Medical transcription companies provide lot of different services to their clients. However, there are certain basic services which predominantly exist in all transcription services. Let us look at some of the core features that you can expect from a good medical transcription company:

  • Quality: One mistake that clients make while selecting a medical transcription company is over-emphasizing on the fact of cost and features of medical transcription service. But they ignore the basic criteria of transcription quality. Often this results in lot of corrections and errors. Hence; there is a need for a synchronized effort comprising of different quality aspects which results in delivering effective medical transcription service:
    • Process: Pay attention to the processes followed by the medical transcription company. Most of the transcription companies enumerate their transcription processes on their websites. Others will gladly explain the process if you call and ask them about it.
    • Accuracy: Always ask for the accuracy of the transcribed document. Please note that the average rate of accuracy in transcription industry is 98.5%. Always compare this figure with the accuracy rate provided by transcription company.
    • Corrections: Please note that transcription companies should not charge you for the corrections. In fact they should have a clear process for handling corrections. If the transcription company does not have a pre-defined process for handling corrections then it is always advisable not to go ahead with the contract.
    • Patient Name Errors: These are some common errors which occur during the transcription process. Clarify with the transcription company whether they have a clear process for avoiding and correcting these errors.
    • Turnaround Time: Generally medical transcription companies provide 24 hours turnaround time to their clients. There are certain companies which provide medical transcription services in even lesser time but with some additional charges. Always note that a shorter turnaround time does not guarantee quality transcription. Select turnaround time which suits your needs instead of shortest turnaround time with lowest price.
    • Reputation & References: Always ask for references from the medical transcription companies irrespective of their establishment. Remember that your basic objective of asking for references is to understand whether the medical transcription company can provide the desired services in respect to your dictation speed and accent. Ask for references of clients who are currently using such services, so that you can get a clear picture of the capability of the transcription company.
    • Electronic records and compatibility:Documentation in electronic format has become quite essential nowadays. Hence; it is always advisable to confirm with the medical transcription company if they can provide the documentation in electronic format directly into eMR. Please note that MS Word and RTF format documents are most popular and will have the best support in Electronic Record Systems.
    • Hidden Costs: Hidden costs are costs which are not disclosed by the medical transcription company. Some of the common hidden costs include:
    • Line Definitions: Always ask the medical transcription company about the number of characters or key strokes in a line. Normally a line constitutes of 50 to 65 characters or key strokes. This is an industry norm for a line definition. Even blank lines and lines with single words will be charged.
    • Minimum volume contracts: Avoid contracts that specify minimum number of billable lines per month. This is very important because if in case you do not use the transcription service for that given billing cycle you will still end up paying for the services that you did not use.
    • Additional charges for corrections: Reputed medical transcription companies do not charge correction fees for errors. Ensure that there are no charges levied on correction of errors.

    A good medical transcription company will see to it that the transcription services are provided with utmost care in minimal time. They also ensure that the quality of the transcribed documents is as per the industry standards.