Best Practices to Ensure Transcription Confidentiality


Best Practices to Ensure Transcription Confidentiality
Beth Worthy

Beth Worthy

9/14/2015

Every transcription company has an obligation to maintain confidentiality for all parties involved. For example, when working with the health care industry, in particular, medical records by law cannot be made public. Any company using transcription services has a reasonable expectation that their information will not get in the wrong hands. Here are some best practices that transcription companies follow, when it comes to confidentiality.

Industry Ethics

Professionals in the transcription industry are trained to understand the ethics of the business. Credible firms make sure they hire trained professionals and not just anyone who responds to a classified ad. The better firms also require employees to sign a confidentiality agreement that they will not share files and documents inappropriately. Additionally, each transcriptionist needs to be monitored by a supervisor to make sure they do not leak information to outsiders.

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Keeping Data Fragmented

Data fragmentation is another key in which transcription companies assure clients that their data will not be compromised. The way it works is no one employee has complete access to any given file at one time. They may have to transcribe it in sections, or separate parts of the file may be issued to different transcriptionists.

Data Protection

The Data Protection Act has led to transcription services adopting strict policies for protecting sensitive information at all times. With SSL encryption software, it's possible to protect data on a website. The 256-bit SSL encryption standard allows communication between servers and browsers without the data being exposed to hackers.

Examples of Confidential Information

  • Anything relating to medical records
  • Proprietary business secrets
  • Information involving an ongoing criminal investigation
  • Responses in a deposition
  • Media interviews not yet available to the public
  • Financial information

Most of the transcriptionists understand that they are not allowed to share the work they do for clients with anyone in the public. Firms that want to build strong reputations with clients will not allow confidentiality to be compromised. Transcription services use solid safeguards to prevent breaches that they can clearly explain to clients. Employees understand that unauthorized disclosure of client documents is a serious offense that can result in termination.

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Beth Worthy

Beth Worthy

Beth Worthy is the Cofounder & President of GMR Transcription Services, Inc., a California-based company that has been providing accurate and fast transcription services since 2004. She has enjoyed nearly ten years of success at GMR, playing a pivotal role in the company's growth. Under Beth's leadership, GMR Transcription doubled its sales within two years, earning recognition as one of the OC Business Journal's fastest-growing private companies. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids.