May also be called: Medical Stenographers; Medical Transcribers
Medical Transcriptionists are medical language specialists who interpret and transcribe recorded dictation by physicians and other health care professionals. They transcribe dictated information about patient assessment, workup, therapeutic procedures, clinical course, diagnosis, prognosis, and other medical processes to document patient care and facilitate delivery of health care services. Medical Transcriptionists return transcribed documents to the dictator for review and approval. Transcriptionists key text into a personal computer or word processor, editing as necessary for grammar and clarity. They listen to recordings on a dictation machine which has a special headset and foot pedal to pause the recording when necessary. Adaptive equipment is available for individuals who are physically unable to use a foot pedal. Experienced Transcriptionists are able to identify mistakes or inconsistencies in a medical report and check back with the dictator to correct the information. Their ability to correctly transcribe patient assessments and treatments reduces the chance of patients receiving ineffective treatments and ensures high quality patient care. The transcribed documents eventually become part of patients’ permanent files. Medical Transcriptionists must understand medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, diagnostic procedures, and treatment to accurately transcribe dictated reports into a format that is clear and understandable for the reader. They also must be able to translate medical jargon and abbreviations into their full, written-out forms. To help identify terms appropriately, Transcriptionists refer to standard medical reference materials—such as medical dictionaries, drug references, and sources on anatomy—to aid them with the preparation of patient records. Medical Transcriptionists must comply with specific standards that apply to the style of medical records, including the legal requirements involved with keeping patient records confidential.
Each task below is matched to a sample skill required to carry out the task.
The majority of Transcriptionists work in comfortable office settings such as hospitals, physicians’ offices, clinics, laboratories, medical libraries, pharmaceutical companies, medical transcription service firms, or at home. They generally work alone at individual workstations. Transcription work requires long hours of sitting and an intense degree of concentration. An increasing number of Medical Transcriptionists telecommute from home as employees or subcontractors for hospitals and transcription services or as self-employed contractors. Many work a standard 40-hour workweek, but the self-employed are more likely to work irregular hours—including part time, evenings, and weekends. Some employers set production standards and determine pay rates based on work production, which could be stressful. Without proper precautions and regular breaks, there are risks for eye problems due to strain and repetitive motion injures. Presently, there has been little or no unionization of Medical Transcriptionists.
The job of Medical Transcriptionist may appeal to those who are interested in organized, clearly defined activities requiring accuracy and attention to detail. Medical Transcriptionists follow set procedures and routines where there is usually a clear line of authority. They work more with data and details than with ideas.
The median wage in 2021 for Medical Transcriptionists in California was $51,774 annually, or $24.89 hourly. The median wage for Medical Transcriptionists in San Benito and Santa Clara Counties was $49,567 annually, or $23.84 hourly. The median is the point at which half of the workers earn more and half earn less.
Transcriptionists may expect to receive medical insurance, vacation, sick leave benefits, and retirement plans. Self-employed Transcriptionists must provide their own insurance and retirement plans.
What Do Local Employers Say About Benefits? Of the 11 employers in San Benito and Santa Clara Counties, many provide medical insurance, and some provide vacation, sick leave, dental insurance, and retirement plan benefits to Medical Transcriptionists who work full-time.
Of the 5 employers surveyed who responded in San Benito and Santa Clara Counties, who provides medical benefits, all reported that they pay half or more of the cost of medical insurance for full-time, and all reported that they pay half or more of the cost of medical insurance for part-time Medical Transcriptionists.
Employment of Medical Transcriptionists is expected to remain stable. The majority of job openings will occur due to the need to replace workers who retire, transfer to other occupations, or leave the labor force. Job opportunities will be better for those who are certified. Recent technological advances have changed the process of medical transcription. Now, many medical documents are produced using a back-end speech recognition technology. This specialized software automatically prepares a draft of the report and then the Medical Transcriptionist reviews the report for accuracy. This will make it possible for the Transcriptionist to produce more reports and will limit overall employment growth.
In California, the number of Medical Transcriptionists is expected to decline between 2018 and 2028.
In San Benito and Santa Clara Counties, the number of Medical Transcriptionists is expected to decline between 2018 and 2028.
