Medical writing

Medical writing

Medical writing is the activity of producing scientific documentation by a specialized writer. The medical writer typically is not one of the scientists or doctors who performed the research.

A medical writer, working with doctors, scientists, and other subject matter experts, creates documents that effectively and clearly describe research results, product use and other medical information. The medical writer also makes sure the documents comply with regulatory, journal, or other guidelines in terms of content, format and structure.

Medical writing as a function became established in the pharmaceutical world because the industry recognized it requires special skill to produce well-structured documents that present information clearly and concisely. A growing number of new drugs go through the increasingly complex process of clinical trials and regulatory procedures that lead to market approval. This drives a demand for well written, standards-compliant documents that science professionals can read and understand easily and quickly.

Types of medical writing

Medical writing for the pharmaceutical industry can be classified as either regulatory medical writing or educational medical writing.

Regulatory medical writing means creating the documentation that regulatory agencies require in the approval process for drugs, devices andbiologics. Regulatory documents can be huge and are formulaic. They include clinical study protocols, clinical study reports, patient informed consent forms, investigator brochures and summary documents (e.g. in Common Technical Document [CTD] format) that summarize and discuss the data a company gathers in the course of developing a medical product.

Educational medical writing means writing documents about drugs, devices and biologics for general audiences, and for specific audiences such as health care professionals. These include sales literature for newly launched drugs, data presentations for medical conferences, medical journal articles for nurses, physicians and pharmacists, and programs and enduring materials for continuing education (CE) or continuing medical education (CME).

Regardless of the type of medical writing, companies either assign it to an in-house writer, or "outsource" it to an external medical writer or medical writing service.

Medical writing organizations

Several professional organizations represent medical writers around the world. These include:

§  American Medical Writers Association (AMWA)

§  Australasian Medical Writers Association (AMWA)

§  European Medical Writers Association (EMWA)

§  Indian Medical Writers Association (IMWA).

These organizations provide a forum where medical writers meet and share knowledge and experience. They promote professional development and standards of documentation excellence, and help writers find career opportunities. All these organizations offer fundamental medical writing training.

Finally, though not a medical writing organization, the Drug Information Association (DIA) provides many resources, including training and career opportunities (via their job board) for medical writers. Also, the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia offers a master's degree in biomedical writing.

Ø  Medical/science writing is increasingly becoming popular among PhD life scientists are having trouble finding traditional laboratory-based, research jobs. The transition from laboratory research to writing is not an onerous one; especially if you like to write.

Ø  As many of you may know, I am a freelance medical/science writer who entered the field about 10 years ago.  Because most freelancers work from home offices, the lack of communication with others can be overwhelming at times. Consequently, many of us subscribe to e-mail-based listservs which allow us to stay in touch with other writers and frreelancers. Most of these medical writing listservs are run and maintained by the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA). In order to access and participate at the listservs, you must be an AMWA member which costs $145 or more per year.

Ø  While the AMWA forums are very popular, AMWA officials assiduously monitors them and at times, restricts some of the content that can be posted. For example, members of the 'freelance business only listserv' are strictly prohibited from posting jobs or alerting others to potential freelance opportunities. AMWA officials contends that these posts are inappropriate and disruptive. However, the real reason for the prohibition may be that AWMA operates a separate, fee-based service that allows freelancers to hawk their services.  In other words, allowing  users to mention freelancing gigs or job opportunities on 'freelance business only' listserv, could potentially jeopardize an additional AMWA revenue stream.

Ø  Occasionally, freelancers like me break the rules (go figure) and mention "hot" jobs or employers who may be looking for writers. I do this because, as a freelancer, I am painfully aware that my success as a freelancer is contingent upon my ability to maintain a regular, ongoing stream of freelance gigs. Unfortunately, the AMWA officers who monitor the listservs (many of whom are not freelancers), don’t understand this. Consequently, repeat offenders-- like me--have been threatened with financial sanctions and possible expulsion from the listserv.

Producing Clear, Acceptable Clinical Study Documentation

WHY THE GROWING EMPHASIS ON MEDICAL WRITING?

