You may think a great medical transcriptionist only needs fast typing fingers and a clear internet connection. You're only going to be listening to voice recordings and typing, right? Those things will get you by, but in order to remain productive and efficient, there are a few more tools that will help. Here are 5 productivity tools every medical transcriptionist services needs to stay organized and increase output.
A Really Good Project or Task Manager
A project/task manager will help you organize all the minutiae of each day into one place that is easy to read and comprehend. It's worth the time to research some managers out there and put it to good use. You can pick an old-school day-planner, an app on your phone or tablet, or even a cloud-based version on your computer. Here are a few popular apps:
- Any.do
- Google Keep
- Wunderlist
Headphones You Would Want To Sleep With
Every medical transcriptionist needs headphones for listening to sound files. But a pair of headphones can make you more productive in other ways too. You can have quiet relaxing music playing in the background of your headphone. Even if you're not actively transcribing, music might make you more focused on other tasks or projects you may have in life – even cleaning the house. Plus, if others see you wearing headphones, they know you are working and are less likely to disturb you.
A Calendar
In addition to a daily task manager, using a calendar increases your productivity by organizing project due dates. Plan out an entire week each Monday. Being able to physically look at your life by the week and month gives you a bigger picture of your work. You can use a paper calendar or something digital.
Clear Boundaries
Imagine boundaries as a series of tiny fences keeping intruders out of your field, eating your time and energy before the end of the day. Set boundaries and know when to tell others "no". Setting boundaries will define clear expectations to those around you. Your family, friends, and coworkers know when they are free to interrupt you, or when to stay away.
Respectable References
The real meat of your work involves understanding medical terminology, anatomy, and pharmacology. If you struggle with wording in any way, your productivity dips. Having a few references in your library will alleviate some of this. Here are some top references to check out:
- The Book of Style for Medical Transcription (published by the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity)
- Quick Look Drug Book (published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins)
- Stedman's Medical Abbreviations, Acronyms & Symbols (published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins)
- Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary (published by Elsevier Saunders)
