Doctors keep a record of their patients' treatment with all its details, both big and small, including their visits to doctors' offices. This record is maintained for referral purposes. It comes in handy for future treatment. In the present-day scenario it is especially necessary for doctors to keep the record of treatment so that they can defend themselves against allegations of negligence. The profession has become more and more essential with the introduction of health insurance.
Medical transcription is as old as the medical profession. Over the years the profession has attired many an avatar. Hundreds of years ago when medical treatment began doctors used to keep the patients' records themselves as there were no medical transcriptionists. First recordings were found on wooden and metal tablets, on the walls of caves and temples, in the form of hieroglyphs and parchments and finally on paper.
In early 1900s doctors used to take the services of stenographers. The records thus created used to be stored in filing cabinets in doctors' offices. Probably those records were not precise.
Typewriters were first used to write medical transcriptions in middle 1900s making medical records clearer and precise. Then typewriters yielded place to electronic typewriters, word processors and today's computers.
Technological advancement has brought recognition to medical transcription. With the innovation of internet in 1992, certified medical transcriptionist became a reality. Now full-fledged training is available for transcriptionist aspirants. With the salary ranging from $ 9-00 to $ 17-00 an hour, the profession is attracting many round the world. Speech recognition software, which has been introduced recently, cannot replace the medical transcriptionist.
