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Medical Transcription Small Business Idea

The Pros and Cons of Starting a Medical Transcription Business

By , About.com Guide

Medical transcription involves taking taped reports from doctors and medical professionals and transferring them into written documents. Here are the pros and cons of starting a medical transcription business.

The Pros

Some of the reasons you might want to start a medical transcription business include:

  • It's a home-based business with good income potential.
  • You can have a flexible work schedule, and work as much as you want.
  • You have the potential to create long-term relationships with your clients.
  • You get to put your organizational, detail-oriented qualities to work for you every day.
  • The more experienced you become, the quicker you will be able work and the more you can make.

The Cons

Some of the potential challenges you might experience when starting a medical transcription business include:

  • You'll need to be licensed as a medical transcriptionist from a certified training program.
  • You need a broad understanding of basic medical terms and jargon.
  • You must be a proficient typist, with good grammar and research skills.
  • You need to meet deadlines and follow formatting requirements.
  • You need equipment, including a computer, printer, transcriber, reference books and specific software.
  • The work requires strict compliance with patient confidentiality requirements.
  • It's all computer work, which can put a strain on your eyes, wrists and back.
  • There are some work-from-home scams in the medical transcription field you need to be aware of.

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