Medical transcription outsourcing: Providing vital support

Healthcare is an important contributor to modern life; saving lives and improving the quality of life. With the increasing demand for healthcare services, the renewed emphasis of proper documentation of the care process and the move towards a wired healthcare system, pressures on the healthcare sector have increased.  There has been a lot of debate about doing away with the time-tested methods of documenting the care process and a move towards documentation at the point of care by the healthcare professional himself/ herself.

Though this method has certain merits, the wastage in terms of decreased healthcare professional productivity and diluted focus on the patients & the process of care makes this method impractical and unattractive. Medical transcription services have been helping healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals in documenting the care process for a long time. Over time transcription services have evolved into specialty services that have customized themselves around the work life of healthcare professionals and the healthcare facility operations. Apart from the convenience and increased productivity due to medical transcription services, outsourcing medical transcription has provided healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals with numerous advantages using a combination of the right teams, the right technology and the right process.

Among the most significant benefits of outsourcing medical transcription the ones given below stand out as the most significant:

Clear: Outsourcing medical transcription helps produce clear and unambiguous patient medical records. Not only this, the process of medical transcription is very simple and clear making it very easy to use. The process of medical transcription starts with dictation of notes regarding the patient encounter. Dictation is one of the most preferred methods for healthcare professionals as it offers them convenience, flexibility and the option to record the narrative portion of the patient encounter. Having the narrative portion as part of the patient medical record enables better diagnosis.

Consistent: Outsourcing medical transcription produces consistent results. Healthcare professionals have the benefit of specialty trained medical transcriptionists expertly transcribing their dictation to ensure that the information in the records is consistent. Using trained teams and stringent quality processes, medical transcription service providers ensure consistent, accurate and prompt documentation

Complete: Documenting the care process using the services of a professional medical transcription company ensures that the documentation is complete including the distinctive points of the patient encounter. This ensures that the complete information is available for various purposes like billing, coding, as evidence in case of litigation and for future encounters

Cost: One of the most significant benefits of outsourcing medical transcription is that of reducing the cost of transcription. Apart from this outsourcing medical transcription also ensuring that there is no wastage of resources, contributing to increasing the productivity of healthcare professionals and accelerating the reimbursement process.

Outsourcing medical transcription to the right medical transcription company provides numerous and long term benefits to healthcare facilities. Moreover medical transcription companies also help in the adoption of EMR/EHR using HL7 interface, while still enabling dictation- transcription as a means of documenting the care process.

Medical transcription outsourcing: Points to be considered during outsourcing

Outsourcing medical transcription is a prudent business decision and helps the healthcare facility focus totally on their core business while providing the right support. However the outsourcing decision is not one to be taken lightly and needs a thorough analysis of what the healthcare facility hopes to gain from the outsourcing decision. To make sure that everybody in the healthcare facility is comfortable with the outsourcing decision it is important for the healthcare facility to ask itself some questions:

a)     Is medical transcription part of the core business of the healthcare facility?

Medical transcription is not part of the core business of a healthcare facility though it does play an important role in the operational and commercial aspects of a healthcare facility. Medical transcription is a specialized skill requiring a combination of the right team, the right technology and process to be able to meet the criteria of being accurate, timely, secure and cost effective.

b)    How much is medical transcription costing currently?

Having medical transcription in-house could be costing the healthcare facility more than what they originally would have estimated. While calculating cost of in-house medical transcription factors like these should be taken into consideration:

o                              Overheads

o                              Allocation of management & administration staff for managing medical transcription in house

o                              Wastage of resources during slack times

o                              Overtime pay during excess inflow of work

o                              Extra pay for weekend and holiday transcription

c)     What are the other resources being used for in house medical transcription?

In-house medical transcription could also involve usage of resources like secretaries, Information Technology staff, capital equipment etc. for medical transcription.

d)     What are the accuracy levels and turnaround time of transcripts?

