Is Medical Transcription Outsourcing Always a Good Idea?

There are a lot of transcriptionist work companies here in the United States who are making the decision to start outsourcing their services. What is transcription outsourcing? Basically, it is the act of allowing others from different countries to work for the company at lower rates. This results in lower costs to keep the business going.

Here in the United States, the average starting pay for most transcriptionist’s who are working under a company is around .06 to .08 cents per line. In other countries, transcriptionist workers are willing to accept less pay because they’re currency is drastically different and a lot lower than it is around here, thus, making it a lot easier on transcription companies here in the United States. Another benefit is that more reports are typed, earning the companies more money.

However, there are several concerns with transcription outsourcing to other countries. Among the first and most crucial concern is the lack of quality. Most countries that the United States transcription companies outsources to do not speak fluent English. Some do not speak or understand the English language at all. Obviously, some sort of training needs to be taken if the medical reports are going to be transcribed.

While most of the reports submitted are somewhat understandable, editing still has to take place. All in all, it’s kind of a waste of time. Yes, money is saved, but it takes longer because there are tons of corrections to be made. What’s more is that most of the medical transcriptionist work companies who allow the reports to come in overseas and in other countries do not even have experience or training. So, it’s really a toss up. For one, it’s cheaper, but for two, it’s a can be a real hassle.

Another very important concern is HIPPA. This is something that is extremely crucial in the United States. You are not to talk about the patient’s medical history to anyone whatsoever, even if you know them. That is against the law and is taken very seriously. In most other countries, the HIPPA law does not even exist, which is a very big problem. When companies here in the United States take to medical transcription outsourcing, they are undoubtedly dealing with a lot of risks.

If the decision is made to outsource transcriptionist work, it is a much better idea to hire English speakers. One particular place where transcription is growing in popularity is the Philippines because of their knowledge of the English language. If you perform research on transcription outsourcing, you will find that to be very true.

In the end, it depends on what the company’s needs are. And it obviously all comes down to personal preference. It can help to weigh the pros and cons before making the decision to get involved in transcription outsourcing. Determining the total costs for the outsourcing itself and the editing of transcriptionist work that may be required, along with the length of time and experience of the employee is the best way to discover if outsourcing is the best idea.