With the ever-increasing demand to bring new drugs to market as quickly as possible, the process of writing easily understood clinical study documents is a growing priority for sponsor companies.

Medical writing today is much more than entering data onto a page. Cytel Clinical Research Services specializes in satisfying the growing need for regulatory-acceptable document writing that is familiar with both the emerging clinical design methods and the complexities associated with multi-national, large-scale studies.

PROPER DOCUMENTATION FOR EVEN THE MOST COMPLEX TRIALS

Cytel understands the importance of accurate medical writing as a critical component to the clinical development process. Our clinical planning expertise, meticulous attention to detail and legacy of data quality control ensure your supporting trial documentation is as accurate as it is thorough.

Also, our medical writing clients find especially valuable Cytel's ability to react quickly to urgent information requests, especially regulatory inquiries. Handling such unscheduled demands promptly and accurately is all but routine for Cytel Clinical Research experts.

Typical supporting documents include:

·         Investigator brochures

·         Protocols

·         Clinical Study Reports (CSR's)

·         Regulatory briefing documents

·         Clinical sections of Common Technical Documents (CTDs)

·         Integrated summaries

·         Abstracts for professional meetings

·         Advisory panel meetings - briefing documents, slide sets

·         Posters and presentations

·         Manuscripts


Learn more here

Medical transcription

Medical transcription

If you wanna get a small job and if you are interested in software or typing, then you can try for medical transcription. This can be done in a company or you can do this job in home itself with internet connection.

Let’s look at the job -

Position: "Medical Transcription". 

Salary: Free training will be given for the first six months with Stipend of Rs. 3000 pm plus Bus Pass / Train Pass. After Training the Salary will be Rs. 6000 CTC plus incentives up to 5k pm. Salary hikes will be for every six months. 

If you have experience then there will be no training you can get direct job…

Job Timings: Day Shifts (7 am to 3 pm). Night shifts (5pm to 9pm)

Terms: 

It will be according to the company

For example……

The Candidate should give 2 years of commitment (Mandatory). 

After completion of 2yrs home base transmission is available.

O.K. now let’s look at the story – what is medical transcription

• What does a medical transcriptionist do?

In the broadest sense, medical transcription is the act of translating from oral to written form (on paper or electronically) the record of a person's encounter with a healthcare professional. Medical transcriptionists (MTs) are specialists in medical language and healthcare documentation. They interpret and transcribe dictation by physicians and other healthcare professionals regarding patient assessment, workup, therapeutic procedures, clinical course, diagnosis, prognosis, etc., editing dictated material for grammar and clarity as necessary and appropriate.

• What personal characteristics do I need in order to become a medical transcriptionist?

You need excellent English grammar skills, as well as a compelling interest in and knowledge of continuous new medical equipment and procedures, scientific updates, federally approved pharmaceutical products, etc., which are reflected in medical language. You need superior resource skills. You need hand-eye coordination and keen listening skills. You need reasonable computer keyboarding skills and sit for long hours, often in a high-pressure environment.

Medical documents often are requested to be expedited copy. A high level of concentration for extended periods of time is also important. Medical transcription requires a practical knowledge of medical language relating to anatomy, physiology, disease processes, pharmacology, laboratory medicine, and the internal organization of medical reports. A transcriptionist is a medical language specialist who must be aware of standards and requirements that apply to the health record, as well as the legal significance of medical transcripts.

Traditional reports of patient care take many forms including histories and physical examinations, progress reports, emergency room notes, specialty consultations, operative reports, diagnostic and laboratory findings, discharge summaries, clinic notes, referral letters, and an array of documentation spanning more than 60 medical specialties. They are frequently dictated by healthcare providers for whom English is a 2nd (3rd, or greater) language.

• Where do medical transcriptionists work?

