Ever since healthcare reforms started to surface in Obama’s speeches or rather after he signed the stimulus package to law setting aside $19.2 billion for healthcare IT alone to reach a goal of full EHR by 2014 promising hundreds of thousands of new jobs by boosting healthcare, the question “How is it going to benefit or affect the medical transcription industry?” started gaining prominence. There were doomsayers as well as welcomers. However, nobody was able to give a clear picture all these days on how medical transcription industry is going to evolve through this phase, whether it will have adverse effects or if it will be an added advantage. Earlier when speech recognition was considered as a challenge, my view was that it would be an advantage to improve productivity and unless we have artificial intelligence and robots understanding each and every command of ours, we will not have a completely reliable voice recognition output with no human intervention needed, so the possibility of speech recognition eliminating medical transcriptionists was completely ruled out. However, this time that is not going to be the same case with EMR as the data here is directly fed by the doctors into the system.
As such, one of Raj & Co’s readers who preferred to remain anonymous (as usual?) put forward these questions:
- With Obama’s push for implementing EMR in every clinic/hospital, do you see the demand for MT decreasing?
- My brother lives in Florida, USA, and he went to see an ENT doctor. His clinic has about 3-4 doctors, and they have implemented EMR in their office and have stopped using transcription altogether.
- Do you think widespread EMR adoption will be bad for MT industry?
- What are the prospects of gaining business from other countries like UK, Canada, Australia?
We gain a lot of information by exchanging views. You gain more information when you answer questions than when you ask. It is when you teach that you learn a lot than when you are a student. 
However, this time before coming to a conclusion on my own for these questions, I thought to put across the question “Do you think widespread EMR adoption will be bad for MT industry?” to all my medical transcriptionist friends and some eminent personalities in the medical transcription industry by email, tweet and instant messaging. Interestingly, when I passed the question to the MTs, both onshore and offshore, many of them were still ignorant of what the acronym EMR deciphers! So do you know what is the difference between an electronic medical record, an electronic health record and a personal health record? The National Alliance for Health Information Technology, (NAHIT) differentiates and defines these terms as follows:
What is an Electronic Medical Record (EMR)?
An electronic record of health-related information on an individual that can be created, gathered, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff within one health care organization.
What is an Electronic Health Record (EHR)?
An electronic record of health-related information on an individual that conforms to nationally recognized interoperability standards and that can be created, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff across more than one health care organization.
What is a Personal Health Record (PHR)?
An electronic record of health-related information on an individual that conforms to nationally recognized interoperability standards and that can be drawn from multiple sources while being managed, shared, and controlled by the individual.
A research on Google Trends on which term that is extensively searched (electronic medical record v/s electronic health record) reveals that roughly four times more searches are performed for the term ‘electronic medical record’ than for the term ‘electronic health record’ in the searches originating from the US, and that there is a slight spurt in searches of these terms since the turn of this year since Obama got sworn in as President. So despite the NAHIT definitions, market is still figuring out the appropriate term for common usage. Now with that definitions, if you’re worried about how an EHR software or how a tech-savvy doctor could eliminate an assistant or a medical transcriptionist, the following video might be of help. Watch with your headsets on.
How will the prefilled template of a report that doesn’t need a transcription look like? Find below the sample image of the input screen for a SOAP note:
Image courtesy: Nuesoft XpressTM Electronic Medical Record
How EMR (EHR) is Going to Affect the Medical Transcription Industry?
Now that you got some in-depth knowledge of EMR, let’s have a look at the responses for the question “Do you think widespread EMR adoption will be bad for MT industry?” from some MTs, eminent personalities, and CEOs of a couple of MTSOs.
Abishai Demetrius (He’s also a religious blogger at Weird Worldz) who witnessed the evolution of medical transcription industry for the past 10 years or more, both onshore and offshore, when contacted to predict the impact of EMR on medical transcriptionists was rather pessimistic and thinks it is hard for the doctors to make a switchover and commented instantly:
What’s it gotta do with MTs? Do you think those lazy doctors also will do it? ;) Before that happens on every medical practice out there and every doctor has to do it or just die, I don’t think we need to worry much, that’s just my 2 cents.
