The Medical Transcription ProfessionMedical transcription (MT) refers to the process of interpreting a medical professional's audio recordings and converting them into a text document on the computer. The medical professional dictates his findings, prescriptions and conclusions into a digital device. This audio is then sent over the Internet to the medical transcriptionist, who converts the audio file into a text document. Medical transcriptionists use headsets to listen to the recordings and a device called foot pedal to pause/start the audio files according to their interpreting power and typing convenience. Once the text document is ready, the medical transcriptionist sends it to the medical professional (using the Internet) for review. As of now, humans handle bulk of the medical transcription work, though speech recognition software is sometimes used in a limited way in some medical fields such as pathology and radiology. In general, however, speech recognition technology has not yet reached a level where it can pick up the nuances of the spoken word. But as it becomes more sophisticated, speech recognition technology will definitely play an important role in medical transcription. Important MT Associations Presently, The American Association of Medical Transcription (AAMT) is the main governing body giving direction to the field of medical transcription. Its mission is to set and uphold the standards of practice in medical transcription. The Medical Transcription Industry Association (MTIA) is a no-profit association catering to the needs of medical transcription companies, vendors, and companies who are into the business of health information. Salaries in the medical transcription profession Medical transcriptionists, on an average, draw about $36,000 per year – this figure can range from $31,000 for entry-level transcriptionists to as high as $43,000 for senior transcriptionists. Other forms of payment structure include payment on per-hour basis or per-line basis. The average pay per hour is $15–16; the payment per line comes to more or less the same. Transcriptionists also get bonus for higher productivity and some may even get perks based on their quality of work. The average expectation is that a transcriptionist should be able to do about sixty words a minute. If he can go higher and still be accurate then he can make more money. The profession offers a good career path to transcriptionists who are ambitious and want to advance to managerial positions. The workplace Since all one needs is a PC and a high-speed Internet connection, plus a few accessories, medical transcription can be easily carried out from the comfort of your home. The majority of medical transcriptionists are women and they prefer to work from home – thereby making money and having the convenience of being close to their family. If a medical transcriptionist has to travel to the workplace, then too she can expect a very comfortable work environment. Typical employers would be physicians, hospitals, medical transcription firms and the like. Associated health risks A medical transcriptionist sits on a chair, stares at a computer, listens to recordings with a headset, and types with her fingers for long hours. Therefore, the health risks associated with the medical transcription profession are typically those related to the back, eyes, neck and hands. But these health risks are easily avoidable if the trancriptionist is otherwise leading a healthy lifestyle based on healthy food habits and regular exercise. Medical transcription is a good profession to be in – not only does it reward the people associated with it, it also contributes to society and the benefit of mankind. |