Medical transcription outsourcing: Helping improve quality of care

Healthcare and information technology are inextricably linked together, in the sense that information technology helps the process of healthcare become more efficient, safer and cost effective. It is important to acknowledge the role of information in the process of healthcare and the role information technology plays to make this information more user- friendly. As healthcare professionals are essentially time starved it is important that the process for creating patient records should be integrated seamlessly into their working lives.

After each patient – healthcare professional encounter it is important to document the encounter in detail. This provides healthcare professionals a valuable source of information facilitating the following:

• Patient medical history
• Findings from the physical examination
• Demographics regarding the patient which can provide valuable clues for diagnosis
• Information regarding allergies, drug interactions etc.

Moreover information from patient records is an essential input for the coding and billing process and an important component of risk management. Medical transcription is the process of creating patient medical records converting the dictation of the patient- healthcare professional encounter into text format. Healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals have various options available to them for the creation of patient medical records.

However while considering the various options available to healthcare professionals and healthcare facilities for medical transcription it is important to consider an option that will seamlessly integrate into the current working style of healthcare professionals. Healthcare professionals have shown a preference for the traditional method of dictation to transcription as this helps them in the process of providing healthcare.

How does the traditional method of dictation to transcription aid in the process of providing quality healthcare?

The process of providing quality healthcare depends on:

• Accurate diagnosis, which depends on:

1.     Collecting detailed information regarding the patient's history

2.     Findings from the physical examination

• Succinct documenting leading

1.     Crafting thoughtful diagnosis

2.     Make a note of questions that have not been adequately answered

• Continuously refining and updating information regarding the patient and the progress made
• Managing problems and conflicting medication
• Ordering tests and tracking results.

Medical transcription is the process by which healthcare professionals can conveniently capture all these details, while allowing for healthcare professionals to use the preferred method of dictating the details on the patient- healthcare professional encounter using the mode of dictation preferred by them. As medical transcription is a specialized service requiring inputs in the form of the right team, the right process and the right technology, outsourcing medical transcription has been found to be an efficient and effective method of creating patient records.

Moreover outsourcing medical transcription provides the healthcare facilities with the following benefits:

• Options for using familiar modes of dictation
• An efficient system for medical transcription enabling upload of audio files and delivery of transcripts through preferred modes or delivery
• A system for tracking dictation, work in progress and older transcripts
• Specialty medical transcription service based on the specialty of the healthcare professional
• Substantial savings on costs
• Customized turnaround time
• Adoption of EMR/ EHR using HL7 interface
• Editing and proof reading services for speech recognition software transcription
• Transmission of data through HIPAA and HITECH compliant channels

TransDyne, a leader in the outsourced medical transcription industry has used their extensive background in information technology to provide medical transcription solutions that provide healthcare facilities with maximum benefits while saving on time, money and efforts. 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.

Medical transcription outsourcing: Providing meaningful services

As the healthcare documentation scenario is undergoing major changes, the way in which clinical records are created and utilized has also seen major changes. Medical transcription services play a major part in the clinical documentation scenario through the sheer magnitude of education and experience amassed by them. Medical transcriptionists and medical transcription service providers have a deep understanding of how healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals work; combined with the vast store of knowledge and skills available to them, this puts them in an unique position to act as a catalyst in the process of adopting nationwide electronic health records.

Information has been vital to the process of healthcare, and as documentation specialists, medical transcription service providers provide support to the healthcare process. Healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals have found that outsourcing medical transcription leaves them in an unique position to enjoy accurate, timely, secure and cost effective creation of patient medical records, while leaving them free to focus on their core business.

Outsourced medical transcription service providers have always strived to provide meaningful services that have significant impact on the operations of healthcare facilities.

Some of the meaningful and significant services provided by outsourced medical transcription service providers include:

• Accurate and timely medical transcription for varying volumes: Outsourced medical transcription service providers have added meaning to the process of simply converting the dictation of the patient- healthcare professional encounter into text by using the vast skills at their disposal by providing services with the following advantages:

1.     Ensuring correction of any oversight by the healthcare professional

2.     Subjecting each transcript to multiple level quality checks

3.     Ensuring that the dictated content fits the context

• Accepting flexible methods of dictation: Outsourced medical transcription service providers have eased the working life of healthcare professionals by accepting dictation from various modes of dictation that the healthcare professionals find easy to work with.
• Providing a system for medical transcription: The process of medical transcription needs support from technology to meet the expected quality criteria, especially turnaround time, security and easy to use features. Outsourced medical transcription service providers have adapted to this by not only providing end-to-end solutions, but also where required integrated with the existing systems of the healthcare facility to provide seamless services.
• Allowing for healthcare facilities to capitalize on EMR/ EHR incentives: Outsourced medical transcription service providers have used HL7 interface to transmit data to the EMR/ EHR system without making any changes in the healthcare professional preferred method of document creation- dictation- transcription.
• Providing editing and proof reading services for speech recognition software: Many healthcare professionals and healthcare facilities have started using speech recognition software to create transcripts. Though speech recognition software solves the problem of turnaround time, the accuracy levels are below acceptable levels. Outsourced medical transcription service providers have aided in this by providing editing and proofreading services for these transcripts bringing them up to acceptable accuracy levels.

