Medical Transcriptionist Schools in Louisiana - LA
Medical Transcription Schools in Louisiana
Although Louisiana does not require a medical transcriptionist to obtain specific educational credentials or to be certified or license in order to provide services to medical providers or facilities within the state, employers are more likely to hire transcriptionists with post-secondary degrees, as well as some form of training specific to medical transcription. Courses in medical transcription are offered at community colleges and four-year colleges, as well as at technical schools offering professional certificates and through online courses. The successful completion of an associate’s degree in medical transcription awarded by an accredited college or university will open the most career doors for an aspiring medical transcriptionist. There are a variety of Louisiana medical transcription schools, especially online options.
Whatever course of study an aspiring medical transcriptionist pursues, it is vital that a transcriptionist have a solid knowledge of medical terminology and superior language, typing, and computer skills. An individual seeking to set up shop as a medical transcriptionist in Louisiana would be well-advised to take coursework in medical terminology, medical coding, English grammar, typing and office skills, keyboarding skills, word processing, and computer software operation, including speech recognition, transcription, and standard office software packages. The more a medical transcriptionist knows about medicine and medical issues, the transcriptionist will be able to perform at his or her work. Thus, courses in biology, anatomy, physiology, pathology, and any of the medical or life sciences will be helpful for the potential transcriptionist.
The Association of Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) provides certifications for medical transcriptionists and also provides a list of medical transcription schools and programs at www.ahdionline.org. Inclusion on AHDI’s list of approved schools, a medical transcription program must adhere to the standards set forth in AHDI’s Model Curriculum, which can also be found on AHDI’s website. Many of the approved programs on AHDI’s list are professional schools and institutes of higher learning that offer online courses or other opportunities for remote or distance learning.
AHDI requires that approved medical transcription programs provide strong training and instructions in five primary subjects: English Language, Medical Knowledge, Technology, Medicolegal Aspects of the Healthcare Record, and Medical Transcription Practice. English Language instruction should emphasize rules of grammar and punctuation, proper sentence structure, and correct spelling of medical terms. Medical knowledge courses should strengthen a student’s knowledge of terminology and understanding of core concepts in a range of medical subject areas, including anatomy, clinical medicine, pharmacology, surgery, pathology, and laboratory medicine. Technology courses develop students’ proficiency in the computer skills and use of the transcription equipment necessary to perform a medical transcriptionist’s duties competently and efficiently. Instruction in medicolegal aspects of healthcare records should instill in students an understanding of the purpose, content, and proper format of healthcare records, along with legal issues implicated in their maintenance and management. Practicums or clinics in medical transcription practice should require students to exercise the actual transcription, proofreading, and editing skills that they will use as employed medical transcriptionists. Although a degree from an AHDI-approved school is not necessary for a career in medical transcription, such a credential will make a transcriptionist much more desirable in the eyes of potential employers.
Through campus based and online programs, aspiring Medical Transcriptionists in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Shreveport, Louisiana may be able to prepare themselves for the possibility of employment in some of the largest hospitals and healthcare facilities in the state including Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, CHRISTUS Schumpert Saint Mary Place, and Ochsner Medical Center.