What are some of the responsibilities of a medical transcriptionist that could affect the care of a patient?
Medical Transcriptionists Show
Please enable javascript to play this video. Video transcript available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO3cnRsMDuI. Medical transcriptionists listen to voice recordings that physicians and other healthcare workers make and convert them into written reports. Most medical transcriptionists work for hospitals,
physicians' offices, and third-party transcription service companies that provide transcription services to healthcare establishments. Others are self-employed. Medical transcriptionists typically need postsecondary education. Prospective medical transcriptionists must have an understanding of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology,
grammar, and word-processing software. The median annual wage for medical transcriptionists was $30,100 in May 2021. Employment of medical transcriptionists is projected to decline 7 percent from 2021 to 2031. Despite declining employment,
about 9,300 openings for medical transcriptionists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for medical transcriptionists. Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of medical transcriptionists with similar occupations. Learn more about medical transcriptionists by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a
source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
Medical transcriptionists review medical reports for accuracy. Medical transcriptionists, sometimes referred to as healthcare documentation specialists, listen to voice recordings that physicians and other healthcare workers make and convert them into written reports. They also may review and edit medical documents created using speech recognition technology. Transcriptionists interpret medical terminology and abbreviations in preparing patients’ medical histories, discharge summaries, and other documents. DutiesMedical transcriptionists typically do the following:
Traditionally, medical transcriptionists used audio playback equipment to listen to an entire dictation in order to produce a transcribed report, and some transcription is still done this way. It has become more common for medical documents to be prepared using speech recognition technology, in which specialized software automatically prepares an initial draft of a report. The transcriptionist then listens to the voice file and reviews the draft for accuracy, identifying any errors and editing the report, when necessary. Transcriptionists use word-processing and other specialized software to prepare the transcripts, as well as medical reference materials when needed. Medical transcriptionists must be familiar with medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, diagnostic procedures, pharmacology, and treatment assessments. Their ability to understand what the healthcare worker has recorded, correctly transcribe that information, and identify any inaccuracies in the transcript is critical to reducing the chance that patients will get ineffective or even harmful treatments. Medical transcriptionists also may need to be familiar with EHR systems. Medical transcriptionists who work in doctors’ offices may have other duties, such as answering phones and greeting patients.
Medical transcriptions must understand what the healthcare worker has recorded and correctly transcribe that information. Medical transcriptionists held about 59,600 jobs in 2021. The largest employers of medical transcriptionists were as follows:
Administrative and support services includes companies that provide transcription services. Medical transcriptionists may work from home, receiving dictation and submitting drafts electronically. Work SchedulesMost medical transcriptionists work full time. Medical transcriptionists who work from home may work outside typical business hours and/or may have some flexibility in determining their schedules. Their work can be stressful because they need to ensure that reports are accurate within a quick turnaround time.
Transcriptionists listen to dictated recordings made by physicians and other healthcare professionals and transcribe them into medical reports, correspondence, and other administrative material. Medical transcriptionists typically need postsecondary education. Some choose to become certified. EducationEmployers prefer to hire transcriptionists who have completed postsecondary education in medical transcription, which is offered by vocational schools, community colleges, and distance-learning programs. Medical transcription programs are typically 1-year certificate programs, although there are also associate’s degree programs. Programs normally include coursework in anatomy, medical terminology, risk management, legal issues relating to healthcare documentation, and English grammar and punctuation. Many of these programs include supervised on-the-job experience. Some transcriptionists, especially those already familiar with medical terminology from previous experience as a nursing assistant or medical secretary, become proficient through refresher courses and training. Licenses, Certifications, and RegistrationsAlthough certification is not required, some medical transcriptionists choose to become certified. The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity offers the Registered Healthcare Documentation Specialist (RHDS) and the Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist (CHDS) certifications. Both certifications require passing an exam and periodic retesting or continuing education. The RHDS certification, formerly known as the Registered Medical Transcriptionist (RMT), is for recent graduates with less than 2 years of experience and who work in a single specialty environment, such as a clinic or a doctor’s office. The CHDS certification, formerly known as the Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT), is for transcriptionists who hold the RHDS designation. In addition, CHDS candidates must have at least 2 years of acute care experience, including experience handling dictation in various medical specialties. To maintain certification, medical transcriptionists must complete continuing education requirements every 3 years. Important QualitiesComputer skills. Medical transcriptionists must be comfortable using computers and word-processing software, because those tools are an essential part of their jobs. They also may need to know how to operate electronic health records (EHR) systems. Critical-thinking skills. Medical transcriptionists must assess medical reports and spot any inaccuracies and inconsistencies in finished drafts. They must also think critically when doing research to find the information that they need and to ensure that sources are both accurate and reliable. Listening skills. Medical transcriptionists must listen carefully to dictation from physicians. They need to hear and interpret the intended meaning of the medical report. Time-management skills. Because dictation must be done quickly, medical transcriptionists should be comfortable working under short deadlines. Writing skills. Medical transcriptionists need a good understanding of the English language and grammar. Median annual wages, May 2021 The median annual wage for medical transcriptionists was $30,100 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $22,810, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $48,190. In May 2021, the median annual wages for medical transcriptionists in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Some medical transcriptionists are paid based on the volume of transcription they produce. Others are paid an hourly rate or an annual salary. Most medical transcriptionists work full time. Medical transcriptionists who work from home may work outside typical business hours and/or have some flexibility in determining their schedules. Their work can be stressful because they need to ensure that reports are accurate within a quick turnaround time. Percent change in employment, projected
2021-31 Employment of medical transcriptionists is projected to decline 7 percent from 2021 to 2031. Despite declining employment, about 9,300 openings for medical transcriptionists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. EmploymentTechnological advances in speech recognition and electronic health records (EHR) software allow physicians to document some information in the moment, reducing the need for medical transcriptionists. In addition, these technologies increase medical transcriptionists' productivity, allowing more transcription by fewer workers. Meanwhile, as healthcare providers seek to cut costs, some will contract out transcription services and not do in-house transcription. Employment projections data for medical transcriptionists, 2021-31
The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OEWS data maps for employment and wages by state and area. Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.com. Information on this site allows projected employment
growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved. CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational
profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code. Similar Occupations About this sectionThis table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of medical transcriptionists.
Last Modified Date: Thursday, September 8, 2022 What are the duties of a medical transcriptionist?Medical transcriptionists, sometimes referred to as healthcare documentation specialists, listen to voice recordings that physicians and other healthcare workers make and convert them into written reports. They also may review and edit medical documents created using speech recognition technology.
What is the importance of accurate medical transcription in providing quality health care to patients?Medical transcriptionists facilitate the transfer of information between medical professionals so everyone is on the same page and you get the right diagnosis and treatment.
What are the skills and competencies that a medical transcriptionist should have?Medical Transcriptionist Skills
Developing accuracy means that typing up the information must be correct every time. Fast Typing: It is also necessary for a medical transcriptionist to be quick with their typing skills and be able to obtain a high speed.
Which is the most crucial element of medical transcription services?Security and HIPAA compliance are absolutely crucial to any medical transcription service because they ensure the confidentiality of sensitive patient data.
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