BPO boys may have to attend classes

NEW DELHI: In what would be one of the first instances of adoption of global certification standards for training by the BPO industry in India, American Association of Medical Transcription (AAMT) and American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), are together launching two certification exams — the Registered Medical Transcriptionist (RMT) and the Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) here.

“The RMT is for entry level professionals and we will be launching this in India soon, in partnership with Thomson Prometric, who will be conducting the exams. The AMT test is already being conducted in India across nine locations.

These are both computer-based, high-security tests and include a tough audio section too — which have been developed by Thomson Prometric,” Peter Preziosi, executive director of AAMT, told ET.

“In the US, we are also working towards making these certifications mandatory for industry professionals, instead of voluntary. That will help the fragmented medical transcription industry to set standards and also cut down on training and hiring costs,” he adds.

Transcription industry bodies in the US are also working towards launching an approver programme for educational and training institutes, which may later be extended to India too.

“In India, as well as the US, there’s a big shortage of medical transcription professionals, who are trained according to industry requirements and we feel there is an opportunity to create new learning models in this space, which Nasscom pegs at $220-240m in terms of revenues in India,” feels Preziosi.

Significantly, medical transcription, which is one of the oldest BPO segments in India, has received a shot in the arm from the US Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

“In the US, medical transcription has become a career of choice for young and single parents, who need flexi-time and want to work out of home.

Besides, healthcare professionals like nurses too, are sometimes opting to leave hospital assignments and get into MT. In India, this sector could even provide a second job for healthcare professionals and doctors,” says Preziosi.