Transcription is the process of converting verbal records into written text format. The person who does transcription is known as a transcriptionist. Transcription is widely used by health care facilities and law firms in order to maintain the record and to document the business. A transcriptionist has to listen to the recorded audio file using a head phone to properly convert it into a document. The equipments that a transcriptionist should have are a computer system with word processing unit, internet connection, headphone and a foot pedal to control the audio file.
Transcription equipment has changed dramatically over the last few years. Earlier cassette tape was used to record the verbal dictation. Even though it is a very economical and efficient way to record the dictation, it has its own disadvantages such as; the cassette tape is bulky and has to be manually carried to the transcriptionist’s office in order to do the transcription. Also, making any changes in the existing record is very difficult; one has to record the changes over the previously recorded message. A regular cassette does not flip automatically and needs the person to manually flip especially while recording the long lectures.
When micro cassettes came in to the market, the regular cassette has become out dated. Micro cassette is almost half of the size of the regular cassette and is cost effective. The compact size of the micro cassettes makes them ideal to use in the meetings, conferences and so on. Micro cassettes provide various features such as voice activation, indexing, and auto reverse and additional plug-ins. While voice activation helps the recorder to start automatically, indexing helps the user to manually mark a spot on the tape. Indexing is very useful for the transcriptionists to find the particular message.
The latest technology in the transcription is the digital voice recording equipment. It is a compact device, which can be hand held and can be carried everywhere. Digital transcription equipment is an efficient way to record dictation. Digital transcription equipment is ideal for long hours of continuous recording as it provides 20 or more hours of recording. Hence, they are popular among doctors, business people and students. However, the more recording time it offers, the lesser the quality of the recorded message. Digital transcription device stores the recorded information in folders. Each folder can hold up to 99 messages. Some of the devices even provide schedule folders which allow the user to store the information date wise. Storage of messages in the folders helps in easy retrieval of the information. The recorded dictation is usually transferred from the smart card to a computer. The downloaded dictation is usually a small file that can be emailed to the transcriptionist in the encrypted format. Transcriptionist can read the file by entering the key or password. Transferring the confidential files from the digital transcription equipment is always safe as unauthorized people cannot access it. Digital transcription equipments are available with various features, prices and styles and from various manufactures. One can choose the device based on the requirements.
Software is another tool that is required to do an efficient and convenient transcription. There are various well programmed software available to assist in transcription. The software includes the jargons and key terminologies that are widely used in the specific field. This helps to save time in transcription by reducing the typing effort. Digital transcription equipment in combination with speech recognition software provides the best transcription. Speech recognition software selects the words based on the probability of occurrence and converts the speech into text file. When using speech to text software along with digital transcription device, the whole process of transcription; from recording the digital voice, transferring the file over the internet and receiving the completed document can be completed in couple of hours.
A complete set of transcription equipment is necessary to provide an efficient and perfect transcription. Spending money on quality equipments is a worthy investment.
Equipment/ Software