With a rise in the number of dermatology patients in the last few years, doctors and health care centers are finding it difficult to manage the increasing number of medical records in a safe and secure manner. With an increase in the number of patients, the need for medical transcriptionists has increased simultaneously. With the help of dermatology transcription experts, medical professionals can focus on the core task of the treatment of patient’s skin problems. The dependence on expert dermatology transcription services also help the health care centers in saving on capital investment, as it reduces the chances of errors and breach of confidentiality.

Skin problems and the attitude of people towards it

Be it a pimple on the face or redness, it’s a general observation that people find skin problems quite embarrassing, leading to anxiety. With the increasing number of melanoma patients in recent times, there has been an increased awareness for the overall skin health. People prefer going to Dermatologists to get examined for even a minor change on the skin, but opt to keep their identity concealed, as skin diseases are a social stigma in many parts of the world. In tropical areas where skin problems are one of the most common diseases, even the government is taking measures to make people more aware of them and their treatments. Along with the increasing awareness of skin problems, the endemic nature of such diseases has also resulted in long queues at dermatology centers.

The increasing demand for dermatology transcription services

For proper treatment of patients with skin problems, it is important that dictations with dermatology terminologies are converted to text with accuracy.  For creating various types of medical reports like, progress report, discharge summaries, patient history, medical reviews and peer reviews, the help of experts is required who dedicate their valuable time in meeting the standards in terms of quality, accuracy, and efficiency. Dedicated dermatology transcription companies can provide all-around service in creating transcripts for immunodermatology, cosmetic dermatology, dermatopathology and more. The confidentiality of medical reports can be best maintained by expert medical transcriptionists who share the reports in an encrypted form.

Benefits of dermatology transcription services

Reliability and trustworthiness are the pillars of the dermatology medical transcription service. Medical transcription companies that employ experienced transcriptionists best serve the need of this service. They help doctors in gaining more credibility among its patients by taking care of the confidentiality of their reports. Dermatology transcription service can change the world of the treatment of skin problems in many ways.

• By making the best use of innovation in technology for accurate transcription: From digital dictation machines to specialized EMR templates for dermatology, reliable medical transcription service providers make the use of many such innovations in technology to create reports that are free from errors.
• Stringent compliance with privacy guidelines: Now, doctors can diagnose their patients with a peace of mind, while dermatology transcription companies are taking the best care of the privacy of patient’s details. It’s better to take the service of such transcription companies that adhere to HIPAA guidelines for the privacy of patient’s details. The HITECH act under HIPAA widens the scope of privacy, and many medical transcription companies are following its guidelines.
• Quick turnaround time ensuring timely diagnosis: With a reliable transcription service company, the workflow never stops, leading to a quick turnaround time. There are many such companies that aim at documenting and delivering medical reports in just 12 hours. With such prompt service, such companies are a great help for doctors who aim at providing prompt treatment for different skin problems.
• Making the best use of experience: Dermatology transcription companies avail the service of such transcription experts who have a wide experience in dealing with dermatology terminologies and the regular updates in the field. It helps doctors in saving their quality time in cross-checking the accuracy of the documented report.
• Flexible dictation options: Transcription companies that provide multiple dictation options by making use of innovations in technology help in ensuring that any medical terminology is not missed out in the process. It also helps in getting dictations with clarity so that the final document is free from any error.

The multi-level quality check by dermatology transcriptionist companies further helps in detecting any discrepancy that remained unnoticed in the first view of the dictation. Technological revolutions and stringent privacy guidelines have helped the field of dermatology transcription prove its effectiveness in the present scenario. With quality transcription services, such companies aim at making the job of such doctors easier who don’t want to be distracted by the additional tasks of creating reports and managing documents.

Apart from ICD-10, shorter deadlines; the influx of data, stricter regulations, and tighter budgets are all propelling the medical industry through a plethora of changes. All of these changes have left physicians with little or no time on hand to handle medical transcription needs in-house; especially with the hassles involved in finding the right people to handle transcriptions. So while getting transcription done in-house can help you have – direct communication with the in-house staff and involves your decision in their recruitment and training; it also turns out to very time consuming and expensive in more than one way. This is where outsourcing can turn out to be beneficial.

