How Do Medical Transcriptions Reach the Typist?

Starting with the Medical Practitioner

When a patient visits a medical practitioner or is admitted to a hospital for treatment, there are several medical procedures that take place. The doctor hears out or studies the health problems of the patient, examines the patient, and may administer x-ray, blood, and other tests for deciding the course of treatment. Equipped with the various test reports, the doctor prepares a line of treatment.

A medical practitioner treating a patient records all aspects of the treatment in to a hand-held digital or analog recorder, phones that are connected to a central server of the hospital where all voice records are stored, personal computers, or other recording devices. Everything, from letters to referring physicians to insurance-related correspondence, is recorded. The voice files are sent to a professional medical transcription service provider for conversion of the audio files into text format. Some doctors dictate directly to the server of the medical transcription vendor.

Hospitals hire medical transcription service providers. Some medical transcription service providers outsource their work to overseas firms. The transcription firm distributes the files among employed transcriptionists depending on their area of specialization. Each transcription file has a job ID and specification regarding the time limit within which it has to be completed.

The files that have to be transcribed are sent to the email inboxes of the transcriptionists or they may log on to the server of the medical transcription company to access the files. They may work from the transcription office or their own homes. They are usually trained in medical terminologies and are aware of treatment procedures. The text files that they produce are checked for quality before they are sent back to the doctors.

The voice files reach only those medical transcriptionists who have certain skill levels. While it is not mandatory for MTs to be certified, they can obtain certification in medical transcription from the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI). Apart from understanding medical terminologies, they should understand slang used by American doctors. An average typing speed, and a good understanding of English grammar and the spelling of medical terms can ensure that an MT receives job files.