Just like the generally aging US workforce most of the medical transcription professionals also consists of significantly old people. At the outset it might look that medical transcription is a sedentary type of work without much physical strain but the fact remains that it is very much a physical work. This is because MTs have to read and type continuously through out the hours of transcription work many hours a day. Moreover, the transcription process is repeated over and over again as a result of which the workers are prone to diseases such as, repetitive stress syndrome, problems with vision and , and other problems that come due to continuously sitting and typing over long periods of time.
Most of the transcriptionists were women in the US but today outsourcing has resulted in mushrooming of transcription professionals’ world wide especially from India where the male population of professionals exceeds the female. Thus the industry is no more dominated by women.
The elderly work force basically is not open to new technology and may find it difficult to adapt to it. They are usually asked to do editing work which could be less attractive because in the US editors are paid lesser than the transcription worker. Moreover wages are directly linked to production with payments made for transcription work done on a per line basis.
Another major challenge faced by the MTs is that they have to often work for multiple doctors from multiple locations and as a result it affects their productivity. It is preferred that the same doctor’s files be sent to the same transcriptionist who over time can get used the individual style and dictation of the doctor. This can minimize the errors and will result in faster work completion. An MT just cannot expect to make errors or mistakes as the expected accuracy level of the finished document exceeds 99%.
Unlike in other jobs, a working MT can never take up another job on a part time basis because this work of transcribing health records is in itself quite demanding mentally and physically. However today home based transcription lets a professional to sit in the comfort of his house and work without the hassle of traveling to and from house to work everyday.