Medical transcriptionists use their talents in a variety of healthcare settings, including doctors' offices, public and private hospitals, teaching hospitals, medical schools, medical transcription businesses, clinics, laboratories, pathology and radiology departments, insurance companies, medical libraries, government medical facilities, rehabilitation centers, legal offices, research centers, veterinary medical facilities, and associations representing the healthcare industry wherever dictation for the purpose of healthcare documentation requires transcription. Many MTs work from their homes as independent contractors, subcontractors, or home-based employees.

• Who do medical transcriptionists work for?

Medical transcriptionists work with physicians and surgeons in multiple specialties. They work with pharmacists, therapists, technicians, nurses, dietitians, social workers, psychologists, and other medical personnel. All of these healthcare providers rely on information that is received, accurately documented, and disseminated by the medical transcriptionist.

Qualified medical transcriptionists who wish to expand their professional responsibilities may become quality assurance specialists, editors, supervisors.

Experienced medical transcriptionists may become teachers, working in schools and colleges to educate future medical transcription professionals as managers, department heads, or owners of medical transcription businesses.

complete story

Medical transcription

Medical transcription, also known as MT, is an allied health profession, which deals in the process of transcription, or converting voice-recorded reports as dictated by physicians and/or other healthcare professionals, into text format.

History

Evolution of transcription dates back to the 1960s. The method was designed to assist in the manufacturing process. The first transcription that was developed in this process was MRP, which is the acronym for Manufacturing Resource Planning, in 1975. This was followed by another advanced version namely MRP2. But none of them yielded the benefit of medical transcription.

However, transcription equipment has changed from manual typewriters to electric typewriters to word processors to computers and from plastic disks and magnetic belts to cassettes and endless loops and digital recordings. Today, speech recognition (SR), also known as continuous speech recognition (CSR), is increasingly being used, with medical transcriptionists and or "editors" providing supplemental editorial services, although there are occasional instances where SR fully replaces the MT. Natural-language processing takes "automatic" transcription a step further, providing an interpretive function that speech recognition alone does not provide (although MTs do).

In the past, these medical reports consisted of very abbreviated handwritten notes that were added in the patient's file for interpretation by the primary physician responsible for the treatment. Ultimately, this mess of handwritten notes and typed reports were consolidated into a single patient file and physically stored along with thousands of other patient records in a wall of filing cabinets in the medical records department. Whenever the need arose to review the records of a specific patient, the patient's file would be retrieved from the filing cabinet and delivered to the requesting physician. To enhance this manual process, many medical record documents were produced in duplicate or triplicate by means of carbon copy.

In recent years, medical records have changed considerably. Although many physicians and hospitals still maintain paper records, there is a drive for electronic records. Filing cabinets are giving way to desktop computers connected to powerful servers, where patient records are processed and archived digitally. This digital format allows for immediate remote access by any physician who is authorized to review the patient information. Reports are stored electronically and printed selectively as the need arises. Many MTs now utilize personal computers with electronic references and use the Internet not only for web resources but also as a working platform. Technology has gotten so sophisticated that MT services and MT departments work closely with programmers and information systems (IS) staff to stream in voice and accomplish seamless data transfers through network interfaces. In fact, many healthcare providers today are enjoying the benefits of handheld PCs or personal data assistants (PDAs) and are now utilizing software on them for dictation.

Overview

Pertinent up-to-date, confidential patient information is converted to a written text document by a medical transcriptionist (MT). This text may be printed and placed in the patient's record and/or retained only in its electronic format. Medical transcription can be performed by MTs who are employees in a hospital or who work at home as telecommuting employees for the hospital; by MTs working as telecommuting employees or independent contractors for an outsourced service that performs the work offsite under contract to a hospital, clinic, physician group or other healthcare provider; or by MTs working directly for the providers of service (doctors or their group practices) either onsite or telecommuting as employees or contractors. Hospital facilities often prefer electronic storage of medical records due to the sheer volume of hospital patients and the accompanying paperwork. The electronic storage in their database gives immediate access to subsequent departments or providers regarding the patient's care to date, notation of previous or present medications, notification of allergies, and establishes a history on the patient to facilitate healthcare delivery regardless of geographical distance or location.

