Transcriptionists have to do a significant amount of typing.
Transcriptionists use transcribing machines with headsets and foot pedals to transcribe dictated reports or other documents. They listen to recordings by physicians, other health care professionals and court reporters. There are medical, legal and publishing transcriptionists. A transcriptionist may work at doctor's offices, hospitals, transcription service offices, clinics, labs, medical libraries, government medical facilities, legal offices, courts or law service environments.
Duties
The duties of a transcriptionist include transcribing dictation for various types of reports (i.e. reports on operations, consultations, discharge summaries, etc.); reviewing and editing transcribed reports; recognizing inconsistencies and mistakes; translating medical or legal jargon and abbreviations; producing medical reports, correspondence, records, medical research, statistics, administrative material and patient care information; performing data entry and data retrieval services; and answering inquiries concerning the progress of medical cases.
Daily Actitivities
The responsibilities of a transcriptionist include receiving patients, scheduling appointments and answering phones.They have to use transcription equipment, such as headsets, foot pedals and computers to complete reports. It is very important for a transcriptionist to be accurate and turn in reports free of errors. In addition, transcriptionists may have to perform clerical tasks, such as handling incoming and outgoing mail, completing and submitting insurance claims, typing, filing and using office machines.
Skills
The skills a transcriptionist should possess include active listening, reading comprehension, time management, writing, active learning, oral comprehension, written comprehension, oral expression, grammar and language. Transcriptionists must also be able to make sense out of verbal information when it is not clear, have good hearing and have the ability to distinguish words. They must have good vision since they will most likely be dealing with computers all day.
Knowledge
Transcriptionists should have general knowledge of terminology used in their respective fields. Medical transcriptionists should have knowledge of medical terminology, jargon and abbreviations. Legal transcriptionists should have knowledge of legal terminology, jargon and abbreviations. Transcriptionists should also know where to reference words or terms they don't understand or recognize, such as a medical or legal reference book (dictionaries, websites, etc.). They must be able to understand and correctly transcribe reports and understand the repercussions of a poorly transcribed report. This could result in a patient receiving the wrong medication, which could result in a serious injury, illness or even death.
Additional Info
The average pay rate for a medical transcriptionist is roughly $36,859 of November 2009, according to Salary.com. The current average salary for a legal transcriptionist is $43,704 per year. Publishing transcriptionists generally make less than medical transcriptionists, earning anywhere from $12 to $18 per hour in 2006, according to DiplomaGuide.com.
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