Medical Transcription For Dummies -- About the Author -- Dedication -- Author's Acknowledgments -- Contents at a Glance -- Table of Contents -- Introduction -- About This Book -- Conventions Used in This Book -- What You're Not to Read -- Foolish Assumptions -- How This Book Is Organized -- Icons Used in This Book -- Where to Go from Here -- Part I: So, You Want to Be a Medical Transcriptionist -- Chapter 1: Just the Facts -- Getting the Skinny on the Medical Transcription Field -- Looking at What Goes into Good Transcription -- Anticipating What You'll Transcribe -- Making a Career of Medical Transcription -- Chapter 2: The What, How, Who, and Why of Medical Transcription -- What Medical Transcriptionists Do -- How Medical Transcription Works -- Who Makes for Good Medical Transcriptionists: The Traits You Need -- Why Medical Transcription Can Be a Great Career -- Chapter 3: Getting a Handle on Job Prospects and Employment Options -- Where You Can Work -- Your Job Prospects -- Financial Facts -- Chapter 4: Becoming a Working Medical Transcriptionist -- Getting off the Launch Pad: What You'll Need to Break In -- Getting Educated -- Part II: Getting the Job Done: Medical Transcription How-To -- Chapter 5: Medical Language Boot Camp -- The Anatomy of a Medical Word -- Commonly Confused Medical Words -- Drugs and Dosages -- Chapter 6: Formatting: The Basics -- Report Headings and Subheadings -- Capitalization -- Punctuation -- Numbers -- Abbreviations and Acronyms -- Chapter 7: Cracking the Code: Deciphering Difficult Dictation -- Aiming for Efficiency -- Filling in the Blanks, Step by Step -- Understanding Heavy Accents -- Chapter 8: Mastering the Key Medical Transcription References -- Considering the Source -- Tracking Down Medical Words and Phrases -- Nailing Down Drugs and Dosages -- Checking Up on Laboratory Tests.

Consulting the Book (of Style) -- Calling on Colleagues for Help -- Chapter 9: Meeting the Need for Speed -- Mastering the Number-One Speed Tool: Word Expanders -- Taking Advantage of Macros -- Your Computer on Steroids: Using Dual Monitors -- Part III: Looking at the Types of Reports You'll Transcribe -- Chapter 10: History and Physical Examination -- Overview -- Chief Complaint -- History of Present Illness -- Review of Past History -- Allergies -- Current Medications -- Review of Systems -- Physical Examination -- Diagnostic Studies -- Assessment and Plan -- Chapter 11: Consultation -- Overview -- Consulting and Primary Physicians -- Reason for Consultation -- Details of Present Illness -- Review of Past History -- Current Symptoms -- Laboratory and Diagnostic Findings -- Physical Examination -- Impression and Recommendations -- Chapter 12: Operative Reports -- Overview -- Physicians and Assistants -- Preoperative and Postoperative Diagnoses -- Procedure Performed -- Anesthesia -- Indications for Procedure -- Findings -- Description of Procedure -- Disposition -- Additional Headings -- Sewing Up the Case -- Chapter 13: Discharge and Death Summaries -- Discharge Summary -- Death Summary -- Chapter 14: Beyond the Big Four: Other Common Reports -- Procedure Notes -- Chart and Progress Notes -- Radiology and Imaging Reports -- Summary of Labor and Delivery -- Psychiatric Assessment -- Independent Medical Evaluation -- Part IV: Employment Matters: Landing and Managing a Medical Transcriptionist Job -- Chapter 15: Medical Transcriptionist Job Hunting -- Getting Organized: Prelaunch Planning -- Knowing Where to Find Job Opportunities -- Crafting Your Résumé -- Facing and Acing Employment Tests -- Evaluating and Comparing Job Offers -- Chapter 16: Managing On-the-Job Issues -- Your First Job: Knowing What to Expect.

Navigating the Quality Assessment Process -- HIPAA and Patient Privacy: What You Need to Know -- Chapter 17: Climbing the Career Ladder -- Mapping Out Common Career Paths -- Keeping Current through Continuing Education -- Joining Up: Professional Organizations for Medical Transcriptionists -- Getting Certified -- Switching Employers the Right Way -- Chapter 18: Working from Home -- Staying Connected: Internet Service -- Choosing a Computer Setup -- Scoping Out Transcription Gear -- Tackling the Technical Details -- Keeping Work in Its Place (And Interruptions Out) -- Chapter 19: Financial Considerations for Independent Contractors -- Keeping Good Records -- Paying Uncle Sam -- Getting Insured -- Chapter 20: Staying Healthy for the Long Haul -- Go Ergonomic or Go Home: Preventing Aches and Pains -- Keeping Carpal Tunnel Syndrome at Bay -- Dodging Computer Vision Syndrome -- Avoiding Stuffed Pretzel Syndrome -- Beating Burnout -- Part V: The Part of Tens -- Chapter 21: Ten Keys to Career Success -- Use the Right Tools -- Craft a Regular Work Routine and Stick to It -- Become a Master of Faster -- Mind Your Body -- Project Professionalism -- Get a Mentor -- Tune In to the MT Network -- Keep Your Balance -- Don't Get Sucked into a Negativity Vortex -- Be Adaptable, Embrace Change, Nourish Your Career -- Chapter 22: Ten Myths about Medical Transcription -- You'll Make 50,000 a Year Working from Home -- You Can Work and Take Care of the Kids at the Same Time -- If You Can Type Really Fast, You're in Like Flynn -- You, Too, Can Become an MT with Little or No Training -- Speech Recognition Technology Will Make Medical Transcriptionists Obsolete -- Electronic Health Records Will Eliminate the Need for Medical Transcriptionists -- Most Medical Transcription Work is Being Outsourced Overseas.

Getting Certified Is the Best Way to Break Into Medical Transcription -- It's Low-Stress Work -- Real Men Don't Become Medical Transcriptionists -- Chapter 23: Ten Great Online Resources -- Meet at the Corner on Facebook -- Check Multiple Sources with OneLook -- Find What's-Her-Name from Somewhere -- Solve Drug Problems -- Samplify Your Work Life -- Talk Productively about Productivity -- Get Industrial-Strength Updates -- Go Shopping for Transcription Gear -- Healthy Computing in Exquisite Detail -- Tax Advice Straight from the IRS -- Part VI: Appendixes -- Appendix A: Glossary -- Appendix B: Commonly Dictated Phrases and How to Transcribe Them -- Transcribing Lab Data -- Grams Percent and Other Units of Measure -- Transcribing Medications -- Commonly Dictated Physical Exam Phrases -- Commonly Dictated Obstetrics Phrases -- Everyday Cardiology Phrases -- Appendix C: Sample Reports -- History and Physical Examination -- Consultation Report -- Consultation Letter -- Discharge Summary -- Death Summary -- Operative Report -- Procedure Note -- Progress Note -- SOAP Note -- Radiology Report -- Summary of Labor and Delivery -- Psychiatric Assessment -- Independent Medical Evaluation -- Index.