Medical Transcription Outsourcing

People working in the field of medical transcription are called medical transcriptionists or transcribers. The transcribers have to listen to dictations from physicians or health care professionals. These dictations are translated into written format. The dictation tapes can be in analog or digital format. The records normally contain medical history, operation and post-operation reports, consultation and medical test reports, etc.

Medical transcription is one of the major areas of outsourcing. The parent company does not get into the day to day nitty-gritties, but provides the requirements and accepts only quality product. The reasons for medical transcription outsourcing can be enumerated as under:

Cost Benefits: There are rising cost pressures, hence through outsourcing, the company saves on in-house hiring & training cost. To hire a transcriber in the United States would generally cost 30 to 60 dollars. This cost is at least 3 times of what is incurred, if the hiring is done from developing countries. When the work is outsourced, the cost incurred for health insurance, sick leaves, etc. are borne by the service provider. Medical transcription outsourcing requires a lot of infrastructure like desktops, headsets, digital or analog record reader, etc. These costs are incurred by the service providers and hence the infrastructure cost is also saved.

Quality: The quality of the finished product is higher, as strict vigilance is maintained on the finished product by the parent company. Only quality product is approved.

Workload: Due to the increasing growth of health care industry, the workload has grown manifold. It is not possible to complete all the records in-house. It will mean recruiting more people, thus adding to the infrastructure as well. Hence outsourcing is the chosen option.

Data Storage: Data storage has become convenient. Previously data was stored in duplicates and triplicates to avoid loss of data. Now the paper work has been replaced by digital archiving of medical records.

Focus on Core Competency Areas: Outsourcing leaves the management to concentrate on core business functions and new business ventures. It also sets the company resources free for other important business issues.

Hire at Higher Cost or Outsource: There are times, when experts from respective domains are required to handle certain critical tasks. In such situations hiring can be done at a higher cost, or the task can be simply outsourced. Most companies prefer outsourcing, as it not only reduces the cost, but also many other subordinate clauses like health insurance, etc.

Availability of Trained Resources:Specialized and trained resources are readily available in the developing world. Since expertise and quality workforce is available at cheaper rates, outsourcing is the preferred option. The labor force is also language competent, along with being intelligent and technologically sound.

Technology: With the advancement of technology in all fields, technology changes everyday. It is not cost effective to keep changing the technology. Outsourcing reduces the cost of acquiring cutting edge technology, every now and then.

Less Burden on the Human Resource Department: For maintaining a pool of qualified medical transcriptionists, the Human Resource department is always under pressure, as there are few qualified transcriptionists to choose from. Medical transcription outsourcing eliminates the unsuccessful recruitment cycle and also the man-hours lost in the process. In case of unavailability of quailified transcriptionists, the Human Resource department has to arrange for training the untrained resources, which burdens the department. Outsourcing eliminates this burden.

Turn Around Time: The difference in the time zone, helps in higher turn around time. Quality product can be obtained in minimum amount of time. At the same time service providers, provide round-the-clock service, reducing the backlog of work.

Rules, Regulations and Privacy: There are certain acts like HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996), which have strict privacy rules. The service provider has to make himself HIPAA compliant. If the work is outsourced, the parent company does not have to be occupied with the different rules and regulations of the land.

Medical Transcriptionist Salary

One of the most crucial factors that an individual analyzes before stepping into any career, is salary or pay scale. While interest in the chosen field and career development opportunities are of paramount importance, a decent salary is no less important criteria.

Medical jobs, since the last 10 years have flourished and have been one of the most stable and financially rewarding jobs. All thanks to the diversification and exponential development in medical technology, pharmacy field and advanced methods of medical treatments. Medical transcription is one such field that has developed greatly. Here, I'll specifically cut down my discussion by focusing on medical transcriptionist salary.

Salary of Medical Transcriptionist

After you have gone through this write up, you'll be able to know about medical transcriptionist salary range and how it depends on several factors. Prior to knowing about medical transcriptionist salary, knowing medical transcriptionist job description in brief will help you understand this job from close angles.

Job Description of a Medical Transcriptionist
Stated briefly, medical transcriptionists are medical professionals who are responsible for maintaining and managing medical records. In other words, they listen to dictated records created by medical experts and then they transcribe them into health care documents. These medical documents are important, as they contain all information about patient's discharge summaries, medical history, medical examination notes, autopsy reports, diagnostic result reports and referral letters. These reports are maintained on the guidelines stated by the American Association for Medical Transcription (AAMT). Medical transcriptionists have to check these legal documents for spelling, formatting and grammar. After proper medical transcriptionist training, employment opportunities are very decent. Excellent typing speed and good computer literacy are very important requisites for becoming a medical transcriptionist.

