Facts About Medical Transcriptions

Medical transcription is the method by which the oral dictation by a doctor is converted to medical records swiftly and accurately by a person who is skilled at doing the same. The dictation can be anything related to the medical history of patients, official notes associated to the clinic, discharge summaries and all kinds of reports related to the laboratory, X ray taken and pathology.

The entire setup involves earphones to listen to the dictation which is in the form of tapes, digital system or voice files. A word processing system is also used which is efficient and easy to use. Though the process can be done by anyone, it requires some prerequisites like computer knowledge, awareness of medical terms and primarily good listening and language skills.

The process is enhanced by using a proper medical dictionary that explain and elaborate medical terms, laboratory terms, surgical explanations and several combinations of medicines. Exclusive wordlists, which are filled with terms that are commonly used, also help a lot during transcriptions. A special spellchecker or an abbreviation system like Instant Text or Smart Type will help a lot.

Transcriptionists are paid on an hourly basis. The year 2000 saw them being paid as much as $8-$12 per hour in the beginning of their career. But then after a few years of experience, it will rise to $12-$20 per hour. In general, there is a great demand for transcriptionists with an experience of minimum 1 year to a maximum of 5 years.

Self employed transcriptions offer many perks that are not available through companies or contractors. As an individual, a transcriptionist can start their career for $10-15 per hour which will increase up to $ 40 per hour based on their experience. Though this income is taxable, much can be exempted through equipment costs, home allowance (if the person works from home) and other facilities. Contractors pay around 15% as self employment tax while the companies pay 7.5% as FICA tax. One can always go for the best option with all the viabilities and provisions available.

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