Medical transcription outsourcing: Getting started on the right note!

It has been proven that outsourcing medical transcription has numerous benefits that aid the healthcare facility in reducing costs and increasing focus on the core business of providing quality healthcare. As medical transcription services are a continuous requirement, it is important to source a medical transcription service provider who can consistently provide quality services. While outsourcing medical transcription it is important to consider a medical transcription service provider who can be more of a partner than a vendor.

Once the medical transcription service provider has been sourced and evaluated it is important to formalize the expected service levels in writing. This will clearly establish the expected levels of quality, enabling the medical transcription service provider to gear their resources to deliver quality services consistently. As the needs of each healthcare facility are different it is important to define the parameters of service expected. The expected parameters can be categorized into:

• Quality: The parameters for quality medical transcription services would include: 

1.     Accuracy: Accuracy is perhaps the most important quality criteria as the information in the patient record is used by healthcare professionals and healthcare facilities for several purposes like imparting healthcare, as evidence in case of litigation, coding and billing etc. It is important to communicate the minimum expected levels of accuracy and also the guidelines for quality.

2.     Turnaround time: As information in the transcripts is vital for the both the operational and commercial aspects of healthcare it is important that patient records be made available on time. The turnaround time requirements may differ according to various factors like the criticality of the situation, emergency, specialty etc. These need to be defined.

3.     Format/ template: Formats/ templates of reports could vary based on the type of report, the specialty or even the based on the preference of the healthcare professional, these need to be clearly specified.

• Administrative: These would include: 

1.     Options to retain familiar modes of dictation: The medical transcription service provider should be in a position to allow healthcare professionals to retain their familiar modes of dictation allowing them to maximize the time available to them. And the dictation system needs to be configured to accept audio from varied sources.

2.     Upload of audio files: The medical transcription service provider has to configure a utility, which enables automatic transfer of audio to the medical transcription service provider, by checking at frequent pre-defined intervals.

3.     Modes of document delivery: Once the transcripts are ready it is vital for the medical transcription service provider to have modes of document delivery that enables the healthcare professionals to have access of transcripts through their preferred mode. There could be variations like delivery of transcripts to specific folders, delivery to multiple users, remote printing and faxing options etc

4.     Archives: It is important that the medical transcription service provider provides an archiving system which enables the healthcare professionals and support staff to retrieve old records using various search criteria

5.     Job summary: It is important for the support staff at the healthcare facility to keep track of number of dictations uploaded, work in progress and transcripts delivered. To enable this the medical transcription service provider needs to provide a comprehensive job summary with all these details.

6.     Billing method: Reduced cost is perhaps one of the main benefit one hopes to gain from the outsourcing process. To ensure actual cost savings, it is important that the medical transcription service provider clearly defines the billing method used along with all the parameters used for calculating cost.

• Technological: This would include: 

1.     Getting started with outsourced medical transcription services: Getting started on outsourced medical transcription services could include configuring healthcare facility system with the service provider's system, building VPN tunnels, installing software, ADT feeds etc.

2.     HIPAA / HITECH compliance: Protection of patient data during the medical transcription process can be ensured by use of security features like 128-bit data encryption, multi-tiered application architecture, design level security safeguards, firewall protected networks, sterilized e-mail servers etc.

3.     HL7 interface: To configure the interfaces and deliver reports to EMR/EHR as HL7 messages at no additional costs.

4.     Upgrading software: Software to be upgraded automatically. 

• Customer service channels: This step of the outsourcing process is simply establishing that the medical transcription service provider has channels of communication so that any issues that may arise during transition can be solved at once. Having open channels of communication with the service provider ensures that the healthcare professional/ healthcare facility is in a position to seek instant relief for any doubts/ problems that is faced by them during the course of transition to outsourced medical transcription services or during any subsequent stage  

TransDyne, a leader in the outsourced medical transcription industry has been providing medical transcription services for over a decade. TransDyne provides outsourced medical transcription services that include all the service parameters described above.  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 trustworthy outsourced medical transcription services from TransDyne, click here.