I don’t think it’s going to be that tough for doctors to make a switchover to EMR. They have already been subjected to rigorous training according to the curriculum in their academic portion of life. As a matter of fact, handling an EMR is not that tough than even learning to drive a car! It’s just as the effort as writing a prescription in legible handwriting! So I don’t think a doctor has to be a geek to operate a tablet PC to write a prescription or fill in a template by just a few clicks.
Lynette Cabeen who has been an MT for 10+ years and worked for several different companies either as an employee or as an independent contractor, says we are already working on electronic medical records by doing transcription from home over the Internet and shares her views as (She just started blogging on medical transcription at Transcription Diary):
The fact is, we already deal with EMR when we work remotely from home over the Internet — dictations are uploaded digitally, downloaded digitally and transcribed, then uploaded digitally and stored digitally. You can’t stay the same and hope to compete in a changing marketplace. I agree with an article I read recently that EMR developers need to stop trying create software to get rid of the MTs (which will NEVER happen, even though our jobs may evolve) and concentrate more on security/privacy, developing a less complex interface and becoming more user friendly. Also, small physician practices may never make the leap to EMR because of cost issues, so that also has to be taken into consideration. I think EMRs have the potential to make our jobs easier (think of being able to go back and read prior reports to be able to figure out what “the mumbler” is saying), but it can also cause problems by perpetuating incorrect information if it’s not caught the first time. Then there’s the debacle recently regarding inaccuracies found in a medical record that makes one pause before jumping on board fully.
Bottom line, EMR is on the rise, and too many of the powers that be are pushing for it for things to stay the same, but I don’t think it’s going to impact our profession in a negative way. It still has a long way to go, especially in regards to security and privacy. One only has to take a look at the Conficker issue to know that having all records stored electronically can create a maelstrom of a mess if hacked.
To err is human, to really screw things up requires a computer.
Regarding hacking attempts: If extremely sensitive bank, military, space program and government documents can be stored online safely and securely, why not these healthcare documents? Of course, every one of these are have hacking attempts on a day-to-day basis, but have anyone gone back with this technology advance? Regarding the cost factor: We saw in the video that for a subscription amount of mere $300 per month, the physician was able to maintain electronic health records online and the setup just costed him $6000.
Jay Vance, CMT, Director of Product Development & Deployment, Superior Global Solutions, Inc., (former President & CEO, Global Healthcare Documentation Group) is rather in a wait and watch mode.
It is difficult to say with certainty exactly how the coming widespread use of EMRs is going to affect MTs. This is partly because not all EMR systems take the same approach with regards to the mechanisms used to create patient encounter records. Some EMRs are strictly point-and-click, template-driven systems that make no allowance for dictation and transcription, while other EMRs are DRT enabled, allowing physicians to use traditional dictation as a means of populating the EMR. Obviously if the former type of EMR becomes more prevalent than the latter, the need for transcription is going to decrease. But I believe it is too soon to state definitively whether or not physicians who are accustomed to dictating patient encounters will be willing to switch en masse to template-driven EMR systems. Certainly it’s possible, but it is by no means a certainty, in my opinion.
I wish I had a more definite answer to your question, but right now there just isn’t enough information to make a reliable prediction for what the future holds for the transcription industry.
(DRT stands for Discrete Reportable Transcription)
Okay, it’s a long way to 2014 from now. By that time, even Obama may have moved out of power but, what if the doctors have to do it on their own by that time just because of any legal compulsion from the government to avoid medical errors (the prime focus of making a switching over), leave aside the savings they make eliminating transcription?
Gift Jacob Chelraj, CMT, predicts it could be bad for the industry which is already in turmoil because of advancement of automations like voice recognition and stiff competition due to outsourcing.
My opinion about EMR is it is a tool for interoperability (sharing of information quickly) between hospitals. Nowadays, this sharing of information is through expensive means like faxing, etc., and this also requires that whatever the MT transcribes be printed in a paper, resulting in additional expenses for the hospital. This could be avoided if all the patient information is available through computer network.
There are certain drawbacks with EMR too, like cost, connectivity, health risks, etc. which are being speedily addressed by the US government, especially by President Obama, in a war footing to curb the rising costs of healthcare.
I am not sure how it would impact an MT’s job as “physician notes” still have to be transcribed or edited after going through voice recognition. EMR can be automated and physicians can enter lab values and transmit radiology reports faster; however, reports like discharge summary, history & physical, etc., which require physician notes, need to be transcribed by somebody. I pray to God that the hospital will not retain physician notes in voice format in order to cut costs :-).
