Possibilities in Medical Transcription Files Delivery
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Here is a list of the seven different delivery possibilities;
Email is an option for delivery only when you are dealing with a small client and when time is not an important factor. However sending files via e-mail require 128 bit encryption so that all sensitive patient information is always kept secure and confidential.
In the modem-to-modem transfer method, files are transferred from a computer directly via phone lines into a database ata hospital/clinic. Factors to be considered while adopting the modem transfer method should include,
The TASP (Transcription Application Service Provider) provides end-to-end technology solution from the physician to the MTSO (or hospital transcription manager) to the medical transcriptionist and back, all with a high level of security and work flow automation. It invests in servers, firewalls, and software / security technologies, including T1 voice and data connectivity.
In the FTP methods, files are either "pushed" or "pulled" from one PC to the other using the Internet. Using just the local Internet connection this method helps in avoiding telephone charges. The transcription company will have installed a transcription database into which files are delivered.
Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a USD based medical transcription company that offers highly secure and affordable outsourcing solutions in medical coding, medical billing and medical transcription.
Test
If you have outsourced your medical transcription work either domestically or to an offshore country, it is important that you receive back the finished transcripts in time. This is possible only when the system is well planned and organized. There are different technologies and methods that one can choose from. Depending on the available infrastructure and the convenience, expenses, time available and other factors, we must adopted from one of the below mentioned methods for getting back the finished transcription files.
Here is a list of the seven different delivery possibilities;
- As Paper documents
- By e-mail
- Modem transfer
- Web access method
- By fax
- TASP
- By FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
Email is an option for delivery only when you are dealing with a small client and when time is not an important factor. However sending files via e-mail require 128 bit encryption so that all sensitive patient information is always kept secure and confidential.
In the modem-to-modem transfer method, files are transferred from a computer directly via phone lines into a database ata hospital/clinic. Factors to be considered while adopting the modem transfer method should include,
- Modem speed
- Firewall /network penetration
- Phone charges
The TASP (Transcription Application Service Provider) provides end-to-end technology solution from the physician to the MTSO (or hospital transcription manager) to the medical transcriptionist and back, all with a high level of security and work flow automation. It invests in servers, firewalls, and software / security technologies, including T1 voice and data connectivity.
In the FTP methods, files are either "pushed" or "pulled" from one PC to the other using the Internet. Using just the local Internet connection this method helps in avoiding telephone charges. The transcription company will have installed a transcription database into which files are delivered.
Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a USD based medical transcription company that offers highly secure and affordable outsourcing solutions in medical coding, medical billing and medical transcription.
Test
Labels: medical billing, medical coding, medical transcription, medical transcription files delivery, medical transcription outsourcing services
posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 7:04 PM
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Medical Transcription Tools and Equipment
Monday, February 11, 2008
Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based medical transcription company that offers outsourcing solutions in medical transcription, medical billing and medical coding for clients in the US and outside.
Medical transcription has evolved over the years and has always made use of the cutting edge technologies. Many different tools/equipment get used during the medical transcription process. Here is a list of the different tools/ software and equipment that are used either during home based medical transcription or at a bigger work unit that may consist of transcriptionists, editors, Quality Assurance, leaders etc. This list of equipment and tools is not exhaustive.
- MP3 playback software
- Document processor software (like LYX)
- Version Control software
- Time markers
- Bud microphone
- Digital voice recorder
- Headphone
- Computer with Internet/PrinterDesk and comfortable chair
- AAMT Book of StyleEncryption software
- File/Documents management software
- Blue Cross/ Shield Directory
- Electronic Medical Dictionary
- Fax machine
- Document shredder
- Word processing program
- Audio playback software
- Anti virus program/
- Thesaurus/dictionary for windows
- System recovery software
- Drug/pharmaceutical reference guide
- Foot pedal
- Ad blocker
- Medical specialty books
- Google toolbar
- Spyware removal Utility
- Monthly newsletter
- Telephone line
- Editing software
- Conference recorder
- Voice recognition software
- Dictation recording equipment
- Text counting software (for home based work)
Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based medical transcription company that offers outsourcing solutions in medical transcription, medical billing and medical coding for clients in the US and outside.
Labels: medical billing, medical coding, medical transcription, medical transcription equipment, medical transcription tools
posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 9:12 PM
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The Medical Transcription Team
Sunday, February 10, 2008
The work is now passed on by the transcriptionist to the next level that consists of quality editors. What do the quality editors do? Well as the name suggests, the quality editors have to edit the transcript, which means, looking out for finer errors (such as spelling mistakes, incorrect words and proper formatting). The QA has to make sure that the transcript is ready for release to the client.
Call OSI (Outsource Strategies International) the Oklahoma based medical transcription company for domestic and offshore solutions in medical coding and medical transcription outsourcing.
In any average sized medical transcription unit one will come across a team of people executing the project. The common hierarchies of people who form the transcription team include,
- The Transcriptionist
- Quality Editors (QA)
- Project Administrators
The work is now passed on by the transcriptionist to the next level that consists of quality editors. What do the quality editors do? Well as the name suggests, the quality editors have to edit the transcript, which means, looking out for finer errors (such as spelling mistakes, incorrect words and proper formatting). The QA has to make sure that the transcript is ready for release to the client.
Call OSI (Outsource Strategies International) the Oklahoma based medical transcription company for domestic and offshore solutions in medical coding and medical transcription outsourcing.