Medical Transcriptionist Salary: Factors on Which Salaries Depend
Finding employment in hospital jobs is dependent on your level of medical education or more importantly work experience. Same is the case with salary structure. Like various salary ranges for jobs, medical transcriptionist salary is dependent on following factors.

1. Educational Degrees
2. Work Experience
3. Employer Type
4. Work Location Area
5. Number of Lines transcribed
6. Number of hours worked

Wondering how these factors effect medical transcriptionist salary? Know more about them here.

Education/Certifications
An associate's degree or a medical transcription certificate is necessary for a medical transcriptionist profession. The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) gives two designations viz., Registered Medical Transcriptionist and Certified Medical Transcriptionist, for candidates aspiring to be medical transcriptionist. Medical transcriptionist salary, in the start for those who're armed with these degrees and certificates, ranges between US$ 10 to US$ 12 per hour. A certified medical transcriptionist salary or a registered medical transcriptionist salary is averaged between US$ 12 to US$ 15.

Work Experience
With increased work experience, medical transcriptionist salary rises and with some really good work experience, medical transcripionist salary can be anywhere US$ 25 to US$ 35 per hour.

Employer Type
Depending on your employer type, medical transcriptionist salary varies significantly. Working as a medical transcriptionist at home or in doctor's office can vary your salaries. Based on such factors medical transcriptionist salary averages between US$ 12 to US$ 20, per hour. Even self employed medical transcriptionists, can earn as high as US$ 30 per hour, after decent work experience.

Work Location Area
Working area contributes significantly in salary negotiations. For instance, if you're working in Florida, then medical transcriptionist salary in Florida will be less than most popular cities like Pittsburg or Dallas (as per reports of various sources). Certainly, cost of living in a city impacts salary ranges. Remote areas that are opening up to medical transcriptionist jobs hold promises for better pay in the near future.

Number of Lines Prescribed
Based on number of lines you write, your medical transcriptionist salary is decided. At the rate of US$ 0.06 per line, in case you write 800 lines, you'll earn near about US$ 12,480 per year. At the rate of US$ 0.14 per line, for 2,000 lines, you can earn nearly US$72, 800! This is decided by your employer.

Similarly, for number of hours one works, medical transcriptionist salary is fixed and is decided on that. On an average, medical transcriptionist salary is between US$ 30,000 to US$ 70,000. After properly researching on 'how to become a medical transcriptionist', one can surely take a step ahead to make a mark in this career.

Medical Transcription Jobs from Home

A medical transcriptionist can work from home or from a clinic or doctor's office. As the name of the profession suggests, the person working as a medical transcriptionist should have thorough knowledge of medical terminology which includes words, phrases from various branches of medicine such as pharmacology, anatomy, physiology and diagnostic procedures, operation methods, etc. Medical transcription jobs from home involve converting verbal medical reports into the written electronic documents. Here follows more information on medical transcription.

Medical Transcriptionist Job Description

If the question 'how to become a medical transcriptionist' is swirling in your mind, then let me tell you that a recent graduate or a high school diploma holder can become a registered medical transcriptionist after passing the test conducted by the Association for Health-care Documentation Integrity (AHDI). Though there are no established educational standards for medical transcriptionists, employees generally select those candidates who have undergone a one or two years training in a renowned institute. The average salaries for medical transcriptionists vary from state to state depending upon the experience and the lines written in a day. People working in other medical professions like nurses may work as medical transriptionists if they have a strong grasp of medical terminology. Medical transcription jobs from home provide good career options for women who wish to work from home, as they need to look after their children at home. They just have to undergo medical transcriptionist training where they are introduced to medical terminology, common medical procedures, computer software operations, grammar and punctuation, etc.

But undergoing the training or passing the test is not enough if you want to become a medical transcriptionist. You must have good listening and writing skills. You should be an organized person as a minor error can create problems for the patients and the doctors as well. The demand for medical transcription jobs is increasing but what exactly a medical transcriptionist has to do? The medical transcriptionists receive voice recorded notes from doctors, surgeons and other medical personnel. They have to listen to these notes carefully with the help of a headphone they have to transfer (type) the data into the personal computer and create respective files using the word processor. At the end, they are expected to recheck the information and if there are any grammatical or other errors regarding the information, they are supposed to correct those accordingly. Then they have to send those files to the senders. The doctors check the information and ask to correct it if they find it wrong. After corrections, they sign the document and then it becomes a part of the patient's history and is available for reference. It is preserved in hospital records.

