Medical transcription services: At low costs

The dilemma of every healthcare facility during the decision making process for outsourcing is to determine which medical transcription service provider will deliver low cost medical transcription as promised. That is quality transcription, at low cost, within the turnaround time promised and without compromising the security of data. Once the process of choosing an outsourcer starts, the deluge of information available can be really confusing, often misleading. Medical transcription being such a critical function requires the healthcare facility to proceed with the outsourcing decision cautiously.

Given below are a few indicators that will help separate the wheat from the chaff and make the outsourcing process more effective.

Check for billing methods: Medical transcription service providers use several methods for billing that can often look attractive, but turn out to have hidden costs. Often the method of billing leaves a huge scope for manipulation. The billing method used for medical transcription needs to be definable, verifiable, measurable, consistent and fair & honest. There are various methods by which medical transcription work is billed; the billing could be based on page, report, and gross lines or by minutes of dictation. All these methods leave room for manipulation. The “character line” method of billing has been found to be adhering to the Billing Method Principles as prescribed by AHDI and gives a representation of fair charges for services rendered.

Check for training practices: Training methods used by the medical transcription service provider directly affect the accuracy level and the turnaround time times and this would have an indirect impact on the cost per line. A medical transcription service provider, which is committed to providing their customers with the best possible service would refine their training methods according to the need of the healthcare professionals. Medical transcriptionists trained in one or two specialties of medicine would be able to provide quality transcription within the promised turnaround time from the very beginning.

Check whether the medical transcription service provider uses subcontractors: Often it has been seen that medical transcription service providers further subcontract the work to subcontractors, which would result in dilution of quality, delay in turnaround time and compromise the security of the data. This indirectly impacts the cost per line of transaction.

Check for methods used to obtain the accuracy levels guaranteed: Often in the quest for meeting turnaround time, accuracy of reports generated could be compromised. This could lead to gross errors in reports and result in frequent mishaps.

Check for the technology used: The technology used by the medical transcription service provider not only affects the turnaround time, but also can have an impact on the technology spending of the healthcare facility. In some cases when the security measures are not adequate it could also affect the security of the data.

Check for success stories: The experience of the medical transcription service provider in providing solutions to healthcare facilities of various dimensions would clearly indicate the willingness of the service provider to tailor their services to the specific needs of the healthcare facilities, without adversely compromising cost, quality, turnaround time and security.

Check for open channels for customer service: The transition from in-house medical transcription to outsourced medical transcription can have a few hiccups in the beginning stages. A proactive customer service department can solve all minor issues from the very beginning. It is important to check whether the medical transcription service provider has open channels for response to queries.

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  TransDyne, a leader in the medical transcription field offers customized solutions to suit the needs of healthcare facilities regardless of their size. TransDyne offers medical transcription services at reasonable rates using the “character line method of billing”. Care is taken to explain the methodology in detail, so that there are no ambiguities.

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  TransDyne believes in taking care of special needs of healthcare professionals by training their medical transcriptionists in one or two areas of medicine, enabling them to offer quality output from the very beginning.

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  TransDyne believes that it is their privilege to serve the needs of their customers personally that is why they do not use subcontractors to execute the work outsourced to them. This ensures the accuracy levels are met, security is not compromised and turnaround time is met with.

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  TransDyne ensures quality by adopting a four level quality check of Medical Transcriptionist, language proofreader, unit in charge and finally by the quality assurance team which tries to minimize errors before returning the finished reports.

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  TransDyne uses advance technology to ensure automatic uploads, downloads and archiving. TransDyne also uses appropriate measures like incorporating security measures like 128-bit data encryption, multi-tiered application architecture, design level security, safeguards, firewall protected networks, sterilized e-mail servers, denial of access procedure and multi modal alerts as security measures. This enables the healthcare facility to benefit from all this technology without requiring them to make huge investments.

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  TransDyne has been successfully serving some of the leading names in healthcare, the testimonials of some of these satisfied customers are available on their website.

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  TransDyne has open channels of communication, which enables them to solve any queries as soon as possible.

