Medical transcription is an important task that relies on meticulous accuracy to communicate the right information, which can be a hard skill to work on when dealing with shorthand for complicated medical jargon, health conditions, and billing information. Timeliness is also a priority because transcripts are typically needed with urgency, requiring a quick turnaround time.
Developing your typing proficiency can often be as simple as practicing until you get to the right speed and ability, but there are a few additional methods you may not know about. Read on for some useful tips that can help you improve your transcription skills.
1. Listen Carefully During and After Medical Office Admin Training
Just as a doctor’s handwriting can be hard to read, it can also be difficult to be sure of what they’re saying or describing. Although it may seem unnecessary, it’s important to listen to the entire audio file first during medical office admin training to get the right context you need for the information you’re recording, as well as spot areas where you might encounter transcribing problems. Medical jargon and shorthand, for instance, are not always consistent among every doctor or staff, and need to have context to be understood.
Similarly, instead of typing as you go and listening to a few words at a time, try to listen to the whole sentence first. Transcribing a sentence word by word limits your context to expecting words that might come next, which can lead to error or misunderstanding. It also makes you work at a slower pace, and frequently pause and rewind the audio.
2. Touch-Typing and Keyboard Memorization
When you first start transcribing during your medical office administration course, it can be intimidating to see other people typing at supersonic speeds, especially if you don’t feel confident with your own keyboarding. It takes practice and patience to improve your typing skills.
Touch-typing can speed up your keystroke rate
Memorizing a keyboard may seem hard, but there are a few tricks you can use, no matter the language or layout. Using a method known as touch-typing, first set your fingers on the far edges of the centre row of your keyboard, which in English are the ‘ASDF’ and ‘JKL;’ keys. Try to use these as your starting point and a central reference for the layout of the other keys. It’s important to remember not to look at the keys as you type, but instead watch your screen, because this will help you solidify the keyboard’s layout in your muscle memory.
3. Create an Ergonomic Workspace
While there are certain skills you can practice and use to improve your listening or typing, there are other factors you may not have considered which influence how you work. Your desk space, for example, should be ergonomic, meaning it is tailored towards your comfort and efficiency.
Small details you may not consider can have a significant effect on how you work. An uncomfortable chair, for instance, can be an irritating distraction, just as a noisy environment can affect your work pace and take attention away from your work.
An ergonomic workspace emphasizes attention and comfort
Creating an ergonomic workspace can be as easy as making sure you’re sitting comfortably, with a chair that offers firm back support. If using a laptop, try to also include a separate keyboard, which is raised slightly higher to better support your wrists. Whenever you sit down to start typing, make sure you have a quiet space or appropriate headphones, as well as an comfortable chair to sit in that helps maintain your posture.
Do you want to find out more skills you can learn in medical office administration school?
Contact Medix College today for more information.
