Medical transcription outsourcing: Reliable services

The role of medical transcription in the healthcare process cannot be overlooked. Medical transcription plays an important role in the creation of medical records of patients by converting audio files of the patient-healthcare professional encounter into a text format. Combining expertise of the service provider and appropriate technology, creation of medical records is done with maximum accuracy & security, minimum turnaround time and at reasonable prices.

Creation of medical records plays an important role in the following areas of the healthcare facility:

• Patient care
• Referrals/ tests/procedures/ therapies
• Risk management by providing record of allergies, interaction of drugs
• Statutory requirements
• Evidence in case of litigation
• Coding and billing for reimbursement purposes
• Research
• Providing preventive care

An easy and cost-effective of ensuring the creation of accurate and timely medical records is to outsource medical transcription. However while outsourcing medical transcription it is important to ensure that the medical transcription company is reliable.

What is meant by reliable medical transcription services?

The word “reliable” has been defined as an entity that can be relied upon for being consistent, dependable and trustworthy. A reliable medical transcription service provider would have to meet the same criteria of being consistent, dependable and trustworthy.

What is meant by consistent medical transcription services?

• Accuracy: Accuracy of the information captured in the patient records is very important for both the operational as well as the commercial aspects of the healthcare facility. Accuracy needs to be consistently maintained at very high levels, using skilled specialist medical transcriptionists and multiple level quality checks to ensure consistent quality

• Billing methods: The billing methods used by the medical transcription service provider influences the pricing of services. It is important for the service provider to define the components of pricing and consistently use the same methodology, ensuring everyone is on the same page.

What is meant by dependable medical transcription services?

• Turnaround time: To be considered dependable, medical transcription services need to meet the turnaround time commitments given by them. Along with accuracy of the data, turnaround time plays a very important role in providing quality healthcare and speeding up the receivables cycle

• Technology: Technology is an important component of dependable medical transcription. Technology is important both for maintaining turnaround time commitments as well as securing confidential patient data during the medical transcription process.

What is meant by trustworthy medical transcription services?

• HIPAA compliance: While outsourcing medical transcription it is important for the healthcare facility to determine the capability of the medical transcription service provider in maintaining HIPAA compliance. To determine whether a medical transcription service provider is trustworthy, the service provider needs to be evaluated on the measures taken to ensure HIPAA compliance with regard to technology, processes, infrastructure and people.

While outsourcing medical transcription it is important to take the time to assess the reliability of the medical transcription service provider.

TransDyne is a reliable medical transcription company that meets all the criteria of being consistent, dependable and trustworthy.  TransDyne offers:

• Accuracy of above 99%
• Low costs by using the “character method” of billing
• Turnaround time of 24 hours, with an option of 4-12 hours for STAT files
• Advanced technology that is easy to use
• Secure HIPAA compliant medical transcription by securing technology, processes, infrastructure and people.

To avail reliable medical transcription services from TransDyne, click here

Outsourced medical transcription services and patient care

The primary goal of every healthcare facility is to maximize profits while providing quality healthcare. Achieving this goal would require a three-pronged approach:

• Increase focus on quality healthcare
• Decrease expenses towards activities that are not part of the core process
• Accelerate cash flow

Outsourced medical transcription has a role to play in all the three steps involved in achieving the goal of the healthcare facility.

What role does medical transcription play in increasing focus on quality healthcare?

Apart from the qualification and expertise of the healthcare professional, one of the main inputs for quality healthcare is accurate information. Outsourcing medical transcription ensures that the medical records are created accurately and on time by expert medical transcriptionists who are well versed in the language related to the specialty of the healthcare professional. This ensures that all the details of the patient-healthcare professional encounter are captured completely and accurately.

The information captured in patient records aids the healthcare professional by providing information on the following:

• A brief about the patient history and physical examination
• Existing health conditions if any
• Information on the current medication used and allergies if any
• Past symptoms and diagnosis
• Drugs/procedures/tests/therapies prescribed
• Results of tests
• Progress made by the patient

What role does medical transcription play in decreasing expenses towards non-core activities?

