How to become a Medical Transcriptionist

Medical transcriptionists occasionally referred to as health care documentation specialists, listen to audio recordings made by doctors and other healthcare workers and transform them into written reports. Medical transcription, abbreviated as MT, is rapidly becoming one of India's as well as some developed countries most sought after home-based professions. Medical transcription is the industry that extracts doctor prescribed records, treatments, and notes in an electronic or paper layout to generate files describing the treatment plan and history of patients.

Job description, Profiles, Roles and Duties:

• Hear a doctor or other health care worker's dictation reported
• View and transcribe the dictation into the history of a patient, test notes, operating records, reference letters, discharge summaries, and other documents
• Assess and revise drafts prepared by speech recognition programs, ensuring the correct, complete and consistent style of transcription
• Translate medical abbreviations and jargon into the long form required
• Identify contradictions, mistakes and incomplete details that could affect patient care in a report
• Follow-up with the healthcare provider to ensure accuracy of reports
• Send medical records to doctors for approval
• Follow the patient confidentiality guidelines and requirements for legal documentation
• Update reports into Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems
• Perform assessments of quality management
• Update yourself with changes in medical terminology, medical procedures, medical jargon and many other factors.
• Capable of adapting to different accents and diction
• Ability to deduce medical inconsistencies in dictation is critical in decreasing the probabilities of ineffective or even harmful treatments for patients

Along with proper education and relevant work experience, some skills are required to become a medical transcriptionist. Medical transcriptionists must be comfortable with working on a computer, and they must also know how to operate electronic health records (EHR) systems. Medical documentation is mostly made using speech recognition software, in which advanced software automatically prepares a preliminary draft of a text. The transcriptionist then hears the recording and assesses it for inaccuracy, isolates any errors and, if necessary, edits the report. Transcriptionists use word-processing and other advanced programs to formulate transcripts and even medical reference materials if need be.

MTs should possess an adequate understanding of the English language rules, grammar and should be familiar with medical terminology. Employers highly value the ability to type quickly and accurately. Also, they need to have excellent listening abilities and be able to recognize and perceive the medical report's intended purpose.

Medical transcriptionists are required to evaluate medical reports and identify any inaccuracies and inconsistencies in finished drafts. They do need to indulge in critical thinking when performing research to get the information they need and to make sure sources are both credible and reliable. Additionally, medical transcriptionists must have abilities in conducting research, be able to function independently, know how to research, and be careful professionals with a strong eye for detail.