Are you looking for proper medical transcription services, but have no idea how to identify the best one?
Have you been confronted with unsatisfied transcription results for no good transcription service agency?
In this article, I will show you 13 factors that you will need to consider when you are searching for a good medical transcription service company.
I have looked up and down the internet to find the necessary criteria, read countless reviews and I have tried to arrange these criteria in terms of importance. Read further and check them out!
Factors to Consider when Choosing a Medical Transcription Service
1. Quality Assurance Process
According to various customer reviews of established companies, accuracy is the most important factor for any transcription provider. It follows that this process should involve multiple levels of review and editing by experienced medical transcriptionists.
The process starts with the transcriptionist who produces the initial transcript. They review their work and correct any errors before submitting it for review.
The transcript then goes through a series of reviews and edits by experienced editors who are familiar with medical terminology and guidelines. These editors review the transcript for accuracy, consistency, and completeness, and make any necessary corrections or edits to ensure that the transcript meets the required standards.
The process may also involve the use of automated quality assurance tools, such as speech recognition technology or computer-assisted coding software. These tools can help identify errors and inconsistencies, such as misspellings, incorrect punctuation, or grammatical errors.
The last step involves a final review by the service provider’s quality control team. This team is responsible for ensuring that all transcripts meet the required standards and guidelines before they are sent to the client.
2. Compliance
The second place on my list is reserved for compliance, which refers to adherence to legal and regulatory requirements and standards, such as those related to the privacy and security of patient information. In the healthcare industry, compliance is essential because medical records contain sensitive and confidential procedures and patient information. In many countries, some strict laws and regulations dictate how medical data should be managed, stored, and transmitted.
You must therefore ensure that the service provider is compliant with the relevant regulations in your country. This includes ensuring that the service provider uses secure technology and procedures for handling medical information and that they have appropriate policies and procedures in place to safeguard privacy.
3. Experience and Expertise
Thirdly, I found that reviews often speak of expertise as an important factor. Having had lots of experience will help ensure that the transcriptionist has knowledge of the field, had ample time to perfect their processes, and has become familiar with various medical terminology, acronyms, and jargon.
Related to general medical experience is the knowledge of a wide range of medical specialties and procedures. Various reviews speak of added values when recognition and the correction of common errors and inconsistencies, resulting in more precise and reliable transcripts.
4. Turnaround Time
In healthcare, time is of the essence. According to my research of different review websites, most medical-related customers need their work done quickly. Quick turnaround times, ideally within 24-48 hours, ensure healthcare providers receive timely and accurate information, enabling them to make informed decisions about diagnosis, treatment, care, and following procedural steps.
5. Secure File Transfers
Arriving at number 5 on the list, the security factor. Look for a service provider that uses secure file transfer protocols such as Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) or encrypted email to ensure that files are transferred securely.
This is a particularly important reason because medical transcriptions often deal with sensitive (patient) information, including medical histories, diagnoses, and treatment plans. It is crucial to ensure that this information is protected during file transfers to prevent data breaches, identity theft, and other security threats.
How to find these securities? Companies often add links to affiliated security organizations on their website, or they mention – in their general information – which measurements are taken to ensure the protection of data.
6. Customer Service and Support
A recurring point of irritation from customers of all companies – on all levels and in all branches – is bad, unreliable, or unreachable customer service. This is one specific factor that can only be checked through reviews, because, well, no one will admit that they are bad at providing help. I will give you a short checklist to consider when browsing a website or searching reviews.
With 24/7 support, you should be able to reach out to the transcription service provider anytime and receive timely support. When you choose an international provider, be sure to check their ‘working hours’ and see if they coincide with yours.
Real-time communication channels such as phone and chat allow you to communicate directly, which enables a quick resolution of issues or concerns and ensures that the transcription process remains on track.
Multiple channels of communication provide flexibility and convenience. You should also be able to choose the communication channel that works best for you and easily switch between channels when needed.
Especially when you use an international, or online, provider, check the communication languages. Mind you, I’m referring to something different than the languages that can be used in the transcriptions.
Multiple language support can help you explain your problems or concerns in your language. Not only does this make it easier to communicate, but it also builds trust.
7. Pricing
Pricing directly impacts the cost of healthcare. Look for a provider that offers competitive pricing without compromising on quality.
When you are trying to compare various companies, look for the following points: the billing method (billing per line, per hour or minute), any hidden costs (added afterward), compare the price with the quality of the service (via checking the reviews), check the turnaround times (do they still deliver fast), and if they offer customization (for specific needs).
8. Flexibility regarding volume and frequency
A transcription provider should also be flexible. As I have found, you don’t always have the same amount of work, the same budget, the same timeframe. Therefore, a company that offers all the options is the one to go for.
Work can be a lot in volume, or just a little bit. It can also be needed every day, or once a month. With these irregularities, a provider should be able to accommodate you regardless. You might want to check reviews for this factor, as providers claim to be able to do this, but can often not deliver.
9. Customizable Services
Different healthcare organizations have diverse needs when it comes to medical transcriptions. Try to find a service provider that offers customizable services to meet your specific requirements. These requirements may include specific formatting, language, or industry-specific terminology that may not be common in other industries.
A reason customizable services are important would be the improved accuracy of the transcription. Other reasons could entail the enhanced quality of work, increased efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of the process.
10. Integration with electronic health record systems
I found out that the possibility of seamless sharing of information through various electronic systems is gaining popularity. It makes everything easier, and cheaper, when information is added to one system and accessed in another without having to physically transfer it in any way. Be sure to check whether the various services, or systems, are available in your country. It would be inconvenient if you receive data in the wrong format, after which you cannot integrate it into your systems.
11. Speech recognition technology
The availability of speech recognition, whether this is by using an app or a computer program, makes a world of difference if it takes you a long time to dictate or record your information.
This optionally available technology can transcribe speech in real-time, which gives you a faster document processing time. It can therefore be very beneficial when you need something urgent. It also reduces errors that may arise from manual typing.
Yet, this should not be your goal. Proper transcription stills need to be proofread and edited by humans, number one on my list.
12. Reputation
As we have seen from almost all the above-mentioned factors, looking at reviews gives a good impression of a company’s abilities and reputation from a customer point-of-view. But, it can also help to find out the recognition from industry experts. They can also be an indicator of quality in the medical transcription industry. Awards and certifications from reputable organizations can demonstrate a provider’s commitment to quality and excellence in service delivery.
13. Value-added Services
The last item on my list is the value-added services. This might not be very important but could be of some interest since it might make other work-related activities easier. They could just be the nudge you need to decide. For instance, the closely related medical dictation services can enable you to simply dictate notes, reports, and other clinical documentation, which are then transcribed.
Added services might also include billing-apps, note-taking software or DTP-related solutions. I’m not going into these further, but they are worth checking out.
Have you Found Your Best Medical Transcription Services?
I hope that I have provided you with enough factors for choosing the best company for your medical transcriptions. They are truly worth researching, and worth investing your time in – even just for a little bit.
By looking at factors such as accuracy, turnaround time, technology, experience, pricing, and compliance, you can make a well-informed decision that will make your work, and life, easier.
Since I have searched and surfed the internet to find important factors, I have also come across an excellent service provider which I will share only with you; should you still be unclear about how to start your research: WordsPath.
Wprdspath provides a huge range of services – from transcriptions to subtitling and translations to voice-overs, have multiple industries they work in, and offer services in almost every language, yet the prices are very competitive.
Check out the details of transcription service from Wrodspath. It will help you either immediately find the right service for you or take the first step to start researching further.