Medical transcription outsourcing: Fulfilling the purpose of clinical documentation

The process of healthcare is based on the premise of drawing meaningful and significant inputs from various sources, including the experience, education and expertise of healthcare professionals & support staff, inputs from other sources like pharmaceuticals, laboratories and numerous other sources. Information regarding every step of the healthcare process in a patient medical record is one factor that has always been a common factor helping bring together all sources to provide quality healthcare profitably.

Medical transcription is the process of creating patient medical records from the dictation of the patient- healthcare professional encounter. Accurate, timely and secure medical transcription is the result of the culmination of resources like the right team, the right processes and the right technology. Outsourcing medical transcription ensures that patient medical records meet all the quality criteria without diluting the focus of healthcare facilities on their core business of providing quality care. Outsourcing medical transcription also ensures enormous cost saving benefits.

Outsourced medical transcription service providers help the healthcare facility fulfill the purpose of clinical documentation.

How do outsourced medical transcription services help fulfill the purpose of clinical documentation?

The purpose of documenting the patient- healthcare professional encounter can be defined as:

• To provide a point of reference: Patient medical records basically provide a chronicle of the patient's health history. This information is invaluable as a diagnostic tool for planning present and future care

• For the purpose of communication: The process of healthcare requires that a primary healthcare professional may refer to specialists for inputs regarding the treatment provided to the patient. Patient medical records are essential for communication in such cases.

• To establish accountability: Patient medical records act as evidence of the appropriateness of care provided. These inputs are invaluable in case of litigation where the healthcare professional has to justify the diagnosis and the treatment provided.

• Fulfill legislative requirements: Maintaining patient medical records for a certain period of time is mandated by law.

• Quality improvement: Documenting the healthcare process helps healthcare professionals and healthcare facilities improve the quality of healthcare services provided.

• Research: Patient medical records provide valuable inputs for research and also help healthcare facilities provide preventive care

• To ensure reimbursements: Patient medical records are the basis on which coding and billing is done leading to reimbursements. 

Outsourced medical transcription services help in all the mentioned aspects of documentation by providing services with the following benefits:

Accurate: Outsourced medical transcription service providers ensure that the transcripts are created with maximum accuracy using specialty trained medical transcriptionists and stringent quality check methods

Timely: Outsourced medical transcription service providers ensure that transcripts are made available to healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals using a combination of the right team and the right technology

Secure: Outsourced medical transcription service providers ensure that the confidential patient data is secure throughout the medical transcription process by securing technology, teams and infrastructure

Cost effective: Outsourced medical transcription service providers are able to help healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals save on cost of transcription substantially by helping them convert fixed cost of transcription to variable costs, bring down the cost of medical transcription by passing on the benefits of economies of scale achieved by them and eliminating indirect costs.

Technology: Outsourced medical transcription service providers have used technology to provide medical transcription services with the following benefits, while still being easy to use:

• Retaining familiar modes of dictation
• Different modes of document delivery
• Archives
• EMR/EHR adoption 

It can be seen that outsourced medical transcription service providers understand the need for clinical documentation and help fulfill the purpose of documentation.

TransDyne, a leader in the outsourced medical transcription industry has utilized their extensive background in information technology and their experience in providing medical transcription services to come up with medical transcription solutions that help healthcare facilities save on time, money and effort. 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.

Medical transcription outsourcing: Maintaining quality standards

Medical transcription is basically the process of converting audio records of the patient- healthcare professional encounter into text format. Medical transcription services need to meet the quality standards of being accurate, timely, secure and cost effective. Components of quality medical transcription can be understood by understanding the process of medical transcription from the beginning to end.

Medical transcription starts when the patient visits the healthcare facility for availing healthcare services. Once the visit is concluded the healthcare professional dictates details of the encounter into a recording device of his choice. These audio files are then transcribed by a medical transcriptionist into text format.  An easy fix for healthcare facilities to ensure quality medical transcription is to outsource the entire transcription process to an outsourced medical transcription service provider.

 The quality of the information captured in patient records is also dependent on the quality of voice capture along with the skill of the medical transcriptionist team working on it. Quality standards in medical transcription are maintained by maintaining the quality standards at every step of medical transcription including voice capture and the medical transcription process.

