Dictation Services

Dictation services, regardless of the type you are seeking, all should be judged by the same three factors - turnaround time, security of data and high level accuracy. These are the main essential elements that should be considered whether you are looking for medical, legal or even business transcription services for your needs.

Turnaround Time of Services

Most dictation requires a return time of 24 to 48 hours although some jobs are more and some are less. Sometimes an urgent project needs a rush service which could require anywhere from a one hour turnaround to six hour turnaround time. A versatile dictation company should have enough of a pool of transcriptionists to be able to handle virtually any time commitment.

When you look to a company for dictation, you should ask about how the time of day you turn a project to them will impact the delivery, especially if it is a rush job. Ask what the company guarantees are and how they uphold them. Are the dictation services free or discounted if the company turns around the project late?

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High Level of Accuracy

Accuracy in the transcription work is of the utmost importance. Patient health or delicate negotiations from a legal standpoint could be thrown of course by inaccuracies. Sometimes, the issues at stake are literally life or death. The seriousness of dictation projects should be felt by the company offering the services.

Therefore, not only should a dictation service company employ certified transcriptionists in their particular field of study but also quality control staff to go through the transcription projects at least twice to read them for mistakes. You should not expect or settle for less than that.

Security of Data

These days it is so easy for a hacker to worm their way into a computer system, regardless of where it is. This means that you should look for a dictation company that has at least a 128-bit SSL security for all of their internet-based communications. If you are unsure of what this means, look to the address bar when you log into the company’s website. If there is an “https” and a closed lock symbol, then it is a secure website.

For other types of dictation communication, such as dictation over the phone, you should ask about their security standards to protect data relayed in this manner as well. And of course, never accept email as a way to transfer files to and fro. This is an unsecured way to transfer data. Typically dictation work involves a computer to computer communication.

Physical data should be protected as well. How is the service company providing the dictation securing their facilities? Is the data well protected? To determine their security protocols, ask about whether they perform background checks and screenings on their employees.

Finally, there must be a clear chain of command from when you provide the data for dictation to the transcriptionist providing the service and then the delivery of the product. Should anything happen a clear auditing trail will help pinpoint mistakes. Data is one of your most important assets to your business, so be sure not to trust it to just any dictation services company.