What Is Medical Transcription?

The world of healthcare management and medical professionals is fast-paced and high-pressure. Doctors, nurses, and medical assistants have to write accurate notes about each patient. Work ranges from prescriptions to surgical notes; this clerical process is time-consuming.

Many healthcare professionals dictate their reports, and they use an automated transcription program to convert voice files into written notes.

However, this risks the accuracy and clarity of the medical reports. In medicine, it is imperative to get everything correct. Similar sounding drug names or complex medical terms could confuse speech recognition software.

A medical transcriber is the better option. Healthcare professionals outsource medical transcription services from a highly trained and skilled transcriber. As part of the medical assisting process, transcribers are well-versed in healthcare terms and knowledge.

We'll share everything from what medical transcription is to where you can get medical transcription training. With the right amount of diligence and an improved skill set, you can soon be in a medical office assisting transcribing.

What is a medical transcriptionist?

So, "what is medical transcription?" Medical transcription is the conversion of spoken words into detailed, accurate medical reports. 

From veterinary assistants to nurse practitioners, healthcare practitioners use voice recorders to dictate their notes quickly. With very little time to see each patient and swiftly move on to the next one, it is time-consuming for medical professionals to write their reports.

Transcribed reports are essential for consistent patient care, insurance reasons, and medical integrity. 

Some medical practitioners use medical assistants. While they are knowledgeable on medical terminology and skilled at medical administrative tasks, medical assistants do not receive transcription training.

Many medical offices are using recognition software to transcribe their voice recordings. Technological advances have improved medical transcription program services. However, there is still room for error.

A computer system won't necessarily raise inaccuracies. Medical transcribers, however, can pick up errors and mistakes. 

More and more healthcare professionals are turning to medical providers of transcriptionists. A highly trained individual, medical transcriptionists will receive medical voice notes and dictations and convert them into written reports. 

They have the skills and confidence to flag any mistakes in the audio recordings. Medical transcribers have the language abilities to write clear and accurate notes, saving time and energy for healthcare professionals.

Furthermore, the medical transcription services are highly secure. A medical transcriptionist can work in a medical office, transcribing medical notes without them leaving the premises. They also use secure, safe digital mailing programs to outsource to an external medical transcriptionist.

If you are meticulous with attention to detail, a career as a medical transcriptionist could be for you. 

How many steps are involved in medical transcription?

Medical transcription is a short, quick and straightforward process. A quality document can take between one to six business days from the voice recording to the transcribed report. 

The turnaround time depends on the length of the digital recording. The medical transcription process has five steps for the completion of a report.

Step 1: Dictation

The first step is the professional medical recording their notes on patient medical details. These recordings include the following:

• Discharge summaries. 

• Healthcare documentation.

• Prescription details. 

It is quick and practical to record their notes as they go, and sitting down at the end of each day for a few hours to type up everything is time-consuming.

Step 2: Transmitting

The medical professional has to upload files to a secure server. The audio files are then transmitted to a trained transcriptionist to download. 

Step 3: Transcribing

Transcriptionists download the voice files. Transcriptionists listen to physicians and other healthcare voice notes and type what they hear. A transcriptionist flags any potential unclear or unfinished voice recordings to ask a medical professional.

Step 4: Editing

After transcribing reports into written reports, the transcriptionist edits them. They thoroughly proofread and edit health records, removing any inaccuracies and ambiguous language. 

Transcriptionists are highly trained and well-versed in medical terminology, medical coding, and medical billing. They can flag mistakes or wrong wording to ensure the best care management for the patient.

Step 5: Returning files

The final step is to return the transcribed and edited files to the medical professionals. At the other end, they check the report is correct and save it to their EHR systems. They use the quickest software, from faxing, emailing, or internet transfer software. All transmissions are secure to ensure patient confidentiality. 

Transcribing medical reports into written documents is a quick, simple step-by-step process. A more extended audio file can take up to a week to transcribe, but transcriptionists can turn shorter files around within a business day. 

Is medical transcription a good job?

A career in medical transcription is a rewarding, invaluable one. Medical transcription is often a flexible job. Whether you work for an agency, independent contractors, or in doctor's offices, you can usually pick your hours. If you work freelance with a transcription company, you usually can work from home too. 

You might be required to work in a medical office for security reasons. However, transmission services are highly secure. 

