Transcription for Medical Office Success – What Healthcare Students Must Know

Leading medical assistant training programs and medical administration courses all cover the medical terminology and transcription skills required to excel as a medical office assistant (MOA). But what is the future of this essential skill in a time of electronic health records and voice recognition software and how can you leverage it to thrive in your profession?

As you embark on your education in medical office administration, this is what you should know about medical transcription and the integral role this can play in your career ahead.

What is medical transcription and why is it essential to quality patient care and to the healthcare team?

Documentation of a patient’s care ensures that the healthcare team, from physicians to nurses and all healthcare professionals involved in assisting them, are informed and up to date on all aspects of a patient’s individual health situation. This helps patients feel assured that there will be continuity in their care and allows the healthcare team to provide high-quality care to each patient. In hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities, medical transcription by MOA professionals, is a meticulous task that requires writing down information in shorthand, understanding medical jargon and health conditions and an individual who can disseminate what is important, and communicate well and with accuracy.

No matter how advanced voice recognition software may become, it cannot replace the role a MOA professional plays. In transcribing you are not just note taking, but rather need to be able to disseminate information, proper meaning, correct mistakes and edit the documentation to ensure accuracy on all levels.

What does the training for medical transcription include?

At Anderson College, our Medical Office Administrator training program, ensures that students study a variety of reports rich in medical terminology and practice transcribing for individual case studies, each presenting with a different medical condition. In addition to studying the transcription process and gaining the knowledge of medical terminology and proofreading skills essential for success, our students review and learn valuable grammar principles and applications.

What additional skills can you practice to ensure you excel in medical transcription?

• Hone Your Listening Skills – understanding medical jargon at first can be difficult and daunting, and you may feel overwhelmed by the terms and the difference in the shorthand used by different doctors. First, listen to the entire audio recording through to the end. This allows you to gain an overall understanding of the information and recognize any trouble spots you may need to review for understanding. Next, instead of typing as you go, a few words at a time, listen to a whole sentence first, so that you don’t miss the context. This will help your accuracy in transcribing the overall meaning.
• Memorize and Practice for Stellar Typing Skills – feeling confident with your keyboard is key to being able to transcribe at high speeds. The best way to polish your skills in this area is to memorize the keyboard and to do this you can implement the effective method of touch-typing. Place your fingers on the far edges of the centre row of your keyboard, which are the ‘ASDF’ and ‘JKL;’ keys. Use these as your starting point and a reference for the layout of the other keys. Do your best not to look at the keys, but rather your screen, as you type. Overtime and with practice this will help you solidify the keyboard in your memory, and this will work wonders to increase your speed.

What is the role of Electronic Medical Record System (EMR) in the future of transcription and patient care?

The EMR system is the collection of medical information about a person stored on a computer. It includes information about a patient’s health history, such as diagnoses, medicines, tests, allergies, immunizations, and treatment plans and is the future of tracking patient’s care to ensure all healthcare professionals involved are informed.

With the integral role a medical office administrator can play in utilizing EMR, any quality medical administrative assistant diploma program should cover the understanding and utilization of EMR. Anderson College’s MOA program, specifically, analyzes ways of converting a paper office to a paperless office, how to manage an EMR System and the devices used in the medical office that employ an EMR system. Students will also be introduced to a variety of EMR software systems and their relevant applications and will have the opportunity to apply their knowledge, by practicing on such EMR software.
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Medical transcription plays an essential role in quality patient care and healthcare team efficiency and accuracy. As a medical office administrator, you want to select a medical assistant college, that offers you the necessary skills and support as you master this area of training. Our team of industry-expert instructors and staff would so appreciate having the opportunity to guide you through from dream to career success, as we have so many other students who began right where you are and are now thriving in their healthcare careers.

If you’re still exploring whether this job may match your interests, take our “Anderson College Medical Professional Career Training Readiness Quiz”.

If you’re ready to dive into your exciting future in medical office administration today, book a virtual appointment with our Admissions team to join the next class! We are here to help you navigate the process every step along the way.

Quick Links to Fuel Your Success!

We want to make sure you have what you need to succeed! Check out these reference links:

• Medical Office Administrator Courses & Programs at Anderson College
• Your Guide to Becoming a Medical Office Administrator (andersoncollege.com)
• Medical Office Assistant Training + These 5 Soft Skills = Career Success! (andersoncollege.com)
• 5 Skills to Give you the Leading Edge as a Medical Office Admin (andersoncollege.com)
• Medical Office Assistant in Canada | Job description – Job Bank