(919) 477-5152When a hospital, clinic, or physician’s office looks for a medical transcriptionist, they have two possible options. The first option is to contact a medical transcription company to handle the work in its entirety. Second would be to hire a freelancer—otherwise known as an independent home-based medical transcriptionist. While there may be some benefits in hiring a freelancer, there are also some downsides. Medical facilities looking for medical transcription services need to be aware of these pros and cons before hiring anyone.
Medical Transcription Companies
Home-based medical transcriptionists and a medical transcription company play crucial roles in the healthcare documentation process, yet they operate within distinct frameworks that offer different advantages and challenges. Here at Fast Chart, we want to ensure you understand the differences between home-based medical transcriptionists versus a medical transcription company so you feel empowered to choose the best fit for your needs.
Freelance Medical Transcription Services
Initially, freelance services may appear very appealing. Hospitals and doctors’ offices can employ a freelancer at a lower rate. These freelance transcription professionals are, oftentimes, not under contract, thus allowing the hospital to terminate the arrangement with them at any time, for any reason. Because they’re freelance employees, the hospital is not required to offer any form of benefit compensation. While this may make sense financially to the employer, it sets up an environment of instability.
When Work With A Freelance Medical Transcription Service?
It is important as an employer to think twice before engaging with a freelancer. Medical transcription services must be, first and foremost, reliable. Do you know the background of your freelancer? Is it a solid home-based business you can count on? Will they be committed to finishing the assignment? Will the distractions in their work environment affect their productivity and/or accuracy? Most freelancers don’t have access to the same level of equipment as a hospital, medical office, or medical transcription company, which can result in less accurate work produced at a much slower rate.
The Benefits Of A Medical Transcription Company
There are numerous benefits to using professional medical transcription companies. They are accustomed to a professional working environment with access to automated transcription equipment. Unlike freelancers, these companies have a number of employees, which increases the possibility of production that the company can provide in comparison to a freelancer. If one transcriptionist is unavailable, another steps up to handle the workload. This ensures that a project is never simply left unattended due to illness or some other emergency. Transcriptionists work a set schedule every day with no distractions or other tasks to do, allowing for total commitment to what’s at hand. Most importantly, transcription work can be double-checked by another professional, ensuring its accuracy.
When Work With A Medical Transcription Company?
In terms of technology, a medical transcription company typically has the resources to invest in advanced software and security measures, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations such as HIPAA. Home-based transcriptionists might need to invest in their own equipment and stay updated on the latest software and security protocols. Additionally, a medical transcription company often has quality control processes in place to ensure accurate and error-free transcriptions. This involves multiple rounds of review and editing by experienced professionals, resulting in higher accuracy and reliability compared to a single home-based transcriptionist.
Choosing a medical transcription company can provide you with consistent, accurate, and reliable transcription services backed by a team of specialized professionals. When you need fast, high-quality transcription services, a medical transcription company, such as Fast Chart, reporting a 98.5% accuracy rate, is the clear choice. To learn more about hiring medical transcription services, visit our Contact Page or call us at 1-800-334-6606.