The work can be highly varied, and an experienced transcriptionist might specialize in a specific topic. However, you could find yourself working with a dental assistant, pharmacy technician, office manager, or physical therapy.

Becoming a medical transcriptionist will provide you with a promising career progression outlook. Working with a medical office assistant, doctor, or nurse will give you excellent medical experience. 

On the job, you will learn the ins and outs of medical reports. If you want to develop your career to become an office administrator, then a medical transcriptionist is a good starting place.

If you want to begin your career as a registered healthcare documentation specialist, enroll in online medical transcription training. A medical transcription course will give you the knowledge and confidence to start transcribing. 

Online medical transcriptionist courses award you with certificates and accreditation. An online medical course is a great way to build experience and understand what the career entails.

A medical transcriptionist is a great career path for anyone with excellent concentration skills, diligent editing abilities, and an understanding of medical terminology.

How much can you earn doing medical transcription?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational outlook handbook suggests that medical transcriptionists can earn $35,270 annually.

Certified medical transcriptionists with exceptional training from medical transcription programs can earn higher amounts than those new to the industry.

Medical professionals value specialist transcriptionists with extensive medical knowledge, and it is essential to receive medical training before embarking on a career in medical transcription.

How to improve medical transcription skills?

Every medical transcriptionist or healthcare documentation specialist wants to improve their accuracy rates. It is vital to continue your education and training if you are a freelancer or work for an agency. 

To maintain your abilities throughout your career, you should continue to enroll in medical transcription training online. 

The medical world is constantly changing as new developments, and research comes to light. You need to stay up to date to improve your medical transcription skills, and medical transcription school shares the most crucial information. 

You also need to stay knowledgeable about anatomy and medical terminology. While this is less fast-moving, terms can change. It is crucial to remain aware of changing language to ensure medical documents and patients' medical records are accurate. 

Practice your listening abilities with a voice recorder. Not all doctors and healthcare professionals will record clear and precise audio files. Practice listening to bad recordings or muffled audio to decipher accurate meanings.

The best and most efficient way to improve your transcription skills is to follow standard practice. Listen to the entire audio first before writing anything down. You will understand the narrative and context of the report, which should lessen any mistakes. 

Practicing listening to different accents is also beneficial as it will give you time to familiarise yourself with their diction.

Then, listen to each sentence in full before transcribing. Listening to a whole sentence at a time will remove the risk of incorrectly assuming the next word, and it saves time and improves accuracy. 

While transcription services are required to have quick turnaround times, accuracy is more important than speed. Ensure you do not rush to the transcription or editing stages.

Practice your typing skills. A fast, accurate typer is more efficient than those who have to go back and fix typos. If there are too many typos, you might waste time going back through the audio file to understand the correct wording.  

Similarly, improve your information management skills. It would be best if you were private, quick, and precise in sorting, storing, collecting, and curating medical documents. 

Join the Association for Healthcare documentation Integrity to continue your career training. The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity will provide your career with credibility and respect.

Can you learn medical transcription online?

Career schools and community colleges offer transcription or clerical courses. However, you can complete medical transcription courses online with greater flexibility and specialization.

Medical transcriptionists aim to be better than speech recognition technology. School programs teach you how to be a better medical assistant than speech recognition.

Courses for Success offer Exploring a Career in Medical Transcription Online Certificate Course. This training program teaches you how to write medical reports, the different types of transcription, and technology advancements in healthcare.

The online transcription course will teach you about: 

• Medical terminology. 

• Anatomy. 

• Drug names. 

Plus, you will get to experience listening to digital recorders and learn the structure of a medical bill or patient record for electronic health records systems.

The course materials are available 24/7 to suit flexible learning. Upon completion, you will receive a certificate, which you can use to demonstrate your knowledge to current and future employers.

Why Courses for Success?

Courses for Success offers over 10,000 online courses, all of which aim to help you in your personal development and career progression. Not only that, but you can also study them anywhere and at any time, and take them at your own pace, too.

You don't need career diplomas or specific experience to get started. From our coding courses and trading courses to design courses and developer courses, every course we offer will help boost your prospects, no matter who you are.

Beyond just the education itself, students will be issued a certificate online after completing each of the learning courses they do. Our online medical transcription courses are no exception and are recognized by industry leaders. You could make a name for yourself by signing up for a Courses for Success short course today.