subject: The Viability of Medical Transcription as a Profession [print this page] The Viability of Medical Transcription as a Profession
In the past years, demand for more competent documentation services has intensified with the growth of business in the market economy. These involve the jobs of human resource assistants, administrative assistants, and information clerks. In the medical world, documentation works are managed by health information technicians and medical transcriptionists.
Medical transcription has grown as an industry with the rise of demand for documentation services in hospitals and medical centers. Since 2008, it has recorded an annual 15 percent growth. Businessmen are taking advantage of the market boom by establishing private medical transcription centers. In addition, more students are taking up medical courses to be a medical transcriptionist.
Increase in the number of students means more schools providing medical transcription programs. Because of this, the US government has created more stringent admission guidelines to preserve the quality of education provided in colleges and universities. Presently, health organizations are conducting certification and licensure examinations to sift through competent medical transcriptionists.
As of May 2008, medical transcriptionists earn an average of 18.60 dollars for every hour. Highest paid medical transcriptionists work in medical and diagnostic laboratories providing medical billing service. Collectively, they earn an annual wage of 38,680 dollars. Lowest paid medical transcriptionists work in business support services giving 14.92 dollars per hour. Basically, they are entry-level professionals who have recently acquired their certificate for medical transcription.
According to American labor law, medical transcriptionists are entitled for employee benefits like health insurance cards and services. In addition, medical transcriptionists in medical billing service are secured in good working environments of private companies and laboratories. The government can control the operation of these businesses when the law is violated. Nevertheless, the government rarely interferes with medical transcription centers because each company has specific sets of policies and procedures which cater to the needs of both the patients and the employees.
In the US, most medical transcriptionists can be found in the state of Wisconsin and Iowa. On the other hand, top-paying states for medical billing service are Massachusetts and Alaska. Medical transcriptionist is seen as a viable profession in most US states. Because of this, applications for vacancy posts in hospitals and private companies are expected to increase in the upcoming years.
