Medical transcription: Strategies for outsourcing

What is the strategy to be adopted for outsourcing medical transcription?

1. Identify healthcare process: This will show the healthcare facility the flow of work and identify processes that can be outsourced and those, which are to be retained in-house.

The typical workflow for healthcare would be as follows:

• Appointment by patient to visit doctor/emergency visit
• Filling up of demo forms
• Doctor visit
• Dictation of notes
• Medical transcription
• Medical coding
• Medical billing
• Insurance claims processing
• Reimbursement
• Follow up of payment over and above insurance reimbursement.

This flow clearly shows that the first four tasks cannot be outsourced but other tasks like medical transcription can be outsourced.

2. Assess the feasibility of outsourcing medical transcription

1. Can medical transcription be executed outside the healthcare facility premises? With the advent of Internet, it is possible for medical transcription to be executed outside the physical premises of the healthcare facility.

2. Are there any security implications to outsourcing medical transcription? Security of confidential patient health information has to be ensured. Care has to be taken to make sure that the medical transcription service provider is HIPAA complaint and covered under a business associate agreement.

3. Can medical transcription be tailor made to match the requirements of the healthcare facility? The needs of different healthcare facilities is different, care has to be taken to source a medical transcription service provider who can cater to different volumes, formats and specialties and according to the turnaround time specified.

4. Can the medical transcription service provider’s performance be monitored?The performance of a medical transcription service provider can be monitored in terms of accuracy and turnaround time.

3. Sourcing medical transcription service provider
   1. Cost: This is perhaps one of the most criteria for outsourcing, Care has to be taken that the cost per line of transcription parameters are understood completely before comparing quotes.
   2. Turnaround time: Turnaround time is an important factor that affects both the healthcare and profitability aspect of the healthcare facility.
   3. Availability of talent pool: To make sure that a service provider can provide continuous and consistent service it is important to evaluate the talent pool available to the service provider.
   4. Risks: This refers both to the risk of poor quality as well as security of information. To mitigate this assurances of quality level and the security measures taken by the service provider need to be evaluated

4. What is the value proposition of outsourcing medical transcription?
   1. Speed: Outsourcing medical transcription ensures the speedy creation of medical records under all circumstances.
   2. Profit increase: Outsourcing medical transcription brings down the cost per line of transcription and improves the bottom line. It also helps increase profits by shortening the receivables cycle.
   3. Increased process efficiency: Outsourcing medical transcription increases the efficiency of the healthcare process by making information available to the healthcare professionals on time.
   4. Improved Management focus: Outsourcing medical transcription improves the management focus by freeing up valuable resources like real estate, supervisory staff, capital investment etc.

TransDyne is a professionally managed medical transcription service provider that offers quality medical transcription at reasonable prices, done by expert medical transcriptionists with a very quick turnaround time executed through secure HIPAA and HITECH compliant channels, with very high levels of accuracy and all this with technology that is advanced but easy to use!

To avail outsourced medical transcription services from TransDyne, click here

Medical transcription: Gain a partner through outsourcing

Outsourcing medical transcription needs can be a tricky decision involving a long process of qualification and then the process of evaluation. But when done right it can mean that the healthcare facility gains a partner who will shoulder a big portion of the burden of non-healthcare related issues of the healthcare facility.

Before this can happen there may be many questions/queries/ doubts raised by healthcare professionals that need to be addressed by the healthcare facility administration to ensure smooth transition to outsourcing.

Some of the main questions/queries/doubts raised by healthcare professionals could be along these lines:

• Will outsourcing medical transcription provide more time for the practice of medicine?

Outsourcing medical transcription to TransDyne has the benefit of freeing up the time of healthcare professionals, because all aspects of documenting the patient-healthcare professional encounter are done in a prompt and professional manner, by the use of right people, right processes and the right technology. This means that the information required to make an informed decision is available at the right time and with high levels of accuracy.

• What about the quality/ accuracy of finished transcripts? What are measures taken to ensure quality?

