As a medical transcriptionist or editor, you will eventually come across that one dictator that is totally unclear. No matter how many times you listen to him/her over and over, you just cannot understand what they are saying. The best way to handle a word or sentence that you do not fully understand is to put a blank. It is always best to be safe than sorry. Putting the wrong word or sentence is considered to be a critical error and could cost the patient his/her life or cost you your job. Never pretend to understand. When in doubt, blank it out.
However, there are some tricks for understanding unclear dictators. Here are a few tips that might help you successfully translate that mumble:
1. Change the speed of the audio. If you cannot understand it at normal speed, try slowing it down a bit or speeding it up. Sometimes it will magically become more clear at a different speed. This technique only works some of the time, but it is worth a try each time you have an unclear word or sentence.
2. Check past reports. Many times (now always) a dictator will say the same thing as he/she did on prior reports, especially if it is a general or normal report. This often happens in the REVIEW OF SYSTEMS and PHYSICAL EXAMINATION sections. Look up past reports both for the dictator and for the patient. Reading past reports on the same patient will give you some insight on the patient's current problem and may help you understand those unclear words and sentences. Past reports for both the dictator and the patient are a valuable tool and help you a lot when trying to understand all that mumble/jumble.
3. Practice speaking like the dictator. For example, if the dictator is speaking with a Chinese accent, then try speaking with a Chinese accent. This will help you to understand and pick out the sounds of different words and in the end, may help you decipher what the dictator is saying.
4. Keep a log of reports from that dictator. When you receive feedback from your QA on that particular dictator, keep a file or a log of these reports so that you can refer back to them when the same dictator shows up again. Always read and understand your mistakes and blanks for the unclear dictator. This will help you understand what he may be trying to say on future reports.
5. Don't give up hope. The more you listen to an unclear dictator, the more likely you are to adjust your ears to their accent. As they say, the more you do, the better you get. However, if you are getting a dictator that is totally unclear and no matter what you do, you cannot understand him/her and after exhausting all your efforts for comprehension, let your boss know. Chances are that if you are having trouble understanding him/her, so are other MTs and editors and this is an issue that may need discussed with the facility and/or the dictator.
6. Never rush through a dictation that is unclear. You may want to go back and listen to the same dictator 3 or 4 times just to make sure you have transcribed what was being said.
7. No cherry picking. The worst thing you can do as a medical transcriptionist is cherry-pick. Cherry picking is when a medical transcriptionist goes through a list of reports and only picks out ones that he/she wants to do or ones that are easy. Logging out of an unclear dictation or sending it back to the pool, then picking up another report would also be considered cherry picking. As a professional medical transcriptionist, you should treat each patient as if they were a relative or friend. No patient is more important than the other. Each patient deserves the best medical care possible. So, just because a dictation is unclear, does not mean that particular patient does not deserve the best in medical care.
Lastly, the main thing to remember when dealing with an unclear dictation is...."When in doubt, blank it out". You should only be transcribing things that you are 100% sure about. Never guess on things. Putting the wrong word or sentence can be dangerous. Putting the wrong name is a HIPPAA violation. So, it is always better to leave a blank when you are not able to make out that unclear dictation.
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