Gateways Overview

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DISCOVER MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION

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Special! 3-CD Set

ePractice Files

Large Print DRUG LIST

Guide to Expanders

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Drugs Info I
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Word Help

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Volume III : Gateways

The Key to Medical Transcription:

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

I GETTING STARTED - OVERVIEW

Each volume of Period Paragraph contains more than 100 medical transcription dictation files. These files were carefully selected from a library containing thousands of voice files. Gateways reflects a typical day of patient visits for each of seven family practitioners. Our family doctors are the first to get to know patients in good health and especially when problems arise. It is typically the family physician who is the first to examine, diagnose, explore, treat, and refer patients for appropriate medical care. These physicians treat a wide variety of diseases, conditions, and emergencies both physical and emotional, and frequently share medical care with virtually all other medical specialists. By nature of the family practice, the medical transcriptionist can become acquainted with many branches of medicine at this gateway to medical specialties. Careful attention was paid to selecting voice files that cover a range of voices, dialects, and accents. A variety of dictating styles is likewise represented.

This CD is intended to provide practice for the new and established medical transcriptionist. It is also designed to serve as an introduction for anyone considering a career in medical transcription.

II DICTATION – Over 5 hours of dictation

This section of Gateways contains more than five hours of dictation in far more than 100 patient notes. Each voice file represents a typical day of seeing patients for each of seven family practitioners. From health maintenance to physical examinations to addressing specific problems and emergencies, the family doctor is often the first doctor that patients see before they go on to more specialized care. The dictation files on this CD are not graded for their level of difficulty. As all MT’s well know, the average day of medical transcription is usually a mix of clear and muddled voice files, some easy, some not, and all containing their own quirks and challenges. As in reality, the voice files range in size, length, style, volume, and complexity. This CD is not designed as a teaching tool but rather as a staging area for practice. Practice, after all is the key to success in medical transcription.

III ANSWER KEY – Transcripts of all voice files

This section is the transcription of the voice files contained in Section II above. The transcribed documents are arranged to correspond with the voice files and are therefore arranged in the same format. Text files contained on Gateways are stored using Adobe Reader format (.pdf). Adobe Reader is a universal approach to sharing computer text files, a free resource available to everyone. By using Adobe Reader, everyone has access to these files without exception and without concern for individual word processing software access. To download the Adobe Reader, click on the following hyperlink and follow instructions provided:

http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

Period Paragraph CD’s have been carefully designed to provide ease of use.

Attention is paid to following the AAMT Book of Style guidelines. However, medical providers often have specific needs and requirements that vary from the AAMT Book of Style and differences may be reflected in these files. It is imperative that the medical transcriptionist remember that to transcribe correctly is always to comply with the client’s wishes first. Let the AAMT Book of Style be your guide but always abide by the client’s specific needs and requirements.

IV JCAHO “Do Not Use” List

Gateways provides information about the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and specifically the “Do Not Use” list that they have coordinated. This list includes abbreviations that have been shown to cause problems and even death through confusion of certain medical abbreviations. The “Do Not Use” List has been adopted by the American Association of Medical Transcriptionists (AAMT) and compliance is expected by the medical transcriptionist. That list including explanations and substitutions is included on this CD.

V ABBREVIATIONS

Abbreviations are an integral part of medical transcription. Medical providers often speak abbreviations and most dictations contain many abbreviations. Abbreviations are used because they are so common in the industry and therefore widely understood. They are also used as a way of reducing dictating time. Abbreviations can often be more difficult to understand, especially to the new medical

transcriptionist or the medical transcriptionist who is new to a specific specialty. Because abbreviations are often dictated as a sequence of letters, if those letters are not clearly enunciated and free of background noise and interference, it is often impossible to determine what is said. Even the context of the sentence is frequently not helpful. Familiarity with medical abbreviations is a must. Gateways provides exposure to medical abbreviations encountered routinely in family practice. Gateways provides additional practice, experience, and reinforcement of your knowledge of abbreviations.

Gateways Abbreviations Challenge is a fun way to learn the medical abbreviations contained elsewhere on this CD. Launch the Gateways Abbreviation Challenge from the Gateways directory. Abbreviations used on this CD will be presented in a pre-determined random order. Type the full expansion of each abbreviation in the adjacent field. An incorrect response will display the word Incorrect accompanied by an audible tone, suggesting you either try again or click the SHOW ME button to reveal the correct response. Use the TAB key to move from abbreviation to abbreviation if you are interested in practicing only specific abbreviations.

VI WORD LISTS

The words and abbreviations included in the following lists all come from the dictations on Gateways. Whole books have been written listing just the medical words of one given specialty. It is not the intention of Period Paragraph to presume to include all of the words used in medical transcription. Rather these lists are tools to assist in transcribing the voice files and may also be used as learning devices. The lists are alphabetized and searchable.

The following Word Lists are included:

A. ABBREVIATIONS

B. DRUG LIST

C. MASTER WORD LIST

A WORD ON COPYRIGHT

The contents of this CD is protected by United States copyright laws. Measures have been taken to preserve and protect ownership. In addition to the more customary and common copyright procedures, all of the files on this CD (text and voice alike) have embedded information to identify ownership.