Labels: medical billing, medical coding, medical transcription outsourcing, QA transcription, transcription project editors
posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 11:03 PM
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Geriatrics Medical Transcription
Friday, February 1, 2008
It is unfortunate that there is a shortage of geriatricians/ physicians with geriatric training in the US, even though the number of aged population is ever growing. Many a times we have come across cases where a surgery for the elderly patient was prevented by the timely intervention of a geriatric specialist. Due to this shortage, the nation's top academic geriatricians, focus on teaching the core principles of their specialty to everyone, including surgeons or discharge planners etc.
Geriatrics medical transcription is about medical transcription of documents from the geriatricians or other physicians trained in geriatrics. During geriatrics medical transcription it is always preferred to give the work to professional transcriptionists who have had previous experience in handling geriatrics cases. They will be more familiar with the drugs, problems and solutions of the elderly. Some of the common problems seen in the elderly are,
Geriatrics transcription services handle all types of medical records for the elderly that can include a wide range of documents including, physical reports, clinic notes, operative reports, consultation notes, psychiatric evaluations, laboratory reports X-ray reports, pathology reports, discharge summaries etc.
Contact OSI (Outsource Strategies International) an Oklahoma based medical transcription company that offers highly professional outsourcing solutions for your entire medical billing, medical coding and medical transcription service needs.
Geriatrics is a specialty branch of medicine that focuses on health promotion and the prevention and treatment of disease and disability in old age. Besides the regular medical attention Geriatrics also deals with the psychology, economic and social aspects of the elderly.
It is unfortunate that there is a shortage of geriatricians/ physicians with geriatric training in the US, even though the number of aged population is ever growing. Many a times we have come across cases where a surgery for the elderly patient was prevented by the timely intervention of a geriatric specialist. Due to this shortage, the nation's top academic geriatricians, focus on teaching the core principles of their specialty to everyone, including surgeons or discharge planners etc.
Geriatrics medical transcription is about medical transcription of documents from the geriatricians or other physicians trained in geriatrics. During geriatrics medical transcription it is always preferred to give the work to professional transcriptionists who have had previous experience in handling geriatrics cases. They will be more familiar with the drugs, problems and solutions of the elderly. Some of the common problems seen in the elderly are,
- Incontinence
- Immobility
- Osteoporosis
- Memory loss
- Gastrointestinal disturbances
- Instability
- Obesity
- Lung problems
- Insufficient blood supply
Geriatrics transcription services handle all types of medical records for the elderly that can include a wide range of documents including, physical reports, clinic notes, operative reports, consultation notes, psychiatric evaluations, laboratory reports X-ray reports, pathology reports, discharge summaries etc.
Contact OSI (Outsource Strategies International) an Oklahoma based medical transcription company that offers highly professional outsourcing solutions for your entire medical billing, medical coding and medical transcription service needs.
Labels: geriatrics medical transcription, HIPAA, medical billing, medical coding, medical transcription company, specialty medical transcription, transcription company
posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 8:06 PM
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The Medical Transcription Industry Association
Thursday, January 31, 2008
MTIA is a not-for-profit trade association serving the needs of medical transcription companies, vendors, and health information management professionals. Its Mission is to create the environment in which the members can prosper, grow, and deliver the highest level of healthcare-documentation services.
Take a look at its board of directors at http://www.mtia.com/bod.cfm and MTIA Code of Ethics at http://www.mtia.com/CodeOfEthics.cfm
See details of the different types of memberships at https://www.mtia.com/MembershipCategories.cfm
MTIA membership application is available at https://www.mtia.com/MTIAMembershipApp.cfm
MTIA's Annual Conference for this year is scheduled for April 23-26, 2008 at Long Beach, California. Here is the schedule of events at the conference, https://www.mtia.com/downloads/MTIA%202008%20Schedule%20at%20A%20Glance.pdf
For outsourcing solutions in medical coding, medical billing and medical transcription services, do call the Oklahoma based medical transcription company OSI (Outsource Strategies International)
Way back in 1989, Health Professions Institute sponsored and started a forum that was needed for the medical transcription managers and owners to interact and discuss the medical transcription business, its technology etc. Even though the AAMT (American Association of Medical Transcription) was already a very good source of related industry information, there was an unfulfilled need for forming an association that solely represented the interests of the MT business people. Thus gradually in October 1993, MTIA (Medical Transcription Industry Association) officially came into being. Its website is,http://www.mtia.com/index.cfm
MTIA is a not-for-profit trade association serving the needs of medical transcription companies, vendors, and health information management professionals. Its Mission is to create the environment in which the members can prosper, grow, and deliver the highest level of healthcare-documentation services.
Take a look at its board of directors at http://www.mtia.com/bod.cfm and MTIA Code of Ethics at http://www.mtia.com/CodeOfEthics.cfm
See details of the different types of memberships at https://www.mtia.com/MembershipCategories.cfm
MTIA membership application is available at https://www.mtia.com/MTIAMembershipApp.cfm
MTIA's Annual Conference for this year is scheduled for April 23-26, 2008 at Long Beach, California. Here is the schedule of events at the conference, https://www.mtia.com/downloads/MTIA%202008%20Schedule%20at%20A%20Glance.pdf
For outsourcing solutions in medical coding, medical billing and medical transcription services, do call the Oklahoma based medical transcription company OSI (Outsource Strategies International)
Labels: medical billing, medical coding, medical transcription association, medical transcription industry association, MTIA
posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 9:08 PM
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Surgery Medical Transcription
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Some of the different types of surgery transcription areas include,
In any allopathic medical practice, surgery is an important aspect. Surgery transcription involves converting all the surgeon's voice tapes about a surgical procedure into neatly typed documents. And thus surgery transcription is an important specialty in medical transcription. Surgery transcriptions are used for settlement of insurance claims and legal matters.