My personal opinion is that if the axe falls on us, we will be required to be more productive and efficient (which is already happening through voice recognition).
In summary, YES, this is bad for our industry and good in terms of healthcare efficiency.
If I’m right, we are already in an arena where there is no permanent salary, instead all the pay structures are production based by which we are already under tremendous pressure to do more and more day by day. How can we be further more productive and efficient?
Julianne Weight, CEO, AlphaBest Consulting and Transcription, who has over 20 years of experience in the industry witnessing all the ups and downs, evaluates the situation (She also exchanges views on interesting facts and observations at MT Exchange) and reports that it has already created the dent:
Yes, I see demand decreasing. We’ve been seeing the trend here for the last couple of years and are already feeling the impact.
I’m not sure I’d say it’s good or bad for the industry. I think the industry needs to change and evolve into something else.
She is sure that the industry needs to change or evolve into something or to a more stable form, but not sure how it would be and should be.
Miguel Lopez, President, Transcript, Inc., assesses the adopting of EMR in healthcare is not going to be a doomsday for medical transcription industry. Here is how he assesses on how is it going to be:
It depends. I think it will affect it as much as voice recognition has done so far in terms of job loss, but it will continue to be adopted because of the need to go to for electronic medical records. It just means that MTs will need to adapt to the changing technology or lose the account. The accounts will be going to EMR but if the MT is willing to dial in and type directly into the EMR or interface with it, they will be fine. Those that continue to see the BIG cassette as the wave of the future will lose. Just because they are going to EMR does not necessarily mean that they will be going to templates of voice recognition. It just means they’re going paperless. The smart MDs that still see the MT as necessary and cheaper than typing/reviewing the reports themselves will still use MTs. I think, like with any new technology, there will be job loss due to the older local MTs unwilling or unable to adapt.
Yes, the busy, highflying doctors, who have hundreds of patients a day, to increase their productivity, to save time and to keep going, instead of themselves incorporating all the details will still have to rely on assistance of medical transcriptionists through dictations even to fill in those details in an EMR but that is not going to be the case with every single doctor. The female doctors or doctors above middle age may be reluctant to adopt new technologies and cost factor also can deter adopting new technology but that won’t prolong for decades.
We end with that expert opinions with a clear answer. Yes, EMR is going to affect the medical transcription industry or has already started affecting but none of them are able to predict the magnitude of the impact. Consumer the king, the ultimate beneficiary of this evolution, is at the greatest advantage of this evolution, after all that is what anyone would need, but how we, the medical transcriptionists, or the medical transcription industry is going to survive these reforms? There’s the fume coming around from the dormant or less active volcano but most of the MTs couldn’t assess the flame and danger behind it. Like Abishai or other MTs whom I didn’t mention here are either still ignorant about the looming guillotine or are overconfident that the doctors are lazy to make a complete switchover that they still have time to enact upon! As long as the doctors are reluctant to change, it will keep us going. However, if the axe falls this time, the impact is going to be much stronger than the already shaken medical transcription industry in the US with voice recognition and outsourcing with the interesting fact that this time it’s going to affect both onshore and offshore alike. Even for planned surgeries, you can have template filling as the procedures will be almost stereotype ones. However, emergency reports may need to be transcribed as the situations, complaints and problems will vary from patient to patient, case on case, and I foresee only such rare possibilities of dictation and transcription.
Studies show physicians who use EHRs pay few malpractice claims, and we already have reports of medical transcriptionists losing business as the doctors migrated to EMR, it is time for us to think and enact upon. With cost advantage being remarkable with the adoption of EMR, it is time for MTs to think how to adapt to this growing challenge.
How can the medical transcriptionists be an inevitable part of these reforms? By starting to think and deliver value addition to your services. You should not confine yourself inside a shell as medical transcriptionist alone but have to keep on adding value to your services that the doctors should not be able to do business without you. You should be a complete personal (virtual) assistant doing everything that the doctor wants to do on a computer. Yes, nothing is stable in this ever changing world. Your success lies in how soon you adapt and change yourself to the new things, latest demands and the need of that hour. Unless you develop your skills and keep on polishing your resume, the going as a transcriptionist would get tough and at one point in time within the next few years you may get withered out and give up to EMR due to lack of efficiency.
