Medical Transcription Industry Overview

A medical transcriptionist is an allied health professional who transcribes dictated recordings from physicians and Nursing Degree">healthcare specialists and makes documented correspondence and reports for permanent keeping of important documents.As they listen, the transcriptionist types the information on a computer or word processor while editing and correcting grammatical errors. Documents that are done include: reports of medical history and physical examination, release summaries, reports of operations, reports of consultations, reports of autopsies, studies of diagnosing images, letters of referrals and notes of progress. These documents are then returned to the physician or specialist for further correcting and approval.Understanding of medical terms used to diagnose, ability to comprehend treatment assessments and knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pharmacology, and medical abbreviations, are imperative.Experienced transcriptionists may be required to proofread medical reports to call out errors or discrepancies and make corrections. Medical transcription can be performed in hospitals using remote transmission to the hospital, or directly to the actual doctors or their group practice in off-site locations.

Required Training and Experience

Employers typically hire transcriptionists who have completed postsecondary training in medical transcription, offered by many community colleges, vocational schools, and distance leaning programs.Not required, but highly recommended is completion of a 2-year Associate degree or 1-year certificate program-including coursework in anatomy, medical terminology, medicolegal issues, and English grammar and punctuation. Many of the available programs include supervised on-the-job experience. Transcriptionists who have previous experience as a nurse or medical secretary and are already familiar with medical terminology become proficient through on-the-job training.In addition to having an extensive knowledge of the medical terminology, it is also important to be proficient with personal computers and word processing software.The American Association for Medical transcription (AAMT) awards the voluntary designation, Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT), to those who earn passing scores on practical and written examinations. Since medical terminology is constantly evolving, medical transcriptionists are greatly encouraged to regularly update their skills.

Medical Transcription Expected Job Outlook

A growing and aging population will create the increased demand for medical transcription services.Individuals of older age groups typically receive greater numbers of medical tests, procedures and treatments requiring documentation. A high level of demand for transcription services also will be maintained by the continuous need for electronic documentation that can be easily shared among providers, regulators, third-party payers, and consumers.Hospitals will continue to have a large number of job opportunities for transcritionists, but increasing demand for standardized records in clinics of physicians and offices, should provide the largest employment growth.This growth will be most prominent in large group practices.Opportunities will be most attainable to those who earn an Associate degree or certification from the American Association for Medical Transcription. Compensation for medical transcriptionists vary based on position held, previous training and type of employer. Some are paid based on the number of lines they transcribe, some on the number of hours they work. Others are paid per hour with incentives for extra production. Large hospitals and healthcare organizations tend to pay for the time an employee works.Employees of transcription services and independent contractors typically receive production-based pay.

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