Here are a few reasons why medical transcription outsourcing may turn out to be beneficial.

Reduced capital investment & direct staff costs

Outsourcing means eliminating the need for buying a typing platform or a dictation system. Capital expenditure gets further reduced as you would not require upgrading to newer equipment and software time and again resulting in increased savings. Moreover handling in-house staff means increased training; higher salaries for specialized services; staff attrition rate management; staff costs and so on. Getting transcription services done from a specialized firm results in; eliminating all these direct staff costs and considerable reduction of direct staff costs.

Enhanced Accuracy

Medical transcription outsourcing can mean increased accuracy because most transcription companies being specialists in their field tend to employ several levels of quality control. To maintain their customers they need to be sure that the end result has no typos, misspelled words or incorrect medical terms. If your office is dealing in a specialization like dermatology, neurology or cardiology; then few transcriptionists train their staff to deal in these specific medical specialties. Moreover, some companies will also employ professional editors and clinicians to proofread your documents. To match these quality measures in-house you would need to invest on-going time and effort to streamline your office in this manner.

Improved time management

Either you wish to get home earlier or administer qualitative care on a higher number of patients; outsourcing can play a considerable role in helping you find increased time; to be able to handle these
tasks. Doing transcription yourself; involves sitting for hours in front of the computer; which is most of the time after work to catch up on charting; hence leaving you very little time for anything else. Outsourcing can definitely benefit you with a great avenue for improved time management.

 Faster transcription services

Outsourcing means a firm is solely managing only transcription services and does not need to balance it with other health care tasks; which results in much faster turnaround time as compared to doing it in your office. Transcription firms have dedicated professionals and staff who can take on an increased workload as and when needed; resulting in the work getting done much more faster. If the same increased workload was done in your office it would not only be done slower due to limited staff but also affect or slow-down other important tasks being done by the staff at that point. Overall outsourcing by improving turnaround time; results in shortening of your accounts receivable cycle, and helps your practice in getting paid much more quickly.

Easily access specialized staff at a relatively lower cost

Finally, the best part of outsourcing is that you can access expertise or specialized services at a fraction of the cost you would otherwise incur with getting a full-time employee. While transcription requires a lot of expertise being a highly skilled task; by outsourcing, you can easily get professional services of highly knowledgeable and specialized staff without making much of an effort.

Overall if you are bogged down with a lot of clerical work at your office and need more time for healthcare; then getting an outsourcing service makes sense. The key is to find one which can ensure good quality services; without you having to worry about maintaining the necessary technology or staff, resulting in faster services and more accuracy. As all of these benefits typically come at a cost reduction, it is clear why outsourcing has gained so much popularity over the past few years.

