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:

• 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.
• Use of dictation equipment: The healthcare professional needs to be familiar and comfortable with the mode of dictation
• Dictated content: The content in the audio file needs to be clear, comprehensive and concise
• Confidentiality and security: Healthcare professionals should dictate in an environment that protects the security of confidential patient information
• Education of dictators: healthcare professionals need to be instructed on best practices for dictation.

The transcription process:

1. 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 are accurate and meet turnaround time requirements
2. 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
3. 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.
4. 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:

• Follow through on HIPAA and HITECH compliance
• 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.