The term transcript or "report" as it is more commonly called, is used as the name of the document (electronic or physical hard copy) which results from the medical transcription process, normally in reference to the healthcare professional's specific encounter with a patient on a specific date of service. This report is referred to by many as a "medical record". Each specific transcribed record or report, with its own specific date of service, is then merged and becomes part of the larger patient record commonly known as the patient's medical history. This record is often called the patient's chart in a hospital setting.

Medical transcription encompasses the MT, performing document typing and formatting functions according to an established criteria or format, transcribing the spoken word of the patient's care information into a written, easily readable form. MT requires correct spelling of all terms and words, (occasionally) correcting medical terminology or dictation errors. MTs also edit the transcribed documents, print or return the completed documents in a timely fashion. All transcription reports must comply with medico-legal concerns, policies and procedures, and laws under patient confidentiality.

In transcribing directly for a doctor or a group of physicians, there are specific formats and report types used, dependent on that doctor's speciality of practice, although history and physical exams or consults are mainly utilized. In most of the off-hospital sites, independent medical practices perform consultations as a second opinion, pre-surgical exams, and as IMEs (Independent Medical Examinations) for liability insurance or disability claims. Some private practice family doctors choose not to utilize a medical transcriptionist, preferring to keep their patient's records in a handwritten format, although this is not true of all family practitioners.

Currently, a growing number of medical providers send their dictation by digital voice files, utilizing a method of transcription called speech or voice recognition. Speech recognition is still a nascent technology that loses much in translation. For dictators to utilize the software, they must first train the program to recognize their spoken words. Dictation is read into the database and the program continuously "learns" the spoken words and phrases.

Poor speech habits and other problems such as heavy foreign accents and mumbling complicate the process for both the MT and the recognition software. An MT can "flag" such a report as unintelligible, but the recognition software will transcribe the unintelligible word(s) from the existing database of "learned" language. The result is often a "word salad" or missing text. Thresholds can be set to reject a bad report and return it for standard dictation, but these settings are arbitrary. Below a set percentage rate, the word salad passes for actual dictation. The MT simultaneously listens, reads and "edits" the correct version. Every word must be confirmed in this process. The downside of the technology is when the time spent in this process cancels out the benefits. The quality of recognition can range from excellent to poor, with whole words and sentences missing from the report. Not infrequently, negative contractions and the word "not" is dropped all together. These flaws trigger concerns that the present technology could have adverse effects on patient care. Control over quality can also be reduced when providers choose a server-based program from a vendor Application Service Provider (ASP).

Downward adjustments in MT pay rates for voice recognition are controversial. Understandably, a client will seek optimum savings to offset any net costs. Yet vendors that overstate the gains in productivity do harm to MTs paid by the line. Despite the new editing skills required of MTs, significant reductions in compensation for voice recognition have been reported. Reputable industry sources put the field average for increased productivity in the range of 30%-50%; yet this is still dependent on several other factors involved in the methodology. Metrics supplied by vendors that can be "used" in compensation decisions should be scientifically supported.

Another unresolved issue is high-maintenance headers that replace simple interfaces to become the "platform" of choice. Pay rates should reflect this lost-opportunity cost for the MT.

Operationally, speech recognition technology (SRT) is an interdependent, collaborative effort. It is a mistake to treat it as compatible with the same organizational paradigm as standard dictation, a largely "standalone" system. The new software supplants an MT's former ability to realize immediate time-savings from programming tools such as macros and other word/format expanders. Requests for client/vendor format corrections delay those savings. If remote MTs cancel each other out with disparate style choices, they and the recognition engine may be trapped in a seesaw battle over control. Voice recognition managers should take care to ensure that the impositions on MT autonomy are not so onerous as to outweigh its benefits.

Medical transcription is still the primary mechanism for a physician to clearly communicate with other healthcare providers who access the patient record, to advise them on the state of the patient's health and past/current treatment, and to assure continuity of care. More recently, following Federal and State Disability Act changes, a written report (IME) became a requirement for documentation of a medical bill or an application for Workers' Compensation (or continuation thereof) insurance benefits based on requirements of Federal and State agencies.