Some of the different types of surgery transcription areas include,
- Dental surgery
- General Surgery
- Cardiovascular/thoracic surgery
- Abdominal/ gastrointestinal surgery
- Orthopedic surgery
- Obstetric and Gynecology surgery
- Neurosurgery
- Plastic surgery
- Surgical instruments (Scissors / scalpels etc)
- Surgical Diathermy
- Endoscopic instruments
- Suction apparatus
- Anesthesia machine
- Pulseoximeter
- Plethysmographs
- Multi parameter patient monitors
- Defibrillators
- Autoclaves
- Infusion pumps
- Autoclaves
Labels: medical billing, medical coding, medical transcription, surgery medical transcription, surgery transcription
posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 11:00 PM
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The Origins of Medical Transcription
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Looking back into the past, all hand written medical records were highly abbreviated and written by the physician who actually treated the patient. Files kept in filing cabinets, that consisted of collections of handwritten notes/scribbles along with typed documents had to be physically retrieved from shelves every time the physician wanted to have a look at them. Further development just involved the duplication of medical records /documents using carbon paper. (I remember doing it myself)
While talking about the history of Medical transcription systems one remembers that various systems had started evolving right from the year 1960. The second generation computers evolved at this time replacing vacuum tubes with transistors. However, all the systems of that period were primarily designed to help the manufacturing process. The very first transcription that was developed happens to be MRP (Medical Resource Planning) in the year 1975 closely followed by MRP2 and referred to the Manufacturing Resource Planning. These systems were yet not useful enough to be used in transcribing records in the medical / health sector. It is only much later in the early 90s that the actual medical transcription, as we know it today, came into existence.
Today when we talk of medical transcription it automatically encompasses the speedy desktop, the Internet, digital transmission, information systems, PDAs, dictation systems, foot pedals, headphones and more. The evolution toward the electronic patient record and HIPAA compliance is forcing everyone to catch up with technology and there is no looking back. Globalization has enabled the medical transcription professional to even sit at home and work for clients who may be located anywhere else on the globe or beyond. As cutting edge technology evolves it would not be wrong for us to say that one can only wait and see how the distant future of this industry is going to be. One can however expect transcription to become a much easier process.
For highly professional and affordable medical transcription, medical billing and coding services call OSI (Outsource Strategies International).
Medical transcription has become a common term today. Technological advances have slowly changed and always defined the medical transcription industry and it still continues to be so. The latest development of voice recognition software and its evolution may some day totally automate and even remove the human element in the medical transcription process. As of now, the traditional medical transcriptionist (MT) is happy to become an editor who has to just edit the documents produced by the VRS (Voice Recording Software) as its technology is still crude and has a long way to go.
Looking back into the past, all hand written medical records were highly abbreviated and written by the physician who actually treated the patient. Files kept in filing cabinets, that consisted of collections of handwritten notes/scribbles along with typed documents had to be physically retrieved from shelves every time the physician wanted to have a look at them. Further development just involved the duplication of medical records /documents using carbon paper. (I remember doing it myself)
While talking about the history of Medical transcription systems one remembers that various systems had started evolving right from the year 1960. The second generation computers evolved at this time replacing vacuum tubes with transistors. However, all the systems of that period were primarily designed to help the manufacturing process. The very first transcription that was developed happens to be MRP (Medical Resource Planning) in the year 1975 closely followed by MRP2 and referred to the Manufacturing Resource Planning. These systems were yet not useful enough to be used in transcribing records in the medical / health sector. It is only much later in the early 90s that the actual medical transcription, as we know it today, came into existence.
Today when we talk of medical transcription it automatically encompasses the speedy desktop, the Internet, digital transmission, information systems, PDAs, dictation systems, foot pedals, headphones and more. The evolution toward the electronic patient record and HIPAA compliance is forcing everyone to catch up with technology and there is no looking back. Globalization has enabled the medical transcription professional to even sit at home and work for clients who may be located anywhere else on the globe or beyond. As cutting edge technology evolves it would not be wrong for us to say that one can only wait and see how the distant future of this industry is going to be. One can however expect transcription to become a much easier process.
For highly professional and affordable medical transcription, medical billing and coding services call OSI (Outsource Strategies International).
Labels: evolution of medical transcription, medical billing, medical transcription history, origin of medical transcription, origins, transcription company
posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 6:01 PM
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HIPAA Compliant Medical Transcription
Monday, January 21, 2008
Thus HIPAA compliant medical transcription service providers must,
Take a look at the full text of HIPAA at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/HIPAAGenInfo/Downloads/HIPAALaw.pdf
Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based BPO company that offers professional yet affordable services in medical transcription, medical billing and medical coding.
What is HIPAA? It stands for The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. It is the standard for electronic exchange of sensitive patient data and protects patients from disclosure of their medical data without authorization. HIPAA has many regulations for electronic transmission of sensitive patient data that define internal procedures that have to be followed for privacy and security. It has become mandatory for all medical transcription service providers to comply with all HIPAA requirements.
Thus HIPAA compliant medical transcription service providers must,
- Ensure security of PHI (Patient Health Information)
- Maintain record of all those who access patient information
- Implement new technology/processes
- Provide physical security requiring password protection.
Take a look at the full text of HIPAA at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/HIPAAGenInfo/Downloads/HIPAALaw.pdf
Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based BPO company that offers professional yet affordable services in medical transcription, medical billing and medical coding.
