Jobs In Medical Transcription - Start A Rewarding Career


Twenty years ago, medical transcriptionists were still using Dictaphones and transcribing chart notes on paper with IBM Selectric typewriters - and that was the high tech of the day! And jobs in medical transcription were generally located either within a hospital medical complex or in a physician's office. Today, however, these jobs are far more highly mobile than anyone had ever anticipated. Some companies are even operating in such far flung countries as India, transcribing chart notes from hospitals in the United States. Thanks to the improvements in technology that we enjoy today, transcriptionists are no longer limited to working at a hospital or doctor's office and can even take their work on the road - literally. The difference today is in digital technology and advances in Internet capability; jobs in medical transcription can be done from the comfort of one's home office or even while traveling, as digital files (MP3, WAV) can be transmitted online, and chart notes and files can be sent by email. More companies are hiring medical transcriptionists as independent contractors, in essence outsourcing their transcription needs. The transcriptionist is responsible for a rapid turnaround of the information and does not have to contend with high overhead costs such as office rent and other expenses. Jobs in medical transcription do require a certain amount of education. For example, literacy is a must, and anyone interested in this profession must be able to spell and have a reasonable grasp of English grammar. Generally speaking, the minimum requirements for medical transcription are a high school diploma and 6-12 months in a training course. Transcriptionists are required to learn medical terminology - in as many specialties as possible. As a transcriptionist, you can be expected to transcribe not only patient chart notes, but operative notes, autopsy reports, patient history and physical reports, discharge summaries, consultation reports and diagnostic imaging studies, among others. The duties and responsibilities of a medical transcriptionist include accurate and rapid transcription of any dictated chart notes or other material pertaining to the practice of medicine. Primarily, a transcriptionist is expected to produce well typed reports and other documents and to pay close attention to spelling, accuracy and good grammar, as well as producing the work in a timely manner. It is reasonable to expect that jobs in medical transcription are going to be in demand, and that the traditional employment model will continue to change as technology makes work a more portable proposition.  

Medical Transcription From Home |