Hospital Medical Transcriber

Class Specifications – H.45
Senior Hospital Medical Transcriber – 4687
Hospital Medical Transcriber – 4688

October, 1975

Series Concept

Hospital Medical Transcribers transcribe highly technical patient reports prepared by doctors (on media such as magnetic tapes or rough drafts), by typing on standard, electric, semi-automatic magnetic tape typewriters, or similar equipment; and perform other related duties as required.

A distinguishing feature of the Series is the requirement of a complete working knowledge of the medical terminology transcribed, including the definition and usage of medical, clinical, anatomical, physiological and pharmaceutical terms. In addition to this working knowledge of medical terminology, the Series is distinguished from the Typist Clerk Series in that the end product emphasizes patient care rather than research or teaching.

The above transcription duties must be performed an average of 20 or more hours per week. The Hospital Medical Transcriber’s work setting may vary from Transcription Rooms with semi-automatic magnetic tape typewriters and magnetic tape dictation equipment to individual locations with standard typewriters where other patient-related clerical and secretarial duties are performed.

The Class Concepts for the Hospital Medical Transcriber Series reflect two levels of difficulty. Senior Hospital Medical Transcriber is the advanced operational level; Hospital Medical Transcriber is the operational level.

Positions in this Series do not normally require the performance of supervisory duties. However, Senior Hospital Medical Transcribers may act as technical resources for less experienced personnel, and may supervise other Hospital Medical Transcribers during the absence of a higher level supervisor.

Class Concepts

Senior Hospital Medical Transcriber

Under general supervision, Senior Hospital Medical Transcribers perform the duties described in the Series Concept at the advanced operational level of skill. Work is usually performed with production schedules requiring speed and accuracy.

Incumbents are required to have excellent typing abilities and a subject matter knowledge of the medical terminology, to the extent that it affects the accuracy and consistency of the report. Subject matter knowledge is knowledge of medical terminology obtained through experience and education. Thus incumbents must be able to spell correctly, recognize inconsistencies and mistakes denoted by the medical terminology, and resolve them by querying the doctor or other experts.

Examples of situations in which Senior Hospital Medical Transcribers would be required to exercise subject matter knowledge would be when they must recognize prefixes and suffixes and differentiate their usage, e.g. peri-para, inter-intra, arterioles-arterials, vesicals-vesicles, and other similar sounding terms. Another example of a situation requiring subject matter knowledge would be the usage by a doctor of the term congenital when referring to an older patient, when what was intended might be congestive.

Senior Hospital Medical Transcribers understand the need for absolute accuracy in reports, and have extensive contact with medical staff to clarify misunderstandings and possible inconsistencies. They must also recognize the legal nature of the reports produced; and handle corrections, content, and patient identification in a legally approved manner.

The change in classification from the Hospital Medical Transcriber to the Senior class is based upon objective standards of production performance, with a secondary criterion of job knowledge, usually a product of on-the-job experience.

Examples:

1. In a Hospital Medical Records Department Transcription Room, incumbents transcribe magnetic tape dictation of operation reports; letters; operating room deficiency lists; and discharge, outpatient, and death summaries using an MTST system by typing on continuous yellow scratch sheets.
2. In a Hospital Pathology or Radiology Department (in a non-Transcription Room setting), incumbents transcribe doctors’ reports an average of 20 or more hours per week from stenorette tapes and handwritten rough drafts by typing with a standard electric typewriter. The balance of the time is devoted to the unit’s associated clerical and secretarial work such as answering telephones, filing, scheduling and record-keeping.

Hospital Medical Transcriber

Under supervision, incumbents transcribe material which has less complex medical terminology and judgment requirements than those described in the Senior Hospital Medical Transcriber Class Concept. An example of this situation would be positions in sections of the Clinical Laboratories such as EKG and Coagulation which require typing of doctors’ handwritten reports containing less complex and extensive medical terminology.

This class may also be used for those positions in which incumbents are receiving training and developing skills which when performed at the advanced journeyman level will meet the requirements stated in the Senior Hospital Medical Transcriber Class Concept.

Minimum Qualifications

Senior Hospital Medical Transcriber

(1) Graduation from high school or a General Education Diploma, ability to type, and knowledge of the applicable medical terminology involved; and (2) either (a) two years of hospital clerical experience, one of which must be medical transcription; or (b) one year of recognized business training as a Medical Transcriber with one year of experience in Medical transcription; or an equivalent combination of education and experience; and knowledges and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.

Hospital Medical Transcriber

1) Graduation from high school or a General Education Diploma, ability to type, and either an aptitude for or knowledge of the applicable medical terminology involved; and (2) either (a) one year of hospital clerical experience, or (b) six months of recognized business training as a Medical Transcriber; or an equivalent combination of education and experience; and knowledges and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.