Labels: health insurance, HIPAA act, medical billing, medical coding, medical transcription
posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 7:00 PM
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Medical Transcription Quality Assurance
Sunday, January 20, 2008
This is what The American Association of Transcription has stated on the principles of quality in Medical transcription.
Principles of Quality
Take a look at the AAMT statement at http://www.ahdionline.org/scriptcontent/qualityassurance.cfm
Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based company that offers services in medical transcription, medical coding, and medical billing to clients globally.
It is true that to err is human but all medical transcription must have minimum error and a good level of quality assurance is mandatory. Transposition errors are different from transcription errors. As the name suggest, transposition errors occur when characters have "transposed" (switched places). The most common errors in transcription include omission of a dictated word, using of the wrong word, misspelling of words, typographical errors and grammatical errors.
This is what The American Association of Transcription has stated on the principles of quality in Medical transcription.
Principles of Quality
When a document is reviewed (i.e., audited) for quality, key principles in establishing quality assurance criteria for that document are:
- The transcribed report should be reviewed against the actual dictation. Reading the report without listening to the dictation does not provide an accurate comparison of the transcription to the dictation.
- The review should apply industry-specific standards as provided by current resources and references. When evaluating style, punctuation, or grammar, The AAMT Book of Style is the industry standard.
- The review should encompass attention to risk management issues and the documentation standards of accreditation and healthcare compliance agencies.
- Accuracy scores (ratings) should be quantified with the use of a numeric calculation that weights varying degrees of error against the length of the report. AAMT recommends the following quality goals: 100% accuracy with respect to critical errors; 98% accuracy with respect to major errors; and 98% accuracy with respect to all errors in the report, including minor errors (see below for definitions of "critical," "major," and "minor" errors).
- The reviewer (or the review process) should provide timely and consistent feedback to the medical transcriptionist in order to eliminate repetition of errors.
- All measurements, standards, and benchmarks should be disclosed to the medical transcriptionist and should be set forth in written guidelines by the healthcare provider or transcription service.
Take a look at the AAMT statement at http://www.ahdionline.org/scriptcontent/qualityassurance.cfm
Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based company that offers services in medical transcription, medical coding, and medical billing to clients globally.
Labels: AAMT, medical billing, medical transcription, medical transcription errors, transcription quality assurance
posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 10:44 PM
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Medical Transcription Professional: See Where He Comes In!
Friday, January 18, 2008
Anyway, after you have explained your problems and also answered all the queries of the doctor, he will physically examine you and also prescribed for various laboratory tests before he is able to make a diagnosis/differential diagnosis. Only after diagnosis does the doctor comes up with the plan of treatment which he explains and gives you / your family members the required instructions/prescriptions that must be followed. Finally as you come out of the doctor's office, you see the other people waiting for their turn to get in and talk to the doctor. But before someone else walks into the doctor's cabin there is something the doctor does after you have left. Well it's just that the entire encounter he had with you is quickly recorded into a voice recording device (either a cassette recorder, telephone or some other device).
In a few minutes the doctor is on to another patient, another issue and thus the voice recordings continue. By the end of the day/session the doctor has seen many patients requiring various types of treatments. Now where is all that critical patients' data? Can we expect the doctor to remember some of the details? Certainly not! Well as of now, most of the information is on tape and tomorrow the doctor or someone else (like say the insurance people) may need to know exactly what happened with say, patient number 6 who came in last Monday?. Should they be given access to those voice recordings? Can they follow the doctor's rumblings? No indeed, everything has to be neat, and in paper. But then the doctor can't type nor does he have the time for paper work. So who does all that work of converting that technical "doctor talk" into a typed document? You guessed it!
OSI (Outsource Strategies International) is an Oklahoma based domestic and offshore outsourcing solutions provider, for medical transcription, medical billing and coding.
You are not well and have decided to see a specialist about that nagging pain. You go and start talking about the problem to the doctor. Now you may need to talk about the past history of the problem which you will have to remember and maybe rack your brains to remember everything just as it happened. (Ideally you must have some past papers and also made specific notes about the problem).
Anyway, after you have explained your problems and also answered all the queries of the doctor, he will physically examine you and also prescribed for various laboratory tests before he is able to make a diagnosis/differential diagnosis. Only after diagnosis does the doctor comes up with the plan of treatment which he explains and gives you / your family members the required instructions/prescriptions that must be followed. Finally as you come out of the doctor's office, you see the other people waiting for their turn to get in and talk to the doctor. But before someone else walks into the doctor's cabin there is something the doctor does after you have left. Well it's just that the entire encounter he had with you is quickly recorded into a voice recording device (either a cassette recorder, telephone or some other device).
In a few minutes the doctor is on to another patient, another issue and thus the voice recordings continue. By the end of the day/session the doctor has seen many patients requiring various types of treatments. Now where is all that critical patients' data? Can we expect the doctor to remember some of the details? Certainly not! Well as of now, most of the information is on tape and tomorrow the doctor or someone else (like say the insurance people) may need to know exactly what happened with say, patient number 6 who came in last Monday?. Should they be given access to those voice recordings? Can they follow the doctor's rumblings? No indeed, everything has to be neat, and in paper. But then the doctor can't type nor does he have the time for paper work. So who does all that work of converting that technical "doctor talk" into a typed document? You guessed it!
OSI (Outsource Strategies International) is an Oklahoma based domestic and offshore outsourcing solutions provider, for medical transcription, medical billing and coding.