Medical transcription services is a challenging, but fulfilling, career path. Medical transcribers can choose between working full-time, part-time, and even from home. Your duties would include listening to records dictated by medical professionals, editing and proofreading texts, and maintaining these medical documents for future use.
Medical transcribers enjoy comfortable pay, job satisfaction, and sometimes, flexible work timings.
Let’s take a look at some of the common myths about medical transcribers.
Qualification:-
Fast Typing Skills:
If you have warp-speed typing skills, it’s going to make your job a lot easier, no doubt. But that’s not the only skill that is asked of this profession.
You’ll need to have an interest in the medical field, oodles of patience and motivation, and the ability to work within tight deadlines.
If you want your résumé to stand out from the masses, the most basic thing you could do is get a certification from a reputed institution. The course will provide you with training in anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, and transcription skills like the different types of reports and how to format them. The study of medical subjects helps you get a clearer idea of what patients are trying to convey. This lets you use accurate terminology in the reports.
Modern Technology Is Phasing Out the Profession:
Evolving technology has helped replace conventional devices with faster and more efficient versions. Computers have replaced typewriters, which not only makes editing possible but also enables the easy storage of files that can then be transferred by email.
Medical institutions are taking to SRT—Speech Recognition Technology—in order to enhance efficiency and cut costs. But SRTs come with their cons. They require constant supervision and oversight, since the results are, at times, unreliable. They’ve certainly made the process of transcribing easier, but are certainly not a replacement.
The same applies to EHRs—Electronic Health Records. While digitizing files, reports, and other medical details is convenient and enhances efficiency, medical transcribers are still necessary.
Medical Transcription Is A Piece Of Cake:
People wrongly believe that transcription is an easy task. How hard can it be to listen to someone and write down what they’re saying? The answer—very!
A pre-recorded message offers a number of challenges to transcribers. For one thing, there is almost always disturbance in the recordings—whether it’s normal hospital chatter or the chaos of an emergency room at full capacity. The speaker could even be chewing gum, eating, or even sipping on a drink while dictating symptoms, which compromises clarity. The speaker could also have an unfamiliar accent that’s hard to decipher.
Besides, not everyone is familiar with medical terminology. Transcribers are faced with the challenge of accurately pinning down and using these terms.
It’s A Woman’s Job:
Since the job is mostly worked part-time or from home, some women—especially mothers—find that it’s a good fit. The job offers flexibility, which makes it a popular choice among women who want to focus on other aspects of their lives on the side.
This leads people to conclude that transcription is ‘a woman’s job’. But, of course, the job is as challenging for men as it is for women.
Requirement Of Special Software For Freelance:
You might’ve come across advertisements for special software required for medical transcription. More often than not, they’re mere scams.
If you’re an aspiring medical transcriber, you should know that while specific software is usually required, it will be provided by your employer.
Medical transcribers definitely don’t have it easy, but this makes for a fulfilling career. In today’s world, this role is indispensable to the healthcare industry. If you have an inclination towards pursuing transcription and helping physicians be more effective at what they do, don’t let misinformed opinions keep you from pursuing a career in this field.

Medical Transcription services are essential to the healthcare industry and cater to many subfields and specialties of the medical profession.

Offering technical and organizational expertise, medical transcriptionists transcribe audio recordings and doctors’ dictation. This isn’t limited to any speciality—transcription is important everywhere, from dermatology and orthopedics to cardiology and gynecology.

The Importance Of Medical Transcription

Patient records and information are often useful in more than one way. For example, they’re commonly used as evidence or reference in various legal cases, including cases of medical practice lawsuits and disputes involving health insurance claims. This means that the services rendered by medical transcriptionists are all the more indispensable in today’s healthcare industry.

Accuracy and data security have moved beyond simply being ‘important’; they can often be a matter of life and death. It’s essential, then, to hire reliable medical transcription service providers.

The service is often referred to as audio transcription since the dictation is sent in as a recording. This is then transcribed into a digital document that can be repurposed any way the healthcare professional sees fit.

Most medical transcription service providers employ transcriptionists who specialize in transcribing medical dictation from an audio clip. Our services include:

• Emergency room (ER) summaries—The emergency room is one of the busiest rooms in a hospital. Most cases brought in to this high-pressure environment need urgent treatment, and doctors, nurses, and other medical staff tend to communicate quickly and, sometimes, over each other. A trained audio transcriptionist can ensure accuracy in an ER summary report.
• Consultation and clinical report—These are often used for future reference and diagnosis.
• Physical reports and patient history—Detailed patient information and history, along with family medical history, is essential to proper diagnosis and assessment. Physical reports are proof of the current condition of the patient and his/her symptoms.
• Discharge summaries—This is crucial to efficient home care according to the doctor’s instructions. These documents also mention any special restriction or care that the patient needs to undertake for a speedy recovery. They are also used for future references in the event of a relapse.
• Therapy reports—This includes a summary of what the patient has done and said, and also the therapist’s note on the patient’s condition. The report also details what exercises were prescribed to the patient, and how much of these were actually accomplished; many of these reports also include plans and progress notes for future sessions.

Apart from these, medical transcriptionists can transcribe death summaries, surgery reports, and summaries, and patient progress notes.

Dictation can be sent in various formats—such as through digital recordings or using certain applications. The latter transfer dictation to the service provider’s servers directly, once the physician has dictated details into their phone. Telephonic dictation is also possible; this can be availed from anywhere—at a hospital, a patient’s home, or using the cell phone.

