Medical Transcriptionists

Description

Transcribe medical reports recorded by physicians and other healthcare practitioners using various electronic devices, covering office visits, emergency room visits, diagnostic imaging studies, operations, chart reviews, and final summaries. Transcribe dictated reports and translate abbreviations into fully understandable form. Edit as necessary and return reports in either printed or electronic form for review and signature, or correction.

Tasks

Take dictation using shorthand, a stenotype machine, or headsets and transcribing machines.
Return dictated reports in printed or electronic form for physician's review, signature, and corrections and for inclusion in patients' medical records.
Review and edit transcribed reports or dictated material for spelling, grammar, clarity, consistency, and proper medical terminology.
Transcribe dictation for a variety of medical reports, such as patient histories, physical examinations, emergency room visits, operations, chart reviews, consultation, or discharge summaries.
Distinguish between homonyms and recognize inconsistencies and mistakes in medical terms, referring to dictionaries, drug references, and other sources on anatomy, physiology, and medicine.
Translate medical jargon and abbreviations into their expanded forms to ensure the accuracy of patient and health care facility records.
Produce medical reports, correspondence, records, patient-care information, statistics, medical research, and administrative material.
Identify mistakes in reports and check with doctors to obtain the correct information.
Perform data entry and data retrieval services, providing data for inclusion in medical records and for transmission to physicians.
Set up and maintain medical files and databases, including records such as x-ray, lab, and procedure reports, medical histories, diagnostic workups, admission and discharge summaries, and clinical resumes.
Perform a variety of clerical and office tasks, such as handling incoming and outgoing mail, completing and submitting insurance claims, typing, filing, and operating office machines.
Receive patients, schedule appointments, and maintain patient records.
Answer inquiries concerning the progress of medical cases, within the limits of confidentiality laws.
Decide which information should be included or excluded in reports.
Receive and screen telephone calls and visitors.

Knowledge

Clerical: Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Medicine and Dentistry: Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities

Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Work Activities

Interacting With Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Work Context

Importance of Repeating Same Tasks: How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job?
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate: How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions: How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled: How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Spend Time Sitting: How much does this job require sitting?
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls: How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
Time Pressure: How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
Electronic Mail: How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Face-to-Face Discussions: How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Structured versus Unstructured Work: To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?

Interests

Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Work Style

Attention to Detail: Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Dependability: Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Independence: Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Integrity: Job requires being honest and ethical.
Cooperation: Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Achievement/Effort: Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Initiative: Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Adaptability/Flexibility: Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Stress Tolerance: Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Concern for Others: Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

Work Values

Support: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Relationships: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Achievement: Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Working Conditions: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Recognition: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Independence: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Lay Titles

Certified Coding Specialist

Certified Medical Coder

Certified Professional Coder (CPC)

Data Transcriber

Documentation Specialist

Medical Administrative Specialist

Medical Coding Technician

Medical Language Specialist

Medical Secretary

Medical Stenographer

Medical Transcriber

Medical Transcription Supervisor

Medical Transcriptionist

Pathology Transcriptionist

Radiology Transcriptionist

Transcribing Machine Operator

Transcriptionist

National Wages and Employment Info

Median Wages (2008):: $16.36 hourly, $34,020 annual.

Employment (2008):: 74,810 employees