To avail medical transcription services from TransDyne, click here.

Medical transcription: The success story

Medical transcription has been an integral part of healthcare, providing a low key but essential service for a long time. The reason behind the success of medical transcription is the ability of this industry to adapt to change.

To quote Darwin” It’s not the strongest or the largest of the species that survives, but the one most adaptable to change”

This has never been truer than for the medical transcription industry. Veterans in the industry would vouch for the changes that have taken place and the way medical transcription service providers and medical transcriptionists have adapted to these changes.

Medical transcription service providers have come a long way from the days of collecting tapes of healthcare professional’s dictation from the healthcare facility and typing them up and returning reports to the healthcare facility. With the advent of computers and the Internet, it has become possible for medical transcription service providers from remote locations to serve the needs of healthcare facilities in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Medical transcription has adapted to the technological changes admirably by adopting technology to improve all the standards of medical transcription work, namely:

• Accuracy
• Turnaround time
• Pricing
• Security of data.

Not only have service providers adapted themselves to new technology but also used technology for the maximum benefit of healthcare professionals and healthcare facilities, by providing additional features like:

• Automatic uploads
• Automatic downloads
• Archiving
• Flexible modes of dictation.
• HL7 integration

The progress of medical transcription into the technological era has not been without pitfalls. There have been doubts about the sanctity and security of confidential patient data and the threat of being phased out by voice recognition software.

Security for medical transcription: Some of the leaders in the medical transcription industry like TransDyne have taken appropriate measures to secure technology by incorporating security measures like 128-bit data encryption, multi-tiered application architecture, design level security, safeguards, firewall protected networks, sterilized e-mail servers, denial of access procedure and multi modal alerts. Further security measures regarding the people and processes have totally secured the confidentiality of data.

Voice recognition software: Had been touted as a substitute for medical transcription. But with usage it has been proven that medical transcription is essential for voice recognition software to meet the standards of accuracy needed! Accuracy of data in transcribed report is probably the single most important feature of medical transcription as it plays an important role in both quality of healthcare and for coding & billing as part of the accounts receivable cycle. Voice recognition software has been known to give an accuracy of 60%-80%, after the software has been extensively trained on the healthcare professional’s voice and the appropriate technology. It is left to the medical transcriptionist to proofread the transcripts and correct it to achieve accepted accuracy levels.

TransDyne a leading name in the medical transcription industry has proven to be one of the foremost examples of the adaptability of a service provider. With the use of its extensive background in Information technology, TransDyne offers medical transcription services that are tailored to the needs of a healthcare facility, whether it is a single doctor practice, a multi-specialty clinic or a huge hospital with numerous divisions. TransDyne offers each a customized solution to meet their needs.

TransDyne offers medical transcription with an accuracy level of above 99%, turnaround time of 24 hours and 4-12 hours for STAT reports. Not only this, TransDyne has used its background in information technology to adopt latest technology to provide multiple benefits like absolute security of data, easy uploads & downloads of audio files, flexible modes of dictation, archiving facilities and HL7 integration. Using the right mix of people, process and technology, TransDyne provides immaculate medical transcription services at very reasonable rates.

To avail medical transcription services from TransDyne, click here

Medical transcription outsourcing: Dependable and prompt

Medical transcription is a service that has been associated with healthcare for a long time. Through out the evolution of healthcare from the beginning till date documenting the patient-healthcare professional encounter has always been important. The documentation of the patient-healthcare professional encounter is important because it fulfills the following purposes:

It provides continuity: Documenting every encounter between the patient-healthcare professional provides information so that the patient’s medical history is continuous and has no breaks. This enables the healthcare professional to impart the right form of healthcare.

It provides information on the progress: Every time a patient comes in for continued treatment, the progress made by him can define all future steps to ensure his further recovery.

It provides context: Context in case of healthcare is important so that the right treatment program can be designed at the right time.

It provides feedback: Maintaining records provides feedback about the patient’s response to a certain treatment. This is an important diagnostic tool to monitor therapies.

