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When you are transcribing reports, some things you may be asking yourself (besides what is this guy saying?) might be:
The answers to these and many more questions can be found in your account instructions.
Once you are a working MT/HDS, the facility for which you will be transcribing will have a set of instructions that all MT/HDSs on that account will be required to follow. This ensures that the medical reports for that specific account are as uniform as possible. Different facilities will have their own preferences, and these preferences will make up their account instructions.
When you have been given a set of account instructions, it is recommended that you save a copy to your computer and, if possible, print it out. Having something next to you that you can quickly access will not only save you time, but it will also help you to remember what is in there. Also, reading the instructions once or twice a week will help to keep them fresh in your mind so you will make fewer protocol failures.
While in the course, you should follow the CanScribe account specifics found in the Medical Report Formatting chapter. Go to the Report Elements section, Page 5, Transcribing Reports Using Account Specifics. Click on the blue text to download and save it to your computer. Be sure to print them if you are able.
What we’re referring to are the good old answer keys! You do your best and submit all your hard work and poof! It comes back looking nothing like what you expected or hoped for.
Here’s the scoop:
As you progress in the course, you will be prompted to assess multiple reports that you have completed. This is helpful in developing proofreading skills, research skills, and it also enhances your ability for spotting errors and recognizing and preventing further potential errors. The eye for detail that you develop will help you in the rest of your medical transcription/healthcare documentation career.
You will be given account specifics or instructions before you start transcribing your dictations. You diligently follow them perfectly and you click submit. YIKES! There is green everywhere. All that time and effort…what happened?
What happened is an acceptable variation. This means that there are many different ways to express the same thing.
This is how it works in the course: when you submit your report, it merges with the version that has been stored on the computer, which has only one possible correct answer. Anything that is exactly the same between your version and the computer’s version doesn’t change. Anything that does not exactly match the computer’s version will show as either green (indicating your version has something the computer’s version doesn’t have) or lavender (indicating that the computer’s version has something that your version doesn’t have).
Just because you added something extra doesn’t necessarily mean it is wrong.
Just because you missed something doesn’t necessarily mean it is wrong.
All it means is that the computer thinks it is 100% correct 100% of the time and there is no give and take.
You transcribe: Anterior cervical discectomy infusion
The computer has: Anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion
They merge and the key comes back with Anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion
As you can see, both versions have the same first 2 words. So far, so good. Next, you see green and you think that you made a mistake in spelling. Not so! This is an example of acceptable variation. There are two ways of spelling this word. If your account guidelines have not specified a preference, this would not be considered an error. The final words in that phrase show that you transcribed infusion and the computer has and fusion. This is an actual error.
See, not so bad.
Even though text comparison like this can result in frustration, in essence, what this is doing is helping you with spotting errors and learning to recognize an actual error versus an acceptable variation. Once you have determined your actual errors, note them so you, hopefully, don’t repeat them and you can then continue on to the next exercise or report.
It is all a learning process – and it is not an easy one, but you’ll get there! Try to remember this when you are having difficulty spotting errors in your reports.
Hang in there and if all else fails, take a break, count to ten and think chocolate! Maybe even unwind and play some Mad Gab to lighten the mood, you can do so online or go to a store to pick up the game! Hey, practice makes perfect, and you can easily make spotting errors fun!
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