Medical Transcriptionist: What are they and what do they do?

Medical transcriptionists take taped medical records from providers and transcribe the details into an electronic file. The job requires strong English grammar and punctuation skills as well as an ability to learn complex medical terminology. Medical transcriptionists return transcribed documents to the physicians or other healthcare professionals who dictated them for review and signature, or correction.

Medical transcriptions are so much more than say it, scribble it, convert it and have someone put it in a file . They’re critical documents; the foundation of everything your office does, beginning at patient care and moving through to HIPAA compliance, billing and records. Medical transcription is a $12 billion industry, and qualified medical transcriptionists (MTs) are in short supply. One reason for the demand is our aging population. Medical transcriptionists had median hourly earnings of $13.05 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $10.87 and $15.63.

Medical transcriptionists held about 98,000 jobs in 20006. About 41 percent worked in hospitals and another 29 percent worked in offices of physicians. Medical transcription is one of the fastest-growing professions in the country today as stated by the U.S. It is ranked #14 in the top 25 professions and is ranked as a #1 home based career. Medical transcription became increasingly important when Medicare established this rule: "If it isn't documented, it wasn't done. If we can't read it without straining, it wasn't done.".That edict largely did away with the hand scribbled note in the patient's chart, and made medical transcription necessary.

Medical transcription job opportunities include working in hospitals or physician's offices. Government medical facilities provide another option for job seekers . Medical transcriptionists deal with many different accents, medical specialties, and must have a broad-based understanding of medical language. Medical transcription specialists have great job security. You'll have the opportunity to work with other transcriptionists, continually honing your medical language skills on the job.

Medical transcriptionist certification becomes easy and allows you to work at home and seek career business opportunities. Legitimate online medical transcription schools should follow AAMT guidelines. Medical transcription is a fabulous career! In fact, it is one of the few truly home-based professional jobs available.

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