Voice capture: Capturing the inputs provided by the healthcare professional and support staff after the patient- healthcare professional encounter is vital to ensure that the patient records accurately and comprehensively reflect all the details. Patient records are valuable resources to ensure continuity of care and to start the reimbursement process.

To ensure that narration of the healthcare professional is captured comprehensively it is important to cover the following aspects:

a)    Identifying the document type: The healthcare professional needs to identify the type of document he/she wants transcribed to enable the medical transcriptionist to use the requisite template/format.

b)    Use of dictation equipment: The healthcare professional needs to be familiar and comfortable with the mode of dictation

c)     Dictated content: The content in the audio file needs to be clear, comprehensive and concise

d)    Confidentiality and security: Healthcare professionals should dictate in an environment that protects the security of confidential patient information

e)    Education of dictators: Healthcare professionals need to be instructed on best practices for dictation.

The transcription process:

a)    Efficient processes: The medical transcriptionists working on the medical transcription process need to provide accurate and timely services. To enable this the medical transcription service provider has to have the right training program in place to train medical transcriptionists in one or two specialties making them domain experts. This ensures medical transcription that is accurate and meet turnaround time requirements

b)    Secure: Security during the process of medical transcription including ensuring secure transfer of audio files for transcription and transcripts, secure processes and infrastructure needs to be ensured. The medical transcription service provider needs to secure technology, processes, infrastructure and educate the team to ensure HIPAA and HITECH compliance

c)     Management of transcription process: To ensure turnaround time of medical transcription it is important that the audio files are transferred to the medical transcription service provider at the earliest, the work is allocated to medical transcriptionists according to their specialty. To ensure quality transcription it is also essential to put the transcripts through a stringent quality process.

d)    Interfacing to enable transmission of audio files and transcripts: The technology used by the medical transcription service provider needs to ensure an automatic system, which checks for audio files and transmits to the medical transcription service provider for transcription. Document delivery modes to ensure secure, convenient and customized delivery of transcripts to healthcare professionals.

For seamless transition to outsourced medical transcription services it is also important to have the management support in the following areas:

a)    Follow through on HIPAA and HITECH compliance

b)    Timely problem resolution 

While outsourcing medical transcription it is important to source a medical transcription service provider who has a comprehensive quality process.

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, a leader in the outsourced medical transcription industry provides complete 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 outsourced medical transcription services from TransDyne, click here.

Medical transcription outsourcing: Make an informed choice for desired results

Outsourcing medical transcription has been acknowledged to be a sensible option for healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals looking for accurate, speedy, secure and cost effective medical transcription services. However while outsourcing a vital component of the healthcare process like medical transcription it is important to make an informed choice so as to ensure a long-term partnership.

To achieve the desired objective of outsourcing medical transcription it is imperative that the healthcare facilities follow a clear-cut process of outsourcing, consisting of the following steps:

• Identify the objective of outsourcing: While outsourcing an important aspect of the healthcare delivery chain like medical transcription it is important to identify what exactly one hopes to gain from the outsourcing decision.

          It would seem obvious that the desired outcome of outsourcing medical transcription would be to save on costs, but there could also be other objectives like expansion of           services, better time management, gaining access to a larger pool of talent &        technology etc. Identifying the desired outcome of the outsourcing decision can help in   the evaluation the medical transcription service provider based on their capability to       help achieve this objective. Focusing only on the cost saving aspect can lead to the         wrong choice.

• Identify the risks: Outsourcing medical transcription involves certain inherent risks and it is better to identify these risks; this will help in evaluating the medical transcription service provider on the basis of their capability to minimize these risks. The inherent risks involved in outsourcing medical transcription are:

a)    The inability of the medical transcription service provider to cope with volume

               fluctuations.

b)    The risk  of pricing with hidden costs

c)     Security risk

d)    Technology mismatch risk

e)    Quality risk

• Evaluate the service provider: This step of the outsourcing process involves evaluating the medical transcription service provider to ensure that the potential risks that may arise out of outsourcing can be mitigated.

