Medical Transcription Resources

A medical transcriptionist is only as good as the resources she keeps. Here are the resources I use on a daily basis to assist in the art of transcribing medical reports accurately and efficiently.

Benchmark KB Online - This is a great tool for transcriptionists. There are many facets of this resource in that there are specialty-specific and searchable word books and contains the Holy Grail of our business the Book of Style in a handy searchable format. There are also QA alerts for terms/phrases that need to be changed to avoid confusion in medical reports. The best part is there's a searchable physician database that is constantly updated.  This is a MUST for all transcriptionists.

Wheeless' Textbook of Orthopaedics - Great orthopedic specialty information. Just a great and detailed site.

American Medical Association - I use this to look up past practicing physicians and if I can't find what I'm looking for in Benchmark KB Online.

OneLook Dictionary Search - This is a one-stop shop for dictionaries -- medical, general, translations, etc.

Google - The All Mighty Google scores again! This is the quickest way to information, but a good medical transcriptionist will not take the sites listed in Google's word for it and absolutely must verify, verify, verify!

Skullcandy INK'd Headphones - Every transcriptionist needs a great set of headphones, ear buds, etc., and I blogged about these. They are of great quality, reasonable price, comfortable and can be worn for hours on end.    

Below is my single, most used and most coveted asset for medical transcription.

*** Drum Roll Please ***

Instant Text - Without this, I could not be successful. Well, that's not totally true, but it would take me a heck of a lot longer to get there without it.  Instant Text is a text expander.  Actually, this is not JUST a text expander. It's the most feature-rich, easiest to use and amazing text expander I have found. The possibilities are limitless with this program. No memorizing shortcuts = super easy to use. I have a command glossary for common tasks used in Word and/or other programs. For example, if a physician dictates a sentence and then goes on to dictate a compound sentence, I have a command that will go back and insert the comma + and.   My hands rarely move from my keyboard. I've made a drug database with brand name drugs, generics and dosing schedules.  This program also offers me a "compile" feature. I save reports and later can run the program and IT pulls the common phrases, words, etc., from the reports. The productivity potential is incredible! They now offer a free trial, and believe me, it is truly the best thing since sliced bread.

So....that wraps up my list of key resources for medical transcriptionists. If you're not using these resources, you really need to be. There are many others that I use, but these are the ones I use consistently.

-- Company plug to follow --

If you're looking to increase physician productivity while retaining the documentation capture capabilities of EMR / EHR, look no further! Hire us today to realize the savings in time AND hard dollars! You will NOT be disappointed with our service!  

Just My Type Transcription takes great pride in producing high-quality patient documentation. We treat your patients as if they're our family. Your patients' documentation is safe, accurate, and we of course are a HIPAA compliant service organization. We do NOT offshore any transcription and/or transcriptionists.  EVER.   

We're able to save new clients up to 40% on transcription costs with various options.  We know time is money, so call us at 847-890-0560 or email us to set up a quick demonstration of our web-based software which we provide to all customers as a service (no investment in software).  

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EMR and Transcription - A Winning Combination

Just My Type Transcription partners with Emdat to bring you the leading technology in EMR integration.

This was recently posted on their website and will soon be incorporated into our site (as soon as I find the time).  

EMRs and Transcription

Are you an EMR client interested in incorporating dictation back into your workflow? Wouldn't it be great if physicians could complete their EMR using dictation, thereby increasing physician productivity and EMR adoption?

We provide a unique solution to Medical Facilities that allows physicians to properly document patients encounters in their EMR without sitting in front of a computer, all while increasing physician productivity and upholding attentive patient care.

METHODS OF POPULATING AN EMR SYSTEM

Electronic medical records (EMRs) aim to improve patient care and reduce costs while complying with Meaningful Use guidelines. However, most EMRs require doctors to enter patient data directly into the computer system, oftentimes causing a drop in physician productivity and, consequently, facility revenues. Medical Facilities want to make the best operational choice for their physicians, patients and bottom line. Let’s compare the options for populating data into an EMR.

