Medical transcription from home involves listening to dictated recordings provided by healthcare suppliers and physicians. A transcriptionist will then transcribe the audio into correspondence, medical reports, or another type of administrative material. Transcriptionists generally listen to recordings using a headset and foot pedal so the audios can be paused when necessary and keyed into a word processor or personal computer.

Training and Education

Employers generally prefer to hire a transcriptionist who has a solid background in the medical field through distance learning programs, community colleges, or vocational skills. It is highly recommended to complete a 1-year certification program or 2-year associate’s degree before attempting to apply for this type of job.

Basic skills needed for medical transcription from home include good punctuation and English grammar, healthcare documentation, medical terminology and anatomy coursework. A transcriptionist who is already familiar with medical terms may want to take a refresher course before applying for the job. Although formal education is not required for this line of work, an applicant with no credentials is far less likely to be employed than someone who has a history in the medical industry.

Employment Rates

In 2008, medical transcriptionists held around 105,200 jobs. 23% worked in physician offices, while 36% had jobs at hospitals. The remaining percentage worked in a variety of places, including audiologist offices, speech therapists, physical offices, outpatient care centers, and diagnostic/medical laboratories.

Employment in this field is expected to rise by 11 percent over the next decade, which follows the trend of other major occupations. Despite the faltering economy, transcription services will continue to increase due to an aging and growing population. Older generations will require larger numbers of procedures, treatments, and tests that all need documentation. Health care centers will also receive more customers with a growing population, increasing the number of transcripts for processing.

Salary

In May 2008, the average salary for a transcriptionist was $15.41 per hour. The lowest 10% earn $10.76 and the highest 10% earn $21.81 hourly. Diagnostic and medical laboratories generally provide the highest salary, while medical support services tend to have a lower salary.

There are various compensation arrangements for medical transcriptionists. Many are paid on the number of hours they work or amount of papers they prescribe. Others may receive a base pay for every hour with additional incentives for higher production levels. A production-based pay is usually given to employees of independent contractors and transcription services.

Career Prospects

Medical transcriptionists have excellent career prospects, especially if they have adequate certification. Hospitals are employing larger numbers of transcribers, but job growth will also be available in other industries. Someone who practices medical transcription from home may eventually choose to start their own business or study to further their career in the medical field.