In-house medical transcription could result in varied levels of accuracy due to the varying volumes of transcription. The accuracy levels could be high when volumes are low and low when volumes are high.  The turnaround time could also similarly vary depending on the volume of transcription. The turnaround time being shorter during slack periods and vice versa during periods with high volumes

e)     Is it important to retain medical transcription in-house?

There are certain factors like concerns for security of the data that could be a hurdle to the outsourcing decision. Choosing a service provider with measures in place to secure people, processes and technology can eliminate security concerns and remove any hurdles to the outsourcing process.

f)       What are the alternate options available?

Healthcare facilities have the option of outsourcing their overflow transcription needs to a combination of independent contractors or medical transcription service providers. This could however result in the healthcare facility having to put in more efforts to coordinate medical transcription from various resources. The easy fix to ensure that transcripts are created in a timely, accurate, secure and cost effective manner is to outsource medical transcription on a turnkey basis to a professional medical transcription service provider

g)     What is the cost of outsourcing medical transcription?

Outsourcing medical transcription ensures that the cost of transcription is restricted to the cost per line of transcription. Initially the healthcare facility may have to have a minimum outlay towards finalizing the service provider and adapting to the technology used by the service provider.

h)    What are pitfalls of outsourcing medical transcription?

The common pitfalls while outsourcing a function as vital as medical transcription is the fear of poor quality and security concerns. Another major concern is that the price quoted by the service provider may have hidden costs. Both these concerns can be overcome by choosing a service provider who has the right team in place to meet quality concerns,  has adequate measures in place to ensure total security and uses a billing method that is measurable, verifiable, definable, consistent and fair& honest.

i)       What is the value addition in outsourcing medical transcription?

Outsourcing medical transcription provides the healthcare facility with many value added services like technology that offers multiple benefits like different modes of document delivery, archives making it easy to trace transcripts in different stages, specialty medical transcription etc.

j)       What about the transition to outsourced medical transcription services?

Transition from in-house transcription to outsourced services can be eased when the medical transcription service provider has open channels for customer service. This would enable the service provider to solve minor issues as and when they crop up.

k)     What about existing investments in EMR?

Existing investments is EMR/EHR can be protected if the medical transcription service provider has the capability for HL7 interface enabling data to be transmitted to the EMR/EHR system.

l)       What are the options available to capture dictation?

This is a main concern for time starved healthcare professionals, this concern can be overcome by choosing a service provider who allows the healthcare professionals to retain their familiar modes for capturing dictation.

The process of outsourcing medical transcription can become easier by choosing a medical transcription service provider who alleviates these fears/doubts that may rise during the outsourcing process.

Radiology Medical Transcription Benefits Healthcare Centers

Consistent radiology medical transcription services greatly benefit healthcare centers. Radiology medical transcription services are important from the point of view of both the patient and the doctor. Besides ensuring proper patient care, accurate radiology medical records are a defense for healthcare facilities if faced with legal issues on patient treatment. Therefore medical transcription companies offer healthcare centers invaluable service by helping them maintain accurate radiology reports.

Considering the specific radiology transcription needs of healthcare centers, professional medical transcription companies offer structured radiology transcription services for hospitals, clinics, imaging centers, physician practices and other medical facilities.

Radiology Medical Transcription – Important Benefits

Outsourcing their radiology transcription jobs enables healthcare centers to update and organize their radiology reports. This reduces their documentation responsibilities and helps them retrieve the records as and when needed. Healthcare centers can avoid the expenses that would be needed to maintain in-house transcription infrastructure. Other benefits:

• Enhanced efficiency and productivity
• Records that go through a 3-level quality check
• Privacy and security for patient information
• Radiology reports in desired file format
• Secured FTP or browser-based file transfer options
• Customized solutions in quick turnaround time
• Advanced dictation tools
• Technical assistance
• Affordably priced services

Resourceful Transcription Solutions

Transcription companies have an expert panel of professionals including transcriptionists, proofreaders, medical experts and editors. Using advanced technology and software, they deliver timely and accurate radiology reports. Radiology medical transcription services cover:

• Reports like computed tomography (CT), x-ray, DEXA bone density studies, mammography and MRI
• SOAP notes and follow-up notes
• Diagnostic procedure notes
• Patient history and evaluation reports

Choose a Reputable Service Provider

If you plan to outsource the radiology transcription jobs of your healthcare facility, locate a reputable service provider. Check out the services offered and online reviews to ensure that you benefit from quality solutions to meet your needs.

