To assess whether medical transcription is a necessity or luxury one needs to look at the history of medical transcription and the role it plays in the provision of quality care and the profitability of a healthcare facility.
· Evolution of medical transcription: Transcription is process of creating records of patient-healthcare professional encounter. Creation of records of the patient encounter has been around for a long time. Over time this process has evolved from its' early stages due to the advance of technology and the Internet. The various stages of evolution that the process of record creation has gone through are as follows:
Ø Hand written notes
Ø Dictation-shorthand-typing on the manual typewriter
Ø Dictation- recording on tapes- transcribing on manual/electronic typewriter.
Ø Uploading dictation on the computer system, downloading, transcribing and uploading finished files and then transmission back to the healthcare professional through the use of Internet.
· Role of medical transcription: Medical transcription has always played a behind the scene role in the form of an essential support to the process of healthcare. It plays an important role in the following:
Ø Recording the patient-healthcare professional encounter
Ø Referrals/ tests
Ø Statutory requirement
Ø Insurance re-imbursement
Ø Evidence in case of litigation
Ø As part of patient medical history.
One can see that it plays an important role in the core business of a healthcare facility and its' profitability. It would be considered a necessary service rather than a luxury.
How can this necessary function be made economical and efficient?
It can be made economical and efficient by outsourcing to a professionally managed company, which needs to be evaluated on the following:
· Quality/accuracy: Quality of the transcribed document refers to the percentage of accuracy in the transcribed document viz. a viz. the audio files. Accuracy level assured by the service provider should be as close to 100% as possible
· Turnaround time: Turnaround time refers to the period between uploading the audio file to the time when the finished record is made available to the healthcare professional. A turnaround time of 24 hours with quicker turnaround time options for STAT reports would be considered reasonable.
· Data security: Security of confidential patient data is an important consideration. This becomes even more critical when the data is transmitted back and forth. Any prospective service provider needs to be critically evaluated in terms of the measures taken by them to ensure security of data.
· Price: Cost savings per line of transcription is perhaps one of most important considerations for outsourcing medical transcription needs. The pricing provided by the service provider needs to be reasonable and the terms of pricing should be easy to understand.
· Volume flexibility: It is not possible to predict the volume of patient inflow. Therefore it is not possible to predict the volume of transcription work required. A service provider needs to be evaluated on the basis of their ability to cope up with varying volumes and factors like weekend and holiday transcription requirements.
· Right use of technology: Technology plays an important part in the process of creating patient records. It can make the process simpler, quicker and safer by providing easy methods of capturing dictation, uploading files, downloading completed records and even for archiving of patient records. Tracing the information required can be made easier through the use of technology. The service provider should be evaluated on the use of technology in the process.
· Billing methods: The billing method used can have a direct impact on the profitability of the healthcare facility. The billing method needs to be explained at the beginning of the process. The billing method should be evaluated to ensure that it is, verifiable, definable, measurable, consistent and fair & honest.
· Success stories: Success stories or testimonials of satisfied customers can give the added comfort to the decision making process.
It is important to source a service provider who can provide complete solutions for the needs of healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals.
Author Resource:
Renee Kelly has written numerous articles on online medical transcription , which has served as an amazing resource for healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals seeking the services of a professional transcription company .
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