Emdat	Front End Speech Recognition	EMR Point-and-Click
COST
Per patient encounter cost averages $1.50.	Software, hardware, maintenance and lost physician productivity.	Software, hardware, maintenance and lost physician productivity.
IMPLEMENTATION
Physicians continue business as usual using traditional dictation method.	Physicians must be trained on dictating, reviewing and editing their own documentation.	Physicians must be trained to use and navigate system.
PRODUCTIVITY
Physician productivity increases using traditional dictation method. Smartphones allow physicians to create and upload dictations, as well as view and approve documentation prior to populating the EMR, on-the-go.	Physician productivity declines as physicians spend four times the amount of time of traditional dictation documenting their encounters. Physicians must navigate to the appropriate field, dictate, and then edit their own documentation.	Physician productivity declines as physicians spend six times the amount of time of traditional dictation documenting patient encounters. Patient to patient workflow is disrupted as physicians visit workstation to log in, navigate system, and conduct data entry after each patient encounter. Alternatively, physicians log in, navigate system, and conduct data entry via menus and templated paragraphs during patient visit.
DATA COLLECTION
Same data results as Front End Speech Recognition and EMR Point-and-Click without direct physician entry.	Physician required to spend time and effort entering data directly into EMR.	Physician required to spend time and effort entering data directly into EMR.
COMPLIANCE
Full compliance (HIPAA, Meaningful Use, etc.).	Full compliance (HIPAA, Meaningful Use, etc.).	Full compliance (HIPAA, Meaningful Use, etc.).
AVERAGE ERROR FREQUENCY
0.33 errors per report.	1.48 errors per report.	7.8 errors per chart.

EMR POINT-AND-CLICK SUMMARY

Studies show that it takes a physician an average of 4.5 minutes per patient to document a visit using templates in an EMR system. By contrast, dictation takes only 1.5 minutes per patient. The result? Doctors will either see fewer patients or work longer hours. This productivity loss results in thousands of dollars in lost revenue. Consider that the calculated hourly wage for physicians and their medical assistants is significantly higher than that of transcriptionists. In addition, doesn’t high quality patient care mean physicians who focus on their patients instead of their computer screen?

FRONT END SPEECH RECOGNITION SUMMARY

Physicians must log in, navigate the EMR system and place the cursor where they need to dictate. After they generate content, the physician must edit it. Again, physicians spend their billable time performing data entry instead of treating patients. Again, productivity is lost and revenues are lost.

EMDAT SUMMARY

Emdat's DaRT tags transcription content (Eg. Chief Complaint, Medical History, Family History, etc.); integrates with any RIS, HIS, EMR or clinical repository; and discretely populates the EMR automatically. Every patient encounter is documented thoroughly and efficiently as if the clinician had entered it themselves via templates.

CONCLUSION: EMRS AND TRADITIONAL DICTATION — A WINNING COMBINATION

Emdat automatically integrates with EMRs and produces the highest quality, most complete medical document for the lowest cost, all while complying with government regulations, increasing physician productivity and upholding attentive patient care.

More so, our suite of applications streamlines the work process. Any authorized user can view, edit and electronically sign documentation online, 24/7/365. Encounter information is automatically routed, and can be sent automatically via auto-fax or a referral folder within the system. Alternatively, transcriptions, envelopes and standard cover letters can be printed automatically.

All this, at a cost significantly less than standard transcription services — our transcription templates and exclusive Qualified Text feature reduce the amount of typing required and reduce costs by up to 50%.

Emdat's software (brought to you by Just My Type Transcription) as a service delivers superb functionality and client satisfaction by streamlining workflow, reducing costs and providing free interfacing with any EMR system — all with no contracts, no capital investment, and rapid deployment.

EMDAT AND EMR SYSTEMS — A WINNING COMBINATION Emdat assists with EMR completion, placing data into the appropriate section of the EMR documentation Emdat requires no change in physician behavior, therefore acheiving higher physician adoption and physician satisfaction Emdat increases physician productivity — physicians dictate rather than perform data entry Emdat's EHR integration is a significant step towards "meaningful use"

CONTACT US TO LEARN HOW YOU CAN INCREASE PHYSICIAN PRODUCTIVITY WHILE RETAINING THE DOCUMENTATION CAPTURE CAPABILITIES OF AN EMR.

