While demand for most careers in health care is expected to increase due to the aging baby boomer population, medical transcription is an exception. It is not that the need for medical records has decreased. Rather, the adoption of electronic health records has made reporting information about patients into more of a point-and-click affair. Fortunately, the skills you learned as a medical transcriptionist are transferrable to many other careers.
1. Legal Transcription
When many people think of legal transcription, they think of the court stenographers that record what happens during legal proceedings in real time. This is a separate career that requires specific training. Legal transcription involves audio and video transcription Washington DC and elsewhere. Transcriptionists are needed to create written records of witness accounts, depositions, and other information provided orally and recorded in audiovisual form.
2. Medical Writing
While transcription only involves typing out other people’s words, your experience may help you to become a medical writer. The American Medical Writers Association is a professional organization that offers credentialing and other resources to those looking to make a career of writing about medicine for the benefit of physicians or patients. Your medical transcription work may count for the required experience in medical communication required to pursue a Medical Writer Certified credential, which could help create more opportunities for you along this career path.
3. Coding
As long as doctors receive payment for services, medical coders will always be in demand. Coding involves assigning numerical identification codes to services performed during medical appointments. These codes inform the billing department how much to charge for services and are also necessary for insurance reimbursement.
Organizations looking for coders like to hire people with medical transcription experience because they know that transcriptionists already possess the necessary knowledge of and proficiency with medical language. However, you cannot make an immediate jump from transcription to coding. Though you know the terminology, you do not yet know the codes. Therefore, some additional training is required.
