Medical Transcription 15 Lecture Slides.pdf

Professional Organisation for Medical Transcriptionists

1. Professional Organizations for Medical Transcriptionists
Week 16: ADHI and Local Health Information Organisations
MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION
DR EBENEZER ODURO ANTIRI

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Launching a new career and joining a professional association frequently go hand in
hand. Here are just five of the benefits joining aprofessionalassociationcan give you:
1.You have a way to get involved with your profession, not just work in it.
2.Your membership ensures the existence of a “voice” for MTs, so they (you!) have a
presence at the table when it comes to employers and the government. A collection
of voices is much stronger than a single voice.
3.You get ready access to continuing education opportunities (and a push to use
them).
4.You receive a steady supply of newsletters and publications and a chance to
participate in insider discussions about the latest developments in the field.
5.Membership is a résumé builder that shows you’re passionate about your
profession and ready and willing to participate in its growth and development.
Introduction
P R O F E S S I O N A L O R G A N I Z A T I O N S F O R M E D I C A L T R A N S C R I P T I O N I S T S

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If you decide a professional membership belongs on your to-do list, your first two stops
should be:
1.Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI)
2.Your local Health Information Management Association
•AHDI specifically takes the medical transcriptionist perspective: health data capture
and documentation.
Introduction
P R O F E S S I O N A L O R G A N I Z A T I O N S F O R M E D I C A L T R A N S C R I P T I O N I S T S

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Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity AHDI (www.ahdionline.org) is the
central professional association MTs join.
If you’re going to join just one professional organization, this should be it.
Here are a few of AHDI’s many accomplishments:
1. It crafted and continues to update a detailed model curriculum for training new
medical transcriptionists. The curriculum is freely available through the AHDI website.
2. It develops and disseminates industry best-practices guidelines, including an “MT
Bill of Rights” and model job descriptions for MT-related roles.
Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity
P R O F E S S I O N A L O R G A N I Z A T I O N S F O R M E D I C A L T R A N S C R I P T I O N I S T S

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3. It publishes The Book of Style for Medical Transcription, the de-facto standard for
formatting medical reports.
4. It puts on an annual conference, ACE, that is a fantastic (if somewhat expensive)
opportunity to immerse yourself in all that is MT and the future of MT. Note: Some
employers pay at least some of the costs of attending ACE, such as the registration
fee.
5. It’s has leaders who are involved in creating and upholding the highest standards of
practice in healthcare documentation and the role MTs play in it.
Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity
P R O F E S S I O N A L O R G A N I Z A T I O N S F O R M E D I C A L T R A N S C R I P T I O N I S T S

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•There’s no particular credential you must have in order to become an MT, but that
doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from earning one after you’re on the job.
•Professional credentials are great motivators. They push you to get and keep
current and provide a blueprint for expanding your skills into new areas.
•They also add a nice sheen to your résumé, and that can translate into a pay
increase or greater career mobility.
Getting Certified
P R O F E S S I O N A L O R G A N I Z A T I O N S F O R M E D I C A L T R A N S C R I P T I O N I S T S

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AHDI offers two certifications for medical transcriptionists:
1. Registered Medical Transcriptionist (RMT): For new graduates, specialty MTs, and
MTs working up to taking the CMT exam
2. Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT): For experienced MTs with two or more
years of acute-care or multi-specialty transcription You can either earn the RMT and
then progress to the CMT or take the all-in-one Credential Qualifying Exam (CQE) that
covers the material from both.
Getting Certified
P R O F E S S I O N A L O R G A N I Z A T I O N S F O R 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. Any questions?
Thanks!
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