Fancy getting paid to type? Do you have a medical background to complement your typing skills? A medical transcription job from home may be right for you.
With the gig economy forecast to continue growing, offering an online medical transcription service could be a great way to generate income and work from home.
So what are the work-from-home medical transcription jobs? What can you do to secure one? And how much can you make from transcribing medical data? We cover all of this and lots more in our detailed guide below.
What Are Work-from-Home Medical Transcription Jobs?
Medical transcriptionists listen to audio files of doctors’ appointments and other healthcare professionals, then type what they’ve heard into a computer. A work-from-home medical transcriptionist job involves doing something similar but working online rather than in an actual office.
With these recordings, they prepare several reports for the patient’s medical records, ensure they are grammatically correct, and ensure the proper use of medical terminology, procedures, and treatments.
So to become a medical transcriptionist (remote or on-site), you need to:
- Have a medical background or general knowledge.
- An understanding of the human body (anatomy)
- Know medical terminologies
You must also have good listening skills and an eye for detail since a lot of the work entails identifying specific sounds in the audio and typing them accurately.
Best Medical Transcription Jobs From Home
1. Medical Scribe
A Medical Scribe acts as the physician’s personal assistant, documenting in the EHR, compiling patient information, and working closely with the physician to deliver efficient patient care.
Medical scribes have traditionally worked in exam rooms next to physicians, taking live notes during each visit. The work-from-home trend has, however, resulted in a massive shift towards virtual medical scribes and other alternative documentation solutions.
2. General Medical Transcription
You only need a high school diploma or GED to land a general medical transcription role. This entry-level job entails listening to recordings between doctors and their patients and then typing what you hear into the computer.
As the name would suggest, this is a general type of work and not specific to one particular area in medicine, such as cardiology or pediatrics. So you just need a medical transcription certification to transcribe this kind of audio.
3. Surgery Room Transcription
A surgery room transcription role involves listening and transcribing the recorded voices of surgeons and other medical staff during operations. As a result, remote surgery room transcription requires strong listening skills, a keen eye for detail, and the ability to keep up with fast-paced conversations.
4. EMS Transcriptions
Paramedics and 911 operators who are retired or practicing are best suited to serve in this capacity. Among the radio communications, you’ll hear are those between an emergency room and EMS staff, as well as emergency relief agencies like fire departments and police.
5. Medico-legal Transcription
Also called forensic transcription, this specialized field involves listening to audio files and other sources where legal and medical data are collected and used as evidence in criminal and civil cases.
6. Medical Transcription Editor
As you grow your medical transcription job from home career, you can opt to become an editor instead of a plain transcriber. Your responsibilities include checking transcribed reports for accuracy and ensuring they meet the standards set by the company or organization hiring you.
How Much Can a Medical Transcriptionist Make from Home?
According to ZipRecruiter, work-from-home medical transcriptionists can earn a salary of $23.55 per hour, which translates to an annual salary of $48,982.
Work-from-home medical transcriptionists are paid per line transcribed, which means the more lines you transcribe per minute, the higher your pay will be.
Another factor that can affect your pay is your location. For instance, payment for medical transcription services varies between states and countries.
Is Medical Transcription Still in Demand in 2022?
The short answer is yes. Medical transcriptionists will continue to be in demand for the foreseeable future.
As the healthcare industry expands, medical transcription jobs are expected to become more available. Medical transcription jobs are also in demand due to an aging population that undergoes more frequent healthcare consultations and treatments, which are frequently disclosed to third parties.
And even with the rise of speech-to-text software, medical transcriptionists still need to proofread and edit transcripts generated by machines and other complexities that require a human touch.
Do You Really Need a Medical Transcription Certification?
Yes, because certified transcriptionists with formal training in medical transcription have increased employment eligibility.
The two types of medical transcription certification available are RMT (Registered Medical Transcriptionist) and CMT Certified medical transcriptionist (retested every three years).
Where to Find Medical Transcription Jobs From Home
As a Medical transcriptionist, you can be an independent contractor and work part-time or full-time for companies offering remote work. You can find jobs on freelance marketplaces and popular job boards like:
- Upwork
- Fiverr
- Freelancer
- Indeed
- Flex jobs
- Glassdoor
- Ziprecruiter
- Toptal
- Simply Hired, etc
You can also find medical transcribing gigs from companies including:
- Terra Nova: You only need a minimum of one year of experience or completion of a certified training program to work for them.
- Fast Check: Fast Chart provides hospitals, clinics, and physicians with outsourced clinical documentation and editing services. To qualify as a medical transcriber, you’ll need to demonstrate a high level of medical knowledge.
- Absolute Transcription: Work-at-home medical transcriptionists can be hired either full-time or part-time. Pay periods are the 1st and 15th of every month, and you must own a foot pedal.
- SoftScript: Hospitals use SoftScript for medical transcription, speech recognition, and provider documentation. They also employ remote scribe assistants to help with billing and charting so doctors can accommodate more patients and appointments.
- Ubiqus: Ubiqus is always looking for remote general transcriptionists or medical transcriptionists.
What Tools Do I Need to Work as a Medical Transcriptionist From Home?
To work as a medical transcriptionist from home, you need a:
- Computer
- Webcam
- Headset
- Word processing software such as Microsoft Word, Google Docs, etc.
- A stable internet connection
- Transcription Software
- A medical dictionary
- A foot pedal for controlling playback with your feet
Conclusion
Whether you need it as a second source of income or your main one, a medical transcription job from home offers you the flexibility to choose when you work and where you do it. And as a bonus, some companies like Fast Chart and Terra Nova hire beginners if you feel this is the right career for you. So undergo that training and get certified today.