What are you waiting for?  Cite this blog post, switch to our service, and we'll discount 10% off your second invoice.   

Just My Type Transcription

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Having spent almost 1460 days transcribing for doctors, PAs, residents, I have had my fair share of frustrating listening days.  Being a good listener by character does not always equate to ease in transcribing medical reports.  Sitting at a computer for hours and hours on end, trying to decipher a medical term in between bites of lunch, phone calls, political conversations, etc.,  is not for the weary.  A medical transcriptionist armed with the best headphones makes what we do a tad easier....But high-priced headphones haven't been the answer in my experience.

In the almost 4 years I've been in this field, I've tried so many different headphones it's ridiculous.  I've used headphones in every price point, splurging with the big-name headphones as well as buying cheapies. I've used in-ear, around-ear, sitting-in-the-ear, headphones you have to jam in your ear, ear buds, sound reduction, amplified....gosh, the list could go on and on.  I like to think of myself as a bit of a headphone guru because of how many I've gone through, tried and broken.  I have gone through much frustration in my search for the perfect pair.  Needless to say, I go through headphones like water.  They malfunction at inopportune times (in the middle of STAT reports) or worse one side stops working.

So, about a month ago, my son and I were in Target shopping and we are in the electronics department.  He is well aware of my frustration and my search for a great pair of headphones.  Looking at all the headphones was making my head spin (probably because I've already tried most of them). So, I turn to this 11-year-old darlin' and ask him what the heck pair I should buy.  His reply, plain and simple, "Skullcandy, mom.  They're the best."  He's an avid gamer and just overall a very smart young man (I'm totally unbiased, of course).  The pair he grabbed to show me were called INK'd, and since I have a couple tattoos myself, I figure this will be it for me - my perfect match.  So, for $16.99, I say what the hay and pick out a cute metallic pink pair and head on out.  I figure nothing could be worse than my last pair of overpriced loser (and now in the trash) headphones.

I will tell you, music literally played the first time I used them (and not because I was listening to music).  These babies are like no other.  I love, love, love them.  Did I say I love them?

First, the sound is utterly amazing!  Crystal clear.  It's as if Dr. Mushmouth is sitting next to me chewing his food, but this time I understand him.  They're extremely lightweight, amazingly comfortable.  These pups can be worn for 10 hours plus without ear pain (and trust me this has been tried & tested), and they don't fall out of my ears. I am over the moon that my son came with me to Target that day (he usually doesn't have the patience to shop with me), and he knew his stuff.

I found them on Amazon at an even lower price.  I just may be stocking up!!!

This turned into more of a sales pitch, but I assure you I make no profit or have any affiliation with Skullcandy.  I suppose my profit is that I make more money doing medical transcription as I'm more productive with these headphones.  Finally!

Cheers to finding the perfect pair of headphones so you can hear what I hear!

Quality Outsourced Medical Transcription

Just My Type Transcription takes great care in producing high-quality patient documentation.  We treat patients as if they're our family, and we certainly don't want our family members' charts with errors.  

We're able to save new clients up to 40% on transcription costs with various options.  We know time is money, so email us to set up a quick demonstration of our web-based software which we provide to all customers as a service (no investment in software).  

Transcription Bloopers

It's always fun to read medical transcription bloopers.  Whether it be medical transcriptionist errors or speech recognition errors, seeing these errors never gets old. Of course, we need to be mindful that there's a patient on the other end, so hopefully these wouldn't make it into a patient's chart.

