Medical transcription: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What medical transcription is

A medical transcriber converts clinician dictation and recorded notes into written medical documents, using proper terminology and the format the record requires. Patient privacy is central to the work, so how every file is handled is agreed in advance.

Signs you need it

  • A clinic or practice has dictated notes backing up, and patient records are being delayed.
  • You need a written record of a consultation, procedure or discharge from a recording.
  • Your practice is moving from handwritten notes to typed records and needs help with the backlog.
  • A specialist's dictation includes terms that general transcribers have trouble with.
  • You need a document formatted for a particular type of note or report that your practice uses.
  • Your staff cannot keep up with dictation, and the record has to be complete on time.

What the pro does

  • Confirms the type of document, the practice's format and the specialty terms that will come up.
  • Types the dictation using the terminology and abbreviations the clinician uses, checked against the practice's list.
  • Checks the spelling of medication names, procedures and measurements against the practice's reference material.
  • Marks unclear dictation for the clinician to clarify, rather than guessing.
  • Returns the document in the practice's format for review and signature by the clinician.

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Length of the dictation and the number of documents.
  • Specialty, and the amount of terminology that must be checked.
  • Audio quality and how many speakers are on the recording.
  • Format and template requirements of the practice.
  • Turnaround time, including same-day delivery.
  • Whether a second review of each document is included.

What a written quote should spell out

  • The volume of dictation and the number of documents covered.
  • The format and template the transcriber follows.
  • How unclear dictation is marked and returned to the clinician.
  • The turnaround time and how it is measured.
  • How patient information is secured and deleted, stated in writing.

Questions to ask before you hire

  • What privacy and security practices do you follow, and can you describe them in writing?
  • Have you transcribed dictation in my specialty before?
  • How do you handle unclear dictation, and who clarifies it?
  • Can you follow our practice's template and abbreviation list?
  • Will a clinician review each document before it goes into the record?
  • What happens to recordings after the transcript is delivered?

Red flags

  • Cannot describe how patient information is protected.
  • Fills unclear medical terms with guesses and does not mark them.
  • Cannot say which devices or file sharing tools handle patient recordings.
  • Does not ask for the practice's format or abbreviation list before starting.
  • Promises that the transcript will be correct without any clinician review.

What you can do yourself

A clinician can keep dictation short and clear, use a consistent template, and say the name and spelling of each medication and procedure at the start. Hire a medical transcriber when the volume of dictation exceeds what your staff can type on time, or when the notes need specialty terms that your team handles unevenly.

Licenses and permits

Medical transcription is not commonly licensed, so a license is usually not required for this work. Check with your state or local licensing agency and with the practice that receives the work, since their privacy and documentation rules apply, and ask the transcriber for a sample in your specialty as proof of skill.

Medical transcription questions

Does a medical transcript need a clinician's review?

Yes. The clinician should read and sign each document before it goes into the record. The transcriber's job is to type accurately and mark what needs clarification.

How should a clinician dictate for better transcripts?

Speak clearly, say each term and its spelling once, and state the section headings in order. A quiet room and a good microphone make a large difference.

What privacy steps should a practice ask about?

Ask how the transcriber stores and sends files, who can access them, how long they keep recordings and how they delete them. Get the answers in writing before the first file is sent.

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Pros who offer medical transcription remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.

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