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Medical Transcription: Rebranding the Profession
By Kathy Nicholls, CMT, AHDI-F

Enter the medical transcription profession and you will find yourself constantly reinventing yourself, updating your skills, and dealing with change. It’s the nature of the industry. Today, the rapid advancement of technology makes this even more true than it was 10 years ago.

In an effort to rebrand the profession, the National Leadership Board of the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) voted earlier this year to change the name of the profession from medical transcriptionist (MT) to healthcare documentation specialist. In part, the press release from Linda Brady, AHDI CEO, states:

“As our roles in healthcare documentation evolve and the range of services medical transcriptionists are able to offer broaden, a natural next step is to position ourselves for these changing roles. This can take shape in a variety of ways, and as your professional association, we are promoting a new umbrella title—healthcare documentation specialists—to help shift perceptions in the marketplace on the value, skills, and body of knowledge we bring to the table. In essence, we're encouraging a rebranding of the medical transcriptionist title to help shed any erroneous perceptions and to promote our vital role in preserving the integrity of healthcare documentation among hospital administrators, physicians, clinicians, EHR vendors, employers, and consumers.”

What has come to be known as “traditional medical transcription,” where an MT listens to dictation by a healthcare provider and transcribes that documentation, is disappearing. More is being done with speech recognition technology, and as more healthcare providers move to an EHR, there consistently is less documentation being done through dictation and transcription. Smaller transcription services have reported losing clients as they move to an EHR and begin using check boxes and templates to record their documentation. It’s not uncommon to hear experienced MTs now report that they are challenged finding employment in the field because of all of these changes.

Are There Opportunities?
Skilled MTs will find there are various opportunities open to them. Those who have a solid foundation in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology may find that a move to medical coding makes sense. The knowledge required for the two professions is similar, and a good MT can learn the coding systems. In addition, coders tend to earn more pay, another solid reason to make the move. Also,  knowledge of coding and billing processes can lead to opportunities in clinical documentation improvement.

With healthcare facilities rolling out EHRs, there is a need for workers who understand the clinical documentation process. MTs have an understanding of the documentation process as well as the requirements for proper documentation. Whether it’s building templates or training staff on using the electronic record, there are opportunities in this area for a skilled MT. As the process grows, no doubt new roles and positions will emerge that aren’t even on the radar yet.

Some MTs may choose to explore becoming a medical scribe. Scribes record patient visits in real time, often accompanying the physician into the exam room. Scribe companies often use medical students for these roles; however, because they move on in their schooling, it creates an unstable workforce. The challenge for those who have explored becoming a scribe, revolves around compensation. Perhaps a better model for MTs moving into scribing is for them to offer their services directly to the healthcare facility, eliminating the need and cost of a middleman. Physicians who have used MTs as scribes have reported making fewer corrections in documentation and responded positively to the consistency it provides.

A career as a patient advocate is another role worth exploring. During a recent experience with a loved one, I was struck by the need for patients to have someone to speak for them and help them navigate the healthcare system.

A Rose by Any Other Name
Will the new name create a new image? Time will tell. In the end, it’s about capitalizing on MTs’ clinical knowledge and using it to build additional opportunities in the industry. While the AHDI did not choose to include the word “clinical” in its new name for the profession, MTs would be wise to promote their knowledge of clinical documentation. It adds value and highlights the knowledge they bring to the table.

As with the title medical transcriptionist, these professionals will decide how to rebrand themselves to best fit into this new world we are all navigating. Doing it correctly has the potential to lead to great opportunities for those with clinical knowledge and understanding. Smart MTs will begin that rebranding process now by investigating opportunities and adding to their education where necessary to step into these roles.

— Kathy Nicholls, CMT, AHDI-F, is president of Nicholls Consulting Services, which includes MT Tools Online as well as the EHR Training Academy, and is currently working with a colleague to develop a coding program specifically for MTs.