Medical Transcription Terminology – What Medical Transcription Means?

Medical Transcription is the process of converting voice files (typically either cassette or digital format) into a written text or record utilizing medical transcription equipment and software.

As the demands of the health care industry rise, the need for competent medical transcription services will also rise. Medical transcription is an occupation strongly linked with the healthcare industry in both the business and operational aspects. Good typing and listening skills, a flair for medical terminology and the ability to decode audio tapes and other electronic audio recordings into a precise, written text are essential for medical transcription field.

Medical Transcription in the linguistic sense is the systematic representation of spoken language (or speech) in written form. Medical transcription should not be confused with translation, which means representing the meaning of a source language text in a target language. Medical Transcription is the process of converting voice files (typically either cassette or digital format) into a written text or record utilizing medical transcription equipment and software.

Medical transcription can be executed by professionals called medical transcriptionists - MTs. MTs are usually employees in a hospital or who work at home as telecommuting employees for the hospital or other healthcare service provider. To perform proper medical transcription, Knowledge of basic to advanced medical terminology is essential. It covers following factors:

• anatomy and physiology
• Ability to sort, check, count, and verify numbers with accuracy.
• Exposure of medical style and grammar.
• verbal communication skills
• Ability to follow verbal and written instructions.
• Knowledge and experience transcribing (from training or real report work) in the Basic Four work types: History and Physical Exam, Consultation, Operative Report, and Discharge Summary.
• Accurately transcribes the patient-identifying information such as name and Medical Record or Social Security Number.
• Performs quality assurance check.

The medical transcription process goes something like this - Use your DVR or audio recording device to capture your voice audio. Then simply attach your DVR to a computer where your audio-file will be sent to respective medical transcriptionists. Transcribers at remote transcription centre listen to the voice audio files and prepare the associated text files with up to 99% quality accuracy. Transcribers aim to route your audio files to the same transcription teams so that they become familiar with your speech, style, and patterns for specific dictators.

Once prepared, they can be used to send to other health care providers and cooperating professionals that require information on a client.

Once you get good command over all of such factors about medical terminology, you can perform medical transcription effectively.

The "Registered Medical Transcriptionist" Credential

What is RMT? It is a voluntary lower/entry level "Registered Medical Transcriptionist" credential offered by AHDI. The advanced level credential is the CMT or the Certified Medical Transcriptionist. What was the purpose of having such an examination and credential? The RMT exam was developed to assure consumers and employers that successful candidates are qualified to practice medical transcription and based on the skills and knowledge described in the AHDI Model Job Description Level 1 MT and the competencies outlined in the AHDI Model Curriculum.

The RMT credential is maintained upon the successful completion of a required online course, including a final exam, and payment of a renewal fee. The AHDI also offers different training programs beside these credentials. Who is eligible for this exam?

• Recent Graduates
• Medical transcriptionists (MTs) with less than 2 years experience
• Medical transcriptionists (MTs) practicing any single medical specialty

The testing process consists of testing of both medical transcription services-related knowledge items and also transcription performance items. The exam is taken from any of the Thomson Prometric test centers that are located worldwide.

The RMT credential is given immediately after passing of the examination at the testing center. The credential is valid for three years only. Renewal is done after taking an exam and by paying a renewal fee

Medical transcription outsourcing: Enables definite overall improvement

The healthcare sector is constantly looking for support to help improve services and their bottom-line; being a dynamic service constantly evolving to meet the new challenges faced by them. In this endeavor to improve quality and reduce costs while still meeting the statutory regulations imposed on them, the healthcare sector draws support from various sources like the pharmacy industry, the Information technology industry and other allied sectors

However the common thread binding all aspects of successfully running a healthcare facility is the documentation of the patient- healthcare professional encounter. The information in the patient medical record forms the basis for all future encounters, current care planning, follow-up treatment, referrals, tests, procedures etc. Apart from the relevance of this information towards the core care process, this information is also the foundation for receivables management and provides support for risk management. Healthcare professionals have various options available to them to document the care process, however availing specialized medical transcription services from an outsourced medical transcription service provider has been found to enable definite overall improvement for all these aspects.

