information. It is about creating healthcare documents. The doctor records information in voice which is later converted into meaningful information by transcriptionists.

Becoming a medical transcriptionist

The profession provides for an easy entry. You don’t need to possess a certain qualification or have a certain experience for being a medical transcriptionist. What you need, however, is a certain aptitude, which calls for good hearing skills, command over the English language, proficiency on a computer, willingness to learn on a regular basis, ability to research independently and analytical skills.

You need to undergo training in medical transcription to join the industry. You can choose a classroom course or an online course according to your convenience.

The medical transcriptionist’s responsibility

The medical transcriptionist has a very important role to play in the society today as healthcare records created by him/her are critical for the smooth functioning of the healthcare and insurance industries.

The future of medical transcription

The opportunities in the profession are not likely to decrease because of the aging and ever-increasing population. As long as the world needs medical records, it will need medical transcriptionists. In fact, the profession is one of the rarest ones that emerged unscathed from the recession that affected almost all other industries and occupations.

Keep coming back to the blog for information and opinions on medical transcription.