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Transcription business services are most often conducted over the Internet to increase the pace of business process. This has given rise to outsourcing of transcription services, be it medical, legal or general business. Transcription services are predicted to see a quantum leap in business on account of the ever-growing need to maintain digital records. Consequently there is need for skilled transcriptionists that are accurate and productive.
Do you wish to be part of a service that is experiencing an upsurge in demand? Are you considering about your qualification and other skills to take up transcription service? Read further to find answers to your questions. Use your talent and potential to achieve the best in a rewarding transcription career. Make well-informed decision before opting for a career in transcription services.
Medical transcription services
In America, it is mandatory for doctors, health clinics or any health care provider to maintain extensive medical records of patients treated. The doctors are hard pressed for time to maintain handwritten reports themselves. This has necessitated recording of patient reports on tapes for subsequent transcription.
Job Profile: The job of a medical transcriptionist is of great value-addition to physicians and specialty surgeons. A medical transcriptionist will be required to transcribe physicians' dictation into typewritten medical records. The data from various healthcare services are available in the form of tape, digital systems or as a voice data files.
The medical records include patient histories and physical examination reports, discharge summaries, operating room reports, consultation reports, diagnostic imaging studies and death summaries. Steps involved in making these reports are transcribing, formatting and proofreading of records related to patient's health. In order to keep patient information secure and confidential, a medical transcriptionist is required to comply with the legal and ethical requirements.
Competency Profile: Along with a high school diploma or GED, recommended pre-requisite of medical transcriptionist is a valid certification from a recognized/certified training institute. It could be a certified local college, business school, through correspondence or an online e-course. The length of the certification program varies from six months to two years.
On completion of the course and on getting through the certification examination, the American Association for Medical Transcription (AAMT) certifies the trainee as Certified Medical Transcriptionists (CMT). Some training institutes offer an internship experience as part of the program.
Skills required: The basic skills required are proficiency in word-processing including the ability to create documents, keyboard proficiency, competency in English grammar, spelling, punctuation and sentence structure. Knowledge connected with the job such as understanding medical terminology, anatomy, physiology and terms used for diagnostic procedures helps prospective MTs to work efficiently.
A medical transcriptionist must be able to translate medical jargon and abbreviations into their expanded forms. Other personal requirements include alertness, flair for accent recognition, ability to pay attention to minute details, good-hearing skills, and comprehension ability.
Legal Transcription Services
Millions of court cases and the need to keep a hard-copy transcript of step-by-step courtroom proceedings have spurred the demand for legal transcriptionists. Moreover, it is a cost-effective option for lawyers and attorneys as the internal staff can be used for other important responsibilities.
Job Profile: Civil and criminal proceedings of the courtroom including testimonies, pleadings, interrogatories and administrative hearings are recorded into digital voice processing or audio/video tape. The job of a legal transcriptionist is to transfer information from recorded dictation to hard documentation.
Competency profile: Prospective legal transcriptionist is expected to possess a broad-based knowledge of legal procedures and familiarity in preparing legal documents. A flair for transcribing multi-voice hearings and different types of legal proceedings will be an added advantage. Prior training from well-recognized institutions for 8-12 weeks or more is preferred. Legal transcriptionists are required in law firms, corporations and corporate legal departments, state and federal governmental agencies, to name a few.
Skills required: Proficiency in US legal system, attention to detail, committed to meet turn-around time, high level of accuracy, strong computer skills, proficiency in English and good grasp of legal terminology with certain exposure/experience is preferred.
Transition service career
There are specialization options such as cardiology, radiology and pathology in medical transcription services. There are substantial income opportunities with premium rewards for efficient people. Transition services can range from large-scaled operations to work-from-home setups.
Compensation for transcription service can range from hourly wages to payment for number of lines transcribed. Those who are seeking work-from-home opportunities can consider getting trained for transcription services. A transcriptionist might suffer wrist and back or eye problems on account of the nature of the work. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common complaint.
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