To facilitate the number of patients to be seen and to move quickly in their profession, patient care providers record medical notes, observations and patient histories into a tape recorder to be transcribed into a hard copy at a later time. Medical transcriptionists are the professionals that perform this work.
Using digital or analog tape playback equipment, medical transcriptionists enter the vocal recording into a computer using word processing software. A foot pedal controls the speed of playback and can pause or rewind the recording. The transcriptionist will edit for clarity and grammar. Transcriptionists produce such documents as patient history, examination reports, discharge summaries, autopsy reports and referral letters to specialists or other facilities.
It is necessary for a transcriptionist to have knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, assessments and more since they may have to clarify inconsistencies in the report. Additionally, legal and ethical rights to privacy must be adhered to.
If you're seeking a well paying job in the medical field that offers a flexible schedule and could springboard you into a number of other medical careers, training to be a medical transcriptionist could be a great choice.
