Medical transcription is a daunting task. The profession entails intensive knowledge on medicine, surgery, and health sciences, as well as mastery of grammar and language. Collectively, the job is a blend of science and linguistics.

Aside from the technical requirements in the profession, a medical transcriptionist must also possess good listening abilities and speedy typing skills. A sharp memory is also essential in carrying out a transcription job. In addition, one must be updated in the current trends of medicine and health sciences. This enables a medical transcriptionist to be more familiar in complex terms and concepts in anatomy and surgery.

The job of a medical transcriptionist begins when a doctor sends a record of diagnosis and prescription after a patients check-up. This is directed to the transcription service office through a central server connecting the computer network of hospital offices. The medical transcriptionist acquires the audio file and saves it to a personal computer unit.

The primary duty of a medical transcriptionist is to convert this audio report into a digital text format. The medical transcriptionist listens to this file through a transcriber. A transcriber is a large recording machine with foot controls for audio playback. Technically, the medical transcriptionist uses the feet for audio playback on the transcriber; one uses the hands for encoding in computer word processors. Medical transcriptionists utilize this technique in making electronic medical records.

The transcribed document, known as a report, is stored in a database server which is accessible in selected computer networks. When a patient comes back for a follow-up check-up, the doctor acquires all electronic medical records. When technical glitches occur in the database server, the doctor requests the report from the medical transcriptionist. The medical transcriptionist sends it to the doctor through a private electronic mailing system or a personal delivery.

When a doctor uses a Continuous Speech Recognition (CSR) device, the medical transcriptionist simply reviews the word document and notes inconsistencies in the medical report. A transcriptionist is not allowed to alter contents in electronic medical records. Mistakes and inconsistencies in reports are marked as flagged. Documents with flagged remarks are given back to a doctor for assessment and correction. The quality of a medical transcriptionists job can be measured based on the accuracy of the reports in a hospitals archive of medical history, which is noted by doctors and medical professionals.