Medical transcriptionist: Patient cases are always interesting Barbara McHugh, a medical transcriptionist for Adventist Midwest Health. , Suburbs December 21, 2014, 4:30 AM When picking a career, Barbara McHugh was interested in entering the medical field, but she didnt want to be around blood. She found a good fit in medical transcription.. The 57-year-old works as a medical transcriptionist at Hinsdale Hospital. Her job involves transcribing and editing audio dictation from physicians and other health care professionals. McHugh typically transcribes information about patient assessment, work-up, procedures, diagnosis and clinical courses that document patient care and facilitate delivery of health care services. She handles daily transcription of dictated reports, which are then placed in a patients chart. I greatly enjoy the variety of work we do through different patient cases, McHugh said. Its always interesting. All of my co-workers and my supervisor ... are always ready to lend a helping ear with a difficult word or something Im having a hard time hearing. We work together well and have fun doing it. Aspasia Kavouras, a registered health information technician who works as regional transcription manager at Adventist Midwest Health, said clinicians verbally dictate information for a patients record using speech-recognition software. Then a transcriptionist receives the audio file. If the clinicians voice can be recognized and the audio file is clear, speech-recognition software will develop a formatted, drafted report that the medical transcriptionist then reviews and edits for accuracy. If the audio file cannot be accurately prepared by the software, a transcriptionist manually transcribes the report into text format. Kavouras said that on average, a medical transcriptionist can manually transcribe more than 175 lines per hour. But with voice-recognition software, a transcriptionist can double or triple the number of lines he or she can complete. c A good medical transcriptionist can review a medical document for content and context with or without the clinicians voice file to compare the information to, she said. They must be able to multi-task, work independently, be resourceful and have good analytical skills. Medical transcriptionists need to know medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, disease processes, signs and symptoms, lab values and medications. Kavouras said its also important to have good language, grammar, punctuation and formatting-style skills. Candidates must be proficient in keyboarding and have the editing skills to work with speech-recognition technology. The training and education for the job can vary, but in general, medical transcriptionists need certification through a training program, Kavouras said. However, some earn their credentials while working. Certification programs are available at many community colleges. McHugh attended Moraine Valley Community College, Palos Hills, where she graduated from a two-year certificate program. Many transcriptionists advance their careers by becoming certified as either registered health care documentation specialists or certified health care documentation specialists. Once they complete their education, medical transcriptionists can work in hospitals or doctors offices. Some are also employed by independent medical transcription companies. Many work from a home office. At Adventist Midwest Healths four hospitals in Hinsdale, La Grange, Bolingbrook and Glen Oaks (Glendale Heights), Kavouras said the on-site transcription department has seven employees and one manager. Other transcriptionists work remotely. The department operates 24/7. McHugh works a day shift Monday through Thursday, and comes in for the second shift on Fridays. Staff split holidays, so McHugh works four holidays per year. As with any job, there are frustrations, McHugh said. Sometimes audio files from doctors can be difficult to understand. There are also instances when transcriptionists must research unfamiliar medical words or phrases, or review a patients chart to clarify information. Still, McHugh said trying days are outnumbered by the those when she feels rewarded by getting through a difficult report or dictation. While its important for the transcriptionist and the dictating clinician to have a good working relationship, transcriptionists dont have direct interaction with patients, Kavouras noted. Nonetheless, they play a vital role in the health care system. As a non-clinician, you feel as though you are an important aspect of patient care from the beginning to the end of their experience, Kavouras said. The quality of a document you are creating will be forever in a patients life, similar to the role of a good clinician providing quality care. Demand growing as more people get health insurance Medical transcriptionists are responsible for listening to recordings made by physicians and other health care professionals and turning them into written reports. The job may require editing medical documents created with speech-recognition technology. Transcriptionists also interpret medical terminology and abbreviations in preparing a patients medical history, discharge summaries or other related documents. Some of the information they transcribe and interpret is converted into test results, operative reports or referral letters. Over time, technology has changed medical transcription. In the past, transcriptionists listened to a complete dictation to create a transcribed report. Today, some medical transcription is done using speech-recognition software that automatically drafts documents. Transcriptionists then edit the drafts for accuracy, look for errors and making any necessary changes. Medical transcriptionists must know medical terminology, anatomy and physiology and diagnostic procedures, and be familiar with electronic health records (EHR) systems. Understanding what health care professionals have recorded is important to lessening the odds a patient will receive ineffective or harmful treatment. The work environment can vary. Some transcriptionists work in hospitals and clinics, while others are employed by companies that provide transcription to health care providers. Some are self-employed. Many transcriptionists work from home, receiving dictation and submitting drafts electronically. Employers look for candidates whove completed postsecondary education in medical transcription, offered by many vocational schools, community colleges and distance-learning programs. Hopefuls can complete a one-year certificate program or two-year associates degree. Coursework often includes anatomy, medical terminology, risk management, legal issues related to health care documentation, and English grammar and punctuation. MacCormac College in Chicago offers a complete medical office technology program which includes transcription. The annual median wage for medical transcriptionists in 2012 was $34,020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $22,400, while the top 10 percent earned up to $47,250. By 2022, the BLS expects employment to grow by 8 percent. The Affordable Care Act is boosting the number of people with health insurance, which will likely lead to more medical tests and procedures requiring transcription. To cut costs, some health care providers use transcription services in foreign countries, but worries about patient confidentiality and data security will continue to fuel a need for transcriptionists domestically. (C) 2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 14:14:35 +0000
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