Innovative language processing software translates to greater accuracy and words of praise for its innovators
 
Electronic health records (EHR) are becoming the rage but some doctors have not been convinced that the current EHR templates are flexible enough to “record the full range of symptoms and ‘observed signs’ that doctors generally rely on for their diagnoses.” Dr. Al Davis goes on to say in HITECHWatch that software designers need to “work out a way for experienced clinicians to be able to commit to the record the sometimes subtle thought processes and observations that lead to their diagnoses, while maintaining enough control and/or discipline over the input to allow the potential of data aggregation to be realized.”

Medical transcription is the answer to this challenge may come from the strategic partnership. BayScribe recently entered into with NLP International to develop applications for its MedLEE™ Natural Language Processing (NLP) software which can turn dictated medical narratives into accurate and easily accessible electronic data.

Steven Bonney, V.P. of Business Development at BayScribe says that “Dictation and Transcription isn’t dying; it’s evolving,” and "We believe that the physician narrative will continue to be the preferred method of documenting patient encounters for some time because it's quick, easy and supports a thorough analysis. It's our obligation to bring this difference-making technology to Healthcare facilities, directly or indirectly, through NLP International's platform-neutral portal.”

Best-in-Class Medical Transcription Services Providers:

• Accurately transcribes patient information like name, medical record and social security number
• Consults references for clarification of medical procedures and terminology
• Performs quality assurance checks

Top Considerations Before Selecting Medical Transcription Services Provider:

Providers who employ professional transcribers should have an independent editor perform quality assurance on the final product. With electronic systems, top considerations include the use of an inclusive reference dictionary that contains both acronyms and synonyms. Don’t be put off by fears that electronic medical transcription service training will tie up your employees for a long time. "Speech recognition" and "dictation" systems are not the same thing. While the former requires a long training period, the commercial speaker-dependent dictation systems have only a short training period, often referred to as the “enrollment.”

Key Providers:

1. BayScribe reports that it has “the world's first and only High Availability Dictation & Reporting Solution.” Bayscribe's innovative use of Natural Language Processing (NLP) enables medical providers to continue to dictate their clinical narratives without having to spend money on a new system, login to a separate system, type in a text box or use a telephone. Services offered include: BayScribe License which provides dictation, transcription and document delivery in one web-based application, and has upgrades, service and support; BayScribe Mobile for handheld dictation; and BayScribe Performance for information and architectural overview. Deploying BayScribe on the BayScribe Virtual Appliance on VMware's ESX Server maximizes redundancy, scalability and disaster recovery. This service is available as a monthly license. Headquarters are in Edgewater, Maryland.

2. Promantra Synergy Solutions’ GeroProTM is a complete Healthcare Information suite that manages: Administration of Patient Billing, Accounts Receivables, Account Payables, Patient Demographics and Face sheets, Resident Trust Funds & MDS, Care Plan, General Ledger, Resident Charting, Payroll, and Pharmacy. GeroProTM’s website acts as an Online Documentation reference and Helpdesk. Promantra’s custom software solution Proscribe, which can be integrated with the client's existing system, tracks jobs from when they are received until they are delivered back to the customer. This business processing outsourcing (BPO) company has years of experience with using the guidelines of the American Association of Medical Transcription (AAMT) in its medical transcriptions services. Promantra is headquartered in Piscataway, NJ and has regional offices in Idaho and California.

3. Medical Transcription Service, Inc.'s web-based solution WebChartMD enables dictation either directly into Olympus and Philips digital recorders or toll-free over the telephone. These audio files are encrypted, uploaded and routed directly to the care provider's medical technicians and then the files and summary demographics for each document are posted on secure on-line accounts. Providers can access their accounts to edit, print, search, sort, e-sign, e-fax, mark dictations as STAT and archive or reject files. The company reports that with its services there are “no servers to buy or networks to configure, and Medical Transcription Services has no training costs, start-up fees, maintenance contracts, or software licensing fees.”

4. Beep Tech offers medical transcription services for healthcare service providers, including inbound and outbound customer contact and medical billing services. Beep Tech's global network of transcription resources, which are managed by an advanced internet based workflow monitoring system, can quickly and accurately accommodate lengthy lines of transcription. This full service Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) service provider reports that its "technology driven services deliver BPO, outsourcing and call center facilities to more than 170 customers in 18 countries." This BPO was started in Faisalabad, Pakistan in 2008.

Medical Transcription Services
Definition: Medical transcription (MT) is a health profession that deals with the process of converting voice-recorded data to another format.