Medical audio transcription is not a small industry by any stretch; here are some of the frequently asked questions about medical audio transcription services.

READ MORE: SPEECH RECOGNITION TRANSFORMED THE PROCESS OF MEDICAL DICTATION AND TRANSCRIPTION?

FAQs

What influences the turnaround?

The turnaround depends on a number of factors; the most important one is audio quality. Audio with an unclear accent, background noise, or highly technical content is hard to transcribe, as compared to a clear and crisp audio clip.

Length is also crucial; the time taken to transcribe long files is, of course, more than short files.

In what formats are the transcribed files delivered?

Medical dictations are transcribed into text or MS Word formats. These files are then encrypted and sent by secure FTP, email, or pasted to our client’s EMR systems.

How does billing take place?

Pricing varies from firm to firm. A few charges on a per-minute basis, while others charge per line. It’s best to go for the second option, as you surely wouldn’t want to pay for all the silent periods in your audio.

What is verbatim transcription?

Verbatim transcriptions are the one that retains every single utterance—including false words like ‘ah’, ‘uh’, and wrong words like ‘gonna’, ‘coz’, and the like. You can request transcribers to follow a certain level of verbatim in the transcribed file.

Audio transcriptionists are indispensable to the healthcare industry, especially in the quest for effective patient care.

Practicing medicine in today’s stressful world is not that easy for physicians.  They need to focus on documentation along with the core healthcare tasks. Managing patient details, keeping a record of their illness and laboratory summaries consume a lot of time of the physician and the medical staff. If still hesitant to take professional help from medical transcriptionists it’s time to engage one so as to not waste time on tasks and instead concentrate on patient care.

Many doctors work as family physicians and are solely responsible for the health care of families they are responsible for or have a long-standing association with. The family practice management is something for which they need to develop skills with time, as there is no scope for medical errors. Family physicians not only have to keep a record of past illness, allergies, ailments and drug history of the members of a  family but also need to present those records on an immediate basis in case of an emergency. Here comes the important role of family practice transcription service in making the professional life of family physicians easier.

Let’s have a detailed idea of how the family practice transcription service can be a boon for family physicians.

Increases their practice efficiency

Physicians develop a long-lasting relationship with families whose healthcare responsibility is on them. Even in case of medical emergencies, families refer to their family physician first. This makes it even more important for physicians to refer to their past medical records quickly and start the treatment as soon as possible. When family physicians take help of medical transcription agencies, they end up concentrating on the health of their patients rather than managing their records. Also, the clinical records are transcribed and managed by professionals in such a manner that physicians can refer to them whenever they want.

By taking the onus of documentation work, medical transcription agencies allow physicians to have more time to concentrate on the health care of their patients.  This leads to the increased efficiency of their practice, helping them serve families better as well as increase the reach of their practice. Such transcription agencies also assure quick turnaround time that is quite important in the dynamic healthcare industry where time is a constraint.

Helps them in increasing practice revenue

The family practice transcription service not only helps physicians to increase the efficiency of their practice but also helps them in getting more patients. It’s the word of mouth publicity, where a family talks about the efficient service of its physician with their friends and relatives. This, in turn, brings more patients to the clinic. An efficient healthcare service by a physician helps him/her to get more patients, thus, more revenue.

When physicians outsource the medical transcription service, they also succeed in winning the confidence of their patients. Patients can rest assured that their personal details and medical history will not only be transcribed accurately but also that such details will be kept confidential. Such confidence of patients in their physicians will be beneficial for both.

Will technology replace family practice transcription service?

Speech recognition software may seem like a danger in the face of manual medical transcription at present, but it has its own loopholes. You cannot rely completely upon technology for recognizing the voice and converting it into text. Medical transcription agencies make the best use of technology and human skills to deliver error-free reports within a quick turnaround time.

There are many such agencies which offer reliable and accurate family practice transcription services. While selecting the one that best suits the specific requirements, family physicians need to search for those who are experienced in the field and offer customized services.

A good physician is judged by his compassion for his/her healthcare task and the intelligence in taking help of experts for documentation. The one who spends too much time on documentation is bound to lack with the healthcare task!