What is medical transcription? Translating from oral to written form the record of a person’s encounter with a healthcare professional Patient sees doctor Doctor dictates report Dictation goes to transcriptionist Transcriptionist creates report Report returned to doctor Doctor reviews and signs off Report goes into patient's recordHandwriting notes was the beginning of patient recording--although still used today, it is not as popular Dictation (preferred choice by 80% of doctors) using sound files, tapes, phone system Structured data entry (keyboard, touch screen, mouse) EMR system — reports created by physician ¥The physician dictates the medical information into a recording device. The medical transcriptionist listens to the dictation and transcribes it onto a computerized file which is then sent to the healthcare provider. Dictation remains the most intuitive and least time-consuming means of data entry. Physicians can dictate anytime, anywhere using a PDA, digital dictation machine or telephone at their convenience. Provides expressive power to describe patient's condition and other health-related events. Dictating patient records provides for more efficient use of doctor's time.