TransDyne, a leader in the outsourced medical transcription industry has used their extensive background in information technology to come up with medical transcription services that provide easy to use solutions for the needs of healthcare professionals and other staff of the healthcare facilities. 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.

Medical transcription outsourcing: Changing with the times

Healthcare sector by its very nature is a dynamic sector having to change with the changing demands placed on it from various sources. As the healthcare sector is part of essential services the demands placed on it are numerous, encompassing patients, healthcare professionals, pharmaceuticals, insurance providers and the regulatory authorities. To meet the varied often contradictory demands placed on them, the healthcare sector draws support and inputs from various sources.

One such source that aids the healthcare sector in meeting demands placed on it is information from patient medical records. Medical transcription is the process of creating patient medical records from the dictation of the healthcare professional, detailing the patient- healthcare professional encounter. In the initial stages of the process of creating patient medical records was part of the operations of the healthcare facility. But it was soon realized that the medical transcription process is not only a specialized process requiring the right combination of people, processes and technology, but having medical transcription in-house also dilutes the focus of healthcare facility on the core business.

It was acknowledged that outsourcing medical transcription to a professional medical transcription service provider would ensure services that meet all the quality standards and would also help the healthcare facilities save on costs substantially.  Today, medical transcription services have evolved into services beyond that of converting audio files into text files. The services provided by medical transcription service providers have the following advantages:

Service with utility-based standards: Outsourced medical transcription service providers provide services that are based on solutions that are utility based and ease the working life of healthcare professionals and support staff by providing medical transcription services that have features like:

• Retaining familiar modes of dictation and facilitating automatic upload of audio files
• Enabling healthcare professionals and support staff of the healthcare facility to keep track of work in progress
• Providing options for secure and quick document delivery
• Enabling healthcare professionals to retain familiar methods of dictation- transcription while still allowing for adoption of EMR.

Expertise of the service provider: The expertise of the outsourced medical transcription service provider has added to the ease of use of medical transcription services by providing all the benefits while still retaining easy to use utility features. The expertise of the service provider also helps them provide more refined services with regard to accuracy by refining the training methods. The technical expertise of the service provider helps in improving turnaround time and security.

Focus on content: Outsourced medical transcription service providers have refined their services to focus on the quality of content in the transcripts ensuring accurate and quality capture of details. This enables provision of better care and quicker and more comprehensive coding and billing.

Working with the healthcare professional and healthcare facility to anticipate problems and create solutions: Instead of presenting healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals with standardized services, outsourced medical transcription service providers have started working with them to anticipate requirements and create solutions.

TransDyne, a leader in the outsourced medical transcription industry has used their extensive background in information technology and their experience in serving the needs of the healthcare sector to provide affordable and integrated medical transcription solutions.

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 complete outsourced medical transcription services from TransDyne, click here.

The role of medical transcription services in speech recognition transcription

Healthcare services have always been dynamic, responding to demands of the end user to come up with new healthcare solutions, new medications, therapies, procedures etc. The healthcare sector depends on inputs from various sources to keep up with the demands made on them by patients, statutory regulations and the need to keep a healthy bottom line.

One input that has always helped the healthcare sector meet the varied and sometimes contradictory demands placed on them is information from patient records. Documenting the process of care provided to the patient is important because it serves numerous purposes including:

• Providing the basis of continued care
• Foundation for making decisions regarding care like referring to specialists, changing method of treatment etc
• Provide a chronicle of events leading from inputs from the patients, diagnosis and the treatment procedure
• Keeps a record of the patients' response in case of experimental medication or therapy
• Providing the basis of coding and billing leading to reimbursements
• Helping in risk management
• Helping in communication with statutory authorities

Medical transcription is one of the most popular and preferred method of  documenting of the patient- healthcare professional encounter. As it is a specialized skill requiring inputs in the form of the right team, the right technology and the right process to produce medical records that are accurate, timely and secure, outsourcing medical transcription has been found to be an effective solution. Outsourcing medical transcription additionally has the benefit of being cost effective as outsourcing curbs indirect costs and reduces direct costs by more than 40%.

As technology has evolved, there have been improvements in the way medical transcription works. One of the innovations in medical transcription services is the role played by medical transcription services in improving the output provided by speech recognition software. 

How does speech recognition software work?

Basically speech recognition software converts the dictation of the healthcare professional into text format. In theory this seems to be an ideal solution for the documentation needs of healthcare professionals, especially as regards to turnaround time. The limitations of transcripts produced by this software include:

• Extensive training of the software to the nuances of the dictation style of the healthcare professional
• Change in the style of dictation of the healthcare professional resulting in loss of productivity
• Accuracy levels ranging between 60% - 80%
• Extensive editing and proof reading by the healthcare professional to bring the accuracy of the transcript to acceptable levels resulting in loss of productivity.

How do outsourced medical transcription services aid in speech recognition software transcription?

Outsourced medical transcription service providers aid in the process of speech recognition software transcription by providing editing and proof reading services for the transcripts produced by speech recognition software to bring the accuracy levels to acceptable and usable levels. This enables the healthcare professionals to concentrate on their core activity of providing care.

TransDyne, a leader in the outsourced medical transcription industry has used their background in information technology to develop software and tools for medical transcription that save on efforts and money and adhere to the principles of healthcare documentation.

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.