Medical Transcriptionists need a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent. Additionally, they need to complete a postsecondary medical transcriptionist training program, two-year associate degree program, or one-year certificate program. Courses should include advanced English, grammar and punctuation, anatomy, physiology, disease processes, pharmacology, laboratory medicine, beginning and advanced medical language, health care records, medical legal issues, and computer software technology.
To prepare for medical transcribing, high school students should take English, business, and computer classes as grammar, good punctuation skills, and computer literacy are basic requirements.
Regional Occupation Programs (ROP) offer training for Medical Transcriptionists in some areas. To find an ROP program near you, go to the California Association of Regional Occupational Centers and Programs Web site at www.carocp.org/carocps.html.
It is important for Medical Transcriptionists to refresh their grammar and punctuation skills and keep abreast of technological and various computer software changes. To maintain voluntary certification, Certified Medical Transcriptionists (CMTs) must complete at least 30 continuing education credits during a three-year cycle. The Registered Medical Transcriptionist (RMT) must take an independent study course and pass an exam to recertify.
Graduates of a medical transcriptionist training program are eligible to take the voluntary RMT exam. After two years of acute care experience, they may take the CMT exam through the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity. To renew either of the three-year certifications, applicants must pay the appropriate fee and earn the required continuing education credits or pass an exam. Those Transcriptionists who successfully pass either the CMT or RMT exam may use the CMT or RMT title. For more information, go to the U.S. Department of Labor's Career InfoNet Web site at www.acinet.org and scroll down to "Career Tools." Click on "Certification Finder" at www.acinet.org/certifications_new/default.aspx and follow the instructions to locate certification programs.
There are two ways to search for training information at www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/resources/training-and-apprenticeships.html
Contact the schools you are interested in to learn about the classes available, tuition and fees, and any prerequisite course work.
The largest industries employing Medical Transcriptionists are as follows:
The Employment Development Department surveyed 11 employers in San Benito and Santa Clara Counties which employ 29 Medical Transcriptionists. Here's what they had to say: About Full-Time/Part-Time: Many of these firms employ full-time and most employ part-time Medical Transcriptionists.
About Work Experience: Of the 11 employers surveyed in San Benito and Santa Clara Counties, almost all require new hires to have prior work experience as Medical Transcriptionists. In the table below, percentages may not add to 100% since employers may select more than one time period.
About Recruitment: Of the 11 employers surveyed in San Benito and Santa Clara Counties, many indicate it is moderately difficult to find applicants with experience who meet their minimum hiring requirements, while many indicate it is hard to find applicants without previous experience who meet their minimum hiring requirements to fill vacancies for Medical Transcriptionists.
About Hiring: Of the 11 employers surveyed in San Benito and Santa Clara Counties, most expect the number of Medical Transcriptionists they employ to remain stable during the coming year.
About Vacancies: Of the 11 employers surveyed in San Benito and Santa Clara Counties, 18 percent hired Medical Transcriptionists during the past year. Of the hiring firms, 50 percent filled existing vacancies, 50 percent filled newly created positions, and none filled temporary assignments.
Direct application to employers remains one of the most effective job search methods. Community college job placement offices, medical transcriptionist training providers, and vocational schools provide placement assistance for their students. Newspaper classified ads and Internet job listings advertise local job opportunities. Online job opening systems include JobCentral at www.jobcentral.com and CalJOBSSM at www.caljobs.ca.gov.To find your nearest One-Stop Career Center, go to Service Locator. View the helpful job search tips for more resources. (requires Adobe Reader).
You can focus your local job search by checking employers listed online or in your local telephone directory. Below are some suggested headings where you might find employers of Medical Transcriptionists.
To locate a list of employers in your area, use "Find Employers" on the LaborMarketInfo Web site at http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/aspdotnet/databrowsing/empMain.aspx?menuChoice=emp
Experienced Medical Transcriptionists may promote to supervisory, management, or teaching positions. With additional education and training, Transcriptionists may also advance to medical records and health information technicians, medical coders, or medical records and health information administrators. Transcriptionists may also elect to become self-employed as independent contractors, consultants, or owners of medical transcription services. Entry into self-employment usually requires initial set up expenditures for transcription and computer equipment including high-speed computer lines with Internet access.
Below is a list of occupations related to Medical Transcriptionists.
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Printed on Monday, May 23, 2022