In Sept. 2009 alone, the FDA approved 126 prescription medications for the market, either as entirely new drugs or under new labels. Consider that this is only the latest round of approvals. Consider that there are literally thousands of medications that can be purchased at retail pharmacies in the U.S. Consider that there are thousands more than can be simply picked up in any grocery store "Personal Care" section. How can a doctor or a practice possibly keep track of all of the potential interactions (and allergies) for each patient, considering that patients may be taking a lengthy list of prescribed and over-the-counter drugs, while also possibly eating foods that have an impact on how medications work? Read more...

EuroInvestor is reporting that BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee will use automated calls to provide interactive health and wellness calls to members.
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Cheaper, smaller, and more powerful computer technologies. Financial pressure to see more patients. More stringent reporting requirements for physicians (including the looming transition to EMR). Advances in telecommunication.

All had an impact on medical transcription over the past decade. However, while more options for recording patient visits are available, most small medical practices continue to operate pretty much they way they always have: talk in to a recorder, send off the recording to a transcriptionist or transcription company, and receive what was spoken back in a written document.
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