Medical transcriptionist plays a significant role in healthcare. At present, there is a great demand for medical transcriptionists with significant skills to manage complex tasks that comes with the role.
Generally, medical transcriptionists are responsible for ensuring the information presented in text form is reflected accurately in recordings. A lot of healthcare establishments choose to outsource this role as a strategic practice to enhance their productivity, at the same time, save costs.
When you outsource a medical transcriptionist, looking for a candidate with the right skills, knowledge, and expertise to meet your organization’s needs is crucial.
Read this article to learn about the essential skills of medical transcriptionists that companies should look for.
What does a medical transcriptionist do?
A medical transcriptionist is a professional who transcribes voice-recorded medical reports into a written document format. Medical transcriptionists should be able to accurately turn medical dictation tapes into text form.
These days, medical transcription is one of the fastest-growing careers in healthcare. According to iHealthcareAnalyst, the global market size for medical transcription services is projected to attain $111 billion by 2029, expanding at a CAGR of 6.1% over the forecast period.
The demand for skilled transcribers has increased so much that many hospitals have created separate departments to handle transcription needs.
Some of the common responsibilities of a medical transcriptionist include:
- Transcribing audio or video recordings of patients’ medical histories, examinations, and treatments
- Correcting errors and ensuring that information is consistent throughout reports
- Formatting reports as required by law
- Reviewing patient records to get familiar with treatment procedures, terminology, and other information
- Following instructions from doctors to ensure quality control
- Performing quality assurance checks on their work by listening to the audio recordings before passing them on to doctors for review
Top 7 medical transcriptionist skills
Medical transcriptionists are critical to healthcare teams. They are responsible for transforming doctors’ dictations into written notes, which other medical professionals can then use.
The following are seven skills that an effective medical transcriptionist should possess:
1. Typing speed and accuracy
The ability to type quickly and accurately is essential for medical transcriptionists. This ensures everything said during a dictation session is properly recorded in the best possible way.
If a person has poor grammar skills and types too slowly, this could lead to mistakes in the report and delay things. As doctors rely on having their notes ready when needed, it is up to the medical transcriptionist to ensure the documents are error-free.
2. Excellent grammar
Medical terminology can be difficult for nonmedical professionals to understand, even more so when it is written down incorrectly.
Excellent grammar is also important for medical transcriptionists. They are responsible for writing reports and correctly interpreting what doctors say during a consultation or examination.
A medical transcriptionist must be able to write clearly and concisely so that anyone can understand what was written.
3. Knowledge of medical terminology
To be able to transcribe the information, medical transcriptionists need to have a strong knowledge of medical terminologies. They should know how to write down words that are not commonly used in everyday conversation, such as “diastolic” or “hypertension.”
For transcripts to be accurate and useful, a medical transcriptionist must also understand how all of these different terms relate to one another in real-life situations.
4. Attention to detail
If one thing makes or breaks a good medical transcriptionist, it’s their attention to detail. Accuracy is crucial when dealing with patients who rely on this information.
Medical transcriptionists must pay close attention during dictations because they will be repeating what they hear word-for-word.
For this reason, mistakes can be costly because they could lead to misdiagnoses or even wrongful treatment of patients.
5. Research and resource skills
Typically, medical transcriptionists use vast amounts of information to interpret medical records, often from multiple sources. These resources include dictionaries, textbooks, journals, and online research tools.
Research and resource skills are important characteristics as they must be able to research medical terminology and treatments accurately.
They also need access to information sources like electronic health records (EHRs), databases, and other resources such as patient charts and prescriptions.
6. Multitasking
This skill involves using several programs simultaneously while completing different tasks. These tasks may include formatting documents, entering data into databases, and creating reports.
The ability to multitask can be difficult for new employees because they must learn to prioritize their workloads while working under pressure. Medical transcriptionists, in some cases, do multiple things at once.
7. Proficient with computers
A strong working knowledge of computers is essential for any medical transcriptionist. This is because they will be using various software programs to type their documents. This will help them write and edit reports quickly and efficiently while maintaining accuracy.
Why is outsourcing a medical transcriptionist worth considering?
A medical transcriptionist job can be quite stressful. The nature of the work requires individuals to maintain accuracy and attention to detail to ensure patient information is correct.
Outsourcing a medical transcriptionist gives you more flexibility, and your business can choose the best service solutions that suit your needs.
With an outsourced medical transcriptionist, you can focus on running your own business, allowing you to focus on what matters most: patient care.
