How Things Have Changed!

When we started our first medical transcription business in 1980, Transcription Specialists, our tools consisted of IBM Selectric typewriters, Dictaphone transcribers and lots of carbon paper. That was as high tech as it got. The carbon paper was used to make copies for us to use to figure out the “line count” when it came time to bill the clients and pay the typists. Twice a month out came a big box of yellow carbons and then begin the job of “figuring” the line count. It was rather haphazard to say the least.

Every day we made the rounds of hospitals and medical offices picking up their tapes and bringing them to our office. Our typists would come to our office every morning to pick up their daily supply of tapes. Later that evening they would return with their typed documents.

By 1986, while operating Medical Dictation Service, we were using a couple Lanier dedicated word processors. They were about the size of small refrigerators. But they did a very good job. We were rather “modern.” Of course there was no “networking” of computers or any Internet searches. In fact, there was no Internet.

At about this time we added a Xerox copy machine and did away with our carbon paper. Now the Lanier word processors were big, but these copy machines were about the size of a compact Mercedes. And talk about expensive leases; they made carbon paper a very fond memory indeed. But, we were truly high tech now! However, we were still figuring line count using the copies we made of the typed document. And we were still making the rounds every day to pick up tapes and deliver typed documents.

By 1994, when we founded Digital Transcription Inc, we were ready to take a true step into high tech technology. No more copy machines, Dictaphones or even Lanier word processors.

True word processing on the desk-top computer was a reality and digital files were here to stay. From this point on, we would no longer pick up tapes and deliver typed documents. We installed a digital dictation call-in system in our office. To use our medical transcription service, one had to dictate using a telephone instead of into a dictation machine. When the dictation was complete, we had the files in hand immediately. Instead of waiting for typists to come to our office to pick up tapes, we put the dictated digital files in the typist’s individual mail box on our FTP computer for immediate downloading. When the work was done the typists uploaded the Word document right back to that FTP computer. We in turn moved the completed files to the client’s mail box on the FTP computer for electronic downloading to the doctor’s office where they printed out the final product.

And since the transcription was in a digital file, a new and utterly accurate method of counting the typed document became available, line counting software.

One of the advantages this system gave us was our ability to hire typists all over the US instead of being limited to a short drive time to our office. In addition, it also allowed us to service clients all over the US as well. The client no longer had to be within a reasonable drive time to our office.

So our favorite tools now are 1) the desk top computer with powerful word processing software–MS Word. 2) The digital dictation system, 2) our FTP server and 3) our line count software

So tell me, what tools have you found to be your favorites in the field of medical transcription?