Guide to Medical Transcription Services

Medical transcription services are more efficient than ever

By Judy Artunian, Freelance Writer

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Medical transcription services that specialize in hospitals and clinics

Your physicians may be equipped with digital audio recorders to record medical reports, but batteries can die and recorders can malfunction, so look for medical transcription services that give you the option of dictating reports via telephone, around the clock, seven days a week.

I recommend: Try medical transcript service providers like TransHealth, whose computers can interface with the most common hospital information systems. The company’s central dictation system is available daily, 24 hours a day, for fast transcript turnaround. MXSecure services clinics and hospitals as well individual practitioners and small group practices. MXSecure also provides document management tools that include electronic signature capability and distribution options that allow you to route your medical reports to network printers, fax machines or email addresses.

Medical transcription services for private practices

Thanks to the Internet, medical transcription service providers can be located thousands of miles away from your office. But before committing to a service, ask to test their systems.

I recommend: A&W Medical Transcription Services offers physicians the option of uploading digital files or dictating reports via telephone. Either way, A&W promises that medical transcribers are on hand for 24-hour to 48-hour turnaround, and will also deliver a medical transcript in 2 hours or less when needed. EchoScribe offers a five-day free trial period. Its clients include physicians in a wide range of specialties.

Certifications and standards for medical transcription service providers

Be confident that you're considering reputable medical transcription services. They should comply with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act's (HIPAA) privacy and security requirements. They should also employ experienced, credentialed medical transcribers.

I recommend: Look for medical transcribers who hold at least one credential from the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity. You can communicate better with medical transcribers when you know their lingo. MAG Mutual Healthcare Solutions provides a glossary of medical transcription industry terms.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you're considering medical transcription service providers whose transcribers are located outside of the United States, ask for proof that the transcripts are reviewed for accuracy by English-speaking medical transcribers.
• •  Medical transcription services usually invoice clients based upon the number of lines transcribed. Ask for the services' average character-count per line. Also find out how they gauge the quality of their service, and their guaranteed-quality rate.
• •  Ask medical transcribers to sign a business-associate contract. It obliges them to follow many of the same HIPAA privacy requirements that private medical practitioners are bound to.