 A healthcare facility’s capital investment decisions determine its capacity to provide patients with reliable services over a long period of time. Cash is one of the most valuable assets of a healthcare establishment. A healthcare facility therefore has to be cautious before it decides to expand investment. This is the reason why they now prefer medical transcription outsourcing to carrying out the job in-house. In-House Medical Transcription Involves Increased Capital Expenditure A healthcare establishment that wants to manage its transcription in-house would have to incur additional; capital investment on the following: • Computer systems including monitors, headsets, foot pedals, and keyboards • State-of-the-art medical transcription software • Server uploading audio files and downloading transcripts • Furniture and other infrastructure • Additional office space These expenses can be avoided when healthcare establishments assign their documentation tasks to medical transcription companies. To be precise, by outsourcing, you are no longer required to spend a huge amount of money for training the manpower for transcribing and for setting up the related infrastructure. An established medical transcription outsourcing firm would be fully equipped to handle all your transcription tasks, relieving you of the need for additional investments in your practice. Outsourced transcription service can provide documentation solutions for physicians’ letters and notes, pre-operative and operative notes, discharge summaries, history and physical notes, emergency reports, SOAP notes, consultation reports and diagnostic reports for individual practices and group practices. Apart from helping physicians to save on capital expenditure, reputable medical transcription companies provide their clients with following benefits: • Saved time – Outsourcing medical transcription functions provides health care professional a great relief from the administrative tasks and provides healthcare professionals with more time to focus on the well-being of their patients • Increased revenue – Healthcare facilities can fully utilize their valuable time and maximize their productivity, resulting in increased revenue. • Shared risk – When an outsourcing provider handles your business operations, they share much of the risk associated with those functions, lessening the burden of compliance with government regulations and other considerations Other Medical Transcription Outsourcing Benefits Other benefits that are assured with a reliable medical transcription company: • Accurate, updated and properly organized medical records • Uninterrupted customer support • Three levels of quality assurance • Highly secure file transfer facility • Compliance with HIPAA guidelines • Free trial offer • Customized turnaround time of not more than 24 hours for normal reports and 4-12 hours for STAT reports • Fair and reasonable pricing If you are a healthcare practitioner and want to enjoy savings on capital expenditure, outsource your medical transcription to a leading medical transcription outsourcing firm.
 The U.S. healthcare system is working towards the implementation of electronic medical records (EMRs) by 2014. This means that all the paper charts in the healthcare provider’s office would have to be stored digitally or in electronic format. The aim is to create a national electronic health record (EHR) system for all American citizens. EMR will allow physicians, nurses and other healthcare service providers to access and share information easily and quickly to promote better decision making and patient care.
A practice’s EMR has all the medical and treatment history of its patients and contains doctor’s notes, test results, medications, and other important information. Medical transcription helps EMR adoption as transcription helps converts all dictated information into electronic format.
How Medical Transcription Helps Transition to EMR
Medical transcriptionists can and must play an important role in helping the transition to a national electronic medical record system. This was pointed out the recently published Speech Recognition Adoption White Paper authored by the MTIA (Medical Transcription Industry Association) and AHDI (Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity).
Many physicians may find it difficult to deal with new EMR technologies. In this case, the role of the medical transcription would become very significant in helping to resolve the challenges associated with the current EMR adoption.
• Dictation is the preferred choice by most doctors. With medical transcription services, they don’t have to change their dictation habits. Medical transcriptionists can provide accurate speech-to-text translation.
• It involves less time and cost to dictate a patient note than to enter the encounter directly into the EMR.
• Expert medical transcriptionists can provide results in quick turnaround time. This is especially important for specialties like radiology.
• Outsourcing can ensure top level accuracy as stringent QA is an integral part of the transcription services provided by reliable medical transcription companies.
• EMR technologies can slow down the documentation process, as the physician manually enters the data into the computer. In some, the physician has to enter clinical notes by clicking drop-down menus. This can take time and even affect physician-patient interaction. More time spent for entering information into the EMR would also mean that only fewer patients can be seen.
Advanced EMR applications include a whole range sophisticated features such as built in voice recognition software. However, such voice recognition software has several limitations, such as a limited vocabulary and inability to identify spoken words. This can lead to a lot of errors in the text transcript. This makes the services of a medical transcriber very important. A trained, professional medical transcriber can easily identify and understand physician dictations to provide highly accurate transcripts.
Integrating EMR Applications with Medical Transcription
Medical transcription plays a significant role in documentation as well as in helping solve the challenges associated with EMR adoption. Reputable medical transcription companies stay ahead by adopting new technologies to meet the changing needs of the healthcare industry. This allows EMR adoption process with services such as structured dictation, HL7 interface and structured transcription. Established medical transcription companies have started ensuring connectivity and integration with the EMR the medical facility subscribes to. They can provide integration with whole range EMR applications, including specialty specific EMR applications.