1.     Years of experience: The number of years the medical transcription service provider has been in existence is an indication of the robustness of the service provider

2.     Relevant experience: The experience of the medical transcription service provider in having served healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals of similar types is an important aspect to be evaluated as this indicates the capability of the service provider.

3.     References: Getting feedback of the existing customers of the medical transcription service provider establishes the service provider as being capable of delivering services as promised

4.     Pricing: While outsourcing medical transcription it is important to study the cost quoted by the service provider in detail. As cost saving is one of the main objectives of outsourcing it is important to evaluate the billing method used by the service provider to ensure that the components of pricing are understood by all concerned

5.     Accuracy: As patient medical records support the operational, legal and commercial aspects of the healthcare facility it is important to ensure that the information captured in the patient records is as accurate as possible. To evaluate the capability of the medical transcription service provider to deliver accurate transcription it is important to focus on the training methods and the quality check procedure

6.     Turnaround time: Timely transcription helps in clinical decision-making and in quickening the reimbursement process. The capability of the medical transcription service provider to meet the turnaround time requirements can be evaluated by assessing the availability of trained transcriptionists  and the technology used

7.     HIPAA and HITECH compliance: Protecting confidential information is not only the moral obligation of the healthcare facility, but it is also mandated by law. As the medical transcription process requires the transmission of this data to and from the healthcare facility it is important to evaluate the measures taken by the service provider for HIPAA / HITECH compliance

8.     Technical compatibility: The technology used by the medical transcription service provider ensures speed, security and convenience. It is important to assess this to ensure compatibility with the systems of the healthcare facility to ensure that no further investments are required

9.     After sales service: Outsourcing medical transcription requires a certain period of hand holding, having multiple channels of communication  can help resolve any issues as soon as they arise. It is important to establish that the service provider possesses adequate after sales service.

10. Scalability of services: It is important to evaluate the scalability of the medical transcription service provider's services to suit future service requirements like expansion of operations, adopting EMR, providing speech recognition software editing services etc.

• Getting started with outsourced services: Once all these factors have been evaluated the next step is to sign the contract and getting started on availing outsourced medical transcription services.

Following a systematic and scientific approach to outsourcing medical transcription can help the healthcare facility avail maximum benefits from  outsourcing option.

TransDyne, a leader in the outsourced medical transcription industry has been providing medical transcription services for over a decade. 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 value added services

Medical transcription is the process of creating patient medical records of the patient- healthcare professional encounter, converting audio to text. Medical transcription services have always provided valuable support to healthcare in both the operational and commercial aspects. However medical transcription is a specialized service requiring healthcare facilities to source the right team, purchase the right equipment and have efficient processes in place to ensure accurate and prompt creation of patient records. Moreover medical transcription also requires substantial commitment from the healthcare facility in terms of overheads like space allocation, utilities and participation of staff from several departments. All these factors add to the costs, making having an in-house medical transcription department an unattractive option.

Outsourcing medical transcription has been found to a convenient solution for healthcare professionals and healthcare facilities seeking to create patient records in a hassle free and cost effective manner. Outsourcing medical transcription ensures that patient records are created in an accurate, prompt and secure manner, while bringing down the cost of transcription by more than 40%. Though substantial savings on cost of transcription is one of the foremost benefits of outsourcing medical transcription it is important to concentrate on all the factors that could  add value to the process.

What are the factors that add value to medical transcription services?

• Providing a system for medical transcription:Though the concept of medical transcription is fairly simple; converting audio to text, it requires technological backup to follow a sequence from dictation to transcription. The typical sequence would be         

1.     Dictation

2.     Uploading audio files to the server

3.     Transmitting audio files for transcription

4.     Medical transcription

5.     Transmission of transcripts

6.     Delivery of transcripts through preferred modes

7.     Archiving of files

8.     EMR adoption

Outsourcing medical transcription would ensure that healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals would benefit from the software and tools used by the service    provider which would ensure an automatic sequence for the entire  process.

• Customized delivery modes: Another major benefit of outsourced medical transcription services is that the healthcare professional and healthcare facility can specify the preferred mode of document delivery. Options like delivery to specified folders, delivery to multiple users, remote printing/ faxing options etc. could be customized as per the specifications of healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals.

