Work at Home as a Medical Transcriptionist
For many people working at home would be a dream come true. The problem is that it is hard to find a job that pays well and can be done from the comfortable environment of home. Medical transcription offers a solution. It is an occupation that is in growing demand, provides a good salary, and allows you to work from home.
What does a medical transcriptionist do? Medical transcriptionists listen to dictated recordings made by physicians and other healthcare professionals and transcribe them into medical reports, correspondence, and other administrative material. This generally involves listening to recordings on a headset and keying the text into a personal computer or word processor. A foot pedal is used to pause the recording when necessary. It is also the transcriptionist's job to edit the text for grammar and clarity. Some of the documents a medical transcriptionist will produce include discharge summaries, history and physical examination reports, operative reports, consultation reports, autopsy reports, diagnostic imaging studies, progress notes, and referral letters.
It is import that a medical transcriptionist understands medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, diagnostic procedures, pharmacology, and treatment assessments. They must also be able to translate medical jargon and abbreviations into their expanded forms. Transcripitonist's will often refer to standard medical reference materials in order to accurately identity medical terms.
Most employers prefer to hire transcriptionists who have completed postsecondary training in medical transcription, offered by many vocational schools, community colleges, and distance-learning programs. Completion of a 2-year associate degree or 1-year certificate program is highly recommended. These programs will include coursework in anatomy, medical terminology, legal issues relating to healthcare documentation, and English grammar and punctuation. Many programs also include supervised on-the-job experience.
With experience, medical transcriptionists can advance to supervisory positions, home-based work, editing, consulting, or teaching. With additional education or training, some become medical records and health information technicians, medical coders, or medical records and health information administrators.
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