How does outsourcing medical transcription enable overall improvement?

Medical transcription services propagate definite improvement because they are based on the premise that these services should be customized around the requirement of healthcare professionals and healthcare facilities rather than the other way around.  Medical transcription services have been constantly evolving with the changing needs of the healthcare sector; this enables them to provide support that help healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals to capitalize  their resources towards definite improvement.

Some of the areas that outsourced medical transcription service providers have contributed towards improvement are:

One stop shop: One of the primary advantages of outsourcing medical transcription is that this immediately gives access to a one-stop shop for all medical transcription needs of the healthcare facility. Healthcare professionals and healthcare facilities have immediate access to a vast team of well-trained medical transcriptionists for all specialties. Factors like STAT delivery of transcripts, weekend and holiday transcription are included, which considerably reduces the burden of healthcare facilities. Reports are customized as per the preference of healthcare professionals. Standardized templates for different specialties are also included. The medical transcription service provider also provides the technology support for the medical transcription platform. Factors like HL7 interface for adoption of EMR is all included as part of the package

Systematic information collection and delivery: Outsourcing medical transcription provides a systematic and easy to use application for collection and transmission of dictation, which can be configured to check and transmit audio files at predetermined intervals for speedy transcription. Document delivery modes are also configured as per the convenience of healthcare professionals including delivery to specific folders, delivery to multiple users, electronic signature and numerous other options. Healthcare facilities also have the provision to track dictations, transcripts and work in progress, which helps in easy administration

Cutting costs: Outsourcing medical transcription also enables the healthcare facility to cut down on direct and indirect costs of medical transcription substantially. Moreover outsourcing medical transcription also ensures that the fixed cost of transcription is converted to variable costs strictly based on the usage

Improving report quality and accuracy: Using a combination of skilled medical transcriptionists and a stringent quality assurance process, outsourced medical transcription service providers ensure that quality patient medical records are created with maximum accuracy. Moreover using medical transcription as a process of creating patient medical records enables the retention of the narrative as part of the record. This aids in improving quality of care and in some aspects of risk management.

Medical Transcription for Outpatient Clinics

Efficient medical transcription services for outpatient clinics considerably reduce their workload and enable them to concentrate on their treatment activities. By utilizing medical transcription services, outpatient clinics can maintain secure and properly organized medical records. 

Maintain Accurate Medical Records in your Practice

Understanding the medical documentation requirements of outpatient clinics, several established medical transcription service providers offer consistent medical transcription services throughout the United States. 

To deliver outstanding services, the transcription firms maintain an expert panel of medical transcription specialists, editors, proofreaders and quality controllers. With the help of advanced dictation equipment, software tools and technologies, they offer accurate and timely transcription solutions for diagnostic reports, patient history, physical examination reports, consultation notes, scan reports and laboratory reports. 

Save Time, Minimize Investment

By hiring the services of medical transcription companies, outpatient clinics can save the time and expenses involved in maintaining additional staff and equipment for doing transcription jobs within the facility. Medical transcription services for outpatient clinic also provide benefits such as:

• Less paperwork 
• Higher data security and confidentiality
• Minimum workload and enhances productivity
• Convenient dictation options: Digital records and toll free telephone numbers
• Three level quality assurance
• Secure file transferring facility: FTP, e-mail or browsed based 256 bit AES encrypted 
• Rapid turnaround time
• 24-hour technical support

Get Cost-effective Transcription Services

Efficient medical transcription companies offer reasonably priced transcription services for outpatient clinics. Therefore outpatient clinics seeking medical transcription services should locate a provider who is well-established and will offer them flexible solutions to meet their unique needs.