The field of medical transcribing is a very interesting one and it’s a field that is constantly expanding and changing as the world becomes more electronically-inclined. Medical transcription once involved one individual being responsible for compiling an assortment of doctor’s notes and scrawls into one intelligible, long-written, clear document. Today, the field of medical transcription involves millions of transcribers logging into thousands of central servers that contain voice recordings of the doctor’s notes, diagnoses, and consultations given to patients. These recordings are then typed by the medical transcriptionists (MTs) into electronic files. This allows a patient’s medical records to be kept in one central location and also allows these files to be easily updated. The field of medical transcribing can be very flexible, can make individuals who are interested and skilled at it a profitable income, and is one that is sure to be around for a long time.
While there is no real formal training, other than a high school diploma, that’s required to become an MT, there are several duties involved in the profession that you must be able to fulfill. Some of these duties require mechanical or medical knowledge while other duties require skills such as being personable and maintaining good relationships with doctors and others in the medical industry. The main duty of an MT is to carefully and accurately transcribe voice recordings of doctor’s notes, diagnoses, and consultations into digital format. To be able to do this, the MT must have precise listening skills, and must also be familiar with medical procedures and terminology. When an MT comes across a reference that they are not familiar with, they must be able to quickly look it up so that only accurate information is entered into the transcription, which is the patient’s medical history.
While transcribing, a medical transcriptionist must interpret verbatim what was said by the doctor in the voice recording. Never are MTs allowed to determine that the doctor actually ‘meant to say something else’ or guess at what a doctor says in the voice recording, even if the words are garbled or unclear. However, there are sometimes circumstances that make it impossible to understand what a person is saying in a voice recording. Sometimes medical environments, such as busy clinics or hospitals, are so busy, noisy and rushed that the doctor simply doesn’t have the time to speak clearly. In other instances, the doctor could have a thick accent that makes it difficult for the MT to understand exactly what they are saying. In this instance, the MT still cannot make a guess but instead they can flag the report as incomplete. This ensures that inaccurate information does not enter into the report and that the chart can be further reviewed and questioned.
Being a medical transcriptionist is an extremely flexible job and one that is often done from home, providing a great work-at-home opportunity for those who need to stay at home but still need to make an income. Because medical transcribing can be done by logging into a server via one’s computer, the MT doesn’t need to be physically near the server to be able to gain access to it and the digital voice recordings within it. Some medical transcriptionists work in a large office where they sit at desks, usually in rows, and listen to earphones. These types of environments often handle thousands of different medical records and documents.
Whichever type of MT environment is chosen, medical transcriptionists are able to use all of their skills and abilities to help ensure that patients receive the best care possible based on the accurate medical history contained within their charts.
