SOURCE: VIVA Transcription

June 04, 2008 16:21 ET

VIVA Transcription Offers Dictation Tips to Doctors

Medical Transcription Pointers That Will Reduce Errors and Increase Productivity

SANTA CRUZ, CA--(Marketwire - June 4, 2008) - VIVA Transcription, a leading provider in medical transcription services, has assembled a short list of useful tips for physicians new to dictating. "Proper dictations are tremendously important in the relationship between a doctor and his or her transcription service," stated Manuel Prado, CEO of VIVA Transcription. "Accurate and error-free dictations not only save clients money, but also increase medical transcription turnaround time and help to reduce errors," he added.

With its five years of providing accurate and timely medical transcriptions, VIVA Transcription has compiled its most often used tips for doctors when dictating information that will later be transcribed:

--  Always allow a one-to-two second pause before speaking into the phone
    system or digital recorder, and allow a one-to-two second pause before
    ending the dictation. This will help to ensure no information is cut off.
--  Feel free to spell out words that may not be commonly used in the
    medical field -- including new pharmaceuticals or treatments.
--  Try not to make extraneous noises while dictating. Many medical
    professionals will perform dictations while multitasking and it is
    important that the dictation be as clear as possible. Simply use the pause
    feature if you would like to take a sip of water or sort out documents.
--  Remember to say "end of dictation." This helps indicate to the
    transcriptionist that the recording is complete.
--  Clearly spell out and pronounce the patient's name, date of dictation,
    and file number. As the United States and Canada continue to become
    increasingly diverse, names can be difficult to decipher.
--  State any specific instructions for the transcriptionist regarding
    your files. For example, "please bold/italicize/underline specific words"
    or extra requests outside of your template standards. Feel free to state
    these at the beginning of your dictation by saying, "note to
    transcriptionist."
--  If you feel you have made an error, you do not need to start over. Use
    phrases like "scratch that" or "go back to."
--  Be sure to provide all feedback to your account manager or customer
    service representative. This will help to improve the quality of your
    transcription service.
--  Remember that you are only charged by lines of transcription, not
    length of dictation. There is no additional fee for any instructions you
    might have that will help the transcriptionist.
    

"While it is rare that a physician will actually ever meet his or her transcriptionist, remote relationships often occur," Prado noted. "With that said VIVA recommends that a doctor open his or her dictation with a short salutation to the transcriptionist. A small gesture like this is truly welcomed by medical transcription professionals."

About VIVA Transcription

Based in Santa Cruz, Calif., VIVA Transcription is one of the leading providers of medical transcription services. With VIVA, medical professionals are guaranteed to receive accurate transcriptions, delivered on-time, secured by GeoTrust and always in compliance with HIPAA standards. VIVA requires no upfront fees, no long-term contracts, nor complicated software installation. Founded in 2003, VIVA is committed to providing exceptional service to clinics and hospitals across the United States and Canada while donating a portion of proceeds to charity. For more information, please dial toll-free (877) 848-2462 or visit www.vivatranscription.com.