As a profession

 An individual who performs medical transcription is known as a medical transcriptionist or an MT. An MT is also known as a Medical Language Specialist or MLS. The equipment the MT uses is called a medical transcriber. The individual who performs medical transcription should always be called a "medical transcriptionist." A medical transcriptionist is the person responsible for converting the patient's medical records into text from recorded dictation. The term transcriberdescribes the electronic equipment used in performing medical transcription, e.g., a cassette player with foot controls operated by the MT for report playback and transcription. There have been industry discussions centered around whether or not medical transcriptionists should be called something else; no other industry-wide term has been adopted.

Education and training can be obtained through certificate or diploma programs, distance learning, and/or on-the-job training offered in some hospitals, although there are countries currently employing transcriptionists that require 18 months to 2 years of specialized MT training. Working in medical transcription leads to a mastery in medical terminology and editing, MT ability to listen and type simultaneously, utilization of playback controls on the transcriber (machine), and use of foot pedal to play and adjust dictations - all while maintaining a steady rhythm of execution.

While medical transcription does not mandate registration or certification, individual MTs may seek out registration/certification for personal or professional reasons. Obtaining a certificate from a medical transcription training program does not entitle an MT to use the title of Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT). The CMT credential is earned by passing a certification examination conducted solely by the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI), formerly the American Association for Medical Transcription (AAMT), as the credentialing designation they created. AHDI also offers the credential of Registered Medical Transcriptionist (RMT). According to AHDI, the RMT is an entry-level credential while the CMT is an advanced level. AHDI maintains a list of approved medical transcription schools.

There is a great degree of internal debate about which training program best prepares a MT for industry work.^[2] Yet, whether one has learned medical transcription from an online course, community college, high school night course, or on-the-job training in a doctor's office or hospital, a knowledgeable MT is highly valued. In lieu of these AHDI certification credentials, MTs who can consistently and accurately transcribe multiple document work-types and return reports within a reasonable turnaround-time (TAT) are sought after. TATs set by the service provider or agreed to by the transcriptionist should be reasonable but consistent with the need to return the document to the patient's record in a timely manner.

While most medical transcription agencies prefer candidates with a minimum of 1-year experience, formal instruction is not a requirement, and there is no mandatory test. Some hospitals require nothing more than a diploma for employment as a medical transcriptionist. The average pay range for an in-house medical transcriptionist in a hospital setting is $8/hr.

As of March 7, 2006, the MT occupation became an eligible U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship, a 2-year program focusing on acute care facility (hospital) work. In May 2004, a pilot program for Vermont residents was initiated, with 737 applicants for only 20 classroom pilot-program openings. The objective was to train the applicants as MTs in a shorter time period. (See Vermont HITECH for pilot program established by the Federal Government Health and Human Services Commission).

Curricular requirements, skills and abilities

experience that is directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified, and dependent on the employer (working directly for a physician or in hospital facility).

§  Knowledge of medical terminology.

§  Above-average spelling, grammar, communication and memory skills.

§  Ability to sort, check, count, and verify numbers with accuracy.

§  Skill in the use and operation of basic office equipment/computer; eye/hand/foot coordination.

§  Ability to follow verbal and written instructions.

§  Records maintenance skills or ability.

§  Above-average to excellent typing skills.

Basic MT knowledge, skills and abilities

§  Knowledge of basic to advanced medical terminology is essential.

§  Knowledge of anatomy and physiology.

§  Knowledge of disease processes.

§  Knowledge of medical style and grammar.

§  Average verbal communication skills.

§  Above-average memory skills.

§  Ability to sort, check, count, and verify numbers with accuracy.

§  Demonstrated skill in the use and operation of basic office equipment/computer.

§  Ability to follow verbal and written instructions.

§  Records maintenance skills or ability.

§  Above-average typing skills.

§  Knowledge and experience transcribing (from training or real report work) in the Basic Four work types: History and Physical Exam, Consultation, Operative Report, and Discharge Summary.

