Medical transcription is the process where one accurately and swiftly transcribes medical records dictated by doctors and others, including history and physical reports, clinic notes, office notes, operative reports, consultation notes, discharge summaries, letters, psychiatric evaluations, laboratory reports, x-ray reports and pathology reports.

It involves receiving dictation by tape, digital system or voice file, and using earphones, a foot pedal for start-stop control and a word processing program. It sometimes includes the use of a printer and sometimes a modem. A variety of word-processing systems are used. It requires good listening and language skills, computer skills and knowledge of medical terms.

Despite global economic downtrend, the Medical Transcription (MT) industry is looking for a further growth buoyed by a report of the NASSCOM stating that recession has not hit the healthcare industry.

Reverse is the trend in medical transcription outsourcing in the US, which is witnessing agonising attrition in large scale in IT, financial, manufacturing and other sectors.

MT companies in India observe that the demand for medical transcriptionists is great. There is currently a shortage of qualified medical transcriptionists - and demographic trends suggest that the outlook will continue to be favorable for some time to come. Good medical transcriptionists typically have no problem in obtaining and maintaining employment.

“High-speed Internet access and faster, more reliable operating systems have made collaboration and information exchange more efficient than ever before. Technology advances such as these make it possible for us to offer home-based transcriptionists positions to our staff. This enables us to create a pleasant, family-friendly work environment that promotes both productivity and employee satisfaction,” says Anupam Gupta, HR Executive, MTHomeMD.com.

Flexi-timing is no longer limited to working mothers. Today, more and more professionals are being given the option to work out of home. Software
engineers are already coding from the comfort of their living rooms. Multinationals like IBM and Accenture are also offering their employees the benefits of coming to work only on a few days.

Medical transcription is not new for Indian companies to tie up with hospitals and private physicians in the USA and UK. The idea of earning while working from home so enthralled 32-year-old homeopathy doctor Ravinder Jain that he gave up her modest practice altogether.

Editing transcribed medical notes dictated by doctors in the US allows her to make Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 per month. To do transcription at home you would need suitable software installed in your home computer and foot pedal.

While people with a science or medical background and a good command over English appear to score over other applicants, almost every company takes its staff through comprehensive training that sometimes lasts for six months. “Awareness of medical knowledge definitely is an edge.

However, there are many medical transcription units in India that also provide placements after training. Proper training of at least six months is a must for anyone desirous of entering this profession

While the company can measure the language skills and concentration levels of the trainee, the trainee can decide whether they find the job interesting enough. Some companies look for medical transcriptionists with experience.