Medical Transcripts: What Are They

Hospitals are required to record and keep a record of all the aspects of a patient.  Some medical professionals write down the information, and others record the information either on a Dictaphone or a voice recorder.  Then these audio recordings are then transcribed into text form, which are then known and Medical Transcriptions.  They are then either stored physically or electronically, and sometimes both.  Electronically is preferred because it allows for the records to be looked up and sent out much easier.

These Medical Transcripts have transformed a bit from their beginnings.  When first using this type of practice, doctors would talk into a tape recorder.  Then the doctor, an assistant or a secretary would listen to the recorders and then write them down or using a typewriter, write them down.  Eventually, when computers and word processors were invented, it has replaced writing or using the typewriter because electronic files are easier to use and work with.  An even more advance way of creating these Medical Transcriptions has been developed, with the use of Voice Recorders.  What a Voice Recorder does is it listens to a voice or a recording and allows the computer to type by itself directly into a word processor with a 99% accuracy.

However while all these ways are fine, the creation of Medical Transcripts is also a profession.  The Medical Transcripts are created by a Medical Transcriptionist.  While there is no formal education required to become a Medical Transcriptionist, one can obtain education through traditional schooling, certification and diploma programs and on-the-job training.  Working as a Medical Transcriptionist could lead to a mastery in medical terminology and editing, as well as other benefits like increased hand-eye coordination.

The process of creating a Medical Transcript is incredibly simple.  First a patient has a meeting with a doctor to discuss various medical problems.  The Doctor then does a check up to see if there is anything physically wrong.  Once the patient leaves, the doctor speaks into a voice recorder what the doctor and the patient have discussed as well as the findings during the check-up.  That is then sent to an assistant or to a Medical Transcriptionist where the voice recording is turned into a Medical Transcription.  Whoever creates the Medical Transcript is responsible for carefully putting all the correct information in it, once slip-up could cause confusion and greater problems down the road.  Medical transcripts are a really great thing, and allow more doctor patient time, and less writing and filing away information for the doctor.