Most medical transcription is now home based with your employer and supervisor in a different part of the country if not in a different part of the world. Most communication done with your transcriptionists is through instant messaging, email, or phone conversations. Body language and facial expressions cannot be translated by the words we type and therefore someone may get the wrong impression. If an employee thinks they are not doing as well as they actually are, this can lead to them being to afraid or embarrassed to ask questions or lower productivity. They also may be afraid to ask a question if they think the answer is so simple they fear a reprimand with their answer such as “Didn’t you learn this in Medical Terminology?” Below are some steps you can take to maintain an open online environment with your transcriptionists:

• Stress the importance of asking questions no matter how mundane they may be. I’m sure we all know what it is like to have a word right on the tip of our tongue but it escapes us for some reason. The knowledge is there; sometimes it just needs a little push now and then.
• Be available. The popular instant messengers (AIM, Windows Live, and Yahoo) all have the option of signing in but remaining invisible to your buddy list. If you stress the importance of asking questions, make sure you are available on messenger, and visible, to answer them.
• Answer email in a timely fashion. If for some reason an MT does not have a messenger service, they will more than likely communicate with email. If they are asking questions through email, make sure you answer in a timely manner. It will not do anyone any good if a question is answered three days after being asked.
• Choose your typed words carefully. In an age where almost anything is possible electronically, there is still not a way to get an email or instant message back after it is sent. Even if you have to explain the same thing three different ways, do so in a manner that does not belittle or offend.
• Phone Conversations. If you give your transcriptionists a phone number to call you for questions or problems, they will generally start the conversation with “I’m sorry to bother you”. Go to a quiet area for the conversation and let them know they are not interrupting anything even if they are. You are the one that gave them your number to contact you.

How you implement the above is, of course, up to you. Maintaining an open environment is not equivalent to a lax environment. Adhering to strict rules is always a must for any employer. However, if you have an open environment in which your employees are not afraid to approach you then you will also have more productive employees which will lead to a better bottom line for everyone.