TransDyne assures an accuracy level of above 99%. Accuracy levels are maintained by having stringent quality assurance procedures in place involving four level checks by medical transcriptionist, language proofreader, unit-in-charge and a final check by the quality assurance team.

• Will outsourcing reduce costs, thereby increasing profitability?

Outsourcing medical transcription to TransDyne will bring the cost per line of transcription down by approximately 40%, which will have an effect on the bottom-line. Moreover timely transcription will ensure that the account receivable cycle is shortened and quicker reimbursements can have a positive impact on the profitability.

• What is the turnaround time guaranteed?

TransDyne ensures a turnaround time of 24 hours and offers a turnaround time of 4-12 hours for STAT reports. TransDyne ensures turnaround time by constantly recruiting, training and maintaining a large pool of medical transcriptionists, the use of technology and stringent processes.

• Is training required to use the technology used by the medical transcription service provider?

TransDyne believes that the technology used for medical transcription like uploading dictation and downloading finished transcripts should be advanced to ensure reliability, but very easy to use requiring very less or no training.

• What is the billing method used by the medical transcription service provider?

TransDyne uses a 65-character line method of billing. This follows the billing method principles as defined by MTIA. The method used is definable, verifiable, measurable, consistent and fair & honest.

• Will there be additional investment?

No additional investment is required by the healthcare facility to avail medical transcription services from TransDyne.

• Does the medical transcription service provider have adequate measures to ensure security of data?

TransDyne has taken all measures to ensure security of data at all levels. TransDyne has security measures like encryption of data during transmission, firewalls, and limited access to assure system security. TransDyne has physical security measures like manned security, restricted access etc to ensure security of its’ premises. The team at TransDyne has been educated on the importance of security and made to sign undertakings to make a commitment to maintaining security. TransDyne further assures total control over security by never subcontracting medical transcription work and executing all work in-house. Security measures taken by TransDyne not only meet HIPAA guidelines but also exceed them.

• Can the current modes of dictation be retained?

TransDyne believes that the time is a precious commodity for healthcare professionals, thereby current modes of dictation can be retained. Flexible modes of dictation are offered to ensure that healthcare professionals have the options to use their time in the best possible way.

• Is it possible to have a free trial of the services to test for compatibility?

TransDyne offers a free trial of services for a limited period to give healthcare facilities an opportunity to experience the excellent services offered firsthand, before making the final commitment.

• How is medical transcription service provider going to deal with holiday and weekend medical transcription requirements?

TransDyne has a large team of medical transcriptionists, and will be in a position to deal with any holiday and weekend medical transcription needs that may arise.

• How long has the medical transcription service provider been in this business and who are their customers?

TransDyne has been providing outsourced medical transcription services to some of the leaders in the healthcare industry for over a decade and has the testimonials of some of their customers displayed on their website.

When a healthcare facility decides to outsource its, medical transcription needs to TransDyne it essentially gains a long-term partner that manages the current needs and is in a position to handle any additional needs that may arise out of any expansion plans that the healthcare facility may have.

To avail outsourced medical transcription services from TransDyne click here

Medical transcription outsourcing: Save up to 40% on costs

Outsourcing medical transcription has many benefits the most obvious being that of saving on transcription costs. While analyzing transcription costs healthcare facilities tend to overlook many important cost heads hence the comparison between the price per line given by the outsourcing company and the current cost per line is not accurate.

What should be included while calculating cost on medical transcription in-house?

Direct costs

• Direct transcriptionist staff salaries: This comprises the salary paid to in-house transcriptionists.
• Cost of training: The cost of training new transcriptionists to enable them to execute work as per the healthcare facility’s requirements.
• Supplies used for transcription: The stationery cost and the cost of other supplies used for transcription would have an impact on the cost per line.
• Cost of overflow work that is outsourced: Sometimes when the in-house transcriptionists are not able to keep up with excess workflow the work needs to be outsourced and this adds to the cost.

