What Is Medical Transcription?
Every transcriber must strive for accuracy, but medical transcription requires a whole new level of attention to detail. Healthcare providers rely on medical records for continuity of care. Any inaccurate statement can lead to bad decision making which is detrimental to the patient’s health. Medical transcription must be precise and up to date to serve its intended purpose.
Medical Transcription in a Nutshell
Medical transcription involves the conversion of audio content recorded by clinical professionals into written form. As doctors, nurses, clinical officers, and other medical practitioners attend to patients, they dictate notes of their findings. Medical transcriptionists then transform these notes into written records.
Medical recordings will contain comprehensive details of the patient, including the medical history, tests, diagnosis, medication, treatment plan, and so on. A medical transcriptionist should extract this information from the dictation and compile it into a logical format according to the particular hospital’s policy.
What a Medical Transcriptionist Does
Unlike other forms of transcription, where the ability to convert audio content into written form is sufficient, medical transcription requires a level of proficiency in the field.
Transcriptionists in this arena must have a medical transcription certificate that could take anywhere from a couple of months to a year to complete. There are various accredited institutions that offer this program, either in-house or online. The training here covers aspects such as medical terminologies, physiology, anatomy, medical transcription methods, formatting, and dictation software.
Medical transcriptionists do not just write down what the caregivers dictate but also perform research to ascertain accuracy. Suppose they’re transcribing the medical records of a hypertensive patient, for instance, and notice that some of the prescribed medication should not be administered to patients with high blood pressure. In that case, they should bring it to the doctor’s attention. In this profession, the job description goes beyond writing down what the audio file contains. A big part is ensuring that it accurately depicts the patient’s situation.
Getting the Most Out of a Medical Transcription Service
A number of skills are required to make one a great transcriber in any field, more so in the medical industry, where every detail is crucial. Below are some of the features of a good medical transcription service:
- Speed
In transcribing medical records, speed is of the essence. Sometimes the work must be done in just a couple of hours, as the next healthcare provider is waiting for the information to continue with the treatment. In addition, when urgent care is part of the equation, doctors will appreciate not having to wait for prolonged periods for accurately transcribed records.
- Accuracy
The need for precision in medical transcription is something we cannot overemphasize. Any mistake in the content can compromise the quality of care offered to the patient. The content should also be accurate from a grammatical angle, which means that spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, and so on should be flawless.
- Research Skills
Researching allows transcribers to put the content into context. Suppose the job entails transcribing voice notes of a doctor making a diabetes diagnosis, for instance. In that case, research on this topic will help the transcriber get familiar with the relevant medical terminologies and decipher the inaudible parts of the conversation.
- Confidentiality
Medical records are personal and should never be disclosed to unauthorized parties. Every health facility has specific policies on the sharing of patient medical information. As a medical transcriptionist, you must adhere strictly to these regulations.
Who Can Benefit From Medical Transcription?
Any medical facility should consider the services of medical transcriptionists. These professionals complement the work of doctors, nurses, clinical officers, pharmacists, and lab technicians by helping them document critical medical details.
Hiring medical transcriptionists will save staff valuable time. Health professionals can concentrate on their core duty of evaluating and treating patients without having to stop every so often to record their findings. Are you wondering where to get reliable medical transcriptionists at a reasonable cost? Check out https://gotranscript.com/transcription-services/medical-transcription for full details of its medical transcription services.
The goal of any medical facility is to provide the highest possible quality of healthcare to its clients. Medical transcription will help health practitioners achieve that by ensuring that their records are accurate and up to date.