Medical transcriptionist

Medical transcriptionist is a healthcare profession that involves the process of transcription, or converting voice-recorded reports as dictated by physicians or other healthcare professionals, into text format.

Overview

A medical transcriptionist is a specialist who transcribes medical records from voice files, notes taken during a lecture, or other spoken material. The transcriptions produced by a medical transcriptionist can be printed and placed in the patient's medical record, or retained in its digital format.

Duties and Responsibilities

The primary task of a medical transcriptionist is to transcribe medical reports. These reports may include office visit notes, medical history, physical reports, consultations, discharge summaries, psychiatric evaluations, laboratory reports, operative reports, and other medical documents. The transcriptionist may also edit medical documents, interpret medical abbreviations and jargon, and identify inconsistencies in medical reports.

Skills and Qualifications

A medical transcriptionist must have a good understanding of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, grammar, and word-processing software. The ability to listen and type simultaneously, with speed and accuracy, is also important. Some medical transcriptionists are required to have a post-secondary certificate or associate's degree in medical transcription.

Training and Certification

Training to become a medical transcriptionist can be obtained through a variety of channels including community colleges, vocational schools, and online programs. A certificate program typically takes one year to complete and includes courses in medical terminology, anatomy, legal issues relating to healthcare documentation, and English grammar and punctuation. Some medical transcriptionists choose to become certified, although it is not required. The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) offers the Registered Healthcare Documentation Specialist (RHDS) and the Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist (CHDS) certifications.

Employment

Medical transcriptionists work in a variety of healthcare settings, including hospitals, physicians' offices, transcription service offices, clinics, public health agencies, and home healthcare agencies. Some medical transcriptionists are self-employed and work from home.

See Also

• Medical transcription
• Healthcare Documentation Integrity
• Medical terminology
• Healthcare settings