The blending of EMR with medical transcription outsourcing allows healthcare practitioners to meet federal regulations as well as conducting their day-to-day activities with greater efficacy, improve productivity and provide better patient care. With the right transcription company, physicians can continue to dictate and get their clinical notes into their EMR smoothly and quickly.
 The number of healthcare establishments that outsource their transcription tasks is increasing every day as this helps them save time and money, while benefiting from efficient documentation solutions. However, if you are opting for medical transcription services, it’s important to choose a medical transcription company with an established track record. So be prepared to do some research work before choosing a firm to partner with. Take your own time and make an intelligent decision as this can make a lot of difference in the way in which your facility functions.
Reduce Operating Costs, Improve Productivity
Hiring a medical transcription company with a track record of success can help you reduce your operating costs, improve productivity and increase office efficiency. Such medical transcription outsourcing firms will take time to understand the specific needs of your medical practice and work with you to meet them.
A quality medical transcription service provider with a proven track record of success will have a team of professionals who are well-versed in medical terminology, and have excellent listening and typing skills and language abilities. They would have the expertise necessary to transcribe different types of files – from physician dictation to OR and ER reports. The team would also be able to handle your medical specialty transcription requirements. You would have a team on your project. This helps avoid delays and ensures customized solutions.
A reliable and professional medical transcription company would have a remarkable track record with excellent positive feedback from its clients. So the best way to check out the company’s reputation is to talk to its clients. See if you can get a client list. Establish contact with the clients and ask them if they are satisfied with the company’s services.
The rate at which the services offered is also a prime consideration while choosing a medical transcription outsourcing firm. An established and successful firm will be able to offer competitively priced solutions that can even ensure cost savings of 30-40 percent, compared to what you would have to spend doing transcription in-house. It is very important to consider how much you can spend on outsourcing so that you can evaluate things in terms of your financial condition. Look what the company’s website says. Going through the website can help you learn many things about the service provider.
Important Factors to Consider
Shortlist a few medical transcription companies by also considering factors such as:
• Check out the company’s years of experience in the field
• Whether the company provides references: companies with a good track record will always provide you with references.
• Understand the procedures adopted to deliver medical transcription services. Professional companies will take you through their documentation procedures to ensure file delivery in accordance with HIPAA regulations
• Check whether the company can offers a turnaround time that meets your requirements.
A medical transcription company with an established track record would also offer a free trial that will help you evaluate their service before you sign up.
 Heavy workloads and the need to improve healthcare practice efficiency are contributing to medical transcription outsourcing. Transcription services are available to meet the specific requirements of multiple specialties. The transcription requirements of various specialties differ, but an efficient medical transcription company would be well-equipped to meet them all.
Meeting Specialty Transcription Requirements
Medical transcription services are available for all medical and surgical specialties including cardiology, dermatology, ENT (otolaryngology), family practice, gastroenterology, neurology, ophthalmology, neurosurgery, obstetrics, oncology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthopedics, general surgery, gynecology, pathology, pediatrics, hematology, neonatology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, plastic surgery, nephrology, psychiatry, psychology, pulmonology, rheumatology, sports medicine, thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, urology, radiation oncology, radiology, rehab medicine, immunology, nuclear medicine, toxicology, microbiology and more.
Some of the specialties which have unique transcription requirements are cardiology, pathology and radiology. Cardiology transcription, for instance, would involve, among other routine things, the documentation of stress tests and echoes as well as various diagnostic reports. Similarly, in radiology, the requirement could be for direct transcription into different types of Radiology Information Systems (RIS) such as Radnet, MiSys, Meditech, ExText, Dolbey Text, and so on. Radiology practices are provided real-time access to the healthcare documentation system using the RIS interface. This allows them to review, edit and sign reports from anywhere and at any time.
An established transcription company would have teams of transcriptionists that are trained to handle the requirements of each specialty. They would be trained in the terminology of each specialty and can therefore provide error-free solutions.
The Many Benefits of Outsourcing Medical Specialty Transcription
Listed here are some of the main reasons why medical specialties now prefer to outsource their medical transcription tasks:
• Error-free transcription with multi-level quality checks
• Customized documentation solutions in custom turnaround time
• Services in quick turnaround time prevent backlogs
• Flexible dictation options
• Secure file transfer options
• Reports on transcripts showing progress of each file
• EMR interface and digital signature capabilities
• Document flow management software for end-to-end tracking
• Three levels of quality checking that guarantees 99% accuracy
• 24x7 customer support
Outsource medical transcription to a reliable provider
Medical transcription outsourcing clearly helps healthcare providers reduce their workload and improve office efficiency. Regardless of the medical specialty, the right medical transcription company can provide customized solutions to meet their specific needs. Browsing the Web is the best way to locate reliable medical transcription companies.
