Medical transcriptionists who have made the transition from standard medical transcription to speech recognition editing can certainly attest to the fact that career transitions are, to say the least, "unsettling." Concerns regarding production requirements, learning a new skill set, job security and compensation are bound to manifest, whether warranted or not. Very little assistance has been available to help the transcriptionist allay these fears and develop the work competencies and skills needed to make a smooth and confident transition to this growing technology. That is, until now. 

The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) and TRS Institute (TRSi), two industry leaders with extensive expertise in the fields of health care documentation and distance education, have partnered with 3M to co-develop this first-of-its-kind Speech Recognition Technology (SRT) course. The course is the result of a successful months-long collaboration between AHDI volunteers made up of health care documentation educators, industry managers and supervisors, as well as practicing speech recognition editors who worked in conjunction with technology vendors and staff members of AHDI, TRSi, and 3M. 

The objective of the workgroup was to design a generic, nonproprietary curriculum that would meet three specific needs:

• Assist the practicing MT to confidently make the transition from standard transcription practice to productive SRT editor.
• Provide current medical transcription schools and programs an option to broaden their curriculum.
• Offer employers an additional SRT training opportunity for their workforce.

Offered through TRSi's Angel Learning Management System, this is a 100 percent online self-study course with open enrollment. It is expected that with working approximately 10 hours per week, most students will complete the course within an 8- to 12-week timeframe.  

Lessons and exercises were developed that would provide a balance of background information with actual hands-on practice editing. Content includes:

• Hands-on practice using 3M's ChartScript.com platform and editing authentic drafts generated from actual physician dictation.
• Editing and navigation tools and tips to increase production.
• Overview of:

            History and Development of Speech Recognition Technology

            Productivity and Quality Issues

            The role of the SRT in the electronic health record

            The implications of speech recognition technology on the future of the MT industry

            General explanation of the basic scientific terms relating to SRT

Visit the AHDI Web site for further information and to register for this course.

Sue Krajewski is currently the AHDI/MTIA professional practices coordinator. She has over 30 years' experience in the healthcare documentation field as a practicing MT, an MT instructor, and a small business owner.