The role of transcription services in the health sector

SmartMD is a modern transcribing service that can be used independently or as part of a big medical package

FREMONT, CA: In a hectic schedule, having the patient notes dictated and typed by a secretary can be extremely beneficial. But, sometimes due to employee unavailability, over expense, or simply due to time rigidity, this method of taking notes isn’t always possible. In that situation, transcription services can be a very useful tool, particularly when it comes to updating patient information in your EHR or EMR software. While automated transcribing is a function of medical practice management software platforms, it is not as accurate as human transcription and is not always available. Third-party transcription services can be extremely useful in this situation, and while some offer automated solutions, the majority of them rely on human transcriptions.

Unlike standard transcription services, however, these are provided by people who have been trained in medical terminology and are usually registered as a Healthcare Documentation Specialist (RHDS) or Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist (CHDS) to minimize the risk of errors or misspellings. Furthermore, medical transcription services must be safe to guarantee that patient confidentiality is not jeopardized by use of such services.