I wish to thank everybody who shared their views and opinions with me when I contacted them, and their inputs have thrown good amount of light into the issues surrounding the adoption of EMR with reference to medical transcriptionists. I was so amused that the answers were so instantaneous from all those who I quoted here that I think they are keenly watching on how things are turning around and are striving to get informed on this subject. A special big thanks to all of them again.
Now coming to the last part of the question “What are the prospects of gaining business from other countries like UK, Canada, Australia?” Any of the readers in those countries could drop in their views. But generally I’m of the opinion that if a doctor in the US can make a switchover to a completely automated healthcare documentation, won’t it be available for the doctors in the other countries too? May be the cost may vary from country to country but if convenience and reliability outplace the cost factor, which is ought to happen, won’t the doctors in the other countries also follow suit?
References and Suggested Further Reading:
Wow, that’s a lot of info to digest! Very thorough research – something I haven’t had much time to do myself lately. Thanks for taking the time to post!
Hi Raj,
Thanks to your post, I am now quite informed about the EHR process. I really appreciate your patience in researching this. The video that you have posted is quite informative: I NOTICE THAT THE PHYSICIAN-PATIENT INTERACTION IS QUITE LESS. THAT DOC SEEMS QUITE BUSY WITH HIS PC GADGET THAN EXAMINING HIS PATIENT.
Thank you Gift.
Regarding interaction: That happens, doctor is doing two jobs at a time, may be he is still getting accustomed to it.
Hey Gift,
I read one such similar post today that the doctor is more involved with the EMR than the patient. Read “Doctor, please look at me, not your EMR.“
Raj,
How EMR will affect prospects of MT in India and those who are working in the field and who has completed training to enter the field? This query is out of anxiety.
I don’t think there’s going to be any difference between a medical transcriptionist in the US, India, Philippines or any other country as long as the impact of EMR on medical transcription is concerned. Yes, there’s going to be a less demand for medical transcriptionists while moving towards more precise automation to reduce errors and work force, as may be the case with any industry which is in dire need to reduce labor force especially after hitting hard by recession. Hence try to keep acquiring talents and skills to get accustomed to and work with the latest technology and keep on polishing your resume to sustain yourself; else, get yourself phased out, and that was the theme of this year’s medical transcription week too. Is the message clear?
thanks Raj.. However, how one can counter the trend only with individual proficiency and polishing of CV. Also we should consider EMR as an imminent threat globally to MT.
By willing to take up any work/job concerned with healthcare documentation, administerial, secretarial or backoffice work.
Yes, EMR is an imminent threat globally to medical transcription.
Raj,
In fact, I want to know whether it will be a death bell to MT.
Partial death bell.
May be half dead or partially live.
Thanks Raj for an incredibly informative post. Many of the MTs that I’ve spoken with over the past six months seem under informed on the changes that are coming. Keeping your head buried in the sand isn’t helpful, but becoming informed and taking advantage of change is. Your article should be a great help for those people who want to understand the coming changes.
I think we need to leave alone the doctors to do their job of attending the patients and not keying in their information on the computers. The doctors in the ERs or hospitals might as well save a life of a patient while attempting to tabulate data with a computer screen. It is easier to dictate over a dictaphone when you find time.
This article has some good information. You have to keep in mind that the doctors who use MT service do so only to save them time. They are not against computers or EMR/EHR or Speech Recogintion etc. They are very busy and see so many patients and make good money. As a doctor, I would rather see one more patient a day which cover the cost of all my transcription for two days or more rather than dealing Windows problems, hardware problems and wireless problems etc. They all like to pull up chart electronically to look up information and not to depend on paper chart and paper chart pulling.
Then there are doctors who wants to be more techy and there are some like that. They would rather do more tech stuff and enjoy doing that more than medical stuff. They do medical only because there is more money in it. Then there are doctors who only wants to deal with patients, talking to patients and more and nothing to do with computers.
Many of us think what doctors do is just look up the test result and prescribe based on test result. These is more typical. Best doctors spend more time talking to patients and examining the patients and more investigation.
