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Transcription Online Training Information For Home Study, Distance Education Courses Hello and welcome to my web site for information about pursuing a career in medical transcription. You are probably here because you are interested in independent educational "study at home programs" for medical transcription. Your thoughts on researching this profession may have started with a desire to be able to work from your own home. I always thought it be wonderful to work from your home and still have lots of quality time to spend with your family. You would not need to commute to an office every day. A professional medical transcription education prepares you to seek work for an MT company that allows for this type of remote position. You may choose part-time or full-time hours and different shift schedules. Another creative idea is to start your own transcription business. It may sound great to be your own boss and schedule your own hours. I invite you to click here to view a wonderful eBook, "The Step-by-Step Guide To Medical Transcription at Home," by Michele Miller. The book provides valuable information about starting your own transcription business and offers great educational information, including chart formatting and sample reports. Medical transcription graduates have prepared skills to seek their career goals. MT learning programs have the potential to change your life in a very positive way. Some moms choose medical transcription as their primary career so they can stay home and raise their children, as well as have a prestigious medical profession. Some women enjoy the flexible schedules because they may have additional responsibilities, such as caring for their elderly parents part-time. A few people seek work at home opportunities because they feel it is much less stressful for them. MT's may also work in hospitals, doctor's offices, clinics, insurance companies and national MT companies. What Is The Job Description Of A Medical Transcriptionist? A medical transcriptionist transcribes physician dictated medical reports, usually onto computer files for patients' charts for a healthcare system. She needs to know the proper medical terminology, correct grammar usage, knowledge of common diseases, tests, procedures and medications. Knowledge and understanding of the body systems is very helpful. The transcriptionist needs to be familiar with the proper formatting of the different medical reports. The following are names of some reports: (1) HISTORY AND PHYSICAL EXAMINATION (2) DISCHARGE SUMMARY (3) OPERATIVE REPORT (4) CONSULTATION (5) CHART NOTES. What Information Do You Learn In Medical Transcription Educational Courses To Prepare You For The Work? The following information is a short mini-tutor I created to help give you a general overview of material that may be presented in a medical transcription course. Learning How To Use Medical Resource Reference Books Learning how to use a variety of medical resources is very important. Below is a current list of books that I have at home for use as medical references. The books I list are just some examples. - Stedman's Medical Speller (Third Edition) - Sloane's Medical Word Book (Fourth Edition) - Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary - Quick Look Drug Book - Vera Pyle's Current Medical Terminology (Eighth Edition) - H & P: A Nonphysician's Guide to the Medical History and Physical Examination - Physicians' Desk Reference - Medical Transcription: Fundamentals and Practice (Second Edition) Distance education courses may present their information in a modular format, in a step-by-step orderly fashion. Please click here to view the complete information on the Virtual Learning Center's Medical Transcription program. They offer several self-paced, online distance education courses. The study courses at a variety of schools may cover the following categories that I list below, along with some examples. They may call their different sections of learning materials modules or units. It is usual practice to have available online instructors for grading assignments, tests, answering questions and mentoring the students. Listed below are some generalized areas of subject material that may be incorporated in an MT program. I made the list to be helpful as an overview of possible information that may be taught in various MT courses. Introduction To Medical Transcription: Proper Grammar Usage, Punctuation, Capitalization, Abbreviations, Numbers, Numerals, And Correct Spelling For Medical Terms And Their Plurals Examples: Medical capitalization is routinely necessary for allergies on charting. ALLERGIES: ALLERGIC TO AMOXICILLIN. ALLERGIES: NO KNOWN ALLERGIES. Headings and subheadings of medical reports are routinely