Overseas Outsourcing Of Medical Transcribing
Overseas Outsourcing of Medical Transcribing
Case Study 6 — Overseas Outsourcing of Medical Transcribing
The following is a discussion between Chris Boss, CEO of Good Hospital and M.D. Noitall, the Medical Director at the same hospital in Brisbane, Australia. Chris met M.D. in the hallway early one Monday morning.
CHRIS: Good morning, M.D. I read a report in the Financial Times this morning that many hospitals and doctors are now sending medical files overseas to be typed up. The article says that it is cheaper. But I see a number of problems. I am especially concerned about privacy issues. How can medical histories remain confidential if they are being sent halfway around the globe? And what about the language barrier? Can we guarantee that exact detail is being translated by people who do not normally speak English? Have you heard of this?
M.D.: Good morning, Chris. Yes, I've heard of this. I mean, we know that many things are now done in a global network. So whether it is reading the X-ray reports or recording bank transactions or transcribing medical transactions, it is certainly going on.
CHRIS: How many hospitals are sending records overseas to be typed up?
M.D.: Well, I really don't know the numbers. I would imagine that it is a pretty large number of hospitals. And the reason for that is, they are trying to downsize the medical administration within the hospitals.
CHRIS: But if we were to do this, how could we be absolutely sure that what one of our doctors says in a report is actually being translated correctly?
M.D.: Well I mean, the same errors in transcription would occur whether the transcriber sits here or sits in India or sits…
CHRIS: No. This is going overseas to Malaysia. Surely the risks are increased unbelievably.
M.D.: Well, the risks will be based on the quality of the recording, the quality of the decoding at the other end, and the person at the other end who is doing the transcribing. But that comes back to basics. If you're sending work
Case Study 6 — Overseas Outsourcing of Medical Transcribing
The following is a discussion between Chris Boss, CEO of Good Hospital and M.D. Noitall, the Medical Director at the same hospital in Brisbane, Australia. Chris met M.D. in the hallway early one Monday morning.
CHRIS: Good morning, M.D. I read a report in the Financial Times this morning that many hospitals and doctors are now sending medical files overseas to be typed up. The article says that it is cheaper. But I see a number of problems. I am especially concerned about privacy issues. How can medical histories remain confidential if they are being sent halfway around the globe? And what about the language barrier? Can we guarantee that exact detail is being translated by people who do not normally speak English? Have you heard of this?
M.D.: Good morning, Chris. Yes, I've heard of this. I mean, we know that many things are now done in a global network. So whether it is reading the X-ray reports or recording bank transactions or transcribing medical transactions, it is certainly going on.
CHRIS: How many hospitals are sending records overseas to be typed up?
M.D.: Well, I really don't know the numbers. I would imagine that it is a pretty large number of hospitals. And the reason for that is, they are trying to downsize the medical administration within the hospitals.
CHRIS: But if we were to do this, how could we be absolutely sure that what one of our doctors says in a report is actually being translated correctly?
M.D.: Well I mean, the same errors in transcription would occur whether the transcriber sits here or sits in India or sits…
CHRIS: No. This is going overseas to Malaysia. Surely the risks are increased unbelievably.
M.D.: Well, the risks will be based on the quality of the recording, the quality of the decoding at the other end, and the person at the other end who is doing the transcribing. But that comes back to basics. If you're sending work