Medical Transcriptionist are medical language specialists who interpret and transcribe dictation by physicians and other healthcare professionals about patient assessment, workup, therapeutic procedures, clinical course, diagnosis, prognosis and other medical processes. Their work documents patient care and facilitates delivery of healthcare services. They edit dictated material for grammar and clarity.
Medical Transcriptionist may transcribe (type) directly from voice recordings heard through earphones. While a variety of equipment is still used to convert spoken words to hard copy medical reports, most Transcriptionists today do their work on computers.
Dictation may include pathology and radiology reports, operative reports, letters, discharge summaries, outpatient, and death summaries. Other types of dictated materials include patient histories, physicals, consultations, and progress reports. Transcriptionists are responsible for correct format, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. They are expected to be thoroughly familiar with medical terminology so that they can distinguish between terms that sound alike but are spelled differently, and to recognize inconsistencies and mistakes in medical terms. To achieve accuracy in their reports, Transcriptionists need to have a working knowledge of medical reference materials to aid them in the completion of the typed records. They often use an English dictionary, a medical dictionary, a drug reference, and other sources on anatomy, physiology, and medicine. Transcriptionists must be able to edit the dictated material so that it is consistent and understandable without changing the meaning. They listen to the dictated information and interpret and transcribe well-organized medical reports on patient care and treatment.
Experienced Medical Transcriptionist may supervise other Transcriptionists and may provide assistance to co-workers with difficult assignments.