Let me give you another example. I know a single practioner doctor using MT service for over 7 years now. He spend over $1400 per month on transcription on his patients. Before he start using MT service, he used SR and he spent hours editing the reports. He is well known in the community as a “good doctor”. His office visit notes alone are in most cases over a page. In that note, you find so much information about the patient and his family and that has nothing to do with the treatment. But you bet, when that patient comes again after two months, he will ask “How did Laura do in that Liverpool Marathon?”. Questions like this knock the socks off the patient because this doctor cares so much about the patient and his family and REMEMBERS so much about their family. Both my wife and I are patients of him. He makes us feel good! Your blood preasure goes down! Don’t think medicine is all about just prescribing and having electronic record. This doctor can ask these questions because he dictate and read those notes right before he comes to the examination room. That is priceless! I don’t what point and click will do that.
Interestingly, I read a post coincidentally, substantiating your stance named “Is an efficient physician necessarily a good doctor?” I quote a para of that article that impressed me here:
“The deterioration in the quality of medical care is directly linked to the reduced time that doctors spend with patients. Because a doctor has less time to talk with a patient, he or she is less likely to make the correct diagnosis. Because a doctor has less time to thoroughly examine a patient, he or she will order unnecessary medical tests to fill in the gaps. Because a doctor has less time to think about a patient, he or she is more likely to make an avoidable medical error. And, of course, when a doctor has less time to spend with a patient, he or she is more likely to be brusque and unsympathetic.”
Yes, the more time the doctor is able to spend with the patient, the more good for the patient. Find time to read that article.
This was a very good article. The EMR has had a tremendous impact on my medical transcription service with a huge reduction in pay and workload, which I will address on a separate post.
Yesterday, I had an initial consult with a pain management physician’s office to transfer care. I have several documented injuries and have had multiple surgeries. This office did not bother to obtain any records whatsoever from my physicians or examine any that I brought in despite, and I was waiting 5 hours. An office clerk then began entering information on the EMR. She informed me that I could only have 3 pain areas, as that is all the EMR would allow (so therefore more than 3 areas would not be addressed), she only documented 1 sentence of an extensive history to include multiple injuries and could not spell even the most common medications (I typed up the list but she had me read it aloud and spell it for her and explain what they were for). She simply quit after medications and did not document any past surgeries, treatments, other medical conditions, recommendations, etc. Then I was told the doctor was not even in the office or in the same county. They proceeded to tell me I was required to take certain medications, ones I just explained prior I had extensive and near-fatal allergies. The rest just gets worse, but I was never even examined by anybody let alone a physician. The “initial consult” consisted solely on a clerk typing my medications into the EMR, and that was it. Scarry. I did not walk out of this office, I ran. In other words, if you are unable to conform to a simple 1- to 2-sentence in an EMR platform, your life could be at stake. She could not even stay focused on what questions she was asking because she was clicking away and kept asking me how to spell items.
I lost my at home MT job to EMR. I think I am the first of many casualties. I am leaving the industry.
We are already having a couple of casualties reported like you. However, if you are a hardcore MT with solid experience, why not try elsewhere? May be if one door is closed, there may be another one open.
I have worked as an MT in various specialties for about 10 years, but I am not interested in staying in a dying profession.
Will outsourcing have negative effect on MT field??
Jobs are constricted due to Indian companies going ASR way; only half the work force is needed and if your ASR is a good provider, even MTs with 2-3 years experience can directly upload the files.
This will mean the companies will stop recruiting or selectively recruit. Tough times for all.
EHR is another story.
Let’s get real and develop our skill set and get ready for a move out of the industry when the time comes, and it is not that far.
I am losing my job after 17 years as they are going with EPIC. It is sad that President Obama or physicians did not think about transcriptionists. It is like they are throwing us away.
I have a MT business at home for approx 15 years. The past 5 years I have lost 3 huge clients to EMR, the last one in December 2009. I had to let go of excellent MTs. I have been advertising everywhere to get new clients. I have 2 small accounts, which do not even pay the monthly phone bill. At this point, I’m saddened that I have to give up my business. I worked many long hours, 7 days a week to make my business a success through the years. People tell me not to take it personally, that it’s business, but who can’t take it personally when you know you do a great job, have great workers, and provide excellent work everyday. If I can offer any advice here: Have a backup plan! Through the years, I took classes at a local college (pre-nursing courses). Not that I was planning to be a nurse, but if I had to, I had a backup plan. I don’t think I’m giving up, but moving forward realistically. This is the best for my family and for me. Good luck to all of you!
Your article is real good.
