Medical Transcription – Is It for You?
Sep 11th, 2009 | By Dee | Category: Income IdeasMedical transcription is the process by which voice recordings are transferred into electronic file form. When a doctor completes a visit with his or her patient, the doctor then speaks into a recording device and verbally notes details about the visit. Medical transcriptionists, or MTs, then listen to these recordings and type the words into a computer. The typed medical records then become part of the patient’s medical record. If this sounds like something that may interest you or fits your skill set, there are some things to consider before getting started.
Equipment you need depends on the type of dictation that the hospital or doctor’s office does, and whether you choose to work locally or work for clients nationally or even worldwide. No matter which market you choose to target, however, you will need a reliable computer with the appropriate software, a foot pedal, and a headset.
If you work for a doctor who uses mini tapes, you will need a mini cassette transcriber. However, more and more medical professionals are opting for digital dictation, which requires a reliable, fast internet connection and the capacity to download FTP files. You will also want a medical spell checker on your computer, and familiarize yourself with an online medical dictionary. A printer and possibly a fax machine (or access to one) are also start-up necessities.
Training courses can be found online, and you can work from home or attend an MT school. If you have experience working in the medical profession, you can enter the MT field without specific training. Nonetheless, hospitals tend to prefer employees who are specifically trained in medical transcription.
The MT job market is fairly lucrative, which offsets the modest cost of the equipment and training. According to roguecc.edu, the average MT can expect to make $10 an hour to start, and around $15 per hour as you become more advanced. If you work as an independent contractor and run your own small business, there is potential for greater income as you set your own prices and offer more services.
Your personality and abilities will need to include attention to detail and the ability to edit your work. Medical terminology can be quite complicated, and a mistake typed into a patient’s medical record could be disastrous or even life-threatening. Imagine the confusion that could result if an MT typed “contusion” instead of “concussion,” or entered the wrong medication. You will also need to be a fast typist as well as an accurate one.
Confidentiality is essential. Medical records are strictly confidential, and you will need a private space in which to do your transcription so that no one can read what’s on your computer screen or listen to the voice recording (whether or not you are present).
With the proper training and set-up, medical transcription has potential as a good source of income. Ask yourself if it’s for you.
We Recommend:
The Native Remedies Affiliate Program
The Native Remedies Affiliate Network is a Two-tier program with high conversion rates and top level commissions. You can Earn 25% commissions on each direct sale and 5% on second tier sales – so even affiliates that sign up via your site earn you commissions!
Commissions are lifetime! – so each time your customer buys again, you get commissions! Click now to learn more about the NativeRemedies/PetAlive Affiliate Program!
Become a Wholesale, Dropship or Distributor Customer!
As demand for NativeRemedies and Pet Alive natural health products & remedies have grown, so has the opportunity for distributors, wholesalers and drop shippers to partner with us. Whether you are a small or large retailer, alternative health provider, an individual with a broad network of associates or a large distributor, Native Remedies has a reseller program designed just for you!
Wholesale Purchase Program – For individual resellers, retail stores, health providers or others who purchase in bulk and who resell the products directly to consumers.
Drop Ship Purchase Program – For those who do not wish to order in bulk but who wish resell our products along with others and then have us drop ship the products for them. (No Dropship Fees!)
Distributor Purchase Program – For large distributors who typically wholesale our products to retail stores and health practitioners and who can meet the higher minimum order volumes.
MaxBlogPress Ninja Affiliate System
It’s no secret that 95% of all bloggers out there make pennies from affiliate marketing, while a select few who are privileged enough to be in the “inner circle” make thousands of dollars effortlessly. Ninja Affiliate is WordPress plugin developed to imbue lethal marketing powers into your WordPress blog and instantly double or triple your affiliate marketing commissions with almost no effort on your part.
Using Ninja Affiliate, you can automatically convert any keyword in your blog to an affiliate link instantly. You can also cloak your affiliate links, track them and manage them right from your WordPress text editor. AffiliateRugu uses and highly recommends Ninja Affiliate by MaxBlogPress!