Indirect costs

• Depreciation of transcription equipment: Over time the transcription equipment would have some wear and tear, this depreciation cost will have to be added to the cost of transcription
• Apportioning salaries of management and administrative staff: The salaries of managerial and administrative staff contributing to the transcription process will have to be apportioned and added accordingly.
• Benefits given to employees other than the salary: Benefits given to transcription staff like health insurance, dental care etc will have to be added in the category of indirect costs.
• Taxes: Having transcription staff on rolls would mean taxes would have to be paid.
• Cost of space used for in-house transcription: Apportionment of cost of real estate cost would have to be made according to the space utilization.
• Cost of employee turnover: This would include fees paid to consultants, signing bonuses, cost of training new employees and the cost of advertising for new employees.
• Cost of technology: The cost of technology used for medical transcription and the cost of integrating this with the hospital’s system needs to be added.

Apart from the direct and indirect costs of medical transcription in-house the other factors that need to considered are:

• No of days taken for transcription
• Quality of reports
• Physician satisfaction
• HIPAA compliance
• Report generation and distribution
• Easy availability of qualified staff for transcription

Given below is a table of typical expenses of transcription in-house:

Item	Cost in US $ per annum
Salary	30000
Benefits	8000
Real estate	2000
Furniture	1000
Computer	2000
Management	5000
Consumables	1000
Utilities	500
Miscellaneous	500
Total cost	50000

Given below is the productivity of a medical transcriptionist

Production
Number of lines per 8 hour day	1250
Work hours per year	1920
Lines per year	300000
Downtime in %	10
Actual lines produced in a year	270000
Cost per line	18.5

After calculating the costs of all these factors one can arrive at the cost per line of transcription.

TransDyne offers medical transcription at the rate of 10 cents per 65-character line. This shows a clear saving in the cost per line of transcription. The 65-character line is calculated according to the billing method principles as per the MTIA guidelines. The method of billing used is verifiable, definable, measurable, consistent and fair & honest.

Not only that outsourcing the medical transcription needs of a healthcare facility to TransDyne has benefits like:

• Accuracy of 99% and above
• 24 hours turnaround time, with an option of 4-12 hours turnaround time for STAT reports.
• Software that enables smart upload by allowing flexible modes of dictation and features like smart delivery and web delivery for ease of use.
• Ensures HIPAA compliance by using the right technology and having safety measures in place for security of people and infrastructure.

TransDyne ensures that the healthcare facility’s variable needs are met without affecting the cost per line, by having a large pool of well-trained medical transcriptionists available at all times.

TransDyne ensures that the quality standards are constantly maintained by having quality guidelines in place.

TransDyne ensures HIPAA compliance by always executing the medical transcription work in-house rather than through subcontractors.

To avail superior medical transcription services from TransDyne. click here.

Medical transcription outsourcing: Process for choosing the right service provider

Outsourcing medical transcription is a critical decision. By outsourcing its medical transcription needs a healthcare facility is essentially adding to the back office support of their facility. A medical transcription service provider is a long-term business associate of the healthcare facility.

The process of picking the right associate needs a well thought out strategy. Breaking it into two stages can help refine the process of selection:

• Qualification stage
• Proposal stage

Qualification stage is an elimination round where the medical transcription service provider will be judged on the following criteria:

• Can the medical transcription service provider prove HIPAA compliance?

HIPAA compliance is an important criterion to be considered as medical transcription involves transmission of data back and forth through electronic channels. Security measures for ensuring confidentiality of patient information needs to be addressed at 3 levels:

1. Technology: HIPAA compliance in technology can be ensured by transmission of data through encrypted channels, firewall protection etc.

2. Process: HIPAA compliance in process can be ensured by making sure that 100% of the work is carried out in company’s own premises and not through sub-contractors. Further security measures could include surveillance cameras and security at entry and exit points.

3. People: HIPAA compliance among people could be ensured by educating them on the importance of HIPAA and having them sign a commitment regarding the same.

• Can the medical transcription service provider’s system be made compatible with the healthcare facility’s systems?

Outsourcing of medical transcription needs should not require any further investment by the healthcare facility. Features like HL7 interface to enable interface between various systems could be used as a criterion to evaluate the medical transcription service provider.

• Can healthcare professionals retain their current modes of dictation?

Healthcare professionals have limited time and a service provider that lets them retain their current modes of dictation will be one of the qualifying features.

