Here’s How To Be A Medical Transcriptionist – Work From Home

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medical transcription training

Working as a nurse has its perks. You get to help people recover and you get to touch lives. However, not everything about being a nurse is great. When back pain becomes a constant experience and you start to feel burned out, it’s easy to feel tempted to just look for another job.

If you’ve ever wondered about medical transciption training, then this article is exactly for you.

What Does A Medical Transcriptionist Do?

Medical transcriptionists transcribe spoken medical data such as medical histories, medical procedures, autopsy reports and operative reports.

The work includes:

  • Performing quality improvement audits
  • Following up patient confidentiality guidelines
  • Translating and breaking down medical jargons to their long forms
  • Interpreting diagnostic test results and other pertinent medical records
  • Submitting reports for the approval of doctors
  • Checking documents for inconsistencies and errors

Being a medical transcriptionist can give you the flexibility you can’t easily get from working in the hospital. However, before you actually jump into changing your career, you need to know exactly what you’re getting into. To give you an idea, here are the pros and cons of the job:

The Pros

  • You’ll have more control over your schedule. You can work as much or as less as you want. You can take breaks whenever you need them.
  • You can save more money if you work from home. You can even get home office deductions from your taxes.
  • You can make good money whether you work full or part time. It’s estimated that medical transcriptionists earn a maximum of $34,000 annually. Those who are experienced can earn as much as $45,000 per year.
  • You are already familiar with medical terminologies and this can make your adjustment easier.
  • Working at home can give you the opportunity to keep up with your kids. You can earn while filling your other responsibilities at home.

See Also: Leaving Work? 5 Nursing Jobs At Home You Can Consider

The Cons

  • Without a quiet area to work in, you can easily get distracted. You can lose track of your time as well as your tasks.
  • Not all employers provide health benefits to their medical transcriptionist. In some cases, you may need to be responsible for your own health coverage.
  • You need to make sure you have the right tools to work with. You need to purchase and keep your spam ware and virus software up to date.
  • Working at home can lead to isolation, frustrations and even loneliness, especially with less human interaction. The more you feel detached, the more you’ll feel depressed and discouraged.
  • Financial security is one of the things people who work from home easily take for granted. If you don’t set up a retirement account or savings plan as early as possible, you’ll risk your family’s future.

Skills You’ll Need To Become A Medical Transcriptionist

medical transcriptionist

One of the most important things you need to be skilled at is computer use. As a medical transcriptionist, you need to be extremely familiar with word-processing software as well as the operation of electronic health records system.

Apart from that, you must also have great listening skills. Remember, you’re going to listen to physicians’ dictations. You need to be able to hear everything so you can write and interpret their intended meaning.

Excellent critical thinking skills are also needed for the job. As a nurse, you are already equipped with that and it’s what makes you extremely fit to be a medical transcriptionist.

You have to be able to think critically so you can easily spot inaccuracies and inconsistencies. You have to know how to do in-depth research to verify the credibility and reliability of the reports.

How To Become A Medical Transcriptionist

You need to undergo specific training before you can actually become a medical transcriptionist. There are a lot of on-site facilities you can enroll in.

Having a good background with medical terminologies and human anatomy is a great thing for nurses aspiring to get the job. With your knowledge, you can skip the training and just rely on the internet to get an idea of the ins and outs of the work.

However, without any certification, your career options will be limited to entry-level jobs. For career advancement, it’s still best if you can get proper training from people who know the tricks of the trade.

Getting into a certified medical transcription training program usually involves a 6-month or 2-year certificate. The course will generally include subjects like computer applications, pathology, anatomy and medical transcription skills.

It can also include English composition and grammar subjects.

After your medical certification training, you can get certified by taking and passing the national exam held by Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI). This will give you the title of Certified Medical Transcriptionist and you’ll be required to take continuing education to renew it every 3 years.

Where To Get Work

Now that you know the basic requirements as well as the perks of the job, here are some of the best sites to get work once you’re done with your medical transcription training.

Ascend

ascend healthcare systems

This company offers great opportunities for medical transcriptionists, operations support as well as client managers. To work there, you need to be a resident of the United States and must go through a mandatory probationary period of 90 days.

FastChart

fastchart

If you have two years experience and you are looking to work as a medical transcriptionist at home full time, this company is one of your best bets. It provides premium weekend and holiday pay and the freedom to set your own schedule.

Nuance Transcription Services

nuance transcription services

This company is a medical transcription service provider that is internet-based. It caters to a wide range of hospitals and physician groups.

Eight Crossing

eight crossing

Eight Crossing is a Sacramento-based company that offers opportunities nationwide. It has its own transcription software and provides flexible scheduling to its employees.

Accentus

accentus

Formerly named Translutions, Accentus is a part of the Nuance Healthcare. It offers medical transcription services to hospitals, clinics and doctors from the United States and Canada.

Also Read: 10 Little-Known Ways Nurses Can Make Extra Money 

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