Labels: medical billing, medical coding, medical transcription, medical transcription professional, transcription company
posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 10:15 PM
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MTIAPI and Medical Transcription in The Philippines
The Philippines is the preferred offshore location after India when it comes to outsourcing medical transcription work to Asia. MTIAPI or The Medical Transcription Industry Association of the Philippines, Inc. is a non-stock, non-profit industry organization recognized by the Philippines government and its BPO industry, with the following objectives.
- Promote the outsourcing of medical transcription services.
- Promote the development and education of individuals and corporations with respect to healthcare information and management.
- Organize any lawful activities within the purposes for which a corporation may be organized under the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Here is a list of the MTIAPI members:http://www.mtiapi.com/memlist.html
Take a look at the new set of the MTIAPI board of trustees for 2008 at http://www.mtiapi.com/trustees.html and its new contact /address at http://www.mtiapi.com/Announcement/Announcement.html
The Philippines has the distinct advantage of having a vast pool of English speaking people. It is actually the third largest English speaking country in the world and also the second largest American English speaking country in the world with a literacy rate of almost 94%. It also has the advantage of having the much preferred 12 hour time difference with the United States. The Philippine government had recently announced that Philippines medical transcription companies have won medical transcription and medical coding contracts worth $1.4 million with American clients.
The Philippines also has registered medical transcription training program institutes like The MTC Academy (MTCA) that provides the latest medical transcription training software and reference materials that are currently being used as industry standards within the United States.
Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based BPO service provider offering professional solutions in domestic as well as offshore medical transcription (from both India and The Philippines), medical coding and medical billing.
Labels: medical billing, medical coding, medical transcription, MTIAPI, outsourcing transcription, Philippines
posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 7:40 PM
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The Evolving Medical Transcription
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
In the distant future one can be sure that the voice recognition software will greatly improve and may slowly even replace manual transcription. Adopted technologies such as speech recognition software and application service providers (ASPs) can keep up with the demands of regulations, standards, and cutting-edge demands in this sector. One can also expect that unlike today, medical coding may become embedded within documentation thereby not requiring a separate process and reduce the overall cost of medical transcription.
There is also the growing need for medical transcription to comply with basic Principles of documentation that has been developed by the Consensus Workgroup on Healthcare Documentation & Report Generation. It will look into the following aspects of transcription.
Medical Transcription is a fast growing and evolving sector that has been influenced by many factors over the years. As preferences and standards have changed, one of the significant aspects of medical transcription has been the shift to electronic patient record. What are the basic factors for this evolution? They include,
- Advancement in technology
- Practice workflow
- Regulations
In the distant future one can be sure that the voice recognition software will greatly improve and may slowly even replace manual transcription. Adopted technologies such as speech recognition software and application service providers (ASPs) can keep up with the demands of regulations, standards, and cutting-edge demands in this sector. One can also expect that unlike today, medical coding may become embedded within documentation thereby not requiring a separate process and reduce the overall cost of medical transcription.
There is also the growing need for medical transcription to comply with basic Principles of documentation that has been developed by the Consensus Workgroup on Healthcare Documentation & Report Generation. It will look into the following aspects of transcription.
- Patient details
- Accuracy of document
- Completeness
- Timeliness
- Interoperability
- Retrievability
- Authentication
- Accountability
- Auditability
- Confidentiality
- Security
Labels: medical billing, medical coding, medical technology, medical transcription
posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 10:15 PM
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Medical Billing for the Urgent Care
Medical billing for the urgent care is a different and unique way of medical billing. Let me explain. First what is urgent care? By definition urgent care is the delivery of ambulatory medical care outside of a hospital emergency department on a walk-in basis without a scheduled appointment. In the US, there are more than 9000 urgent care centers and these mainly function after the regular office hours when patients need immediate attention without the need to go to the emergency department of a hospital.
The Urgent Care Association of America (UCAOA) represents these many urgent care centers that provide appropriate and timely alternatives to the more costly and inconvenient hospital emergency departments. Take a look at the accredited urgent care centers http://www.ucaoa.org/accreditation/sites.html
Medical billing is the process of submitting and following up on claims to insurance companies in order to receive payment for services rendered. Medical billers working in the urgent care sector must have specialized knowledge in urgent care billing and also in the specific area medical coding. It is essential for medical billing services to do highly accurate billing at the same time keep the client's outstanding accounts receivable as low as possible. What are these urgent care situations for medical billing? These include,
- Services in the evening/weekend/ holidays
- Compensation for workers
- Services requiring urgent care/emergency services
- Removing foreign body from eyes
- Drug screening
- Breath testing for alcohol
- Injury in workplace/factories etc
Labels: medical billing, medical coding, urgent care, urgent care billing, urgent medical care
posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 8:57 PM
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The Medical Transcription Profession
A Medical transcription professional is often referred to as a medical transcriber or just as an MT. Earlier in the late 1990s, medical transcription professionals were also called as Medical language specialists or Health Information Management professionals.
What is the work done by an MT? Well it is an MT's responsibility to convert the medical records of patients into type written formats. An MT professional has to do the transcription with the help of transcription equipment that may include tape recorders PCs foot pedals etc. They use the tape to playback the recording for listening in and transcribing the dictations that have been recorded by the doctors.
A good medical transcription should ideally have skills in the following areas.
- Good knowledge of medical terms
- Superior typing skills
- Communication skills
- Office automation skills
- Accuracy in sorting/counting and number verification
- Knowledge of Grammar/punctuation
- Experience with multiple medical specialties
Medical transcription professionals can gain the title of a Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) by passing a certification examination that is conducted only by the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI). The AHDI was formerly in the name of American Association for Medical Transcription (AAMT).
