Medical Transcription Training

The Medical transcription outsourcing industry in India is relatively new having made its presence in India around the mid-1990s. In the first few years of operation, medical transcription outsourcing saw phenomenal growth and opened up a range of employment and entrepreneurial opportunities in the country.

Currently, medical transcription outsourcing is widely prevalent in India. Healthcare centers and hospitals in the U.S., UK and Europe outsource medical transcription services to countries like India and Philippines to leverage the cost advantage offered by these countries in terms of lower labor costs, time-zone differential and favorable exchange rates vis-à-vis the U.S.

The industry faced a shakeout around 2000 with many small players exiting from the medical transcription services field because of limited business volumes and unreliable revenue sources. Medical transcription outsourcing in India has since then bounced back and is expected to generate employment for as many as 17,00,00 trained professionals in 2008 according to a NASSCOM study. Reports indicate that medical transcription outsourcing to India generates USD 195 million in revenues; and is expected to touch USD 647 million by 2010.

Why Medical Transcription Training?

Medical transcription training is not absolutely essential for an entry into the field. However, in India, the growth in medical transcription outsourcing has seen a parallel boom in the field of medical transcription training.

The benefits of medical transcription training are many, both for the service provider as well as for the outsourcing partner. Some of the benefits of intensive medical transcription training are:

• Sets professional standards of performance for the industry
• Ensures accurate and intelligent documentation of medical data
• Offers a surety that patients' medical records are treated with the caution they merit
• Entry of a wider cross-section of skilled people with the right aptitude into the field
• Opportunities for undergraduates, home-based workers and retired people

The Medical Transcription Training Industry

Specialized medical transcription training centers are setting up shop to cater to the growing demand for trained professionals. Most vocational training centers and professional institutes now offer certificate courses in medical transcription training as well.

More significantly large medical transcription service providers are addressing the demand for trained medical transcriptionists by recruiting aspirants mostly from campuses, road-shows, job fairs, internet jobsites and internal referrals. Selection is based on simple tests in English language and listening skills. Fresh candidates are then put through the intensive training and are absorbed by the recruiter.

The medical transcription service provider designs the courseware for the medical transcription training program, runs it in-house or through external franchisees and subsequently absorbs successful trainees as employees. Tie-ups with external training agencies to impart customized training to selected candidates are also a common practice.

Medical Transcription Training Process

The overall duration of the medical transcription training program varies anywhere from 18 months to 2 years, depending on the organization and the fee structure also varies based on the level of training offered by companies.

The medical transcription training faculty comprises of doctors who are associate professors at medical schools, experienced MTs (medical transcriptionists) and English language teachers.

The medical transcription training process is broadly structured into 2 phases:

1) Classroom and laboratory based training

This stage of the medical transcription training lasts for a period of 4-6 months though some organizations invest more time and resources during this stage of the medical transcription training as the core competencies for a career in medical transcription are imparted at this stage.

This module of medical transcription training covers

• Basic Medical Overview
• English language skills section

Basic Medical Overview deals with aspects of:

• Human anatomy and physiology
• Basic pharmacology
• Medications current in the U.S. and UK
• Medical terminology
• Medical symptoms and diagnoses
• Comprehension of vital records and medical reports

English Language Skills section covers:

• Basic English
• Typing skills
• Basic computer skills, word processing packages
• Inputs on Americanisms and accent

2) On-the-job training

After the classroom-based training is completed, candidates are absorbed provisionally by the medical transcription firm, for on-the-job training, which may last from 6 months to 1 year or more. During this period medical transcription professionals are directly put onto production and they work on current and live medical records.

Some organizations have a brief pre- on-the-job training period when medical transcriptionists work on already completed medical files and archives, for perfecting speed and accuracy.

On completion of the on-the-job training MTs are fully equipped to deliver 100 percent accurate medical files in the stipulated turnaround time adhering to high competency levels. Read more about the medical transcription process.

Most large medical transcription service providers offer salaries that are structured into a basic component and an incremental per-line rate for all lines transcribed beyond the stipulated minimum. This allows for flexibility in salaries and the high incentives ensure significant volumes being turned in.

Medical Transcription Training: The Road Ahead

Medical transcription outsourcing is characterized by high attrition rates because of the essentially repetitive and monotonous nature of work. The HR departments of medical transcription service providers are constantly taking new initiatives aimed at retaining trained and proficient medical transcriptionists.

Medical transcription professionals generally work in shifts to cater to hospitals in the U.S. and UK. They are encouraged to take short mandatory breaks away from their workstations, to alleviate the stress of listening to continuous dictations which in turn may affect the quality of transcription. Office and group get-togethers and theme-based events are organized by the HR to improve employee morale, create and sustain interest in the work environment and to eventually enhance employee performance and quality of output.

Contact Outsource2india here for medical transcription services that meet your specific needs.

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