A compilation of medical transcription employment information. See what medical transcription is all about, job description, salary, job search, and outlook.
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What is a Medical Transcription Job Like?
Traditional medical transcription is the process of converting voice recorded or handwritten information dictated by physicians or other health care providers into text format. The equipment used is called a medical transcriber. The medical transcriptionist will typically listen to the recordings on head phones and while entering the text into a computer word processor or similar application optimized for transcription.
The transcription files received can be in either digital or analog format (like a tape recording), but most frequently digital as these files can be transmitted or downloaded electronically. Medical transcription is the primary way for a health care provider to communicate with other providers who access patient records.
The transcribed reports are typically stored electronically and accessed as required. These documents can be physical examination reports, medical history, autopsy results, operation reports, or diagnostic studies. The transcription documents are returned to the provider for review, correction, and approval. The transcribed records may be printed on paper and maintained as part of the patient file.
However with the increased popularity of Electronic Medical Records, these records are maintained more often in electronic format. Due to the large number of patients they typically see, hospitals favor electronic records as it allows quick access by different health care providers and hospital departments.
A good medical transcriptionist can identify inconsistencies or errors in the medical dictation. This is important as incorrect patient information can result in the wrong treatment being prescribed.
Medical transcription lends it self well to telecommuting or off-site work. They may work for a hospital, clinic, or physician group either as a direct employ or an independent contractor.
Impact of Technology on Medical Transcription Employment?
Medical transcription has undergone a transformation in recent years brought about by technology. Improvements in speech recognition software has transformed the role of the transcriptionist. Presently the medical transcription document is created by software which transcribes the medical providers dictation into a report. The medical transcriptionist then reviews the transciption report and corrects as necessary.
However if you’ve every tried to use voice recognition features on current consumer electronics (like cell phones), you’re familiar with the limitation to this technology. And if a provider has poor speech tendencies or discernible accent, it can magnify issues with correctly transcribing the dictation.
As a result sometimes the report generated can have omissions and be indecipherable. This results in much time spent correcting the record that sometimes the benefits of the technology is lost.
Medical transcription has also been impacted by overseas outsourcing. However HIPAA and data security concerns have limited these efforts recently.
Medical Transcription Salary
See what the average salaries for medical transcription are when considering medical transcription job opportunities. Learn what factors influence pay like type of employer and years of experience.
Medical Transcription Job Openings
Medical transcription job openings – What’s the best medical transcription job listings site. Learn what the outlook for medical transcription job opportunities is and search for a job.
Entry Level Jobs
Entry level medical transcription jobs – what are employers looking for? Are medical transcription jobs no experience available? Search medical transcription job listings for entry level opportunities.
Home Based Medical Transcription
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Medical Transcription Jobs in Ohio
There’s a strong demand for medical transcription in jobs Ohio. Indeed is the best source for finding medical transcription jobs from a variety of local sources.
Work Environment
Most medical transcriptionists jobs are located in office settings in hospitals, doctor offices, transcription services, laboratories, clinics, or their own office or home. The nature of the work lends itself to telecommuting from a home office making it an attractive occupation for many. This allows for a more flexible work schedule.
Skills and Abilities
Medical transcription employment good typing, grammar and spelling, sorting, checking, memory, and communication skills. Knowledge in anatomy, medical terminology, physiology, and diseases is also required. The transcriptionist needs the ability to translate medical lingo and abbreviations into their elaborated form. They often refer to medical reference books to assist in transcribing records.
Education & Training for Medical Transcription Employment
The best source of training for medical transcription jobs has many differing opinions – whether vocational or community college, online, or on-the-job. However productive and accurate medical transcriptionists will always be in demand. There are no formal education requirements for medical transcription jobs, however most employers prefer postsecondary training.
Most training for medical transcription is offered by vocational schools, community colleges, and distance or on-line programs. Duration can be 2 years for an associates degree to 1 year for a certificate program. Coursework includes medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, and legal issues concerning health care documentation.Many training and education programs offer supervised on-the-job experience.
Training programs to prepare for medical transcription employment are not required to be accredited, but accreditation insures the school meets certain minimum criteria and standards in education. The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) offer voluntary accreditation for transcription programs.
If certification is desired, an accredited program may be required.
Certification
While certification is not a requirement for medical transcription employment, it does show a commitment to the field as well as a proficiency in transcription. The AHDI offers two certifications:
- Registered Medical Transcriptionist (RMT)
- Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT)
The RMT can be awarded to graduates of a medical transcription program who pass the AHDI Level 1 registered medical transcription exam with less than 2 years experience.
The CMT requires 2 years of experience in different specific scenarios and successfully passing the certification exam.
Maintaining certification requires completion of 30 continuing education credits within a 3 year cycle. In addition the CMT must take and online course and pass and exam.
Job Outlook for Medical Transcription Employment
According to the U. S. Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook, medical transcription employment accounted for over 95,000 jobs in the United States in 2010. The majority (about half) worked for hospitals and physician offices. Projected job opportunities are projected to grow about 6 percent a year for the next decade.
This demand is driven by the aging U. S. population as older patients receive the majority of health care services that require documentation. Demand will also be supported by the increased emphasis on electronic standardized medical records.