 EMRs or Electronic Medical Records digitally store patient information and medical history, diagnostic tests results, and physician notes on treatment and medication. The U.S. healthcare administration mandates that all hospitals and healthcare facilities make the transition to EMR by 2014. Patient information is entered into the EMR directly entry by the physician using point and click templates. The stored data can be easily accessed and shared, thereby helping healthcare professionals to work better and take the right decisions about patient care. What it Means to Have Electronic Medical Records- Will allow physicians and nurses to access patient information easily and simultaneously; this saves a lot of time in determinin and delivering care
- All paper records are converted to digital format. This allows healthcare information to be updated easily.
- Better legibility and completeness are assured; chances for errors are minimized
- Patients can access their records and receive reminders on tests and procedures
Impact on Medical Transcription Some healthcare watchers point out that the emergence of EMR would replace medical transcription services. However, this is not about to happen as studies show that most physicians prefer the dictation method. Medical transcription outsourcing has certain advantages over point and click charting and most healthcare professionals prefer to dictate notes rather than entering data using these point and click templates. This has significantly increased the possibilities for medical transcription service providers. Medical transcription outsourcing ensures prompt and accurate documentation of medical information. Though electronic medical records (EMR) are widely used in healthcare practices, they are not completely flawless. Errors can occur and entries still require checking, even comparison with the audio file. Efficient medical transcription service can provide accurate and timely transcripts. They have adopted changes for the seamless integration with EMR systems to make error-free information available to healthcare professionals in various specialties. Blending EMR adoption with medical transcription service has made it easier for healthcare professionals to conduct their day-to-day activities. Established medical transcription companies are aiming to adopt new technologies which will evolve to increase efficiency and accuracy, decrease turnaround time and support data capture. They provide exceptional and cutting-edge medical transcription and EMR integration support. They employ a team of professionals skilled in transcription as well as integrating transcribed reports into any type of EMR. Normally, they provides integration with whole range EMR applications such as eMDs, Allscripts, Nova Ris, Medent, and even specialty specific EMR applications such as Valant that is designed exclusively for psychiatry professionals. Integration with EMR is made possible through the adoption of interfaces such as HL7 which allows important healthcare information to be easily exchanged between computer applications. Seamless integration into the electronic record system allows them to improve productivity and patient care. It allows transcribed patient information to quickly reach the healthcare provider quickly, smoothly and safely. All this is possible by choosing the right medical transcription company.
 With the development of the health care industry, medical transcription companies have become extremely useful. Choosing the right medical transcription service provider for your practice is not as easy as you think, and you must be very careful in selecting one. There is a wide range of medical transcription companies and it is important to do some research before you choose one. If you are considering outsourcing your medical transcription assignments, here are some tips to help you locate a medical transcription outsourcing firm.
Only a professional and reliable medical transcription service provider can help enhance the efficiency of your healthcare practice, improve cash flow and collections, and streamline your business operations.
How to Locate a Suitable Medical Transcription Outsourcing Firm
As the first step, you have to shortlist a few leading medical transcription service providers. Browse the Web and choose a few companies. Most medical transcription companies have their own website, so go to their websites and learn as much as you can about these firms. Once the list is prepared, try to contact these companies and evaluate their offerings.
While comparing the providers of medical transcription services, consider factors such as professional credentials and their pricing structure. Find out whether they have worked with a client with a facility that is the same size as yours. See if you can contact the company’s existing clients and ask them for their opinion. Choose the medical transcription company that is strongly recommended by other firms in your industry.
The more experienced the company, the better would be its performance. An established company that has a vast clientele would be able to offer your customized medical transcription services using flexible dictation options such as free toll number and dictation machine. Always partner with an experienced and reliable medical transcription service provider for competent medical transcription solutions at affordable rates. In fact, a reliable service provider would be able to save you up to 30-40 percent on costs.
Always take care to choose a medical transcription service provider with a team of trained and experienced professionals that can meet your specific requirements. An efficient team would comprise experienced transcriptionists, proofreaders, editors and quality analysts. Only certified professionals can offer efficient transcription solutions for different specialties such as Allergy and Sleep Medicine, Dentistry, Dermatology, Pain Management, Pathology, Pediatrics, Surgery, Vascular, and more
Accuracy of documentation is crucial in the medical field as it goes to determine the quality of the service that patients receive. Opt to partner with a medical transcription company that has a quality auditing system in place. A firm with good auditing system should be able to consistently achieve accuracy levels of up to 99 percent. Ensure that the medical transcription outsourcing firm you choose follows HIPAA norms and regulations, which will guarantee the security of patient‘s health related information and provide strict confidentiality of data. Other things to consider include references, turnaround time, flexibility of dictation options, cost benefits and 24-hour customer service.
If you go by all these tips, you are sure to find a medical transcription service provider that can best meet your requirements and budget.
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