Why Every Medical Transcriptionist Should Use Word Expander Software

By Mary Ruff-King

Self-employed medical transcriptionists know that time is money and that to make a nice living working from home we all have to come up with the ways, as well as the financial means, to automate what we can.

Production is the name of the game when it comes to medical transcription. Producing more means more money. Usually speeding up our output comes with a price: sacrificing quality for quantity. However, it does not have to be that way.

People who do not work in the medical transcription field have no clue how much technology we use or how many software programs we must use and master to become proficient enough to earn a decent living as MTs. One such tool that helps us to speed up our production without jeopardizing the quality of our work is word expander software. Thank God for this tool. It not only helps us be more productive, it also may lengthen our careers as medical transcriptionists.

Word expander software, also known as text expander software, allows us to develop short forms of words and/or phrases which, when typed, will be expanded to show the full word or phrase. For example, if I type "ctr," the word expander software will expand that short form to "carpal tunnel release" which is called the long form.

The reasons for using this production tool are these:

First of all, a medical transcriptionist only has to type the long form correctly one time. It cuts down on the amount of editing that needs to be done.

Secondly, production can be increased manifold without compromising the quality of the work. Accurate medical reports are vital for patients getting quality care. Timeliness of getting the work done is of paramount importance as well.

Finally, what concerns me most as a medical transcriptionist-one who types tens of thousands of keystrokes per day-is the possibility that I and others in my profession may develop carpal tunnel syndrome or some form of tendinitis due to the repetitive nature of medical transcription.

The above reasons demonstrate that using word expander software in the performance of transcribing medical reports is not a luxury-it is a necessity not only for the benefit of our work and pay, but also our health.

If you are not using word expander software in your medical transcription business, consider looking into purchasing it now or in the near future. There are several packages that come at affordable prices. It is an tool you will soon appreciate and wonder how you did without it once you get it and implement it