What is Medical Transcription?

Physicians and other healthcare professionals must document certain elements of patient care activities. Many providers create a voice recording of that information, which is called “dictation.” A medical transcriptionist (MT), also known as a medical language specialist, listens to the dictated recording and transforms the spoken word into electronic medical information used to improve patient care.

The record of a patient’s visit to a healthcare provider is used in communication with other healthcare providers or hospital departments, as well as in the billing process and for historical reference. Accurate and accessible historical data about a person’s previous conditions, medications, and treatments supports efficient and high quality patient care.

Historically medical transcriptionist’s listen to the providers “dictation” and transcribes (or types) it for inclusion in the patient’s medical record. One of the most rapidly emerging roles for the medical transcriptionist is in the area of speech recognition editing.   Today, transcriptionists are increasingly being redeployed as speech recognition editors. This role requires a unique orientation to listening to the providers “dictation,” proofreading what is presented to them by the speech recognition engine or platform and “editing” those parts of the medical record needing alteration.

Performing speech recognition editing successfully requires a somewhat specialized skill set than that involved in traditional, straight transcription. And as the volume of work processed through speech engines increases, so will our industry’s need for qualified Speech Recognition Editors. For those individuals looking to enter the industry, we recommend the selection of a training program which offers you access to and practice with a real speech recognition editing platform – like ours!

Why Become a Medical Transcriptionist/Speech Recognition Editor?

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates a 26% increase in the need for this profession in the next several years. There is currently a shortage of certified medical transcriptionists/speech recognition editors to perform the work available. With the move toward an electronic health record, this need will increase, providing more opportunities for certified medical transcriptionists. Growing numbers of medical transcriptionists/speech recognition editors will be needed to amend patient's records, edit documents from speech recognition systems and identify discrepancies in medical reports. Additionally, online training and job opportunities provide maximum flexibility and portability. As a certified medical transcriptionist/speech recognition editor, you will have the potential to earn more than $33,500 a year from home.

*Salary projection based on 2008 industry-wide salary survey in Advance for Health Information Management magazine.