Information On Medical Transcription Reports

Medical transcription is a field within the medicine profession that deals with transcription. Doctors, physicians and other specialists in medicine make voice-recorded reports that are converted into written form. The process of transcribing results in medical transcription reports in written form. The written reports that are produced may be typed on a computer word processing software or may be hand-written.

The maintenance of medical record is something that began a very long ago when man started to learn how to write. Historical evidence in the form of cave writings exist to support the idea that the ancient man maintained health records. The modern version of this field has its origin in the 20th century due to need for standardizing medical data for purposes of research. Doctors dictated information to stenographers who made shorthand notes.

People who specialize in this profession are referred to as transcriptionists. Over the years, the profession along with the equipment used have evolved a lot. Previously, manual typewriters dominated the field but today they have been replaced with electric typewriters. Later, electric typewriters were replaced with word processors and then computers. Today, speech recognition, abbreviated as SR and also referred to as continuous speech recognition is being adopted at a high rate.

The term medical language specialists is the other name for transcriptionists, often shortened to MLS. The equipment used for the work is called a medical transcriber. A transcriber can be any machine or equipment. Certificate, degree, and diploma courses are available for qualifying as a transcriptionist. Most learning institutions are also incorporating distance learning in their curricular.

Transcriptionists are trained in many skills to be able to perform tasks simultaneously. They have great command over medical terminology and they can simultaneously edit, listen, and type transcripts. There are many courses that learners take including health terminology, anatomy, editing, record types, grammar, typing, anatomy, record formats, health documentation, and punctuation. Transcriptionists are often registered and certified with the some regulatory body but it is not mandatory in most countries.

Certain abilities and skills are necessary for becoming a successful transcriptionist. The job has several duties and responsibilities that specialists need to take up and these skills come in handy. Major skills and abilities needed include above-average memory, spelling, grammar, and communication skills. The ability to check, verify, sort, and count out numbers accurately is also needed. Instructions given need to be followed precisely, which makes it important to be able to follow verbal and written instructions.

Doctors usually dictate very fast, which makes fast typing skills very necessary. The transcripts are kept safely for future references. Therefore, transcribers need to have good skills in record maintenance for the transcripts. It is also crucial to have skills and knowledge in operating computers and other computing gadgets.

There is growing demand for documenting health records. Many countries are responding to the shortage in transcribers by outsourcing labor from other countries. The global transcribing market was valued at 41.4 million US Dollars as of 2012. There is a 5.6 percent growth expected to occur in this market from 2013 all the way to 2019.