Genre Analysis Rough Draft (VERY ROUGH)

An Abstract

Amanda Alexander

Outsourcing of jobs is a problem many Americans face these days. One career affected tremendously by this is Medical Transcription Technology. Popular opinion ranges from not even knowing MTT existed to being very concerned by the fact that our medical information is being sent overseas to other countries for dictation. Professional opinion seems to concentrate on the lack of security around our records but defends the practice as good business sense. How can eliminating American jobs really be good business sense? How can our information stay protected when we are willingly giving it to others?  Understanding that we all need to make money in this world helps me to cut the industry a little slack. Voice recognition software has become popular with many doctors and could provide some help in reducing costs of transcription in the long run. Our information is being jeapordized by sending it overseas.

Unfortunately, outsourcing usually only bothers those that it directly affects. The larger jobs tend to be noticed when jobs are outsourced. A company sends 300 jobs to China and it will be in the newspaper and on the news. A hospital sends 2000 dictations to Asia and no one bats an eye. MTT outsourcing is not something the average Joe knows about much less cares about, until they catch wind of the practice and figure out they are affected by the process.

Having our own information compromised is not acceptable for most of us. The popular opinion runs with the fear. Fear of whom might have our private medical information. HIPPA only protects each person so far and doesn’t include MTT.

Professional opinion still stands firm that, while it is not ok that our information is out there for anyone to see, it is a necessary evil of industry. Costs are rising and everyone needs to cut corners and reevaluate needs. Do we need to keep this one MT working? I pay her .12 per line when I can pay someone in India .03? Easy choice, right?

We can pretend this trend of outsourcing doesn’t exist but it does. We are stuck in the throws of it all. We need to protect our jobs.

 Works Cited

“Offshore Outsourcing-How safe is Your Data Abroad? Overview of Privacy, Data Protection and Security”, Global Jurist Topics, Volume 6, Issue 2 (September 09, 2006), p 1204

“

The Healthcare Off-shoring Industry in Developing Economies- Institutional and Economic Foundations: An Indian Case”, International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Volume 24, Issue 6 (July 19, 2011)

http://www.longwoods.com/content/18426

http://library.ahima.org/xpedio/groups/public/documents/ahima/bok1_022546.hcsp

http://www.majorhealthblog.com/outsourcing-of-medical-transcription-common-issues

Professional Perceptions about Outsourcing Jobs

It appears to me that the professional perception of outsourcing jobs in the medical field is that it is just a necessary part of the business end. Transcription costs money to everyone involved. The business side has to take hold at some point. It is clearly cheaper to outsource jobs to other countries. We now understand that our information is only protected so far and this is a definite exception. Though we run the risk of having our information compromised, it will continue to happen.

 Works Cited

“Offshore Outsourcing-How safe is Your Data Abroad? Overview of Privacy, Data Protection and Security”, Global Jurist Topics, Volume 6, Issue 2 (September 09, 2006), p 1204

“

The Healthcare Off-shoring Industry in Developing Economies- Institutional and Economic Foundations: An Indian Case”, International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Volume 24, Issue 6 (July 19, 2011)

Popular Perception of my Hot Topic

Medical Transcription (MT) is one of the types of jobs that no one really thinks about. Many do not even know it exists. Having been a growing trend for a while, jobs are becoming harder to find for recent Medical Transcription Technology programs. One of the reasons that this is true is the act of outsourcing the dictated medical paperwork, many offshore. Pakistan, India, and other Asian countries are just examples of where our information and jobs are going. While an important part of our medicinal field today, HIPAA’s privacy rules apply only to healthcare providers, payers, and clearinghouses that are covered entities. This does not apply to MT’s necessarily therefore, information can be exchanged overseas for the work.

Backers of such practice site expense and convenience as major roles in the choice to outsource MT. It is hard to understand that the buck can be strong enough to render Americans jobless and put our medical privacy at risk.

