Tips for Choosing a Medical Transcription Company

If you do a quick internet search, you will notice that there are a lot of medical transcription and data entry services available. The costs of these services run the gamut, some costing far more than others.

Why is there so much disparity in costs for medical transcription services? How do you choose the medical transcription company that’s right for your medical practice?

You Get What You Pay For

Sure, the lower costs medical transcription services might seem like a good bet. They’re cheaper, which, of course, saves you money. Are you really getting a deal though? The answer is probably not.

With lower cost medical transcription services, you likely aren’t getting as many benefits as with the higher costs services. Furthermore, there may be hidden costs. You may not discover these hidden costs until you’re already locked in to a contract. That’s a losing situation for your medical practice, especially since it ultimately raises your overhead costs.

So what should you look for when you’re trying to decide which medical transcription service is a good fit for your practice? Here are some recommendations.

Integrity

Medical transcription and data entry isn’t your ordinary data. Transcriptionists, scribes, and those who enter your data have access to your patients’ private medical information. You need a company you can trust.

Longevity

When considering how to determine the integrity of a company, there are a few things that you should consider. Find out how long the companies that you reviewing have been in business. The more establish medical transcription companies are likely a more trusted by the public.

Online Reviews & Client References

Also, check online reviews for the companies. All companies are going to have some negative reviews. However, if a company has far more negative reviews than positive reviews, then you should move on to the next option.

Additionally, you should ask the companies that you’re considering for client references. It’s always a good idea to hear how well the services work for actual customers, especially customers in your particular medical field.

Better Businesss Bureau & HIPAA Compliance

Make sure that the company is a member of the Better Business Bureau. This should be clearly displayed on the company’s website.

Be sure to also ask the company about HIPAA compliance and what their specific privacy policies are. Lastly, it is wise to work with a company whose headquarters is based in the United States (or in your practice’s country). That way, in the event that something goes wrong, the company can be held legally accountable.

Accuracy

Is the medical transcription service that you’re considering guarantee a high level of accuracy? It’s important to make sure that the company isn’t just using voice recognition software for the transcriptions. This is especially true if you’re considering working with a lower cost service provider.

Often companies that use voice recognition software have minimal to zero proof reading. This means that you are going to spend hours proof reading and editing the transcriptions yourself. Rather defeats the purpose of hiring a medical transcription service provider, doesn’t it?

In order to receive the most accurate transcriptions, you should hire a company that employs people instead of voice recognition software. A company that employs specifically trained and experienced professional transcriptionists and scribes are guaranteed to provide better, more accurate transcriptions.

Customer Service

Whenever you hire a business to work with, you want the best possible customer service. You should expect quality customer service from any reputable company, including a medical transcription company.

Particularly in the medical field, you know that a lot can happen in the course of a single day. You need to be confident that the medical transcription company that you work with will be able to handle the unexpected with professionalism, respectfulness, courtesy, and expediency.

Here are some things to consider when you evaluate a company’s level of customer service.

• Will there be a customer service representative available if you need assistance?
• Can the medical transcription company provide quick turnaround if you need a report?
• Can the medical transcription company provide onsite service if needed? (Can someone physically come in to your office to provide customer support?)
• How does the medical transcription company handle the initial set up of the service?
• Does the medical transcription company provide custom solutions based on the needs of your practice, including customized reports?

Technology

DataMatrix Medical has developed the technology to handle a large variety of issues that businesses face today. However, not all companies keep their technologies consistently up-to-date. There is no reason for you to select a company that isn’t cutting edge.

Sure, you could go with the lower cost option, but what are you sacrificing?

You need a medical transcription service and medical data entry provider who has the technology to accommodate the evolving needs of your medical practice.

You need to be assured that your medical transcription service will enter your transcriptions and data into your EHR system correctly and accurately every time.

You need to know that that the medical transcription service that you choose, has the technology to interface with your existing systems.

Furthermore, your medical transcription service provider should have the knowledge to recommend system updates that will benefit your medical practice.

You need to know that your medical transcription service provider has the capability to create and customize applications to accommodate the needs of your medical practice.

Furthermore, you need to know that your medical transcription service provides technology that is always HIPAA compliant.

Final Thoughts

These are just some of the things that you should consider when you are evaluating medical transcription and data entry companies. You should always work with a medical transcription service provider who can and will provide your medical practice with the most benefits and best service.

This is not an exhaustive list by any means. However, it is a great guide.

These four basic elements, integrity, accuracy, customer service, and technology, are probably the most important aspects of a medical transcription company to consider.

Are you already working with a medical transcription service and data entry provider? How does the company you are working with measure up to our recommendations?

If you aren’t satisfied with the level of service that you’re currently receiving, it might be time to find a new data entry and medical transcription provider.