Colorado

Medical Transcriptionist Careers in Colorado

Medical transcriptionists are primarily responsible for converting audio recordings from physicians and other healthcare providers into official medical records. Those interested in the career would need a good eye for detail as well as a good ability to listen and type. With advances in modern technology, editing skills will also play an important role, as many of today’s healthcare practitioners create notes using voice recognition software.

Medical transcriptionists must undergo specialized training to acquire a good working knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, common disease processes, diagnostic procedures, medical abbreviations and both word processing and health information technologies. Working in the field will always also require one to retain an updated knowledge of legal and confidentiality requirements and maintain strict adherence to them.

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Colorado Regulations for Medical Transcriptionists

There are no specific regulations in Colorado for medical transcription, and a license is not required to practice. There is also no committed regulatory body within the state for the field. It will be important, however, for those who are interested in working in medical transcription to meet the proper educational requirements including a high school diploma or equivalent and graduation from a reputable training program. Educational programs can be completed either in person or online and take anywhere from a few weeks to a year to complete.

Medical Transcription Programs in Colorado

Finding on-site training within the state may be difficult, but luckily there are many options for online training. Two of these distance-learning programs include:

  • University of Colorado, Colorado Springs offers an online program in medical transcription. The course will cover the most common types of medical reports including the nine major types of reports and their components. Students will train on practice transcriptions, with grammar reviews provided in every lesson.
  • Ashworth College offers an online training program for medical transcription. The program can be completed in as few as four months and offers an overview of medical terminology, the digestive and reproductive systems, pulmonary medicine and pathology as well as instruction in basic transcription. Examination fees for the Registered Healthcare Documentation Specialist (RHDS) credential through the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) are included in the course fees.

Additional Certifications

Seeking additional credentialing is a good way to project your expertise and professionalism to potential employers. As mentioned above, many medical transcriptionists seek accreditation through the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI). Their Registered Healthcare Documentation Specialist (RHDS) certificate can be acquired by taking an examination consisting of multiple-choice questions and sample listening and transcribing exercises.

Expected Career Growth and Salary in Colorado

Colorado has a good outlook for medical transcriptionists, with a 15.2 percent projected growth rate in jobs between the years 2016 and 2026, according to Projections Central, even while the industry is expected to decline by 3.3 percent nationwide during the same time period.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that salaries in the state are also somewhat better than average. Data collected from 2018 show a national reported mean annual salary of $36,350 for medical transcriptionists, while those in Colorado reported a mean annual salary of $38,640. It should be noted that certain industries pay better than average for the job category, with local governments, tax preparation and payroll services, diagnostic laboratories, dental offices, and hospitals rounding out the top five, as reported by the BLS.

Colorado Opportunities for Medical Transcriptionists

According to the BLS, most transcriptionists work in business support services, physicians’ offices and hospitals. The career also has good potential for those wishing to work remotely or work as a freelance business owner. In Colorado, some potential employers of medical transcriptionists include Med Trans, Inc, Ensign Services and Quest Diagnostics.