Speech Understanding for EMR/EHR: Finally, a technology that actually makes your workflow more efficient

Keeping the labor force for businesses within the US borders is a national focus and the medical transcription industry is no exception. In selecting to outsource internationally, hospitals and, private practices risk choosing cost over quality as the demand for transcription and editing services increase.
One of the primary concerns when outsourcing clinical documentation services is the threat to the patients’ Protected Health Information (PHI).  Sending patient information from the US, where security and confidentiality are considered to be a part of “best practices” and everyday life, to a country where international law and practices’ are less stringent should be a concern for those who are considering outsourcing.

Also, the quality of the completed transcriptions is often below industry standards. Many overseas transcriptionists lack the fundamental skills necessary to ensure accurate transcriptions, as well as the occupation-specific medical terminology. A large number of offshore transcriptionists have language barriers, and don’t understand some of the expressions and slang that physicians frequently use in their notes. This results in a less qualified staff, and less quality reports than you can find in the United States.

If you’re not sure if your current medical transcription provider outsources their work overseas, here are some clues that might tip you off. These are also risks that need to be considered when choosing cost over quality. In the long term, the benefit of cost reduction may not actually be achieved when considering the risks below.

1. Misspelled words and multiple blanks in transcriptions
2. If the company has difficulty verifying pricing and/or hidden costs
3. Consistently missed or delayed turnaround times
4. Lack of automated technology to make the process more efficient
5. Lack of communication (difficulty contacting client services)

Here at Fast Chart, we are committed to only hiring domestically located Medical Transcriptionists that meet our rigorous standards and training. This is why Fast Chart has an accuracy rate > than 98.5%.

Fast Chart prides itself on providing innovative, accurate and affordable clinical documentation solutions to meet each client’s unique needs. Feel free to contact us or call our office toll free at 1-800-334-6606 with any questions.