§  Knowledge of and proper application of grammar.

§  Knowledge of and use of correct punctuation and capitalization rules.

§  Demonstrated MT proficiencies in multiple report types and multiple specialties.

Duties and responsibilities

§  Accurately transcribes the patient-identifying information such as name and Medical Record or Social Security Number.

§  Transcribes accurately, utilizing correct punctuation, grammar and spelling, and edits for inconsistencies.

§  Maintains/consults references for medical procedures and terminology.

§  Keeps a transcription log.

§  In some countries, MTs may sort, copy, prepare, assemble, and file records and charts (though in the United States (US) the filing of charts and records are most often assigned to Medical Records Techs in Hospitals or Secretaries in Doctor offices).

§  Distributes transcribed reports and collects dictation tapes.

§  Follows up on physicians' missing and/or late dictation, returns printed or electronic report in a timely fashion (in US Hospital, MT Supervisor performs).

§  Performs quality assurance check.

§  May maintain disk and disk backup system (in US Hospital, MT Supervisor performs).

§  May order supplies and report equipment operational problems (In US, this task is most often done by Unit Secretaries, Office Secretaries, or Tech Support personnel).

§  May collect, tabulate, and generate reports on statistical data, as appropriate (in US, generally performed by MT Supervisor).

The medical transcription process

When the patient visits a doctor, the latter spends time with the former discussing his medical problems, including past history and/or problems. The doctor performs a physical examination and may request various laboratory or diagnostic studies; will make a diagnosis or differential diagnoses, then decides on a plan of treatment for the patient, which is discussed and explained to the patient, with instructions provided. After the patient leaves the office, the doctor uses a voice-recording device to record the information about the patient encounter. This information may be recorded into a hand-held cassette recorder or into a regular telephone, dialed into a central server located in the hospital or transcription service office, which will 'hold' the report for the transcriptionist. This report is then accessed by a medical transcriptionist, it clearly received as a voice file or cassette recording, who then listens to the dictation and transcribes it into the required format for the medical record, and of which this medical record is considered a legal document. The next time the patient visits the doctor, the doctor will call for the medical record or the patient's entire chart, which will contain all reports from previous encounters. The doctor can on occasion refill the patient's medications after seeing only the medical record, although doctors prefer to not refill prescriptions without seeing the patient to establish if anything has changed.

It is very important to have a properly formatted, edited, and reviewed medical transcription document. If a medical transcriptionist accidentally typed a wrong medication or the wrong diagnosis, the patient could be at risk if the doctor (or his designee) did not review the document for accuracy. Both the doctor and the medical transcriptionist play an important role to make sure the transcribed dictation is correct and accurate. The doctor should speak slowly and concisely, especially when dictating medications or details of diseases and conditions, and the medical transcriptionist must possess hearing acuity, medical knowledge, and good reading comprehension in addition to checking references when in doubt.

However, some doctors do not review their transcribed reports for accuracy, and the computer attaches an electronic signature with the disclaimer that a report is "dictated but not read". This electronic signature is readily acceptable in a legal sense. The transcriptionist is bound to transcribe verbatim (exactly what is said) and make no changes, but has the option to flag any report inconsistencies. On some occasions, the doctors do not speak clearly, or voice files are garbled. Some doctors are, unfortunately, time-challenged and need to dictate their reports quickly (as in ER Reports). In addition, there are many regional or national accents and (mis)pronunciations of words the MT must contend with. It is imperative and a large part of the job of the Transcriptionist to look up the correct spelling of complex medical terms, medications, obvious dosage or dictation errors, and when in doubt should "flag" a report. A "flag" on a report requires the dictator (or his designee) to fill in a blank on a finished report, which has been returned to him, before it is considered complete. Transcriptionists are never, ever permitted to guess, or 'just put in anything' in a report transcription. Furthermore, medicine is constantly changing. New equipment, new medical devices, and new medications come on the market on a daily basis, and the Medical Transcriptionist needs to be creative and to tenaciously research (quickly) to find these new words. An MT needs to have access to, or keep on memory, an up-to-date library to quickly facilitate the insertion of a correctly spelled device,

Outsourcing of medical transcription

Due to the increasing demand to document medical records, countries have started to outsource the services of medical transcription. In theUnited States, the medical transcription business is estimated to be worth US$10 to $25 billion annually and growing 15 percent each year. The main reason for outsourcing is stated to be the cost advantage due to cheap labor in developing countries, and their currency rates as compared to the U.S. dollar.

