Medical transcription services: Creating patient records

Medical transcription can simplistically be defined as the process of creating patient records, however medical transcription adds value to the healthcare process by providing numerous benefits. The inputs for the medical transcription process come from the audio recordings of the healthcare professionals. Once the patient visit is over, the healthcare professional records the details of the patient-healthcare professional encounter in audio format. Medical transcription is the process of conversion of these audio files into text format.

The patient records created by the medical transcription process have an important role to play in the healthcare process. Patient records have an important role to play in the following:

·       Provide continuity of care

·       Basis for planning patient care

·       Assist in protecting legal interests

·       Form the base for coding and billing

·       Form the basis for education and research

·       Fulfill statutory requirements

What are the details recorded in patient records?

Patient records contain details regarding the following:

·       Medical history

·       Symptoms

·       Examination results

·       Diagnostic tests

·       Treatment methods

·       And a record of all other information collected by healthcare professional/healthcare facilities

Considering the vital role information from patient records play in the healthcare process, it is important to assure medical records are made available for the use of healthcare professionals/ healthcare facilities ensuring maximum quality, security and accessibility. The process of medical transcription requires not only the right skills, the right team, the right technology and the right process, but also substantial investment in terms of capital and time.

The easy fix to ensure that medical records are created within the parameters required is to outsource the process to a professional medical transcription service provider. This not only ensures quality, security and accessibility, it also ensures that cost of transcription is reduced by as much as 40%-50%.

How does outsourcing medical transcription ensure quality?

By outsourcing medical transcription to a professional service provider, quality can be ensured because:

1.     The medical transcription service provider would have the right team: Medical transcription is the core business of the service provider. Hence recruiting the right talent and training them to be experts would be an ongoing process ensuring that the service provider has the team to process any medical transcription requirements as required. The right team would not only ensure accuracy but also ensure that the transcripts are created within the required turnaround time.

2.     The medical transcription service provider would have the right procedure: To ensure that quality patient records are created on time, the medical transcription service provider would have a procedure to ensure that each transcript is checked thoroughly through a stringent quality process. This would ensure that records are accurate and timely.

3.     The medical transcription service provider would have the right technology: The right technology would help in quickening the process of collecting and transmitting the audio files for transcription. It would also help in the process of delivering finished transcripts to the healthcare professionals through various modes.  

How does outsourcing medical transcription ensure security?

The medical transcription service provider would provide for security of confidential patient information by having measures in place to secure people, processes, infrastructure and technology

How does outsourcing medical transcription ensure accessibility?

The medical transcription service provider would ensure accessibility by having the right technology. The technology used by the service provider would not only ensure flexible modes of uploading dictation and offer multiple modes of document delivery, it would also ensure make sure that the technology is easy to use.

While outsourcing medical transcription healthcare facilities have to ensure that the medical transcription service providers are carefully evaluated on the criteria of being accurate, timely, secure, cost effective and flexible to ensure seamless services.

TransDyne offers quality medical transcription at reasonable prices, executed by experienced and qualified medical transcriptionists with a very quick turnaround time executed through secure HIPAA and HITECH compliant channels, with very high levels of accuracy and all this with technology that is advanced but easy to use!         

To avail outsourced medical transcription services from TransDyne, click here.