A Beginner's Guide to Medical Transcription

While it's a term often heard in the health care industry, there are many people who aren't exactly sure what medical transcription is. In fact, it's a job performed by educated and talented professionals who make it possible for physicians and other health care professionals to treat patients more efficiently. Read through this guide to find out more about just what a medical transcriptionist does and how their work affects the health care industry.

What does a medical transcriptionist do?

These health care professionals are responsible for listening to dictated voice recordings from the health care professionals with whom they work. Most often, these recordings are from doctors and surgeons, although there are other executives and lead nurses who need medical transcription support as well. As they listen to the recordings, they type the accompanying text into organized, cohesive documents that physicians and other health care professionals can read through at a later time.

How do they create the documents from voice recordings?

Most medical transcriptionists have special equipment that allows them to transcribe the information in the recordings quickly and accurately. This includes a headset, through which they listen to the recording, as well as a foot pedal, which pauses the recording while they type. Medical transcriptionists usually use a word processor on a personal computer to create the documents from the voice recordings.

What types of reports do medical transcriptionists listen to?

There are a wide variety of reports that are recorded by physicians which medical transcriptionists are expected to prepare in document form. Among these types of reports are autopsy reports, discharge summaries, referral letters, progress notes, operative reports, physical exams, etc. Medical transcriptionists may be expected to follow certain formats when creating these documents depending on what type of report was recorded.

What education is required in order to become a medical transcriptionist?

Most medical transcriptionists must complete a two-year associate's degree or one-year certificate program before they are accepted to a position in their field. They complete classes in medical terminology, grammar, punctuation, anatomy and medical law as a part of their degree or certificate program. Some medical transcriptionists also complete an internship as a part of their program. Most medical transcriptionists complete continuing education courses throughout their career to keep up with changing information and trends in the health care industry.

What certification is required to be a medical transcriptionist?

Certification is not required in most states in order to be a medical transcriptionist. However, many of these health care professionals pursue one of two voluntary certifications in other to gain better jobs and higher pay. The two voluntary certifications are offered through the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) and the American Health Information Management Association. After completing one of these certification exams, the medical transcriptionist will receive their credentials as either a Registeed Medical Transcriptionist (RMT) or a Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT). Recertification is required for both of these certifications every few years.

How much do medical transcriptionists earn?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average hourly wage for a medical transcriptionist is $15.41. Some are employed by a health care facility or service, while others are independent contractors which work on a project-by-project basis.