The demo of EHR does look cool. However I am not really sure how practical it is going to be…. First thing doctors have to learn to use thing software and will definitely require to type a few stuff of HPI at least…. Then doctor’s will either have to keep clicking or do exam, both together may not work…. One of the most annoying thing would be that every time a doctor changes a clinic he will have learn the new EHR system in the new hospital…
This is how I feel ultimately it might happen….. Either doctor would record as usual and the PAs instead of MTs would be entering into this software instead of typing or doctor would keep Personal Assistant’s in office (that could be a junior doctor or a nurse also) who would enter as doctor examines the patient.
[b] Can someone tell me why a transcribed medical record in a computer cannot be considered an electronic health record (EHR) ? Does it say anywhere there EHR is the one only made by software program and not one stored in electronic form though typed in? [/b]
As per definition above,
An electronic record of health-related information on an individual that conforms to nationally recognized interoperability standards and that can be created, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff across more than one health care organization.
What I am trying to say is Obama has asked “full EHR by 2014.”
[b] As long as medical record conforms to nationally recognized interoperability standards does it really mention anywhere that it should be done through software and not via transcription ? [/b]
A) Yes, a transcribed medical record in a computer is an electronic health record.
B) As far as I know, it is not mentioned anywhere that an electronic health record should be made through a software and not via transcription.
Hi sir,
I am working as a HBT. Still approximately how many years the MT industry will be survived in India.
I think an astrologer will be the right person to answer this question.
If you are really a home-based transcriptionist, one key suggestion would be to improve your English, especially the tense part, to sustain in this career. I’m sorry to say that but that’s one of the placards held by agonists of healthcare offshoring.
hi sir
Thank you. I am taking your suggestion in a positive way. Definitely, i will improve my English, but I am requesting you to pls update the news regarding medical transcription field.
Good.
As of now, what I’m aware is that with the latest healthcare bill getting through in the US, 30 million more Americans could have health insurance, which is clearly a very good opportunity for healthcare workers including medical transcriptionists.
However, still I’m knocked off by your question “How long is medical transcription going to stay in India?” Because, when I entered this career in 1999, doomsayers predicted 10 years of life for this industry. However, the industry has still vigor left behind. A lot of factors like currency exchange ratio, any future legislations in both countries, competition from countries like Philippines etc., could influence its stay, which I’m unable to predict at this juncture.
I will be updating this blog with any news that I will be aware of. Hence stay tuned by subscribing to this blog.
Hi,
Great blog buddies. Very insightful.
Do you think certification courses like LOMA could be a key to move into Insurance industry smoothly for an MT that has 10+ years of MT experience.
Please advise. I am despirately looking to move out of MT industry ASAP, but do not know what to do.
Thanks and regards,
Madhukar
I am also in the same boat. Please let me know if you find the right answer.
First of all great topic on EMR.
I had chat with some of my MT clients in US regarding EMR sometime back, one of them CMT with very good experience and having her own business.
She told me that MTs in USA are not going to start with EMR as each document will give only 5 to 6 lines per patient report and since salaries are not rising, to keep their income level steady at same level they will end up doing many more patients a day.
Companies are selling EMR softwares to hospital saying that it will reduce costs and hospitals are now with EMR software that are ready but no one to work on as MTs are not ready to work on those softwares figuring out how many patients per day they need to do.
I think EMR is going to stay there and will reduce workforce required for MT industry, but its full implementation will be a challenge and will not happen as MTs are not going to work on it without having their rates raised.
What if the doctors are left with no other option than to feed the data themselves with a few clicks as shown in the video above? No cost for transcription at all and no MTs required!
Yes that is reasonable, but this happens mainly in point and click EMR softwares. Generally there will always be some information that is not in EMR and that needed to be feeded manually so there will be transcription part.
Yes doctors can add information themselves, but doctors who have good practice will be more inclined to dictate as they can see more patients rather than filling information themselves and I think this is better approach as patient fees will be more than what they will be save by typing themselves. Only small practice or newbie doctors are going to fill that information in.
But, this is ultimately going to lead to drastic reduction in manpower requirement if EMR starts fully. That is why hospitals are ending up with EMR software where US MTs are not willing to work as transcription part will be very less, but i think we indians are just going ahead with EMR wherever we can find EMR work.
It is better to start to switch some other field if EMR implements as it will be more difficult to sustain same level of earnings.