These come from Jim's Joke Repository:

118 Medical Transcription Bloopers.

The patient comes in for a lesion on the penis which has been present on and off for 2 years and seems to be getting smaller. Patient comes in complaining of hoarseness. The patient apparently lives with his wife and does a fair amount of talking. The left side of his cranium is missing. He does have well-known hemorrhoids. Reflexes in the upper extremities are normal and symmetrical. Lower extremities show an absent right ankle compared to the left. I also gave her a back book to start doing exercises in. He does have a fairly high stress job and appears in the clinic with his lap-top computer today. The patient wishes to establish with a neurologist with the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. She is on SEPTRA right now for a sinus infection which she was given over the phone. She has not been taking the medications that were prescribed. She notes that smoking marijuana currently helps most of her symptoms. The patient reports that since she had a colonoscopy, she has noticed some problems with her short term memory. 28 year old male comes in requesting a work release for his foot. She reports some hearing loss, with difficulty hearing her husband. She has a long history of asthma; usually she has found that this is exacerbated by being around moles. During our exam, this man was shaking: basically he was shaking his right leg when I was watching, and he was not shaking his right leg when I was not watching. According to the EMT who brought him back in to the room, when he went outside to get the man he looked completely normal, walked in unaided with no problem, sat down in the room and began shaking and having what he calls "spasms and seizure-like activity." He has good deep tendon reflexes on the left side, which he did not shake until at the end of the exam: I think he may have forgotten which side was supposed to shake and which side wasn't. Her next complaint is abdominal pain that she notices only when the wind blows on her abdomen. He describes the ear pain as being in the ear. ALLERGIC TO MORPHINE, VALIUM, AND HER RELATIVES. This is her first period since vaginal delivery of a three month old baby. The patient fell while rollerblading on his left hand. Fracture to the proximal phalanx of the right fourth toe on the right fifth foot. Multiple strains and sprains secondary to motor vehicle accident of the neck, shoulders and low back. The patient cannot touch her shoulder blade with her right shoulder. The patient was taken to the microscopic room. The pain starts right after he eats meals located around his belly-button. The patient presents for follow-up of thoracic back strain, which occurred 03/16/96 while twisting in the dishroom. Patient comes in to Urgent Care feeling concerned because at work he feels slightly confused and disoriented. At work he usually carries on 3-4 conversations at a time, and now he only is able to carry on one conversation at a time. Admits to being hypochondriacal about things recently and in fact she has had to stop watching the TV show "E.R." because she gets every symptom that she sees. Her husband had received the "husband of the year" award two years ago, but has since moved out and is living with a church secretary. The patient was standing in the kitchen, leaning against the sink, waiting for coffee to perk (drip) and a throw rug slipped out from under him and his foot hit the wall. ...has a cousin who developed curly hair after having a child. They will be following up with Dr. Knackstedt in July of this year just to check on his ears. 15 year old boy was accidentally hit with 5 BB gun shots while he was jumping on a trampoline. (Re a 5-year-old Urgent Care patient:) Active young man who is very conversant with respect to dinosaurs. The patient has a brother and sister who are normal. She will now be living with father and strep-mother... Mother comes in for consultation re beast-feeding her infant. She has actually not felt well since her daughter was born three years ago. About 8 a.m. this morning was the last time she had an inhalation. She reports that, since the auto accident, the pain in her low back is much improved. She has had two flares of the previous sinus tract I identified. She states it is related to having sexual intercourse, and since stopping that she has had no further problems. She fell and hit her left forearm against a rock which remains painful and swollen today. He sustained injuries to his forehead and face when he fell from his glasses. I recommended to mother that she get an over-the-counter ear removal preparation. 48-year-old male with left index finger laceration which occurred 45 minutes before he presented to the Urgent Care department on a piece of glass. She gets headaches with her migraines. I recommended MIACALCIN, 1 puff in each nose on a daily basis. ...and has two cousins identical to her father... He also has external hemorrhoids, which he says he likes to keep to himself. ...he is seen today with his daughter Judy; but I guess not with his boy Elroy. Healthy-appearing child with upset mom. She also complains of pain in her right ankle. She says she is not sexually active. The patient complains of low back pain. She is able to move all of her legs. The patient reports a fatal reaction to IODINE in the past. The patient wonders if she can fly as far as her ears. She was also given an in-the-ear hearing aid whose patient was a husband of ours. She was the diver of a car going