It provides information for innovation and change: In case a new procedure or drug is used, maintaining a record on the frequency of usage and the reaction to it can help make innovation and necessary changes.

It provides the basis of research: Patient records are a valuable source for research inputs.

Apart from these aspects, documenting the patient-healthcare professional encounter provides the basis for coding and billing, leading to realization of payments. Enumerating the purpose of medical records serves to highlight the role of medical transcription.

Outsourcing medical transcription has always been one of the most efficient and economic ways of assuring that both low costs of transcription and the quality of reports are maintained. This affects the bottom-line of the healthcare facility and the quality of care imparted. To fulfill both these criteria a medical transcription service needs to be both dependable and prompt.

What defines dependable medical transcription?

Dependable medical transcription can be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Accuracy: For medical transcription to be dependable the accuracy of the data in the transcribed document needs to be as close as possible to the audio records. This ensures that both the quality of healthcare and accuracy of coding and billing are maintained.

Pricing: For medical transcription to be dependable the pricing needs to be fair and consistent to ensure that the financial planning of the healthcare facility does not get affected. Terms of pricing need to be clearly defined so that the prices are clearly understood by both the parties.

Security: For medical transcription to be dependable the security of confidential patient needs to be maintained through the use of right technology, right processes and the right people.

Technology: For medical transcription to be dependable the technology used has to facilitate easy uploads and downloads of files through secure channels. Technology has an impact on both the turnaround time and security aspects. Technology has to provide additional features like archiving, HL7 interface and flexible modes of dictation.

What defines prompt medical transcription?

Prompt medical transcription is defined by:

Turnaround time: For medical transcription to be prompt the turnaround time guaranteed has to be met under all circumstances including weekend and holiday transcription requirements.

TransDyne provides dependable and prompt medical transcription services, with reasonable prices, done by expert 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 benefit from dependable and prompt medical transcription services by TransDyne, click here

Medical transcription: Code of ethics

Healthcare is an essential service along with the other basic necessities like air, water, food, clothing and housing. Therefore the practice of healthcare requires that healthcare professionals and other entities associated with healthcare come under a strict code of ethics.

Medical transcription is a profession closely associated with the healthcare industry in both the commercial and operational aspects by documenting the patient-healthcare professional encounter.

The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) has come up with the guidelines for code of conduct for healthcare documentation professionals. The code of ethics for medical transcription professionals are as follows:

1.Maintain confidentiality of all patient information including but not limited to peer reviews, quality improvement and risk management protocols with special effort to maintain data security in electronic communications.

2.Implement and maintain standards of professional transcription practice. Respect the rights and dignity of all individuals.

3.Continue professional growth enhancing knowledge and skills, including continuing education, networking with colleagues, professional reading and certification.

4.Strive to provide accurate and timely information

5.Exercise integrity in professional practices including work or professional experience, credentials, affiliations, productivity reporting, billing charges and payment practices.

6.Comply with all laws, regulations and standards governing the practice of patient documentation.

7.Foster environments of emplyment that facilitate integrity, professionalism and protection of patient information.

8.Strive to advance the goals and purposes of the Association and work for the advancement and good of the profession.

These are code of ethics laid by the AHDI for the members of the association as guidelines. But these code of ethics can be used as guidelines by all entities who are in the business of medical transcription.

TransDyne, a leading name in the medical transcription has based the process of transcription based on the code of ethics, which covers all aspects.

Maintaining confidentiality of patient information: TransDyne believes in maintaining the confidentiality of patient information at all levels. The confidentiality of the data is maintained at all the stages, during transmission, during usage and during storage using the following means:

The use of 128-bit data encryption, multi-tiered application architecture, design level security safeguards, firewall protected networks, sterilized e-mail servers, denial of access procedures and multi-modal alerts safeguards data when it is at rest and when data is in motion.

a)Use of processes like company owned & managed facilities, not engaging any sub-contractors, employing manned security at the entry/exit points, round-the-clock video surveillance and the lack of removable storage media protect the data in use. The other measures taken for ensuring security of data in use are limiting the access to the application by User ID and an encrypted password.

b)Educating people on the importance and procedures for HIPAA and HITECH  compliance gives them a professional outlook. Having them give a commitment in writing further ensures HIPAA and HITECH  compliancy. This protects the data in all stages.