The websites I found were far and few between with real information to them. I suspect this could mean a trend to keep jobs here? I plan to research this much further.

http://www.longwoods.com/content/18426

http://library.ahima.org/xpedio/groups/public/documents/ahima/bok1_022546.hcsp

http://www.majorhealthblog.com/outsourcing-of-medical-transcription-common-issues

My Hot Topic Choice

I have decided to venture into discussing the outsourcing of jobs to other countries. While I am positive I will mainly focus on my discipline, I will need to draw on others as well, to form a proper stance. Job outsourcing directly affects many Americans and their families. I'm in school for a job that may not even be there when I graduate. It can be frustrating. Job outsourcing, some could argue, has a place in our society and is needed but just as many can shout that it will do nothing but harm our economy. Finding out more about this should be quite eye opening.

Hot Topics

Hot Topics

One of the biggest hot topics in Medical Transcription Technology (MTT) is privacy. Patient privacy is always a concern in the medical field. Medical professionals are kept to a standard in privacy practices and MTTs are held to this same standard. An MTTs job is to transcribe these medical dictations for future reference in a patient’s file. While voice-activated software is on the rise in use with doctors, it is still a relatively new technology and most documents are still proof-read my and MTT in the end. Should an MTT run across a file about someone they know, it could be wise to send that report to another MTT to transcribe. Patients should never need to worry that someone is misusing their precious medical information.

A second hot topic in MTT is the ongoing debate about the education requirements to become a medical transcriptionist. There are different programs available but the two most popular are the 2-year Associate’s Degree and the 1 year certificate program. Both have relatively the same core but naturally a person pursuing the 2 year degree is going to attend and need to pass many more classes than the certificate would require. These could be important classes that are being missed out on by those obtaining the certificate. Deciphering dictations can be a very trying and difficult job. Everyone going in should have a proper education on the subject.

The third hot topic in MTT today is outsourcing of medical transcription jobs to other countries, most notably, India. Years ago most transcription was done “in house” for the doctor. As time and technology have moved on, so have many of these jobs. MTT has become an excellent opportunity for those that need a way to make a living from home. Unfortunately, the pay for transcription has dropped to a few cents a line in some cases. Other jobs are gone altogether, having been sent overseas. This topic doesn’t just touch with the need to keep jobs here, but it also touches on privacy and education requirements. As these MTs are not necessarily being taught the same information, one has to wonder if the same care is going into transcribing the patient’s records.

Citation Format for my Discipline

Medical Transcription Technology, from what I could find, uses APA format.

My Manifesto

As a mom, a job from home would be ideal for me. Medical Transcription Technology can offer this to me and to many others. Over the past few years, I’ve noticed many more students entering their studies for MTT, even though the job market seems to be slimmer. While years ago, Medical Transcriptionists listened to tape recorders and phone calls, now they are getting voice attachments in email and are even learning to use voice recognition technology to assist in their jobs. Watching the change is interesting.

Typing up medical records for a doctor or practice has to be done with care and respect. These are our mothers, husbands, grandparents. Sometimes we end up with a record of someone we know. On the occasion that this happens, the ethical code for MTT comes in. We must keep confidentiality in our minds at all times. In addition, knowing medical information is a must in this field. Sometimes it is necessary to expand on words or statements to help take the medical jargon out of a report or letter. Most people won’t know the abbreviations for some of the longer medical terms but on the other hand, EKG is much more well-known that electrocardiogram. Making sure the correct terms are used is important to both the doctor and the patient. Typing skills are also a much needed portion of this job’s course. Reports are needed back to continue on with a patient’s case. Time must not be wasted in preparing them. 

Going back to MTT as an up and coming career choice for many moms, we are perfect for the job. We already have to keep up with medical terms for our own children, we learn to keep secrets, and out time management skills will help us stay on task for completing projects. Not handling situations correctly when transcribing could lead to many things. A patient’s information must not be toyed with. I am sure that I could help bring back integrity and respect to helping in the finishing touches of a patient’s care.