Guest guest Posted February 20, 2003 Report Share Posted February 20, 2003 Ethics in Medical Transcription A. Ireland, CMT Have you ever given a close look at ethical dilemmas as they pertain to the medical transcriptionist (MT)? They may seem somewhat obscure to many of us, but if we were to examine our careers in depth, we could all come up with at least one instance that has stumped us, albeit temporarily.·Take the MT who, while transcribing a young woman's H & P, called out to her co-workers, " Hey, this 24-year-old woman is gravida 12, para 2! " Laughter ensues. The supervisor happens to be walking by at just that time. What to do? Have a staff meeting or let it go? ·An MT overheard her neighbors discussing the sad plight of another neighbor's son who had recently been admitted to rule out meningitis. The MT knew he had been proven to have something else because she had transcribed his records. What to do? Correct this erroneous gossip or let it go? ·The MT supervisor of a transcription firm is asked by her boss to falsify the monthly production numbers so he can make the operation look good to his board of directors. What to do? Make her boss happy? Risk being fired by refusing? ·An MT gives notice to the rather shaky transcription firm for which he has been working. They reply by demanding the company-owned laptop before giving him his final check. What to do? Give back the laptop and risk never getting paid? Keep the only collateral he has, demanding the final check be paid before turning over the equipment? ·While transcribing a chart note, you realize it is being dictated on a cousin's wife who is being diagnosed with metastatic carcinoma. What to do? Confide in your closest relatives so they can be appropriately supportive at this difficult time or let it go? ·At work while your doctor is dictating a patient’s chart note he includes insulting information about a nurse of his (someone you know, of course). He tells about her inappropriate care of his patient and the disciplinary actions to be taken. What to do? Transcribe as dictated in the patient’s chart note? Not transcribe it? Transcribe it in a separate document?The six scenarios above are real situations that happened to real MTs. What would you do? How would you solve these ethical dilemmas? Let us hear your comments; post them on our Bulletin Board below, which can also be found at http://www.advanceforhim.com/Common/bulletinboard/forumlisting.aspx under the heading of MT Ethics. A. Ireland has been in medical transcription since 1968 and has been a part-time instructor of medical terminology and medical transcription for much of that time. She is from San , TX. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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