For outsourced solutions in medical transcription, medical coding and medical billing please do contact OSI (Outsourced Strategies International) the Oklahoma based BPO pioneer.
Labels: Certified Medical Transcriptionist, medical billing, medical coding, medical transcription, MT, MT professional
posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 7:23 PM
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Medical Transcription Equipment and Technologies
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Some of the technology/software and gears commonly used in the medical transcription business include,
Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based medical transcription company that offers affordable outsourcing of medical transcription, medical coding and medical billing to clients globally and in all the US States and cities.
As in many other fields, digital equipment technology forms the backbone of the modern medical transcription industry. The keyword here is "digital". Over the years most transcription equipment have evolved and digital technology has made it possible for finished medical transcripts to be delivered across the globe in minimal turnaround time. It has also enabled effective outsourcing /offshoring of medical transcription and enabled transcription professionals from other developing countries like India/Philippines to offer their services at competitive rates. Good transcription professionals around the globe can now work even from the comfort of their homes.
Some of the technology/software and gears commonly used in the medical transcription business include,
- Digital microphones
- PC based transcriber software
- Digital transcriber stations
- Speed typing software
- Telephone dictation equipment
- Dictation management software
- Transcription desk reference
- Medical spelling checker
- Micro-cassette voice recorder
- Transcription wrist gloves (fingerless)
- FTP software
- Audio file encryption software
- Conference recorders
- Universal foot pedals
- Stedman's electronic medical dictionary
- Phone-in dictation system
- Transcriber headset
- Speech mikes
- Storage memory stick
- Document counting/ invoicing software
- Voice recognition software
Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based medical transcription company that offers affordable outsourcing of medical transcription, medical coding and medical billing to clients globally and in all the US States and cities.
Labels: coding, digital, gear, medical billing, medical technology, medical transcription, medical transcription company
posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 7:05 PM
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Skills and Duties of a Medical Transcription Professional
Sunday, December 23, 2007
What are the basic requirements to become a good medical transcription professional? They include,
A good medical transcriptionist has to learn and have a good knowledge of basic to advanced medical terminology. The proper application of grammar and the ability to use correct punctuation are also essential to be successful as a transcriptionist.
Among the various duties of a medical transcription are,
Medical Transcription Supervisors are seniors who do all the follow ups on the physicians, take care of all the missing and /or late dictations and are responsible for the timely delivery of reports. Other duties include doing quality assurance checking, maintaining backups, ordering supplies, reports generation and reporting of problems in the infrastructure/ machinery etc.
Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based medical transcription company that offers services in medical billing, medical coding and medical transcription from both domestic as well as offshore work groups.
Becoming a professional medical transcriptionist is today worth considering as a career especially because it is predicted that the MT profession will be in high demand for some time to come. This is chiefly because the rise in the total number of the aging population will cause the entire health care sector to experience a boom for the next ten years at least as predicted by the US Department of Labor. So as the years go by, one can expect that there will be more and more hospitals /doctors/ nurses and other health care technicians including Medical transcriptionists.
What are the basic requirements to become a good medical transcription professional? They include,
- High school level education
- Good communication skill
- Above average in spelling
- Should be good at sorting, checking verifying numerical data
- Ability to follow written instruction
- Records maintenance ability
- Good typing speed/skill
- Skill in use of computer/automation
- Good eye / hand / foot coordination
A good medical transcriptionist has to learn and have a good knowledge of basic to advanced medical terminology. The proper application of grammar and the ability to use correct punctuation are also essential to be successful as a transcriptionist.
Among the various duties of a medical transcription are,
- Transcribing patient information like Social security number/Medical record
- Maintaining references for medical terminology/ procedures
- Maintaining a transcription log book
- Collecting dictation tapes
- Distributing finished transcripts/ reports
Medical Transcription Supervisors are seniors who do all the follow ups on the physicians, take care of all the missing and /or late dictations and are responsible for the timely delivery of reports. Other duties include doing quality assurance checking, maintaining backups, ordering supplies, reports generation and reporting of problems in the infrastructure/ machinery etc.
Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based medical transcription company that offers services in medical billing, medical coding and medical transcription from both domestic as well as offshore work groups.
Labels: medical billing, medical coding, medical transcription, medical transcription company
posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 7:23 PM
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Medical Transcription Software
Thursday, December 20, 2007
So how is it that the present day medical transcriptionists use these software products? When audio dictations from doctors and healthcare professionals are recorded and sent to the transcriber the software is used to create a first draft which is then quickly reviewed by the transcriptionist and edited.
Some of the features / functions of MT software include,
Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based medical transcription company that offers high quality and affordable outsourced services in medical billing, medical coding and medical transcription.
As of today, medical transcription is still preferred to be done manually but a lot of effort and research is going on to develop a software program and make transcription a totally automatic process. With our present day technology medical transcription software and other tools can be of great help to the professional medical transcriptionists. It can greatly reduce the work time and also increase the work productivity and efficiency. But the actual transcription and voice recognition has not been perfected, and thus cannot be totally depended upon.. One cannot yet expect the software to recognize words and use logic like a human being to perfectly come up with the right word all the time. However this is a dynamically evolving area and over the years perfection in automated transcription could become a reality.
So how is it that the present day medical transcriptionists use these software products? When audio dictations from doctors and healthcare professionals are recorded and sent to the transcriber the software is used to create a first draft which is then quickly reviewed by the transcriptionist and edited.