Once the medical transcription service provider has qualified on these criteria they need to be evaluated on the following, which will form part of the proposal:

• What is the cost per line?

Cost savings is one of the main benefits that a healthcare facility hopes to have from the outsourcing decision. The cost per line of needs to be fair and reasonable to the services rendered, without any hidden costs.

• What are the billing methods used?

The method of billing used by the service provider has a direct effect on the bottom line of the healthcare facility. The billing method used has to be according to the MTIA guidelines of being verifiable, definable, measurable, consistent, fair and honest.

• What is the guaranteed turnaround time?

Timely transcripts add to the quality of healthcare provided. A reasonable turnaround time needs to be specified along with options for STAT reports.

• What is the accuracy level promised?

The accuracy of the finished transcript as against the audio file needs to be as close to 100% as possible so that accurate information is documented. The accuracy level specified by the medical transcription service provider is an important criterion for the final decision-making.

• Can the medical transcription service provider provide references?

References/ testimonials are the success stories of those who have already availed the services of the service provider. Having testimonials gives an added assurance that the service provider can meet all the challenges.

• Is there a free trial period to test the services?

Free trials of the services provide a test run that gives the healthcare facility an idea as what to expect and helps make the right decision.

• What is the type of contract used?

The type of contract used by the medical transcription service provider gives an idea about the commitment needed from both the parties and whether the service provider is willing to make changes in the contract if needed.

TransDyne is a professionally managed transcription company, which qualifies on all the criteria like being HIPAA compliant in technology, processes and people, having technology that is compatible with that of the healthcare facility and the flexibility for healthcare professionals to retain their current modes of dictation.

TransDyne offers medical transcription at the rate of 10 cents per line, uses a billing method based on a 65-character line, assures a turnaround time of 24 hours with an option of 4-12 hours for STAT reports, assures an accuracy level of above 99%.

TransDyne can provide testimonials of its’ success stories, offers a free trial period for evaluating their services, and a standard business agreement that can be modified as per the healthcare facility’s requirements.

TransDyne offers quality medical transcription at reasonable prices, done by expert medical transcriptionists with a very quick turnaround time and executed through secure HIPAA and HITECH compliant channels, with very high levels of accuracy and all this with technology that is advanced but easy to use!

To know more about medical transcription services by TransDyne, click here.

Medical transcription outsourcing: Helps unleash core business potential

Providing quality healthcare and making a profit while doing so are the goals of a healthcare facility. Outsourcing medical transcription can help achieve both the goals.

How does medical transcription help in the provision of quality healthcare?

• By creating accurate records: The continued quality of healthcare depends on availability of accurate information. Outsourcing of medical transcription ensures that medical records are transcribed by experienced and expert medical transcriptionists ensuring maximum accuracy.
  
• By creating timely records: Timely records are vital for providing quality healthcare, by outsourcing the medical transcription function a healthcare facility can be ensured that transcription would be timely because of a availability of a large pool of qualified personnel at all times. The turnaround time of the finished transcripts are ensured by use of technology which has features that provides the convenience of using flexible modes of dictation, easy upload of audio files, easy download of finished transcripts.

Software and tools for medical transcription

What is the role of software and tools in the medical transcription process?

The process of medical transcription has evolved a long way from where it started. Gone are the days of sending records/ tapes through courier and receiving the finished transcripts in a similar manner. It is the digital age and technological advances have made it possible for the whole process to be fast and safe.

Time is a resource which is scarce for health care professionals therefore it becomes important that the medical transcription service provider chosen to take care of transcription needs should utilize technology which is advanced and secure and also simple to use.

The role of software and technology in the transcription process is as follows:

• Dictation: Doctors need to have flexible options for dictating their notes so as to utilize their time in the best way possible.

• Upload of documents: The dictated records then need to uploaded so that the process of transcription can take place

• Delivery of finished transcripts: Once the audio records have been transcribed these need to be made available to the doctors for further use.

• Archives: Medical records play an important part in many ways like further treatment, referrals, statutory requirements, billing and as evidence in case of litigation. Therefore it becomes important that the records are easily accessible.