capitalized. Listed below are some common headings of reports. HISTORY AND PHYSICAL EXAMINATION DISCHARGE SUMMARY CONSULTATION REPORT OPERATIVE REPORT DISCHARGE DIAGNOSIS Medical abbreviations are used for correct transcription of medication administration. p.r.n. - as needed p.o. - by mouth q.d. - every day q.i.d. - four times a day t.i.d. - three times a day b.i.d. - twice a day q.6h. - every six hours q.8h. - every eight hours q.12h. - every twelve hours Initials or abbreviations for some procedures, tests and other medical terms are important to learn. Below are some common examples: EKG - electrocardiogram EEG - electroencephalogram CBC - complete blood count CABG - coronary artery bypass graft AIDS - acquired immunodeficiency syndrome NPO - nothing by mouth HEENT - head, ears, eyes, nose, throat BUN - blood urea nitrogen UTI - urinary tract infection MRI - magnetic resonance imaging CNS - central nervous system PERRLA - pupils equal round reactive to light and accommodation There are proper symbols to use for transcription of vital signs and also sutures. Examples are listed below. TEMPERATURE: 98.6F. PULSE: 70/min. RESPIRATIONS: 20/min. BLOOD PRESSURE: 130/70. 4-0 silk (suture) 2-0 chromic suture #16 FR catheter The urine specific gravity was 1.016. There is a certain way to transcribe numbers and numerals. Examples: Cranial nerves II-XII were intact. The patient has a 4 cm stage I decubitus ulcer. The patient has 2+ edema in her right ankle. Vision is 20/20 in the right eye. Tylenol #3 q.6h. p.r.n. for pain. The exact size of an area, growth or mass is transcribed for example: The decubitus ulcer measured 2 x 4 cm. The sponge count was correct x 2. There are certain abbreviations used for specific laboratory tests. Examples: Hb-hemoglobin or transcribed hemoglobin Hct-hematocrit or transcribed hematocrit WBC-white blood count Hyphens are used routinely with some common phrases. Examples: The patient was a 35-year-old female admitted with a history of chest pain. The 50-year-old Caucasian female was admitted for shortness of breath and wheezing. She was admitted for right-sided chest pain. The patient went for a chest x-ray. She must go to her family physician for follow-up one week following her discharge. The patient was evaluated for second-and-third degree burns to her right leg. The patient was a well-developed 20-year-old female in no acute distress. Learning The Body Systems Learning the different body systems, along with some biology, anatomy, normal and abnormal physiology is also important. You may also learn a variety of disease conditions. Examples below are some body systems: Nervous System Cardiovascular System Respiratory System Musculoskeletal System Integumentary System Endocrine System Urinary System Reproductive System Digestive System Learning About Diagnostic Medical Test And Procedures, Including Laboratory Test And X-rays Learning The Medical Specialties Psychiatry Internal Medicine Endocrinology Dermatology Gastroenterology Oncology Obstetrics and Gynecology Neurology Radiology Urology Cardiology Pediatrics Learning Pharmacology Including Brand And Generic Names of Medication And Common Dosages There are many helpful medical references to use, such as: the Physicians' Desk Reference (PDR), Quick Look Drug Book and more. Learning Correct Formatting And Transcription Styles The specific chart formatting and transcription styles for the different reports are usually included in the courses. I will not go into much detail at this time. Each medical facility or doctor's office may have a certain format they use in their practice. Employment Assistance After Graduation Upon successful completion of your MT course, your program may offer some assistance with helping you find employment. They may have employment workshops or provide you access into their job database. I am familiar with a distance education program that does exactly that for their successful students. Click here for information on the VLC medical transcription courses. Many work from home medical transcription companies allow you to test for them online after graduation (sometimes they require some working experience). Each MT company usually has a web site which contains a wealth of employment information. I certainly hope you enjoyed this introduction to medical transcription education. I wish everyone great success and a prestigious, professional medical career in the transcription field. Please visit my web site often to access additional MT learning information and to keep up with the current and future news regarding online distance education. Be Happy and Keep Learning! P.S. Don't forget to check out the tutor section. Also, if you'd like to learn more about me, please click here. |
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