There is a volatile controversy on whether medical transcription work should be outsourced, mainly due to three reasons:

1.    The greater majority of MTs presently work from home offices rather than in hospitals, working off-site for "national" transcription services. It is predominantly those nationals located in the United States who are striving to outsource work to other-than-US-based transcriptionists. In outsourcing work to sometimes lesser-qualified and lower-paid non-US MTs, the nationals unfortunately can force US transcriptionists to accept lower rates, at the risk of losing business altogether to the cheaper outsourcing providers. In addition to the low line rates forced on US transcriptionists, US MTs are often paid as ICs (independent contractors); thus, the nationals save on employee insurance and benefits offered, etc. Unfortunately for the state of healthcare-related administrative costs in the United States, in outsourcing, the nationals still charge the hospitals the same rate as they did in the past for highly qualified US transcriptionists but subcontract the work to non-US MTs, keeping the difference as profit.

2.    There are concerns about patient privacy, with confidential reports going from the country where the patient is located (i.e. the US) to a country where the laws about privacy and patient confidentiality may not even exist, which was overcome as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) became mandatory for all the providers from the outsourced countries. Some of the countries that now outsource transcription work are the United States and Britain, with work outsourced to Philippines, India,SriLanka, Canada, Australia and Barbados.

3.    The quality of the finished transcriptions is a concern. Many outsourced transcriptionists simply do not have the requisite basic education to do the job with reasonable accuracy, as well as additional, occupation-specific training in medical transcription. Many foreign MTs who can speak English are not familiar with American expressions and/or the slang doctors often use, and can be unfamiliar with American names and places. An MT editor, certainly, is then responsible for all work transcribed from these countries and under these conditions. These outsourced transcriptionists often work for a fraction of what transcriptionists are paid in the United States, even with the US MTs daily accepting lower and lower rates. However, some firms choose to employ American transcriptionists as they believe the quality of work is better.

Among outsourcing countries, the Philippines has recently attracted increased amounts of MT outsourcing from the United States due to the fact that English is one of the official languages used in all government transactions in the country and the high literacy in the English language and perhaps the capability of average Filipino to understand American idioms, colloquialism, and slang used in medical transcription as compared to the Indians who are more familiar with British English, since they were a former colony of theirs. This is very concerning to the US MTs. HIPAA. governs outsourcing of MT work. Stricter policies in compliance with HIPAA are implemented in such companies to enable security and confidentiality of work involved in such practices.

Transcription Process

Clients can dictate medical transcription to us from home or the office at any time. The recorded digitally voice files are then sent to our in-house transcriptionists for transcription. Dictation Options We offer two convenient dictation options to choose from:  1. Handheld Digital Voice Recorders (Olympus, Sony etc.): This option is best suited for clients who have a computer, an Internet connection, and who need an inexpensive and portable solution for their dictation needs. Using a hand held digital recorder, clients can record dictations at any time, anywhere. Once recorded, the dictations can be sent to us by connecting the digital recorder to a computer and transferring the dictations to our server. 2. Telephonic Dictation:  Eyered's phone-in toll free dictation facility can be conveniently accessed from home, office, or cell phone. Using a PIN number, an Account number, and the toll-free number to call, clients can record dictations at any time from anywhere. Once recorded, the voice files are then automatically submitted to the designated transcribers for transcription and delivery. Workflow For a graphical representation of our actual workflow within our facilities, please visit out Quality Page. Transcription Delivery Options Dictation can be transcribed into MS Word 2000, Word Perfect or simple Text formats. Transcribed files are then encrypted and can be returned by email, secure FTP or VPN transfers.