Whether you need legal, medical, or general business transcription, the three most important factors to evaluate when choosing a dictation service are turnaround time, accuracy, and security.

The standard dictation service offers 24 to 48 hour turnaround. Many also offer STAT service, which provides 1, 2, or 4 hour turnaround.

How does time of day impact the delivery schedule? If you submit your dictation at 8 pm for STAT transcription, will it get the immediate attention you need? Or will it be queued up until the following morning?

How do they backup their guarantee? If they return transcriptions late, do they give you a discount? Or not charge you for them?

Do different types of notes have different times?

Accuracy

Inaccurate transcriptions are worse than no transcriptions at all: serious mistakes can endanger patients' well-being or jeopardize legal agreements. The dictation service you choose should employ transcriptionists with significant experience in your field, as well as quality assurance (QA) staffers to double check transcripts before they are released.

For web-based communication, the industry standard for security is 128-bit SSL security. If the dictation service uses another method of communication, ask what steps they take to make sure it's secure. Sending unencrypted files over regular email is not a secure method of transferring your audio files or the resulting transcription.

Physical security is important as well. Ask each dictation service you speak with what measures they take to ensure the security of your data at their locations: careful employee screening and tracking is essential.