Medical Transcription Outsourcing: Dos and Don’ts

Medical transcription plays a vital part in the healthcare process, by documenting the patient-healthcare professional encounter. The medical records play an important role in the following areas:

1. Patient treatment 2. Permanent Patient records 3. Referrals to other doctors 4. Evidence in case of malpractice suits 5. Coding, billing and insurance claims 6. Satisfaction of regulatory norms

As medical transcription is not part of the core activities of the healthcare facility, an easy and cost effective fix is to outsource the document creation requirements to a professional vendor. Outsourcing ensures that the patient records are created in an easy, accurate, timely, secure and cost effective manner.

However while outsourcing, care needs to be taken to ensure that the right service provider is chosen so as to reap long-term benefits.

What are the guidelines for outsourcing medical transcription?

The Dos:

· Check for experience of the service provider: While outsourcing it is important to check the credentials of the vendor. To ensure that the service provider is capable of providing services as promised the following questions need to be asked:

a) How long has the vendor been in the business providing outsourced transcription services? b) Who are their customers? c) What is the range of their services? d) Can they provide testimonials? e) Do they offer a free trial of their services?

· Check for quality measures: It is important to ascertain that the vendor has measures in place to provide accurate services as promised. To ascertain that the service provider can deliver quality/accuracy as promised the following questions need to be asked:

a) What are the quality check levels? Does more than one person listen to the audio before transmitting the transcript back to the healthcare professional? b) What is the training method used by the service provider? c) Does the service provider use subcontractors to execute the work?

· Check the billing methodology: Pricing in medical transcription is a complex issue with numerous variables. Comparing quotes can be very difficult as the components of what consists cost may vary vastly. This also leaves a huge scope for manipulation in the billing. To ensure that the price quoted is reasonable, one needs to check the billing methodology used by the vendor. The billing method needs to be verifiable, definable, measurable, consistent, fair and honest

· Check the transcription flow: Checking the flow from the dictation stage to when the final transcript is made available to the healthcare professional ensures the use of the right technology. The right technology in turn ensures that turnaround time commitments will be met with, and the time of the support staff and healthcare professionals is not wasted tracking dictation files and finished transcripts through a complex system.

· Check the HIPAA and HITECH compliance measures: While outsourcing medical transcription one of the main concerns is that of maintaining the security of confidential patient information. To evaluate whether a vendor has adequate measures in place to be HIPAA and HITECH complaint, one needs to check for adequate measures for:

a) Technology: To ensure security during transmission b) Processes: To ensure security during transcription c) People and infrastructure: To ensure security during every stage

· Check for customer service channels: It is important that the healthcare facility have channels of open communication at their disposal for contacting the service provider. This ensures that any issues are sorted out at the earliest to ensure smooth transition

· Check the website: Website of the service provider can be a valuable source of information. It is important to go through the website of the vendor to get maximum information

The Don’ts

· Look at price only: Though reduced cost is one of the foremost benefits of outsourcing medical transcription, it is important to analyze the cost components thoroughly and to look at the capabilities of the vendor before making finalizing the service provider

· Ignore the contract: Though the vendor meets all the criteria for successful outsourcing it is important to look at the contract agreement in depth before signing on for the services

· Opt for complicated technology: It is very easy to be taken in by the “bells and whistles” in the technology used by the vendor, without actually considering the utility. As time is a limited commodity for healthcare professionals it is important that the technology used by the service provider serves all the needs and at the same time is easy

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