A crucial part of the quality audit team, a transcription proofreader is needed to work at different levels for ensuring that the final transcripts being delivered to clients achieve the maximum possible accuracy. Indirectly involved with managing precious human health, medical transcription, needless to say, has to be completely reliable and precise. Proofreading plays a vital part in accomplishing the expected accuracy level in transcripts.
Role of the Proofreader in Medical Transcription
Medical transcription proofreading process involves not only checking the transcripts but also listening to the same audio dictation files and finding errors, if any, in the transcripts. Correcting the errors is also the responsibility of the proofreader. Moreover, the proofreader is expected to format the document according to client specification.
The medical transcription proofreader is responsible for the following activities:
Check for any words or phrases being missed out by the transcriptionists
Finding and correcting grammatical errors
Formatting documents as per client needs
Finding and correcting misspelled words
Carrying out final check on quality before delivering the document
Similar to all skills, it is through practice that proofreading skill may also be improved. The following strategies may be considered for achieving the best results from proofreading:
Whenever you encounter new words, look up the words in the reference book – building a library of effective reference books and sites is good for honing proofreading skill
Briefly proofreading what is being transcripted – as it appears on the word processor screen helps catch missing words easily
Proofreading reports printed on paper is easier than doing so on the screen
Using both an English and a medical spellchecker application as the final step is effective in catching certain types of errors
Tips for Achieving Excellent Proofreading
Assure that dictated words are not being overlooked by adjusting the transcriber unit’s speed control and performing the transcription process slowly
Go ahead with the process of transcription only when you understand what you hear – transcribing only what makes contextual sense is the right policy
Careful proofreading helps detect and correct words that have been wrongly spelled
Keeping punctuation references handy helps avoid punctuation errors that might change the entire meaning of a sentence
Medical transcription proofreaders’ job is a highly-responsible one. It has to be borne in mind that quality of medical care provided to patients depends on the quality of medical transcripts.
With over a decade of experience in medical transcription service, Numinatrans offers unrivalled medical transcription solutions to clinics, physicians, and health care organizations in the U.S.A.
Quality transcripts and customized TAT are our specialties. We assure accuracy of the highest level and HIPAA compliance. You may visit our website www.numinatrans.com for more details.