Have You Heard that the American Association for Medical Transcription is Now Known as AHDI: Are There Differences?

December 31, 2009 by Susan Eliot
Filed under Blogging

The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI), formally known as the AAMT was first established in the year 1978. This group is the foundation upon which the entire career of the medical transcriptionist stands. If it weren\’t for the AAMT, medical transcription jobs would not be as dignified as they are.

Shortly after the American Association for Medical Transcription was founded, it created the certification program in 1981. It is pretty obvious that the AAMT is what makes medical transcription jobs possible. It\’s conceivable that there would still be jobs out there for the transcriptionist, but they wouldn\’t have the meaning they do now. Furthermore, if it weren\’t for the certification program, the people who work in this career field would not have quality skill. It\’s also very likely that the pay scale of this profession would be dramatically lower. In other words, it wouldn\’t be considered a profession, but a regular job.

The transition from AAMT to AHDI took place on August 2nd, 2006. It was the House of Delegates\’ decision to make this change because they thought it would be very beneficial to broaden the objectives of the program. The goal was to widen the horizons of the association and view it in a different and more positive light. Instead of maintaining the old views, the new decision focuses on opening this particular part of the healthcare industry up to a broader number of people in the healthcare industry.

Basically, the name change was declared to help inspire growth toward the medical industry as a whole. One thing for certain is that transcription jobs have gained a much better and more popular reputation since the change took place. It doesn\’t take a lot to be convinced of the fact that medical transcription makes up for a large fraction of the healthcare industry.

When a person who is interested in becoming a medical transcriptionist wants a job, the AHDI is the organization they need to check in with. An individual can find all of the information they need to know about certification, standards, guidelines, accredited schools, etc. at ahdionline.org. The great thing is that most transcription jobs will not hire unless you attend an AHDI-approved school. Why is that so great? Because it signifies that you have received the highest-quality education available.

Employers want to know that the person they are hiring knows what they are doing. Not only that, they want to know that the work they do is the best in the business. It\’s hard to believe but there are certification and degree programs out there that are not recognized by the AHDI, and those are the ones that you want to stay away from. There is no doubt that you will still be able to learn a thing or two about the transcription business, but remember, there is always a reason why the program isn\’t recognized.

The AAMT (or AHDI) is what helps hold the transcription sector of the healthcare industry together. They even have their own handbook and their own code of ethics. If there is something you need to know or cannot quite get a handle on about anything having to do with medical transcription at all, you can consult the AHDI because all the info is there.

Susan Eliot is an excellent resource in this field and is the authority when it comes to medical transcription jobs. She owns and operates her own transcription business and knows first hand all the details about the American Association for Medical Transcription.