One of the main benefits of outsourcing medical transcription is that it not only reduces the cost per line of medical transcription, it also allows the healthcare facility to maximize focus towards providing quality healthcare. Resources like cost of direct employees, management staff, real estate, capital expenses for transcription equipment, cost of utilities for in-house transcription, Information technology (IT) for in-house transcription, and working capital requirements for transcription in-house can be redirected for other uses.

What role does medical transcription play in accelerating cash flow?

Medical transcription is the first step in the receivables cycle. By outsourcing medical transcription, patient records are created accurately and on time. Speedy creation of records ensures that the process of reimbursement is quickened, leading to shortening of the receivables cycle. This helps accelerate the cash flow.

It can be concluded that outsourcing medical transcription helps the healthcare facility focus on providing quality healthcare; helps reduce expenses and speeds up the reimbursement process. To reap maximum benefits of outsourcing medical transcription, a healthcare facility needs to evaluate the medical transcription service provider based on the following criteria:

• Accuracy: This means the percentage of accuracy of the completed transcripts vis-à-vis what was dictated. A minimum of 99% and above would be acceptable.

• Turnaround time: Turnaround time refers to the time taken to revert the transcribed report to the healthcare facility. A turnaround time of not more than 24 hours for normal reports and 4-12 hours for STAT reports would be considered ideal.

• Data security: The service provider being outsourced to should be HIPAA and HITECH compliant. The medical transcription service provider has to have adequate security measures to ensure that the confidential data transmitted back and forth is safe and secure.

• Pricing: This is one of the main benefits that a healthcare facility hopes to have, from the outsourcing option. Pricing should be fair and reasonable for the services rendered. Pricing method should also be transparent and simple so that both parties can verify the same at any stage of the process

• Technology: The technology used by the medical transcription company should not only secure but should also be easy to use, without having to require extensive training.

TransDyne is a leading medical transcription company, providing medical transcription services that helps a healthcare facility focus on providing quality healthcare, helps them save on costs of medical transcription and helps accelerate the receivables cycle. TransDyne offers quality medical transcription at reasonable prices, executed by experienced and qualified 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 complete medical transcription services from TransDyne, click here.

Medical transcription services

Medical transcription is a service that supports the healthcare profession, creating records of the patient-healthcare professional encounter by transcribing audio files into text format. When it comes to outsourcing medical transcription it is important to partner with the right service provider who can provide the right service. Because medical transcription is a service rather than a tangible product it is important to understand what comprises great service.

What comprises great service?

Great service would comprise of the following features:

• Service should be timely
• Service should be continuous
• Service should be flexible to meet varying demands
• Service should be of good quality consistently
• Service should be reasonably priced
• Service should maintain confidentiality
• Service should be easy to avail
• Service should lessen the burden of the user/s significantly

All the above criteria apply to outsourced medical transcription services. It is important to understand the significance of each criterion while evaluating medical transcription services.

Timely service: Medical transcription is an important component of both the operational and commercial aspects of healthcare, by creating records and by accelerating the receivable cycle. Therefore it is important that the medical transcription service provider have a timeline for delivery of services. Turnaround time of finished transcripts committed by the service provider plays a significant role in evaluating the service provider.

Continuous service: Medical transcription services need to be a continuous process, as the influx of patients is not a one-time occurrence but a continuous process and records need to be created on a continuous basis.

Flexible service: Though the influx of patients availing healthcare services is continuous, it is not consistent. The influx could vary based on many factors that cannot be predicted or planned for. Therefore medical transcription services need to be flexible to meet the varying needs of healthcare facilities based on the influx.

Quality services: Patient records are part of the healthcare process, having varied uses like the basis of further treatment/referrals etc., evidence for litigation, part of permanent record, forming the basis for coding and billing. It is important that these records contain information that is accurate. Therefore while outsourcing medical transcription, evaluating the quality of services is one of the most important factors.

Reasonably priced services: One of the main benefits of outsourcing medical transcription is to avail the cost saving benefits. It is important to examine the quote offered by the service provider, in detail while outsourcing medical transcription, taking into consideration the billing method used by the provider.

Secure services: While outsourcing medical transcription it is important to evaluate the service provider on the basis of the measures taken by the medical transcription service provider to secure confidential patient information. It is important to evaluate the measures taken to secure technology, infrastructure, processes and the people used for transcription.

