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TRANSCRIBE FORTUNES

( Published on January 5, 2006 in Education Times, Mumbai Edition, Page 4.)

Medical transcription industry has a lot of scope for those with the zeal to espouse newer challenges, finds Mousumi Halder Ghosh

PRABHAKAR Sali, 54, took VRS after his nearly 30-year long stint in pharma companies like E-Merck and Elder Pharmaceuticals. His rich experience and his eagerness to pursue something challenging led him to medical transcription. He attended a seminar on medical transcription after which he joined Infovision Software, a medical transcription company based in Belapur, Navi Mumbai. Prabhakar who is currently undergoing the six-month training says, "Medical transcription is a great career alternative for people like me. It provides you not only with job satisfaction, you also get to make good money."
   Prabhakar is one among the many success stories that has made the medical transcription industry a hit in India . Not only for young and the ambitious, medical transcription holds a lot of promise for people who are in their midlife or for people who wish to work from home, either to supplement their income, or to do something worthwhile in their idle time.Amita,Assistant Manager,HR at Infovison says, "We welcome everyone who has the intention of making MT a long time career."

What is Medical Transcription?

According to US laws,in every hospital or health care unit, each patient-related activity and procedure must be meticulously documented and then added to the patient's permanent record. In hospitals across US, doctors do not have time to update the medical records of their patients. Verbal dictation is by far the most common method for documenting and reporting the results of examinations and procedures. Physicians use either a cassette based or a digital voice dictation system for recordings. The process of converting this voice dictation to a typewritten format (hard or soft) is called medical transcription.
   It involves receiving dictation by tape, digital system or voice file, using earphones, a foot pedal for startstop control and a word processing programme.

Potential of the MT Industry

If the figures are anything to go by, medical transcription is here to stay. According to K.B Anand (COO-Global Operations), Acusis, a pioneer in home-based medical transcription, the MT industry has been providing steady and growing income to professionals in India for the last eight years and will continue to do so. NASSCOM predicts that the demand for medical transcriptionists in India will rise to 1,60,000 by 2008.

Work @ Home

Until recently home-based medical transcription was popular only amongst US based transcriptionists. However it now has a strong foothold in India , and it is good news for those who are looking to complement their income by working from home or even for those who are compelled to stay at home due to personal reasons or family commitments. According to Rajiv Shetye,Vice President, Operations, Spryance India , a leading medical transcription company in Mumbai," The benefit of home based medical transcription (HMT) is that people can choose to work whenever they want to. The HMT model allows people to include three to four intervals of significant duration within their workday." HMT is an excellent career option for women in India because it allows them the flexibility to manage their families as well as have financial independence. Shetye says, "Not only does flexibility of this sort allow people,who otherwise get eliminated from the workforce, to become part of it once again, it even engenders entrepreneurship amongst them.That is some advancement, especially since the people that it benefits the most are highly qualified."

Earning Potential

Transcriptionists who are employed with organisations get fixed salaries. Freshers can earn anywhere between Rs.6,000-12,000 per month.There is tremendous potential for growth in this field. For those who work from home, pay is directly proportionate to productivity. Transcriptionists who work from home are paid on the basis of speed and accuracy. The pay ranges from 60 paisa to Rs.1.25 per line depending on the accuracy. Ananda Sanjeev, (DGM-Operations), Acusis says, "At Acusis, a home based professional working 7-8 hours a day for about 22 days in a month with a consistent transcription quality can easily earn Rs.18,000 to Rs.20,000.Over the years,they can expect their incomes to grow by 14 percent to 20 percent every year from their average earnings."
   Some companies require security deposits (of around Rs. 10,000) before you join them. In companies like Infovison, it is refundable after you complete one-and-a-half years of service (including the onthe-job-training). However in companies, which encourage work-from-home, the deposit is most of the times non-refundable, because the company installs a host of licensed software in the HMT's P.C.

What Next?

You can go on to specialise in transcribing voice records in specific areas of medicine, such as surgery, cardiology etc. With few years of experience you can apply for Certified Medical Transcriptionists and then Medical Language Specialists. Check out www.aamt.org for details.

SKILLS REQUIRED TO BECOME AN MT

Sound knowledge of English

Good auditory skills

Strong Editing skills

An eye for detail

Typing and basic knowledge of computers is an added advantage

Life/biological science or pharmacy graduates are preferred


THINGS YOU NEED TO BE AN HMT

AWindows PC with at least the following configurations: Pentium IV, 256 MB SDRAM, 20 GB hard disk, 52X CDROM drive, sound card with amplifier

UPS / Headphones

Good Internet connection

Foot pedal


FOR OPPORTUNITIES, LOG ON TO:

www.acusisindia.com

www.infovisionsoftware.net

www.spryance.com

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About Acusis ®

Acusis, a leading provider of outsourced medical transcription services with Higher Standards SM , specializes in superior performance, integrity and world class service. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, Acusis delivers an integrated solution to hospitals, clinics and physician practices. AcuSuite ® , its web-based software application uses a secure method to manage the entire transcription process. Acusis delivers accurate reports within a 24 hour of less turnaround time. A global team of more than 600 highly trained Acusis associates provides an unparalleled higher standard of excellence and customer satisfaction at the most competitive prices, evidence of why you should expect more from your transcription service provider.