How to Type Medical Transcripts From Home
A medical transcriptionist prepares typed documents of a physician’s or other health-care provider's verbal dictation of a patient’s care, which will be added to the patient’s medical records. Even in today’s digital world, paper records are still kept in most medical facilities. With staff downsizing, and an increase in the number of patients, the outsourcing of medical transcription has created additional opportunities for working at home.
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Instructions
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Obtain a degree or certificate from an accredited medical transcription school or program online. Go locally if a program is available. Coursework will include keyboarding, medical terminology and grammar.
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Work as a medical transcriptionist in a physician’s office or hospital for at least one year, preferably three, to gain experience and make contacts.
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Check with local authorities to see if any permits are necessary to work from your home.
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Set up a home office with essential equipment such as a computer, modem, printer, transcription unit with conversion capabilities to different size audiotapes, word processing software, a fax machine, a separate business line and reference books like medical dictionaries, Physician’s Desk Reference and Grey’s Anatomy. Not all the equipment needs to be new, but good headphones and a decent computer will be necessary, especially if you are transcribing digital files.
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Start looking for clients while you are still employed. It takes time to build a new business and create enough income to live off. Send a resume and proposal to medical facilities in and around your area, and apply to online companies seeking medical transcriptionists to work from home. Make business cards and fliers, or have them printed. Set up a business checking account and file a doing-business-as form if you are using a fictitious name for your business.
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Keep accurate records of clients you have accepted and work that needs to be completed. Produce accurate, timely transcripts and deliver them promptly, whether hard copy or digital. Read up on what is deductible for your business.
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Stay up to date with changing terminology and medical techniques. Consider testing to receive credentials in the medical transcription field. An RMT, or Registered Medical Transcriptionist, exam is a voluntary exam offered by the AHDI (formerly the AAMT-American Association for Medical Transcription) that is for recent graduates of medical transcription programs, or those with less than two years experience in the field.
The Certified Medical Transcriptionist, or CMT, exam is for those who have two years of acute-care transcription experience and want to become certified. Certification can mean more work and more money.
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Learn to balance client demands with family activities. Some clients want fast turnaround, so maintaining keyboard speed and accuracy is necessary.
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Tips & Warnings
Take regular breaks when doing medical transcription to avoid eye strain and repetitive-use injuries.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit stethoscope image by dinostock from Fotolia.com