Implementing and maintaining professional standards of transcription: TransDyne maintains and implements professional standards of transcription by training the medical transcriptionists rigorously in one or two specialities enabling them to meet standards of accuracy and turnaround time .

Continuously enhancing the skills of medical transcriptionists through education: TransDyne educates all its’ team of medical transcriptionists constantly updating their knowledge base on the latest developments in the field of medicine.

Provide timely information: Timely information is provided by TransDyne whenever required.

Exercising integrity in billing practices: TransDyne uses the character method of billing which fulfills all the billing method principles of being verifiable, measurable, definable, consistent and fair & honest.

Complying with the laws of patient documentation: TransDyne complies with all the laws that apply to patient documentation.

Foster the right atmosphere for professionalism and ethics: TransDyne creates a atmosphere which enables an atmosphere of professionalism.

TransDyne offers medical transcription at reasonable prices, done by expert 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: Role played in healthcare

Medical transcription is a very important part of the healthcare cycle and plays an important role in both the operational and commercial aspects of healthcare.

Role of medical transcription in the operational aspect of healthcare: When a patient visits a healthcare professional, it could be for various reasons like an emergency, sudden illness, regular visit or continuation of an ongoing treatment plan. These visits need to be documented as part of the patient’s records.

Not only does this information form a permanent part of the patient’s health record, it forms a foundation for future encounters. Factors like demographics, lifestyle of the patient, past medical history, past treatment/procedures availed, past medications, allergies etc., have an effect on the future treatment plan.

In case the patient is availing a new mode of treatment, which is in the experimental stages, this information needs to be captured for record and research purposes. In case of any findings from the tests conducted require further treatment, the record forms the basis of referral to a specialist. Medical transcription enables the healthcare professional to take informed decisions instead of relying on memory or guesswork by creating accurate and timely records.

Role of medical transcription in the commercial aspect of healthcare: The secondary, but equally important role played by medical transcription is the commercial aspect. Medical transcription forms the basis of claiming payment from the insurance company. The information from the record created by the medical transcription process is used as the basis of coding, billing and insurance claims. Any delays in the medical transcription process could adversely affect the receivables cycle.

Medical records also provide evidence in case of any litigation issues and it is also a statutory requirement to maintain patient records for a certain period of time. Medical transcription plays an important part in record creation by capturing all the information of the patient-healthcare professional encounter.

Where does medical transcription process begin?

The process of medical transcription begins when the patient enters the healthcare facility for availing treatment. The front office collects details like date of birth, gender, Social security no., employer details and details of the policy name and number etc. The patient meets the healthcare professional for consultation and treatment. This total encounter is dictated into a recording device by the healthcare professional. The audio recordings are then transmitted to the medical transcription service provider for transcription.

What are the various stages of the medical transcription process?

The audio records are downloaded at the medical transcription service provider’s site and distributed for transcribing among the medical transcriptionists based on their expertise. Once the transcription process is over, the proofreader goes through the record to ensure accuracy and fill any gaps, which are left blank. Then the files are passed on the Unit in charge who goes through the record once more to ensure accuracy. Before finally transmitting to the client the quality assurance does random checks to ensure total quality and the final corrections are made if required.

What are the attributes that define quality medical transcription?

The attributes that define the quality of medical transcription are:

a.Accuracy: Needs to be above 99%

b.Turnaround time: Needs to be within 24 hours

c.Price: Needs to be reasonable and fair

d.Security: Has to cover all aspects that is, technology, infrastructure, people and processes.

e.Technology: Needs to be easy to use and provide maximum benefits.

It is important to have medical transcription support for both the operational and commercial aspects of healthcare. At the same time one needs to have the right provider to have benefits like accuracy, turnaround time, price, security and the right technology for ease of use.

TransDyne offers medical transcription at reasonable prices, done by expert 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 medical transcription services from TransDyne, click here.

