Print Article for : American Association Of Medical Transcription

[A489]American Association Of Medical Transcription

by Rao Atluri, Rao

Medical transcription services are a valuable component of data management for any healthcare organization and present several benefits of companies of all sizes. Instead of investing the time and money to train employees of an organization for dictation capture and reporting, medical transcription services can manage all of these operations – and more. Medical transcription companies are a valuable outsourced resource for the healthcare industry, and there are several benefits for sending dictation projects to another party. Here are the key benefits of medical transcription services:

1. HIPAA-compliant services. Medical transcription services are designed to be fully-HIPAA compliant and all data is secure. Secure data transmission is increasingly important today as files are transferred across the web and downloaded onto various interfaces. Medical transcription services can ensure all relevant data is encrypted and secured according to industry standards.

2. Easy access to data any time of day. When your physicians need to access and retrieve specific pieces of data, medical transcription services make it easy to obtain the data from a phone or other digital device 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Files and information is stored in a secure central area where all members of your healthcare organization can have access to.

3. Confidential information. Transcribed materials are stored in a highly secure server and database, and steps are taken to ensure all documents remain confidential. This is also in compliance with HIPAA laws and regional rules and regulations that require patient information to be kept confidential at all times.

4. Access to customer service. If you're experiencing technical difficulties in retrieving your information or have questions about any of the services from the company, medical transcription services available to you may include access to a toll-free phone number for customer support. Having the ability to interact with a customer service department takes away the stress of worrying about data transmission and transfer problems.

5. Fast turnaround times. Most medical transcription services can be performed within 24-48 hours, which means you'll have the projects completed within a reasonable time frame. When you need a dictation for a specific patient or client, it's easy to contact the service provider for a faster turnaround if needed.

6. Lowered costs overall. Outsourcing medical transcription services can cut costs dramatically for your healthcare organization so you can invest your resources in other departments and critical areas. Instead of spending the time to train and educate staff members about the process, you can count on a reliable company to manage all of the important elements of transcription.

7. Improved workflow. Medical transcription services can be synced with your e-mail addresses and other contact management tools for improved workflow. This means you can expect to receive documents and data at a faster rate than conventional methods such as mail and package deliveries.

8. High quality work. High quality documents and reports are essential for your organization, and medical transcription services from a reliable company will ensure the highest quality standards. Most companies employ an extensive quality control system to make sure every item is produced and distributed with accuracy.

There are a variety of medical reports generated every day in physician offices, clinics, and hospitals. Medical transcriptionists should be familiar with those dictated in each work setting.
Physicians in private practice frequently dictate office chart notes, letters, initial office evaluations, and history and physical examinations. Medical reports dictated in hospitals and medical centers are numerous in category; however, they invariably include dictations from the "basic four" reports: History and Physical Examination, Consultation Report, Operative Report, and Discharge Summary. Emergency Department Reports, hospital progress notes, and diagnostic studies are often dictated as well.

The Healthcare Record

The healthcare record is chronological, documented evidence of a patient's initial database, initial evaluation, identified problems and needs, objectives of care, prescribed treatment, and end results. The record may be paper, stored digitally in electronic format in a computer, or a combination of the two. The healthcare record is the property of the hospital, medical facility, or office in which it was originated, and it cannot be removed from the premises without a subpoena or court order. It is maintained in a Health Information Department usually headed by an RRA (registered record administrator), an ART (accredited record technician), or an MBA (master of business administration).

Technology & MT Equipment/ Tools

A discussion of medical transcription equipment should begin with the most important but often overlooked asset...the human brain. The machines used in medical transcription today are simple devices, and without human knowledge and intervention, machines are basically useless. The transcriptionist is the brain of the machine.
Dictation systems: As physicians depend on their stethoscopes, scalpels, and tongue depressors, medical transcriptionists also depend on the tools of their trade ... the computer, desktop controls, a foot pedal, and a headset.

Dictation systems have evolved through several different stages: wax cylinders, phonograph-type records, belts, tank systems, Mylar reel-to-reel tapes, and cassette tapes. All of these systems had drawbacks even though each represented an improvement over the current technology.

Today we still see some Mylar tape cassette dictation systems in use, but most have been replaced with digital technology. A digital system works much the same as a compact disc (CD). The CD reproduces sound using digital technology that is extremely complicated; however, the end result is a dictation that is without any background noise, hiss, or other extraneous sounds found on Mylar tape. In digital systems, voice files are stored in "digital" (computer) format rather than "analog" (tape) format, and the dictation is usually free from mechanical noise.

Keyboards have had a similar evolution cycle: from manual typewriter, to electric typewriter, to the Correcting Selectric® typewriter, to word processors, and currently to virtual keyboards and even speech recognition. The input of data, whether via traditional keyboard, Dvorak keyboard, steno machine keyboard, or speech recognition systems, proves once again that it's the human brain interacting with the machine, not the machine itself, that produces quality transcription

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Both Rao Atluri & David Skul are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Rao Atluri has sinced written about articles on various topics from Computers and The Internet, Legal Matters and Computers and The Internet. TransDyne is the new standard in digital medical transcription service and electronic charting. TransDyne utilized its extensive background as an information technology company to develop a system that electronically receives/sends dictations and medical. Rao Atluri's top article generates over 27100 views. to your Favourites.

David Skul has sinced written about articles on various topics from Site Promotion, Legal Matters and Modelling. . David Skul's top article generates over 18100 views. to your Favourites.