There is an increasing trend of medical transcription outsourcing. So, by sitting in any corner of the world, you can work for any hospital, institute, clinic or doctor. You can enjoy flexibility of time and space. You can be self employed but you have to be perfect in your work. Correct use of words and language is essential. You may be asked to create various types of reports such as autopsy reports, consultation reports, operative reports, diagnostic reports, progress reports, etc. You may have to write down procedure notes, reference letters, diagnostic image studies reports, anything related to medical field. You must be familiar with the language, web and e-mail techniques. Since medical transcriptionist salary depends on number of lines (correct) written in a day, typing skill does play an important role here.

Medical transcription jobs from home can be found stressful as the job requires 100% perfection. You need to have perfect knowledge about the medical laws. You are expected to pass the re-certification exam every 3 years. Taking into consideration the growing number of ill people, the labor bureau expects a significant rise in the number of medical transriptionists jobs in the near future. Those working from home can set their own working hours, can work part-time if they wish. I hope the above information is helpful for the aspirant medical transcriptionists.

Medical Transcriptionist Job Description

You said, you're a good listener, aren't you? Good listeners can be good money-minters too! Perplexed? Allow me to explain. A career in medical transcription (MT) can glut you with career opportunities, if at all you are a certified medical transcriptionist. What does an MT do? A brief look at the medical transcriptionist job description keys out that MTs are skilled professionals who listen to dictated recordings made by doctors and physicians, and transcribe them into medical correspondence, reports, and documents. It might be an interesting job, but is extremely difficult at the same time, for even a single apprehension gone wrong could cost someone his life. Nevertheless, those interested in this attractive field of medicine take up various medical transcription jobs from home, and earn money accordingly. For a detailed insight into exactly what does a medical transcriptionist do, latch into the following section that illustrates a typical medical transcriptionist job description.

Medical Transcriptionist Job Profile

A headset on, a foot pedal to modulate sounds, a word processor file open, and a great deal of concentration... well, that's a medical transcriptionist's tool kit! A quintessential MT produces documents that include summaries of discharge, medical histories, physical examination reports, consultation documents, autopsy and operative reports, notes and referral letters for the medical institution's document purposes. After a document is transcribed, it is sent to the physician or any other health professional that the MT is working for, for review, revision, correction, and signature. After everything is done, these documents become a segment of a patient's entire health summary.

Following are the areas that medical transcriptionists are required to be well-versed with so that it is easy for them to understand the dictations and create medical records:

• Medical Terminology
• Anatomy and Physiology
• Pharmacology
• Diagnostic Procedures
• Medical Jargons and Abbreviations

Medical transcriptionists comply with the standards of the medical records, and abide by the legal and ethical requisites so as to keep the information of all patients extremely confidential. Those experienced are adept of spotting mistakes in a medical report, and hence, they are required to make sure they make no mistake at all. It is only for the sake of a patient's correct treatment that one of the most important skills for an MT is considered as the proficiency of producing flawless medical reports.

Today, the Internet has served to be one of the most popular sources for transmitting documentation, for many medical transcriptionists receive dictations over the net, which has made it extremely easy for them to quickly retort with transcribed reports. This has helped medical transcriptionists in having hand-held personal computers that have relevant software for making transcription extremely easy.

Becoming a Medical Transcriptionist

The job description of an MT is, undoubtedly, interesting. So, if you're interested in figuring out how to become a medical transcriptionist, the first thing worth mulling over is that you need to have a good background in medical health specialties. In other words, a high school diploma or a graduation degree in the field you prefer is a must. After that, in order to become a registered medical transcriptionist, you need to pass the test conducted by the Association for Health-care Documentation Integrity (AHDI) after a rigorous medical transcriptionist training from a reputed medical school.

Even though there aren't any established medical education standards for MTs, an aspirant is required to have a strong grasp of medical terminology, at the least. Note that, the daily medical transcriptionist salary highly depends upon how well and how fast you can type. The more you're versed with typing and writing, the more the salary figures will amuse you. On an average, a medical transcriptionist in the US makes good $100 per day, which is quite a lot!

Above was a detailed medical transcriptionist job description for all medical aspirants. Note that medical transcription jobs aren't really well-known among masses, and hence, for this reason, they are one of the most sought-after jobs in the US. Career prospects are high, and future is bright. What else were you confirming, my friend?