approximately 25 MPH... The patient was given Dr. Davis' car and instructions were given to him to follow up with Dr. Davis within the next week. FAMILY HISTORY: Significant for a half-brother of unknown origin. Past medical history is significant for a basal cell carcinoma on her head which was removed recently. After a suicide attempt, the patient was given a choice of admission to the Johnson Unit or vacation with her sister. He has been monitoring his blood pressure. Does not drink. Does not use much soap. She will lie down, feel a bit better, cook her husband's breast, then her own breakfast, eat, still feel tired and no energy until after lunch. She is 15 years old. Chronic runny nose for 20 years. Stepped on a TETANUS SHOT. He has some concern about chewing on vacuum tubes when he was an electronic repairman as a child. Eat before the meal. He did develop perianal skin irritation with some skin rash extending out onto his bucket. She has had 3 pregnancies, 1 liver birth and 2 spontaneous abortions. I plan to see her in two weeks and reassess her injured parts. She apparently has had a cold for several weeks, but just started to turn green the last couple of days. Husband is somewhat negative and difficult to live with. She is not interested in a trial of medication for this. She did suffer loss of consciousness and was told by a chest x-ray that she had a lung contusion. The patient has not been using METROGEL because it was too drying and her face peeled off in chunks. She has had surgery when her husband was in the Navy for hemorrhoids during a pregnancy. She does admit to bruxism with what few teeth she has. She smokes one glass of alcohol per week. . . . concentrated on chest, abdomen and all four lower extremities. He was evaluated in the Emergency Room where he broke some ribs. The patient has complaints of problems maintaining an erection for over a year. Despite both standing and lying down, I was unable to demonstrate a hernia. The patient had a trial of PROZAC on which he became violet. Examination of the remaining hand is within normal limits. The wound is doing fine, without complaints. She is not clear on why she has seen me in the past, but states that whatever I treated her for had cleared up with whatever treatment I had given her. Exam demonstrates a chile who is modestly febrile. Basically what happened is she hit her right knee against her chin, biting her tongue causing her neck to be thrust to the left. Now she has pain in her left arm. He is employed as electrician but does not really remember any specific incidence which could have precipitated his hemorrhoidal problems. The patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year. On the second day the knee was better and on the third day it had completely disappeared. The patient has been depressed ever since she began seeing me in 1983. The patient has left his white blood cells at another hospital. She slipped on the ice and apparently her legs went in separate directions in early December. The patient left the hospital feeling much better except for her original complaint. Because of her complaints we gave her an endoscopy so she could look into the problems she is having. The patient complains of post-coital spitting. She now wears a 42, cup size 8 bra. She may ultimately be a candidate for reduction. She was the belted driver in the back seat. He does want the TV louder than his wife. The patient was found to have an extremely small facial nerve for the size of his body. This is a 48-year-old white female black lady. 19-year-old vehicle involved in a female accident. When not inebriated, we have always found David to be a delightful and cooperative person. Elderly male, seeking physician with hearing deficit. Otherwise, I have recommended rechecking in a few weeks just to make sure that the ear is completely gone. She has breast-fed the baby with frequent loose stools. She was the driver of a car that was seatbelted and turning left . . . She did have a female sister who committed suicide. Apparently the next day she developed this rash on her hands, and the feet had gone away. Would like for mom to contact me in about a week to seven days if it is not a lot better. "It should be noted that from now on ________ will be weighed with gown and panties only. At work yesterday, she was lifting a 5-gallon bucket of pain. Last time he ate was about 8 hours ago when he had a bowel of cereal. She was seen at Sacred Heart emergency room last night for an episode of profound weakness and lightheartedness. She is under some increasing stress in her household due to the presence of three teenagers. His appetite, as far as his parents are concerned, is probably normal in terms of volume, but he is the worst eater of the mother's children. A 78 year old woman told her PCP "I just KNOW I have BEGONIA". This man says that he thinks he has a sinus infection. Recently, he laughed with his mouth full of lasagna and got some of it up his nose. This man was seen by me a month and a half ago and got over it.

Just My Type Transcription takes great care in producing high-quality patient documentation.  We treat patients as if they're our family, and we certainly don't want our family members' charts with errors.  

We're able to save new clients up to 40% on transcription costs with various options.  We know time is money, so call us at 847.890.0560 or email us to set up a quick demonstration of our web-based software which we provide to all customers as a service (no investment in software).