Does Your Healthcare Organization Need a Medical Transcriptionist?

The last several decades have brought new and interesting healthcare positions chiefly because of the shifting complexities within the industry. We’ve witnessed the increase of surgicalists, hospitalists and laborists (obstetrical specialists located in-hospital) on the practitioner side and physician extenders, patient ombudsmen and patient navigators on the non-physician side. There’s now another intriguing role that is gaining traction, even in the modern age of the electronic medical records (EMRs). That position is the “medical transcriptionist,” who virtually takes care of physician-to-patient communications.

The application of transcriptionists has skyrocketed in direct proportion to negative EMR consequences.

Within inpatient settings, the time physicians have available to spend at patient bedsides is being drastically sacrificed in order to focus more on EMR data entry. The same situation applies to the ambulatory, outpatient or office setting where face-time with patients can be seen by some estimates to be reduced by as much as 30%!

The transcriptionist is hired to enter data into an EMR or account at the command of a physician or licensed practitioner. By using medical transcriptionists, facilities can increase the quality of documentation for both specificity and granularity. In turn, this helps with billing and revenue production.

When the majority of real-time interactions are shifted over to a medical transcriptionist, physicians can visit more patients, increase revenue and manage their time better. At the end of the day, finalizing a chart or entering more information in the EMR isn’t needed.

The benefits associated with medical transcription coordination are legion:

Patient Volume Increases
Quality of Care Increases
Revenue Increases
Physician Satisfaction Increases
Patient Satisfaction Increases
Regulatory Compliance Increases

As an increasing number of healthcare organizations seek to integrate medical transcriptionists, various approaches are being applied. Some healthcare facilities go on to engage with a transcription management company, while others opt for a more targeted. Each choice brings certain advantages and disadvantages.

For more information or to request a quote, contact Kris Girardi at 877.360.TRAN (8726) or kris.girardi@360transcription.com.