• HL7: Healthcare information may need to be further transmitted to various sources; the medical transcription company needs to have HL7 integration to make this possible. HL7 is a protocol developed for communication of health data to various entities without the meaning getting lost.

TransDyne a leading name in medical transcription believes that technology needs to be advanced so that the service provided is of the best standard, but should be simple to enable ease of use for healthcare professionals.

Some of the features of the software and tools used by TransDyne are as follows:

• Smart upload: TransDyne offers doctors the choice of using modes of dictation they are already comfortable with. Then these files can be uploaded to the servers to be made available for transcription. Smart upload enables transfer of dictation files from the healthcare facility’s server to TransDyne’s server by checking for new dictations at pre-fixed intervals.

• Web Delivery: TransDyne’s web delivery system tackles all issues related with tracking dictations, receiving documents and finding old files form the archives.

• Smart Delivery: Smart delivery is an automated program that addresses the automatic downloads, saving files and printing needs of a healthcare facility.

• HL7 integration: TransDyne can configure and send healthcare information as HL7 messages to the client’s EMR with no additional costs.

TransDyne offers quality medical transcription at reasonable prices, done by expert medical transcriptionists with a very quick turnaround time executed through secure HIPAA and HITECH compliant channels, with very high levels of accuracy and all this with technology that is advanced but easy to use.

To avail superior medical transcription services from TransDyne, click here.

Medical transcription outsourcing: How important is turnaround time guarantee?

Turnaround time guarantee given by the medical transcription service provider plays an important role in the service provider selection process.

Why is turnaround time guarantee a deciding factor?

To answer this question, one needs to examine the importance of medical transcription and the part it plays in the provision of quality healthcare. Medical transcription is the process of creating records of the patient-healthcare professional encounter. These records then serve as the foundation for providing healthcare, for referring to specialists, as evidence in case of litigation and form the basis for billing.

One can see that the quality of healthcare hinges on the availability of accurate and timely information, therefore turnaround time for medical transcription is very important for a healthcare facility.

What is turnaround time?

Turnaround time is the time between the audio files is uploaded to the time when the final transcript is made available to the healthcare professional. Ideal turnaround time would depend on the type of report. For most reports a turnaround time of 24 hours would be considered ideal, but STAT reports would require a turnaround time of 4-12 hours.

How can a healthcare facility be ensured that the committed turnaround time would be met?

This would require the healthcare facility to have a careful screening process of various medical transcription service providers. To ensure that a service provider would stand by their guarantee they need to be evaluated on the following:

Technology used: The technology used by the medical transcription service provider will have a direct impact on the turnaround time.

Training methods used: A team of well-trained medical transcriptionists would ensure that the turnaround time guaranteed by the medical transcription service provider would be met without any compromise to quality.

Quality assurance methods used: The methods used to ensure quality would not only ensure accuracy but also save a lot of time in correction of errors, thereby fine-tuning the turnaround time.

In-house transcription: Transcription done in-house and not through sub-contractors would cut down on guarantee turnaround time by avoiding dilution of control over the process of transcription.

TransDyne stands head and shoulder above the others in terms of not only quality/accuracy of transcripts, fair pricing, data security but also in terms of turnaround time guarantee.

How does TransDyne guarantee turnaround time?

TransDyne uses the right technology: TransDyne adopts the best technology like Smart upload, Smart Delivery, and web delivery to ensure that the turnaround time is met.

TransDyne has refined its’ training methods: TransDyne has taken training of its’ medical transcriptionists to the next level by training them in one or two areas of medicine to make them domain specialists. This ensures that the turnaround time is met with from the very beginning.

TransDyne has a four level quality check: TransDyne has a stringent quality control method in place involving medical transcriptionist, proofreader, unit-in charge and quality assurance team to ensure quality issues are solved on time and not affect turnaround time.

TransDyne does not use sub-contractors: TransDyne believes in executing all the work in-house thereby saving on time and at the same time ensuring accuracy and data security.

Please click here to know more about the superior transcription services offered by TransDyne.