| Medical Transcription is the process of interpreting | | | | machine operators. This was and still is a highly |
| and transcribing the dictation made by doctors or | | | | unjustified job title for those who practice medical |
| other health care professionals regarding patient | | | | transcription because the profession requires a |
| status, treatment procedures, diagnoses, | | | | wide knowledge of medical terms. Thus, in 1999, |
| prognoses, etc. With medical transcription of | | | | Medical Transcription was assigned its own job |
| dictated data from physicians, the medical | | | | classification and those practicing it were officially |
| transcriptionist may also edit the text that is | | | | called medical transcriptionists. |
| produced by voice recognition software. Medical | | | | Medical Transcription as a profession is very |
| Transcription is the translating of dictations made | | | | underground and most people might not have |
| by a doctor. As a result, it requires an extensive | | | | heard about it. However, medical transcription is |
| knowledge of medical, pharmacological and | | | | an essential profession in the every growing |
| anatomical terms. | | | | health care industry... especially to health care |
| In the past medical transcriptionists would listen to | | | | staff that does not have the time to put into |
| dictations and type it themselves, but with the | | | | writing every single bit of information that they |
| dawn of technology and voice recognition | | | | gather from patients. As a result, the demand for |
| software, this has become unnecessary and | | | | qualified medical transcriptionist professionals is |
| today, for the most part, the medical | | | | continually growing and because the number of |
| transcriptionist merely edits the output of the | | | | new procedures coming into the market doctors |
| software. However, the editing process can range | | | | don't have the time to transcribe all their findings. |
| from a few corrections to major changes | | | | Medical Transcription as a profession is very |
| because voice recognition software still hasn't | | | | versatile as well. Medical transcriptionists, can |
| been perfected and probably never will be due to | | | | acquire after a few years of education, work |
| the wide variety of speech variations and dictating | | | | from medical transcription firms. Medical |
| habits of health care professionals. | | | | Transcription firms receive dictations made by |
| Aside from medical knowledge, a quality | | | | doctors and in turn, these orders are turned over |
| transcription requires a transcriptionist to have | | | | to medical transcriptionists to be transcribed. |
| excellent listening skills because they must be able | | | | A medical transcriptionist can also work full or |
| to simultaneously interpret dictation while typing, | | | | part-time at home. Currently, the American |
| they must also have an exquisite knowledge of | | | | Association for Medical Transcription is governing |
| English and grammar, proofreading and editing | | | | body in the United states that certifies Medical |
| skills, a high state of analytical skills in order to | | | | transcriptionists, although you won't need a |
| analyze and convert spoken words into | | | | certification to be able to work as one, a |
| meaningful writing, as well being adept in the use | | | | certification form the AAMT, will surely increase |
| of transcription equipment and computers. | | | | you're "market value" and credibility. |
| Medical Transcription has been seen as writing in | | | | Medical transcription is no longer merely listening |
| ancient caves and in documents of lost | | | | and transcribing the words dictated by a doctor. |
| civilizations, but still the purpose of medical | | | | Medical Transcription is evolving and now requires |
| transcription and the medical transcriptionist | | | | specific education centering on medical language, |
| remains the same and that is to keep a record of | | | | knowledge of Greek and Latin prefixes and |
| a patient's medical status and treatment. | | | | suffixes, anatomy, physiology, disease processes, |
| However, it wasn't until the late 20th century that | | | | medical science and procedures, medical |
| Medical transcription was recognized as a | | | | instruments, pharmacology, laboratory |
| profession. Initially, those who did medical | | | | instruments, laboratory test results, medical |
| transcription were labeled as typists, word | | | | reference material techniques and many more. |
| processors, medical secretaries or dictating | | | | |