Medical Transcription 03 Lecture Slides.pdf

Who makes for Good Medical Transcriptionists

1. Introduction to Medical Transcription III
Who Makes for Good Medical Transcriptionists: The Traits You Need
MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION
DR EBENEZER ODURO ANTIRI

2. 2
1.Knowledge of medical terminology and procedures
2.English grammar and punctuation skills
3.Top-notch reference skills
4.Keen listening skills
5.Ability to work under pressure
6.Ability to work with little or no supervision
7.A perfectionistic streak
8.Laserlikefocus
Who Makes for Good Medical Transcriptionists?
ME D I C A L T R A N S C R I P T I O N I S T S

3. 3
•You will need to know even more medical lingo to be a successful MT.
•Although you don’t have to memorize every medical procedure,
anatomical feature, and surgical implement, you do need to know a lot
of them.
•Otherwise, you’ll spend a huge amount of time looking words up, and
you’ll get extremely frustrated and not earn very much.
Knowledge of medical terminology and procedures
W H O M A K E S F O R G O O D M E D I C A L T R A N S C R I P T I O N I S T S ?

4. 4
•MTs add punctuation and fix grievously incorrect grammar in more
reports than not.
•There’s an entire book dedicated to issues like putting commas and
semicolons in the right places and what you should capitalize when
transcribing medical documents.
•Although you won’t have to diagram any sentences, you will need
better-than-average grammar and punctuation abilities.
English grammar and punctuation skills
W H O M A K E S F O R G O O D M E D I C A L T R A N S C R I P T I O N I S T S ?

5. 5
•Today’s MT usually has the benefit of a supply of reference books on
hand (either electronic or good old paper and ink) packed with lists of
surgical instruments, medical acronyms, brand and generic drug
names, and endless other medical minutiae to help fill in the blanks.
Barring success there, there’s always Google.
•When a tricky dictation rears its head, the key to cracking the case is
knowing where to look and how to do it efficiently.
Top-notch reference skills
W H O M A K E S F O R G O O D M E D I C A L T R A N S C R I P T I O N I S T S ?

6. 6
•A good listener is able to discern incomplete or mispronounced words
and tell the difference between tiny words such as if and of.
•Consider the medical prefixes hyper-and hypo-. They sound very
similar but have opposite meanings. One means too much, and the
other means too little.
•Someone with hypertension has high blood pressure; someone with
hypotension has low blood pressure.
Keen listening skills
W H O M A K E S F O R G O O D M E D I C A L T R A N S C R I P T I O N I S T S ?

7. 7
•Some people thrive under pressure; others wilt.
•The pressure MTs face comes from at least three directions at once:
1.Reports must be transcribed and returned to the dictator within a
specified turnaround time (TAT).
2.Speed and quality are both important, but they don’t always play
nicely together.
3.Someone else’s fate is, at least to some extent, in your hands.
Ability to work under pressure
W H O M A K E S F O R G O O D M E D I C A L T R A N S C R I P T I O N I S T S ?

8. 8
•You must be self-motivated, self-disciplined, and comfortable with
constantly making judgments on your own if you want to be an MT.
•Most MT work is home-based, which means that the only person with
the power to make you get to your desk and stay there is yourself.
•On the upside, there’s no supervisor watching every move you make.
Ability to work with little or no supervision
W H O M A K E S F O R G O O D M E D I C A L T R A N S C R I P T I O N I S T S ?

9. 9
•Good transcription requires attention to details, details, and even more
details.
•You must be certain that every letter of every phrase you type is 100
percent accurate, down to the last in and on.
•To be a successful MT, you must have a built-in, compelling urge to
make things just right and the patience to do it.
A perfectionistic streak
W H O M A K E S F O R G O O D M E D I C A L T R A N S C R I P T I O N I S T S ?

10. 10
•Maintaining intense concentration for hours at a time, day after day, is
one of the most challenging aspects of medical transcription.
•You must tune out the outside world and focus on every syllable that
comes over your headphones, including barely discernible ones.
•Every report requires your full concentration. If your thoughts wander
even for an instant, you may miss something crucial or, at the very
least, have to back up the dictation and replay the section you missed.
Laserlikefocus
W H O M A K E S F O R G O O D M E D I C A L T R A N S C R I P T I O N I S T S ?

11. 11
1.You can train at home
2.You can do it from almost anywhere
3.It’s fascinating and intellectually challenging
4.You make a difference in patient care
5.Your work schedule is often flexible
6.It is inclusive
Why Medical Transcription Can Be a Great Career
ME D I C A L T R A N S C R I P T I O N I S T S

12. 12
•Although completing a formal MT curriculum is not optional, whether
you do it from home or in a classroom is totally up to you.
•It’s not going to be easy as it requires extensive and diligent studying,
alongside the cost of the education.
•There are plenty of online MT schools and programs to choose from.
You can train at home
W H Y M E D I C A L T R A N S C R I P T I O N C A N B E A G R E A T C A R E E R

13. 13
•Most MTs in the world work from home these days. You’ll need a
computer, foot pedal, Internet connection, education, and dedication.
An MT job is quite mobile —take your computer and your foot pedal
with you, and you can work from virtually anywhere you can get a
high-speed Internet connection.
•Working at home also means there’s no commute time and no traffic.
You can do it from almost anywhere
W H Y M E D I C A L T R A N S C R I P T I O N C A N B E A G R E A T C A R E E R

14. 14
•Medical transcription challenges you to distinguish ilium from ileum
and requires you to know that there’s a pelvis in your kidney.
•It demands the ability to unravel puzzling dictation quickly. What you
don’t know, you must know how to figure out.
•There will be boring reports and even entire boring shifts, but most of
the time your mind will be even busier than your fingertips.
It’s fascinating and intellectually challenging
W H Y M E D I C A L T R A N S C R I P T I O N C A N B E A G R E A T C A R E E R

15. 15
•Good medical records facilitate good healthcare.
•As an MT, you won’t be the person deciding the best course of
treatment for someone, but you will be responsible for accurately
recording the details that may be relied on to make it.
•How well you do your job can positively or negatively impact the
medical care an individual receives, so be sure to do it well.
You make a difference in patient care
W H Y M E D I C A L T R A N S C R I P T I O N C A N B E A G R E A T C A R E E R

16. 16
•An MT work schedule can be very flexible.
•Even in settings where a fixed work schedule is required, it doesn’t
have to adhere to traditional work hours.
•However, emergency transcription is needed around the clock at
acute-care facilities, and transcriptionists willing to work nights and
weekends are always in demand.
Your work schedule is often flexible
W H Y M E D I C A L T R A N S C R I P T I O N C A N B E A G R E A T C A R E E R

17. 17
•If your physical mobility is limited, it won’t hold you back.
•Even individuals who are completely blind can become successful
working as an MT by using adaptive equipment.
It is inclusive
W H Y M E D I C A L T R A N S C R I P T I O N C A N B E A G R E A T C A R E E R

18. Any questions?
Thanks!
18