Medical transcription: The myths and truths

In recent times there have been many myths and misconceptions regarding medical transcription, giving it a bad press. Given below are a few myths about medical transcription:

Medical transcription is easy and anybody can be a medical transcriptionist: This is a common myth about medical transcription, given that entry into this profession is relatively easy. No formal qualifications are required except for an aptitude for the English language, good keyboard skills and a keen ear. In spite of the easy entry to qualify as a medical transcriptionist, a person has to go through extensive training in medical terminology, procedures and drugs. This profession also requires a person to constantly educate themselves on the latest developments in the medical field.

Over and above all a medical transcriptionist trained in a particular specialty of medicine adds value to the work done by being a domain specialist increasing accuracy and turnaround time.

Medical transcription is just a data entry service: Medical transcription is a service, which requires attributes like good listening, applying context when in doubt and an extensive knowledge base to draw from unlike data entry. Moreover medical transcription goes beyond just a data entry service by having additional benefits like effective report distribution, archiving and adding value to the healthcare facility in terms of reducing staff burden, reducing capital investment in medical transcription, and freeing up resources like utilities and real estate.

Medical transcription can be replaced with voice recognition software: Voice recognition software is software that automatically converts the dictation of the healthcare professional into a typed text. On the face of this, it sounds like the answer to the medical transcription needs of a healthcare facility.

But this software is not easy to use due to the following reasons:

a.The software has to be “taught” to recognize the voice of the user and terminology used

b.A healthcare professional has to dramatically slow down his usual way of dictation and speak in a structured way, including punctuation etc., resulting in loss of productivity of the healthcare professional.

c.In spite of all these preparations the accuracy of the voice recognition software has been found to be only 60%-80%.

Because of such low accuracy levels the need for medical transcriptionists arises to proof read the reports and edit them to bring them up to the desired level of accuracy.

Outsourcing medical transcription is time consuming: Outsourcing medical transcription can be made easy and quick by analyzing the specific needs of the healthcare facility and evaluating a prospective service provider by these attributes. A quick way to assess the medical transcription company is through:

a.Methods of quality assessment

b.Billing method used

c.Technology used

d.Measures for ensuring HIPAA/HITECH compliance

e.Training methods used

f.Assessing if all the work in done in-house or through the use of sub-contractors.

g.Testimonials

h.Free trial

All these information can be accessed through the service provider’s website

Outsourcing medical transcription affects the turnaround time negatively: Outsourcing medical transcription actually fine tunes the turnaround time and regularizes any overflow needs due to rise in patient visits. Outsourcing also takes care of weekend and holiday transcription needs, thus lessening the turnaround time.

Outsourcing medical transcription will adversely affect the quality of reports: Outsourcing actually improves the accuracy level of the reports transcribed, when done right. The healthcare facility needs to look a service provider who has a thorough method for attaining accuracy, specialty based training methods and executes all medical transcription work in-house.

Outsourcing medical transcription has hidden costs that will increase the cost per line: The cost per line of medical transcription is largely determined by the billing method used. Picking a medical transcription service provider that uses a fair and simple method of billing will ensure that there are no hidden costs, and help keep costs down.

Outsourcing medical transcription is not safe: This is one of the main myths perpetuated due to a few unfortunate incidents in the past. The security measures used by the medical transcription service provider need to be assessed in detail to ensure security breaches are prevented. The service provider needs to be assessed for security on the basis of:

a.Technology

b.Facilities and infrastructure

c.People and processes

Outsourcing medical transcription would require an entirely new Information Technology (IT) infrastructure: Outsourcing to the right service provider would ensure this does not happen. Care needs to be taken to choose a service provider who understands the special needs of the healthcare professionals and ensures that the technology takes care of all the needs and at the same time is very simple to use. Features like a flexible mode of dictation, easy uploads & downloads and archiving facilities need to be considered in the assessment process.

TransDyne is a medical transcription service provider that busts all these myths and provides quality medical transcription at reasonable prices, done by expert 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 know more about the advantages of outsourcing medical transcription to TransDyne, click here.

MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION: Gain a partner through outsourcing

Outsourcing medical transcription needs can be a tricky decision involving a long process of qualification and then the process of evaluation. But when done right it can mean that the healthcare facility gains a partner who will shoulder a big portion of the burden of non-healthcare related issues of the healthcare facility.

Before this can happen there may be many questions/queries/ doubts raised by healthcare professionals that need to be addressed by the healthcare facility administration to ensure smooth transition to outsourcing.

Some of the main questions/queries/doubts raised by healthcare professionals could be along these lines:

Will outsourcing medical transcription provide more time for the practice of medicine?

Outsourcing medical transcription to TransDyne has the benefit of freeing up the time of healthcare professionals, because all aspects of documenting the patient-healthcare professional encounter are done in a prompt and professional manner, by the use of right people, right processes and the right technology. This means that the information required to make an informed decision is available at the right time and with high levels of accuracy.

What about the quality/ accuracy of finished transcripts? What are measures taken to ensure quality?

TransDyne assures an accuracy level of above 99%. Accuracy levels are maintained by having stringent quality assurance procedures in place involving four level checks by medical transcriptionist, language proofreader, unit-in-charge and a final check by the quality assurance team.

Will outsourcing reduce costs, thereby increasing profitability?

Outsourcing medical transcription to TransDyne will bring the cost per line of transcription down by approximately 40%, which will have an effect on the bottom-line. Moreover timely transcription will ensure that the accounts receivable cycle is shortened and quicker reimbursements can have a positive impact on the profitability.

What is the turnaround time guaranteed?

TransDyne ensures a turnaround time of 24 hours and offers a turnaround time of 4-12 hours for STAT reports. TransDyne ensures turnaround time by constantly recruiting, training and maintaining a large pool of medical transcriptionists, the use of technology and stringent processes.

Is training required to use the technology used by the medical transcription service provider?

TransDyne believes that the technology used for medical transcription like uploading dictation and downloading finished transcripts should be advanced to ensure reliability, but very easy to use requiring very less or no training.

What is the billing method used by the medical transcription service provider?

TransDyne uses a 65-character line method of billing. This follows the billing method principles as defined by MTIA. The method used is definable, verifiable, measurable, consistent and fair & honest.

Are any additional investments required?

No additional investment is required by the healthcare facility to avail medical transcription services from TransDyne.

Does the medical transcription service provider have adequate measures to ensure security of data?

TransDyne has taken all measures to ensure security of data at all levels. TransDyne has security measures like encryption of data during transmission, firewalls, and limited access to assure system security. TransDyne has physical security measures like manned security, restricted access etc to ensure security of their premises. The team at TransDyne has been educated on the importance of security and made to sign undertakings to make a commitment to maintaining security. TransDyne further assures total control over security by never subcontracting medical transcription work and executing all work in-house. Security measures taken by TransDyne not only meet HIPAA and HITECH guidelines but also exceed them.

Can the current modes of dictation be retained?

TransDyne believes that the time is a precious commodity for healthcare professionals, thereby current dictations can be retained. Flexible modes of dictation are offered to ensure that healthcare professionals have the options to use their time in the best possible way.

Is it possible to have a free trial of the services to test for compatibility?

TransDyne offers a free trial of services for a limited period to give healthcare facilities an opportunity to experience the excellent services offered firsthand, before making the final commitment.

How is medical transcription service provider going to deal with holiday and weekend medical transcription requirements?

TransDyne has a large team of medical transcriptionists, and will be in a position to service any holiday and weekend medical transcription needs that may arise.

How long has the medical transcription service provider been in this business and who are their customers?

TransDyne has been in the business of medical transcription for over a decade and has the testimonials of some of their customers displayed on their website.

When a healthcare facility decides to outsource its, medical transcription needs to TransDyne it essentially gains a long-term partner that manages the current needs and is in a position to handle any additional needs that may arise out of any expansion plans that the healthcare facility may have.

To avail outsourced medical transcription services from TransDyne, click here