| What is medical transcription? | | | | earliest BPO jobs outsourced to India. Indians |
| The process of transcribing doctor-dictated | | | | have strong English communicating skills due to |
| dictations for the purposes of documentation as a | | | | the curriculum followed from the days |
| medical record is simply termed as medical | | | | pre-independence. The time difference of 12 |
| transcription. The person who transcribes the | | | | hours between India and USA makes it easier for |
| dictations into a document is a medical | | | | the doctors/clinics to have their reports on their |
| transcriptionist or a medical transcription | | | | table at their next visit to the clinic. Furthermore, |
| professional. The process originated in the West. | | | | cost of labor is much cheaper for the outsourcer. |
| The person who did this job used to be called as | | | | Potential? |
| a medical assistant who used to be with the | | | | Medical transcription has a strong employment in |
| doctor at the hospital writing down notes | | | | both India and the United States. One can work |
| instructed by him. Advancement of this process is | | | | for a company that serves for the Healthcare |
| electronic conversion of the dictations. | | | | Industry. The model also involves working at |
| Why and who? | | | | home as independent contractors. In India, the |
| For insurance purposes and maintenance of | | | | independent home transcriptionist model is |
| medical records. The major player outsourcing | | | | growing to gain much popularity. It is said, still a |
| medical transcription work is USA. Canada, UK, | | | | larger portion of the work is still to be outsourced |
| and Australia have some. The outsourced | | | | from US. Both NASSCOM in India and the US |
| countries include India, Philippines, Indonesia to | | | | Department of Labor have identified this career |
| name a few among others. The medical | | | | as having a higher growth potential year by year. |
| transcription professional needs a wide knowledge | | | | Earnings potential? |
| of medical terminology, American English, and | | | | As far as the money making is concerned, the |
| critical thinking skills that may help him/her to | | | | fresher in medical transcription earns a starting |
| interpret what is dictated to produce accurate | | | | salary approximately around Rs. 5000 and after 2 |
| documents. The dictator speaks over a hand-held | | | | years of experience, his money making capability |
| device called a Dictaphone or a electronic recorder | | | | goes to around Rs. 15,000. Careers advancement |
| or a device which has a 1-button solution to | | | | can lead him to become an Editor or a Leader of |
| upload his voice into the server. The transcriber | | | | a team in a company which could fetch him |
| downloads them at his location through a server | | | | around Rs.20,000 or more. In these days of |
| that is provided to him by the organization he | | | | growing population and a means to earn money, |
| works for. He then transcribes the dictations into | | | | this is quite decent for an Indian standard. |
| medico legal document. | | | | Allied careers? |
| Why outsourcing? | | | | Medical coding and billing are showing up as allied |
| Medical transcription happens to be one of the | | | | careers related to medical transcription. |