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Information On Medical Transcription Reports

By Kathleen Clark


Medical transcription refers to an allied health profession concerned with the process of transcription. The profession is all about converting voice-recorded reports usually dictated by healthcare professionals such as physicians and doctors. Medical transcription reports are usually the result of the transcribing process. These reports are usually in written form and may be hand-written or typed on a computer in the form of a document.

The maintenance of medical record is something that began a very long ago when man started to learn how to write. Historical evidence in the form of cave writings exist to support the idea that the ancient man maintained health records. The modern version of this field has its origin in the 20th century due to need for standardizing medical data for purposes of research. Doctors dictated information to stenographers who made shorthand notes.

Specialists in this field of work are called transcriptionists. There has been a lot of evolution in the profession as well as equipment used in the job. The field was previously dominated by manual typewriters that were later replaced by electric typewriters. Word processors and computers later replaced electric typewriters. Today, there is large scale adoption of speech recognition also called continuous speech recognition and abbreviated as SR.

The term medical language specialists is the other name for transcriptionists, often shortened to MLS. The equipment used for the work is called a medical transcriber. A transcriber can be any machine or equipment. Certificate, degree, and diploma courses are available for qualifying as a transcriptionist. Most learning institutions are also incorporating distance learning in their curricular.

Transcriptionists gain enormous training and mastery of skills in performing simultaneous tasks. They master health terminology and are able to edit, listen, and type transcripts at the same time. Some of the courses that learner take include health terminology, grammar, punctuation, anatomy, editing, record types, typing, anatomy, record formats, and health documentation. In most countries, registration and certification is not usually mandatory, but most transcriptions are usually registered or certified.

Being successful as a transcriptionist takes certain abilities and skills. These skills come in handy in tackling the many responsibilities and duties that transcriptionists are required to handle. Some of the abilities include above-average memory, grammar, communication, and spelling skills. Besides that, they need to be able to check, sort, verify, and count numbers with accuracy. Ability to precisely follow both written and verbal instructions is mandatory because there are a lot of instructions that need to be followed in the profession.

The dictation may occur at a very high speed requiring one to be able to type very fast. Records made are usually meant for use in the future. Thus, transcriptionists need to be able to maintain records efficiently for future reference. Computer skills and knowledge of how to operate other computing devices is also vital.

There is growing demand for documenting health records. Many countries are responding to the shortage in transcribers by outsourcing labor from other countries. The global transcribing market was valued at 41.4 million US Dollars as of 2012. There is a 5.6 percent growth expected to occur in this market from 2013 all the way to 2019.




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