In my opinion, don’t get strained on doing the bogus MT jobs. This industry in India has no growth at all. It has limited income and no post designation. Majorities are designated as quality analyst, but they are doing the job of simple proof reading the files. Those who boast of drawing fat salaries, ask them how painful to income that. In India, MT industry workers do not have any associations. The workforce works as bonded labors. I worked as a quality analyst in this industry for 4 years and had full of regret in mind. This industry has shrunken a lot now. I am right now in New Delhi and for the past 2 years no MNC companies have entered in this business. The few MNC companies for this industry are CBay Systems, Healthscribe, Accretive Health, Focus, Acusis etc. The pay packages are going down day by day, more the line count, more the pay. In the name of productivity employees are forced to delivery 2500 lines/day/per employee with a quality of 98.8% in a day. So, you can imagine the quality delivered to the US client. I have switched my career to Indian Insurance Sector and feel happy and relieved. I am quite satisfied with my job and designation. So, my suggestion for those who are still struggling in this domain should go for general transcription, legal transcription, media transcription, and business transcription, which are much more paid than medical transcription. The other factors which makes this industry less pay because of third party and fourth party vendorship. Kick start your career in new avenues, and explore yourself and see that there are lot of things that u can do rather than sitting robotically shutting up your mouth doing transcription.
The cost of living is increasing tremendously in India. With fuel prices increasing almost every week, every product that needs transportation also is affected and they also end up increasing the price. Hotels have stopped having permanent boards for price but write using chalks or markers so that can be changed next week.
Here in the state of Kerala in India, with increase in price of everything, even manual labour prices have increased. Masons, tile workers, carpenters etc. are charging Rs 600 to Rs 900 per day.
So what has this to do with MT? The point is most Medical transcriptionists do not earn as much as these manual labourers. We work on rates worse than that of daily wages. Small MT companies are shutting shop and instead opening up MT training centers which seem more profitable than the regular MT company business. There are home transcriptionists who are ready to work at 40ps per line! Well the home transcriptionist has to pay for broadband internet, electricity, cost of computer software and hardware and the need to replace them every few years, space for doing work, etc. In spite of this there are people ready to work at lesser rates. Big companies are taking over smaller companies and hence making it not possible for MTs to change companies for better pay. With voice recognition cutting jobs nearly by half and with competition coming from countries like Sri Lanka and Philippines doing medical transcription in India could be worse than doing a typist job and may be earning less than daily wage laborer. With Google giving the correct words when we type in sound alikes, it looks like anyone can be an MT(not QA). The training centers show ads like earn $3000 and show big dreams for the new comers… but the reality is that most Medical transcriptionists (not QAs) may not be earning even Rs. 10000/- per month in spite of working even 12 hours a day and 6 days a week. My servant maid earns Rs. 6000/- per month and compare it with MTs earnings! Earlier medical transcriptionists were looked at with respect and now a days people are having poor opinion about medical transcription and consider it a dying industry (whether we think like that or not). With all this already going on, we have this EMR coming in ! So future for medical transcriptionists in India seems really bad.
Well said I agree to your comment.
We have a skill that is not matched by technology or cheaper rates in other countries. All it takes is professionals willing to explore ways to make the current technology work with our skills and expertise, and professionals who back us up. The fact is that disclaimers on bogus garbage medical encounters are not enough protection for our valued providers. It IS possible to provide an accurate medical record for an affordable cost to the healthcare organizations. I have been fortunate enough to be employed by physicians who put more value on patient care and employee livelihood that they have are committed to ensuring my employability, however, the task was placed upon myself to make the current technology work with our service, something the big EMR system said was impossible. DO NOT, and I repeat, DO NOT give in to the EMR systems in place. There are workarounds, you just have to be willing to grow/change with the current technology. The service we provide is priceless, if you have read the garbage churned out by voice recognition software.
I do agree that the technology upgrades constantly and if it is really beneficial then people start using that. Think it in a way like when there was no internet, no one could ever think of doing a job that has its origin far away from where it is getting done but just because of convenience and being cost-effective it is getting done in that way. In the same way, EHR(EMR) will be accepted by the system because of its easy accesibility and cost-effectiveness. It is very clear that technology always brings something that we never heard of before and no one knows the future, only predictions can be made which may or may not come true.
For the time being what is with the transcription industry is that period in which the doctors are not getting used to the new system and the government pressure to start using EHR in a given period of time……2014….
