What is a Medical Transcriptionist?
Job Description & Duties Transcribe medical reports recorded by physicians and other healthcare practitioners using various electronic devices, covering office visits, emergency room visits, diagnostic imaging studies, operations, chart reviews, and final summaries. Transcribe dictated reports and translate abbreviations into fully understandable form. Edit as necessary and return reports in either printed or electronic form for review and signature, or correction.
What Do Medical Transcriptionists Do On a Daily Basis?
- Distinguish between homonyms and recognize inconsistencies and mistakes in medical terms, referring to dictionaries, drug references, and other sources on anatomy, physiology, and medicine.
- Produce medical reports, correspondence, records, patient-care information, statistics, medical research, and administrative material.
- Answer inquiries concerning the progress of medical cases, within the limits of confidentiality laws.
- Return dictated reports in printed or electronic form for physician’s review, signature, and corrections and for inclusion in patients' medical records.
- Decide which information should be included or excluded in reports.
- Perform a variety of clerical and office tasks, such as handling incoming and outgoing mail, completing and submitting insurance claims, typing, filing, or operating office machines.
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Medical Transcriptionist Needed Skills
When polled, Medical Transcriptionists say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Related Job Titles
- Medical Secretary
- Pathology Transcriptionist
- Registered Medical Transcriptionist
- Medical Transcription-Radiology
- Transcriber
What Kind of Medical Transcriptionist Job Opportunities Are There?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 57,400 jobs in the United States for Medical Transcriptionist. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Medical Transcriptionist. There will be an estimated 6,400 positions for Medical Transcriptionist per year.
The states with the most job growth for Medical Transcriptionist are Alaska, Colorado, and Maryland. Watch out if you plan on working in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, or Oklahoma. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Medical Transcriptionist Average Salary
The average yearly salary of a Medical Transcriptionist ranges between $21,840 and $51,780.
Medical Transcriptionists who work in Alaska, Maryland, or Minnesota, make the highest salaries.
How much do Medical Transcriptionists make in different U.S. states?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $33,780 |
| Alaska | $49,420 |
| Arizona | $32,050 |
| Arkansas | $32,490 |
| California | $40,480 |
| Colorado | $38,640 |
| Connecticut | $36,570 |
| Delaware | $33,220 |
| District of Columbia | $31,270 |
| Florida | $35,440 |
| Georgia | $33,540 |
| Hawaii | $29,070 |
| Idaho | $29,940 |
| Illinois | $33,020 |
| Indiana | $32,600 |
| Iowa | $34,630 |
| Kansas | $32,630 |
| Kentucky | $36,110 |
| Louisiana | $31,040 |
| Maine | $35,710 |
| Maryland | $43,070 |
| Massachusetts | $36,610 |
| Michigan | $32,410 |
| Minnesota | $43,200 |
| Mississippi | $31,640 |
| Missouri | $34,910 |
| Montana | $31,120 |
| Nebraska | $35,290 |
| Nevada | $34,450 |
| New Hampshire | $40,000 |
| New Jersey | $44,200 |
| New Mexico | $37,510 |
| New York | $42,020 |
| North Carolina | $34,050 |
| North Dakota | $35,930 |
| Ohio | $38,170 |
| Oklahoma | $39,250 |
| Oregon | $39,270 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,770 |
| Rhode Island | $37,620 |
| South Carolina | $34,740 |
| South Dakota | $35,100 |
| Tennessee | $32,830 |
| Texas | $36,780 |
| Utah | $36,110 |
| Vermont | $40,790 |
| Virginia | $34,110 |
| Washington | $39,240 |
| West Virginia | $34,470 |
| Wisconsin | $38,080 |
| Wyoming | $39,470 |
What Tools do Medical Transcriptionists Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Medical Transcriptionists:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Data entry software
- Email software
- Word processing software
- Microsoft Windows
- Spreadsheet software
- Database software
- FileMaker Pro
- Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS
- Corel WordPerfect
- PCC EHR
- Voice recognition software
- dBASE Plus
- Allscripts Misys Healthcare Systems
- Calendar software
- Electronic medical record EMR systems
- Integrated Systems Management OmniMD
Becoming a Medical Transcriptionist
Learn what Medical Transcriptionist education requirements there are.
What work experience do I need to become a Medical Transcriptionist?
Who Employs Medical Transcriptionists?
Below are examples of industries where Medical Transcriptionists work:
References:
Image Credit: Staff Sgt. Jerilyn Quintanilla via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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