What is the role of software and tools in the medical transcription process?
The process of medical transcription has evolved a long way from where it started. Gone are the days of sending records/ tapes through courier and receiving the finished transcripts in a similar manner. It is the digital age and technological advances have made it possible for the whole process to be fast and safe.
Time is a resource which is scarce for health care professionals therefore it becomes important that the service provider chosen to take care of transcription needs should utilize technology which is advanced and secure and also simple to use.
The role of software and technology in the transcription process is as follows:
· Dictation: Doctors need to have flexible options for dictating their notes so as to utilize their time in the best way possible.
· Upload of documents: The dictated records then need to uploaded so that the process of transcription can take place
· Delivery of finished transcripts: Once the audio records have been transcribed these need to be made available to the doctors for further use.
· Archives: Medical records play an important part in many ways like further treatment, referrals, statutory requirements, billing and as evidence in case of litigation. Therefore it becomes important that the records are easily accessible.
· HL7: Healthcare information may need to be further transmitted to various sources; the service provider needs to have HL7 integration to make this possible. HL7 is a protocol developed for communication of health data to various entities without the meaning getting lost.
The easy fix for healthcare facilities seeking the information technology setup for medical transcription is to outsource the entire process of creating patient records to a professional service provider. Not only would this ensure accurate, speedy, secure and cost effective creation of patient records this would also provide them with benefits like:
1. A dictation platform that can be configured to accept dictation from various modes
2. A system that can be programmed to check for dictation files at prefixed intervals
3. Deliver of transcripts via multiple modes as per the requirement of healthcare professionals in a speedy and secure manner
4. Job summary of work in progress and archives of transcripts to enable easy access
5. The option to have data transmitted to EMR via HL7 interface.
The healthcare facility can benefit from the usage of advanced technology providing numerous benefits while still being easy to use.
Author Resource:
Renee Kelly has written numerous articles on medical transcription , which has served as an amazing resource for healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals seeking transcription services .