Medical Transcription - The Future

As I meet with prospective clients I am coming across a question which is growing in it's frequency: "Isn't medical transcription going away?" Folks marketing voice recognition and EMR technology have done a good job professing that their solutions are the nail in the coffin for outsourced transcription services.

I tell my prospective clients that it depends on the practice and physicians. Voice Recognition technology has become a tool which helps improve productivity, but it doesn't replace human intelligence. There is still a certain percentage of each document which needs to be edited. A study by the AC Group finds that traditional EHR data-entry is 9 times longer than narrative dictation/transcription. Users come to a crossroad where they need to weigh the balance between the cost of transcription and the loss of productivity.

Even with EMR and Voice Recognition technology there is still a need for human intelligence. Specifically, a practice that needs to remain productive and not lose patient visits due to productivity shortfalls will continue with dictation/transcription. Furthermore, although in it's infancy, Discrete Reportable Transcription - DRT is the answer many are looking for by combining the efficiencies and quality gains of medical transcription with the value of discrete data.

EMRs Cutting Doctor-Patient Time

A recent article in American Medical News "Don't let EMRs cut into your doctor-patient time" describes a situation where the interaction between a physician and his patient is diminished and less intimate because he was stuck behind a computer screen trying to document the encounter.

That's what DRT - Discrete Reportable Transcription is all about. Why force a doctor to type his or her own note or search for the right diagnosis on a computer screen. Physicians should be focused on their patients, not their keyboards. DRT allows physicians to dictate their patient visits, leaving more time to improve their patient's health. The transcribed information is delivered directly into the system as discrete data.

The Value of Discrete Data

With Discrete Reportable Transcription (DRT) a dictated note can be inserted into a patient's medical record within a practice wide EMR. The difference between DRT and a standard import feature many EMR provders offer is that a DRT solution inserts discrete data. With the data being discrete, even a dictated and transcribed portion of a patient encounter allows for the same benefits one would receive through other means of documenting such an encounter within the EMR itself. Therefore, it allows for searching or reporting on data within an EMR which has been dictated. For example, discrete data makes it easy if a Practice Manager wants to find out how many patients have a history of smoking or an Orthopaedic practice needs to find out who has been referred to a certain Physical Therapist. DRT isn't just transcription, because the data provided becomes much more valuable than words. Make sure your EMR is DRT enabled.

Transcription and Legislative Issues

The association representing Medical Transcriptionists in Pennsylvania (PA-AHDI) has asked Peter Minio of R+B Sten-Tel to be the Committee Chairperson of their Legislative Issues Group (LIG). Peter is honored that PA-AHDI asked him to support the transcription industry in this way. Along with his role representing the organization in the PA eHealth Initiative, Peter will keep the group up-to-date on legislative issues effecting the industry so that as an association they can proactively address or support those issues.

Bones of PA - Orthopaedic Administrators

R+B Sten-Tel will be participating at the Bones of PA annual conference at Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mt. Pocono, Pennsylvania. Bones of PA is a State Society of Orthopaedic Administrators. In addition, R+B Sten-Tel is a Preferred Vendor in providing medical transcription services to it's membership.

Meaningful Use

Click here to follow dialogue on meaningful use with HHS and ONCHIT. This is the page within HHS which provides all relevant information and documents pertaining to the development of "meaningful use" guildelines as they pertain to ARRA funding.

Why Outsource Medical Transcription?

In today's environment there is a growing need for accurate clinical documentation produced in a timely fashion. By outsourcing the medical transcription function, a practice can focus on managing the daily operations and not worry if they have enough qualified transcriptionists to get the job done. Companies like R+B Sten-Tel provide total outsourcing as well as overflow outsourcing, but most of all offer peace of mind knowing that the job is going to get done.

If you haven't given thought to outsourcing the MT function in your practice, it may be time to investigate this further. In many instances, outsourcing will save you money and lead to higher quality reports with faster turnaround.

R+B Sten-Tel is a Pennsylvania based company offering medical transcription services and other record management solutions to clients nationwide.

Can Transcription Help EMR Implementation?

The AC Group recently noted a 73% failure rate of EMRs due to usability frustrations. Part of that is the fact that many EMRs do not offer a comprehensive dictation/transcription solution as part of their documentation process. Instead they rely on the physicians to enter the data in themselves. The medical transcription industry has developed technology called Discrete Reportable Transcription (DRT) which enables physicians to document their patient encounters just the way they always have. It provides a choice for documentation. Make sure the EMR you choose is DRT enabled and ensure a successful implementation.