• HIPAA and HITECH compliant medical transcription: The major concern of healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals is that of protecting confidential patient information. By outsourcing to a HIPAA/ HITECH compliant service provider the healthcare facility can rest assured of the security of data through the medical transcription process.

• Leveraging on the medical transcription service provider experience:The experience of the medical transcription service provider is another factor that should be considered during the process of outsourcing. This factor ensures the healthcare facility/ healthcare professional of long term hassle free services. 

While outsourcing medical transcription it is important for healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals to look beyond  the price quoted by the medical transcription service provider. This will ensure that the healthcare facility/ healthcare professional can benefit from the experience and expertise of the medical transcription service provider on  a long term basis.

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 total 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 medical transcription services from TransDyne, click here.

Medical transcription outsourcing: What is important accuracy or turnaround time?

While outsourcing medical transcription what is more important accuracy or turnaround time?

To answer this question, it is vital to understand the healthcare process and the role of medical transcription in the healthcare process.

Healthcare is a service that comes with great responsibilities being one of the basic necessities of life - saving lives and improving quality of life. As healthcare is a service that depends on various inputs to ensure quality on a continued basis, healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals are constantly endeavoring to provide better services to their patients by improving facilities, adding new equipment and enhancing skill levels.  The process of healthcare is a continuous one depending on many inputs, one of them being information regarding patients.

Considering the dependence of healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals on the information available in patient records it is very important that patient records are created capturing maximum details. Having detailed records of the patient- healthcare professional encounter helps healthcare professionals and healthcare facilities in the following:

• Saving on time
• Providing background information
• Important details of the patient's past medical history
• Current medications, preventing wrong drug interaction
• Allergies
• In case of a healthcare emergency, the only source of information
• Providing continuity of care during shift changes
• Providing evidence in case of malpractice litigation
• Providing information for referrals to specialists
• Preventing wastage of resources by preserving a record of tests/ X rays etc
• Providing information for billing of services. 

Medical transcription is the process of creating patient records by converting the audio of the patient- healthcare professional encounter into text format. Medical transcription aids in the healthcare process by ensuring that the patient- healthcare professional encounter is captured in its entire entirety by a professional medical transcriptionist trained to be an expert in all the skills required. Outsourcing  medical transcription ensures that the process of creating patient records is a continuous and seamless process.

Considering the role played by outsourced medical transcription services in the healthcare process it is important for patient records to created with maximum accuracy and within a reasonable turnaround time.

What is meant by accuracy?

This means the percentage of accuracy of the completed transcripts vis-à-vis what was dictated. It is important for the information to be captured with maximum accuracy, as the information in the patient records is vital to the healthcare process.

How can the healthcare facility be ensured about outsourced medical transcription services with maximum accuracy?

While outsourcing medical transcription, one of the concerns of healthcare facilities is whether the outsourced medical transcription service provider can deliver accuracy levels as promised. To ensure that the service provider has the capability to deliver quality as promised it is important to evaluate the service provider on the following:

          a) Training methods used

          b) Transcription executed in-house and not through sub contractors

          c) Quality check levels

          d) Availing a free trial

What is turnaround time?

Turnaround time is the duration between uploading dictation to the server and when the final transcribed document is made available to the healthcare facility/ healthcare professional.

How can the healthcare facility be ensured of medical transcription services within reasonable turnaround time?

While outsourcing medical transcription it is important to determine whether the service provider can deliver accurate transcripts within the promised turnaround time, as timely and accurate information is vital to the provision of quality healthcare. There are certain indicators that need to be evaluated to ensure that the service provider can meet turnaround time commitments

          a) Availability of large pool of trained and qualified medical transcriptionists

          b) Use of the right technology

          c) In-house transcription

Evaluating a medical transcription service provider based on all the above criteria will ensure that quality patient records are created on time.

TransDyne, a leader in the outsourced medical transcription industry offers outsourced medical transcription services using the right team, the right process and the right technology. 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 accurate and timely medical transcription services from TransDyne, click here.