EMR/EHR looks really appealing from a concept standpoint. However, in speaking with a former client, a physician who is a part of a practice of 6 physicians who have already implemented EMR, he told me that he absolutely abhors EMR! He referred to it as a “copy and paste” program that leaves a LOT to be recorded regarding the patients and their treatment. He dreads the day it has to be actually presented in a courtroom for some reason and feels the overall allowed documentation via EMR will leave the physician/clinic in jeopardy. He says that there is simply no way to supply a complete record in many cases, an issue that can be resolved ONLY through literal dictation and transcription. Yes, he dislikes having to devote so much time to dictation, but he dislikes even more not having a thorough and COMPLETE record…and EMR just doesn’t allow for such. Unfortunately, by the time everyone sees what is happening, the home/web-based transcriptionist will have moved into a box under a bridge for lack of income.
may i quote you when presenting unintended consequences of the ehr?
@ Alicia Already living in a box under a bridge ! Thank you. Get Real Folks ! Truth Is Scarier Than Fiction !! You Have Been Warned !
Hi!
This is update to my above post.
I recently got one EMR work using Allscripts software to be used for entering data in it. Software is very poor and leaves much to be desired and moreover Allscripts claim to have more than 100,000 customers with them. May god save doctors there in US.
I took this just to keep myself updated so in case of any eventuality has something to fall on.
Client is satisfied with work done. I am also entering billing and coding also which the dictator provides me and I just enter it in software.
I have to create whole report from 1 to 2 sentences only. Again with my medical transcription experience and as a pharmacist I am able to do with good degree of accuracy. Generally need to make some clicks to select appropriate files but need to type 3 to 4 lines in each report to give it extra disease specific information.
This Allscripts software is pathetic and I would say should not be used. You always feel that it is not up to mark and it seems like you are always missing some information, but again client is happy with work.
Though EHR was presented in 2009 and compliance is until 2014. The transcription industry in India is not affected as many recuritments are going on and Big players like Cbay, Nuance, still continue to give incentive/targets to HR team for candidates to beeline….Speech recognition did gave a jolt to QAs and Proofers, but not to MT, as today’s MT join as proofers thanks to SR…..A good insight tells me as we transitioned ourselves from other industry to MT industry…we better be prepared and have a backup in store or prepare ourselves to another industry and adapt changes…as Bhagavad Gita says “change is inevitable”…Do the work passionately….with as much passion adapt and adopt to the change and go forward without any ill feelings…
Why did you suggest that female doctors are reluctant to learn new technology?
The only constant in life is change. Change, although traumatic and heart wrenching at times, is natural. It is unavoidable. Yes, everybody finds it difficult to accept change and yet it is happening all around us. However, women usually find it difficult to adjust to change, often reluctant to adapt to new technology especially if they are middle aged or above, compared to men. If given a chance whether or not to embrace new technology, they will choose not. Only under compulsion, women will embrace change. But why? It is a fact that they are the last ones to adopt change as it stirs up the feelings of fear! Can you deny this?
Why are so many community colleges and stand alone vocational schools still taking money from people that are interested in MT if this is a dying field?
“As long as people are willing to be fooled, there will come those who fool them.”
If you still really want to take up a MT career, know the current state of affairs as of 2012, the lawsuits by MTs to get at least minimum wages and more information about how the future would be etc., in this post. Read the post from top to bottom, the linked pages, and all the comments.
I have a small transcription business and have started losing clients going to EMR. I would like to offer the clients who have not switched to EMR yet and future clients an EMR program and still use my MTs. Is there any info regarding transcription companies making the switch to offering an EMR that any one knows of..Any info would be appreciated.. Thanks
I am a medical transcritpionist (at home) working for a major university hospital that as of July 2013 I will no longer have a job because of the EMR/EHR. So yes transcriptionist beware and check before joining a transcription company. I do believe we will be looking for a new career.
I currently work in Epic EHR as a transcriptionist – something Epic swore was impossible. We use a 3rd party dictation/transcription service (HIPAA compliant) to download files via old school dictaphones and it works perfectly, other than that it requires the physicians to physically download, which can sometimes be a pain given the current COVID protocols and their access to hardware. Currently researching capabilities within Epic to record dictation through Epic and route to chosen transcriptionist rather than Nuance. Is anyone familiar with this process? I work in a very busy specialty practice with multiple providers who prefer a more personal approach to documentation and correspondence and do not wish to rely on Nuance or M-Modal. Would appreciate any feedback.