Some of the features / functions of MT software include,
- Capture of the voice
- Speech processing
- Speech recognition
- Document formatting
- Support wide range of audio/video formats
- Remote control /keyboard short cuts
- Quick editing
- Electronic signature
- Document distribution
- Support /manage different time frame rates
- Create time codes and navigate to any specific timeline
- Customize media appearance
- Audio playback possible
- Import data with different settings in text or XML
- Integrates with other healthcare systems
- Easy printing
- Exports / insertions made possible
Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based medical transcription company that offers high quality and affordable outsourced services in medical billing, medical coding and medical transcription.
Labels: medical billing, medical transcription, medical transcription software, medical transcription technology
posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 7:52 PM
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Medical Transcription Standard Recommended
Friday, December 14, 2007
Should there be a Standard for all the finished medical transcription reports and documents? This was a question that did run into some controversies as some MT professionals felt they will lose valuable domain knowledge. The MTIA (Medical Transcription Industry Association) was formed to give leadership to such transcription industry issues. MTIA along with AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association) have recommended a standard unit of measure for medical transcription of patient medical records.
What was the need for such a standard? The goal of the project was to implement a standard for content measurement that health information management (HIM) practitioners can use to evaluate in-house transcription staff and external transcription service suppliers. The 65-character line standard (also called the AAMT line) had been a standard industry wide unit of measure for content measurement that includes space bar, shift key, bold, underscore, and other keystrokes. With this system the cost for the line/character goes beyond just labor as the cost of the technology is bundled along with domain knowledge and human resources. Thus it became mandatory to develop/choose the best possible Industry standard. What are the benefits of having a standard? They are,
- Better business relationships between healthcare organizations and medical transcription service organizations (MTSOs): Hospitals, physician practices, and clinics commonly outsource their transcription to MTSOs, which typically charge for services on a per-unit basis.
- Support of HIM departments in establishing and maintaining service level agreements; patient medical record transcription may be managed in-house by facility HIM staff or by an outside service supplier.
- Improved tools for evaluating and selecting transcription service providers: many suppliers have adopted unique line-counting or character counting definitions in order to differentiate them and stand out in a crowded field.
It has been recommended by the MTIA /AHIMA task force that among all the existing counting methods like ASCII line, the 65-character line, gross line, gross page, per minute pricing, and visible black character (VBC) measurement standards, VBC is the only counting method that can be easily understood, verified, and replicated by all parties in the medical transcription business processes.
Refer the MTIA whitepaper at http://www.mtia.com/downloads/StandardUnitOfMeasure.pdf
Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based medical transcription company that offers professional yet affordable outsourced services (both domestic and offshore) in medical billing, medical coding and medical transcription.
Labels: AHIMA, medical billing, medical coding, medical transcription, MTIA, standards
posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 11:07 PM
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Medical Transcription Industry Conference 2008
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Online registrations can be done at https://www.mtia.com/ConfReg08.cfm
Registration forms can be down loaded at http://www.mtia.com/downloads/Conf08RegForm.pdf
If you want to see all the other MTIA events that are scheduled for 2008 go to http://www.mtia.com/events.cfm
Contact Outsource Strategies International (OSI), the US based medical transcription company that offers total outsourcing solutions in medical transcription, medical billing and medical coding.
The Medical Transcription Industry Association (MTIA) will conduct their 19th annual conference, MTIA Conference 2008, in California from April 23-26, 2008. The venue is Hyatt Regency, the standout luxurious hotel in the Long Beach area.
Online registrations can be done at https://www.mtia.com/ConfReg08.cfm
Registration forms can be down loaded at http://www.mtia.com/downloads/Conf08RegForm.pdf
If you want to see all the other MTIA events that are scheduled for 2008 go to http://www.mtia.com/events.cfm
Contact Outsource Strategies International (OSI), the US based medical transcription company that offers total outsourcing solutions in medical transcription, medical billing and medical coding.
Labels: medical billing, medical transcription conference, medical transcription industry association, MTIA Conference 2008, outsourcing
posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 9:15 PM
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Medical Transcription Jobs are in Demand
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Where is the actual need for medical transcription generated in the health sector? Well there are various areas where the MTs can work. These include any place with medical facilities like,
Medical transcriptionists can be regular employees for hospitals working from homes or self styled contracted freelancers working on short term or long term projects.
A good MT professional must be certified and must either complete a 1 year certificate course or a 2 years associate's program. Some of the challenges faced by these MT professionals include, long work hours and stress and poor quality of audio recordings.
Current salary range for the medical transcription professional is from $10.00 to $20.00 per hour. MTs can evolve into editors and consultants or become instructors. As of today the future seems to be bright for those choosing to get into this field of work.
Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based medical transcription company that offers outsourcing services in medical billing, coding and transcription for clients in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia.
It is predicted that medical transcription professionals will be in demand and a lot of job openings will be available for them over the coming years. This is because there is this continuous growth of the health care sector triggered by the increase in the percentage of ageing population. So when more facilities come up it will mean generation of more health sector jobs including for the medical transcription professionals.
Where is the actual need for medical transcription generated in the health sector? Well there are various areas where the MTs can work. These include any place with medical facilities like,
- Hospitals
- Physician's office
- Transcription service provider's premises
- Diagnostic laboratories
- Business support service offices
Medical transcriptionists can be regular employees for hospitals working from homes or self styled contracted freelancers working on short term or long term projects.
A good MT professional must be certified and must either complete a 1 year certificate course or a 2 years associate's program. Some of the challenges faced by these MT professionals include, long work hours and stress and poor quality of audio recordings.