Easy to use services: Medical transcription services are used by the healthcare professionals for whom time is a precious commodity. It is important to choose a medical transcription service provider who uses the right technology to provide multiple benefits and easy usage.

Investment free services:  Healthcare facilities are constantly trying to juggle limited resources to meet multiple demands. In such a scenario it is important that outsourcing medical transcription services should ease the burden of healthcare facilities by eliminating expenses like Information technology, real estate, utilities, equipments etc., related to medical transcription.

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

To know more medical transcription services by TransDyne, click here

Medical transcription outsourcing: Dos and Don’ts

Medical transcription plays a vital part in the healthcare process, by documenting the patient-healthcare professional encounter.  The medical records play an important role in the following areas:

1. Patient treatment
2. Permanent Patient records
3. Referrals to other doctors
4. Evidence in case of malpractice suits
5. Coding, billing and insurance claims
6. Satisfaction of regulatory norms

As medical transcription is not part of the core activities of the healthcare facility, an easy and cost effective fix is to outsource the medical transcription requirements to a professional medical transcription service provider. Outsourcing medical transcription ensures that the patient records are created in an easy, accurate, timely, secure and cost effective manner.

However while outsourcing medical transcription, care needs to be taken to ensure that the right service provider is chosen so as to reap long-term benefits.

What are the guidelines for outsourcing medical transcription?

The Dos:

·  Check for experience of the service provider: While outsourcing medical transcription it is important to check the credentials of the service provider. To ensure that the service provider is capable of providing services as promised the following questions need to be asked:

a)    How long has the service provider been in the business providing outsourced medical transcription services?

b)    Who are their customers?

c)     What is the range of medical transcription services?

d)    Can they provide testimonials?

e)    Do they offer a free trial of their services?

·       Check for quality measures: It is important to ascertain that the medical transcription service provider has measures in place to provide accurate medical transcription as promised. To ascertain that the service provider can deliver quality/accuracy as promised the following questions need to be asked:

a)    What are the quality check levels? Does more than one person listen to the audio before transmitting the transcript back to the healthcare professional?

b)    What is the training method used by the service provider?

c)     Does the service provider use subcontractors to execute the work?

·       Check the billing methodology: Pricing in medical transcription is a complex issue with numerous variables. Comparing quotes can be very difficult as the components of what consists cost may vary vastly. This also leaves a huge scope for manipulation in the billing. To ensure that the price quoted is reasonable, one needs to check the billing methodology used by the medical transcription service provider. The billing method needs to be verifiable, definable, measurable, consistent, fair and honest

·       Check the transcription flow: Checking the flow from the dictation stage to when the final transcript is made available to the healthcare professional ensures the use of the right technology. The right technology in turn ensures that turnaround time commitments will be met with, and the time of the support staff and healthcare professionals is not wasted tracking dictation files and finished transcripts through a complex system.

·       Check the HIPAA compliance measures:  While outsourcing medical transcription one of the main concerns is that of maintaining the security of confidential patient information. To evaluate whether a service provider has adequate measures in place to be HIPAA complaint, one needs to check for adequate measures for:

a)    Technology: To ensure security during transmission

b)    Processes: To ensure security during transcription

c)     People and infrastructure: To ensure security during every stage

·       Check for customer service channels: It is important that the healthcare facility have channels of open communication at their disposal for contacting the service provider. This ensures that any issues are sorted out at the earliest to ensure smooth transition

·       Check the website: Website of the service provider can be a valuable source of information. It is important to go through the website of the service provider to get maximum information

The Don’ts

·       Look at price only: Though reduced cost is one of the foremost benefits of outsourcing medical transcription, it is important to analyze the cost components thoroughly and to look at the capabilities of the service provider before making finalizing the service provider

·       Ignore the contract:  Though the service provider meets all the criteria for successful outsourcing it is important to look at the contract agreement in depth before signing on for the services

·       Opt for complicated technology: It is very easy to be taken in by the “bells and whistles” in the technology used by the service provider, without actually considering the utility. As time is a limited commodity for healthcare professionals it is important that the technology used by the service provider serves all the needs and at the same time is easy

TransDyne offers quality medical transcription at reasonable prices, executed by experienced and qualified 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 complete and reliable medical transcription services from TransDyne, click here.