The Medical Transcription Industry Association of the Philippines (MTIAPI) sustains its active promotion of the industry and the association in the US in its recent participation in the 78th American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Convention and Exhibit in Denver, Colorado, and Trade Mission in Chicago. Eight medical transcription companies represented MTIAPI where they met American hospitals’ health record managers, medical transcription service providers and vendors offering latest technologies. In its second year at AHIMA, the association achieved its main objectives of establishing stronger branding for the Philippines and linkages with relevant international association. MTIAPI was ably supported by CITEM, BOI, FTSC and CIDA’s PEARL2 Project.
The three-day event at the Colorado Convention Center was participated by Health Records, MS Global, People Support, Pilipinas Data, Rapid Data Services, SPi, Transkripsyo and Total Transcription Solutions, Inc., where more than 300 Health Information Management (HIM) professionals were entertained at the Philippines/MTIAPI booth and met at the forum.
Trade shows are ideal venues to get contacts but sales are not readily generated as constant follow-ups are required. One US Medical Transcription Service Organization (MTSO) met during the show, visited the Philippines the other week to meet with selected MT companies. The MTIAPI expects more leads to come as members’ directory were distributed and a video on the Philippine MT industry ran daily at the booth giving visitors a glimpse of the growing MT industry in the country. The MT forum was attended by US Medical Transcription Industry Association (MTIA) president Sean Carroll, American Association of Medical Trancriptionists (AAMT) executive director Peter Preziosi and SPi’s COO Dave Woodrow as resource speakers.
AHIMA is the premier association of health information management (HIM) professionals. AHIMA’s 50,000 members are dedicated to the effective management of personal health information needed to deliver quality healthcare to the public. It holds an annual national convention of its members where new skills and best practices are taught especially now that health information management is called upon to lead the US health-care industry’s transition to the electronic health record system. It is in this event where developments in coding, transcription, speech recognition and health management systems are launched.
In Chicago, the MTIAPI was represented by yours truly at the Philippine BPO Forum organized by the Philippine Trade Office at the World Trade Center Chicago. Visits to ambulatory clinic, hospice, rehabilitation center and hospitals were made in the Greater Chicago area. These ambulatory centers and hospices do not actually require direct MT services as nurses handle the health monitoring, medical supervision, therapeutic activities of outpatients and send their reports to doctors. However, opportunity arises for companies offering electronic health record system as most of them still maintain manual health records of patients. Important to note is the assistance of Fil-Am doctors and nurses in arranging the mission’s appointments. Our Filipino medical practitioners in the US serving as directors in hospitals and clinics as well as officers of doctors’ associations can be tapped to promote the capability of Philippine firms to provide medical transcription services.
The MTIAPI will continue marketing the Philippines as ideal offshore destination for quality MT services in fora and exhibits to provide such benefits to its members, now totaling 70 companies consisting of MT service organizations and MT training institutions. The association and DTI are planning to organize a trade mission to the Philippines where hospital administrators, officers of medical associations, MT service providers will be invited to see for themselves outsourcing opportunities in the country.