Current salary range for the medical transcription professional is from $10.00 to $20.00 per hour. MTs can evolve into editors and consultants or become instructors. As of today the future seems to be bright for those choosing to get into this field of work.
Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based medical transcription company that offers outsourcing services in medical billing, coding and transcription for clients in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia.
Labels: coding, India medical transcription, medical billing, MT services
posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 8:03 PM
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Medical Transcription and the US-India Time Difference
Doctors and other medical professionals across USA treat diseases and take care of the sick all day long. But just treating or curing is not enough. The why, what, how, and when details of every single patient that walked into a hospital has to go on digital record as is required by law. So after finishing every single process /procedure doctors are seen talking in and recording into Dictaphones.
Who will listen to these miles of hi-tech tapes? Well that is the medical transcription professional's job who must transcribe every uttered word into text to be stored as printed or electronic data and to become accessible in the future worldwide if required. Actually medical transcription has always been there since ages. The medical transcribers of yesteryears were usually those who assisted the doctors and manually made note of the patient and the treatment details.
Outsourcing of Medical transcription to Asia is very favorable. Of course primarily because Indian labor is good and cheaper and also because of the low TAT (Turn Around Time). All voice recordings are sent can get transcribed by the next day morning itself. Is it that someone sits all night and transcribes those tapes? Yes and No. Let me explain. The days audio files are daily sent by evening to India where it is now day break. (due to the natural 12 hour time difference) The data is then transcribed during the day (Indian day) and uploaded back via the Internet to the US in the evening (Indian evening) where it is going to be dawn. So the doctors are happy when they come in next day and see all there yesterday's dictations in print or as transcripts. Now isn't that naturally convenient?
Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based medical transcription company that offers professional outsourced services in medical billing, advanced medical coding and all types of medical transcription for clinics and hospitals in all the US states besides the UK, Australia and Canada.
Labels: India medical transcription, medical billing, medical transcription, MT outsourcing, outsourcing services
posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 6:10 PM
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How Does Medical Billing Help With Accounting?
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Often, what is medical billing is equated with what is medical transcription or what is medical coding when in fact, the three are as separate and as distinct from each other as night and day. While its true that all three of them are somehow related and sometimes even their responsibilities overlap, it still doesnt change the fact that medical coding deals strictly with codes and medical transcription is strictly on transcribing doctors notes.
So, what is medical billing then?
Some people say it is the doctors key to getting paid for services rendered. Others say that it is a process of submitting claims to insurance companies. But these descriptions are vague. What is it really?
Perhaps, the question what is medical billing is better answered with this definition of the term:
Medical billing is practice management. It involves front office skills, with emphasis on billing and accounting, insurance claims processing, and making decisions concerning the financial aspects of a practice.
What is medical billing compared to medical coding and medical transcription?Compared to medical coding and medical transcription, medical billing is wider in scope and broader in its range of responsibilities. Front office also means acting as an executive secretary to the practice, dealing in clerical work such as patient scheduling, clearing appointments, documenting patient visits, recording diagnostic and treatment procedures, and organizing medical records using a software program.
What is medical billing and what are its responsibilities?
The job of the billing professional starts with the office visit where you will handle everything from scheduling of the appointment to making sure that the patient makes it to his appointment. After the doctor sees the patient, depending on the services provided and the examination, he will then create and update the patients medical record.
The billing professional then organizes these records according to a system earlier adopted by the practice. This record contains a summary of treatment and demographic information related to the patient. The medical billing specialist will have to organize these records according to their contents to provide for easier access in case of another visit or some such circumstance and to create the billing record which is the document submitted to either a clearinghouse or an insurance company.
Medical Billing. This is probably not the first time youve heard of this word and you pretty much have a basic idea what the phrase connotes. However, one thing you should know is that most people have the wrong idea of what is medical billing in reality.
Often, what is medical billing is equated with what is medical transcription or what is medical coding when in fact, the three are as separate and as distinct from each other as night and day. While its true that all three of them are somehow related and sometimes even their responsibilities overlap, it still doesnt change the fact that medical coding deals strictly with codes and medical transcription is strictly on transcribing doctors notes.
So, what is medical billing then?
Some people say it is the doctors key to getting paid for services rendered. Others say that it is a process of submitting claims to insurance companies. But these descriptions are vague. What is it really?
Perhaps, the question what is medical billing is better answered with this definition of the term:
Medical billing is practice management. It involves front office skills, with emphasis on billing and accounting, insurance claims processing, and making decisions concerning the financial aspects of a practice.
What is medical billing compared to medical coding and medical transcription?Compared to medical coding and medical transcription, medical billing is wider in scope and broader in its range of responsibilities. Front office also means acting as an executive secretary to the practice, dealing in clerical work such as patient scheduling, clearing appointments, documenting patient visits, recording diagnostic and treatment procedures, and organizing medical records using a software program.
What is medical billing and what are its responsibilities?
The job of the billing professional starts with the office visit where you will handle everything from scheduling of the appointment to making sure that the patient makes it to his appointment. After the doctor sees the patient, depending on the services provided and the examination, he will then create and update the patients medical record.
The billing professional then organizes these records according to a system earlier adopted by the practice. This record contains a summary of treatment and demographic information related to the patient. The medical billing specialist will have to organize these records according to their contents to provide for easier access in case of another visit or some such circumstance and to create the billing record which is the document submitted to either a clearinghouse or an insurance company.
Labels: medical billing, medical transcription outsourcing services, medical transcription provider, USA medical transcription company
posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 10:01 PM
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