Course Descriptions
The curriculum was designed by medical transcriptionists for medical transcriptionists. In addition to developing medical transcription skills, you will also train as a specialized medical transcriptionist editor, preparing for a future in the industry. Below are the modules in which you will gain competency.
Program Orientation
- Identify the elements, expectations, and requirements of the program.
- Navigate the program using the pages, menus, and buttons provided.
- Use the program tools, including the study planner, gradebook, and completion report.
- Contact Career Step using various communication tools - phone, email, forums, chat rooms, and social media.
- Identify and use program-specific resources, including Benchmark KB.
Medical Transcription and Editing Industry
- Develop awareness of the Medical Transcription Editing industry and occupation.
- Identify industry basics, tools, and trends, including the use of speech recognition technology.
- State the occupational conditions and expectations of Medical Transcription Editors.
Technology and the Medical Profession
- Identify basic computer hardware and interpret system requirements.
- Navigate a Windows operating system environment and install and operate basic software utilities.
- Use a web browser to navigate between websites in multiple tabs or windows, send and receive email, access search engines to find information, and troubleshoot basic computer problems.
- Recognize basic technologies related to a medical office environment.
Keyboard Kinetics
- Demonstrate proper, effective finger placement and typing proficiency.
- Assess keyboarding performance in terms of gross words per minute and net words per minute.
Medical Word Building
- Use Benchmark KB and other resources to verify medical terms.
- Define and combine common medical prefixes, suffixes, and root words.
Grammar and Punctuation
- Identify and correctly use each of the parts of speech.
- Recognize proper sentence structure and formatting, including punctuation and capitalization.
- Properly spell words that are commonly misspelled.
Anatomy, Pathophysiology, and Disease Process - Block 1
- Identify and classify basic disease terms, symptoms, diagnoses, and treatments.
- Identify and describe the basic structure, organization, and functions of human body systems.
- Identify, define, and accurately spell basic anatomical terms related to the basic structure and function of human body systems.
Anatomy, Pathophysiology, and Disease Process - Block 2
- Further identify and describe the basic structure, organization, and functions of human body systems.
- Further identify, define, and accurately spell basic anatomical terms related to the basic structure and function of human body systems.
Mastering Medical Language
- Define common medical slang, jargon, and foreign terms.
- Distinguish between common similar medical words and word parts.
- Recognize common medical abbreviations and their meanings.
Pharmacology
- Distinguish between different categories of drugs and their basic actions and effects.
- Identify common drugs and their basic functions from the following categories: cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, immune, pain management, psychological, and respiratory.
- Use legitimate resources to find drug definitions, dosages, pronunciations, and other related information.
- Properly interpret medications, dosages, and instructions for medication administration.
- Correctly spell commonly prescribed medications.
Healthcare Documentation
- Identify basic types of medical records, including work types, components, formatting, and documentation standards.
- Understand Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance and other related regulations and the role of healthcare documentation workers in preserving patient confidentiality and managing risk.
Diagnostic Reports
- Identify the basic elements of a diagnostic report, including identification of an illness/condition and any present therapeutic components.
- Use common terms and references related to the specialties of emergency room, physical medicine, radiology, and pathology.
Focus on Medical Specialties
- Determine the correct use of specialty-specific information related to medical terminology, abbreviations, phrases, conditions, and treatments.
Midterm
- Prove knowledge and understanding of the previous 13 modules.
Introduction to Transcription
- Identify the necessary tools and skills for efficient transcribing, including foot pedal, headphones, listening skills, keyboarding, and word expander software.
- Identify methods and techniques of transcription, including the 3-pass technique, using context, effective research methods, and editing techniques.
- Transcribe sentences, short paragraphs, sections of medical reports, and full medical reports.
Transcription Clinic Notes
- Accurately transcribe clinic notes and progress notes from several medical specialties, including general practice, cardiology, gastrointestinal, OB/GYN, and orthopedics, using resources such as Steadman’s array, contextual clues, and internet searches.
Transcription Basic Acute Care
- Transcribe basic acute care notes from several medical specialties, including cardiology, gastrointestinal, OB/GYN, and orthopedics, according to specific account instructions.
- Identify typical formatting components of basic acute care hospital reports, including radiology, emergency room, discharge summaries, and operative reports.
Transcription Advanced Acute Care
- Accurately transcribe advanced acute care notes from multiple specialties in compliance with account instructions.
Editing Theory
- Identify the components and account-specific considerations of a speech recognition draft.
- Use scanning techniques to identify and correct errors while avoiding over editing.
- Recognize and correct common technology-created errors in a draft, including misrecognition, substitution, addition, deletion, homonym, enunciation, and nonsense errors.
Editing Technique
- Install and use the AnyModal Edit browser plugin.
- Correctly navigate, control, and format a medical report using keyboard shortcuts.
Editing Clinic Notes
- Accurately and efficiently edit computer-generated medical report drafts.
Editing Acute Care
- Accurately and efficiently edit computer-generated medical report drafts
Final Exam Preparation, Expectations, and Policies
- Identify eligibility requirements, effective preparation techniques, and how to access the final exam.
- Identify the format, restrictions, and policies of the final exam, including scoring, retakes, allowed resources, and time limits.