What is Verbatim Transcription? 4 Facts to Know

/2 Comments/in /by Karla Ellison

When it comes to including recorded statement transcription as part of a company’s claims process, it is important to know which style of transcription a company provides and what their accountability standard is for their transcribers. Understanding what the process is and what it involves is the first step in finding a firm that suits your department’s unique needs.

Here are four facts to know about verbatim transcription.

#1: Verbatim Transcription is Important and Includes Every Little Detail

The first thing you really need to know about verbatim transcription is that it includes everything that is said on the audio file. This means that any false starts, fillers, pauses, and repetitions are included in the text. Even grammatical errors, stutters, and repetitions are written down in textual format.

For insurance companies, this can be very important. Cases where an insured or claimant is providing a false statement can sometimes be detected through their speech patterns and their choice of wording—items that may not be picked up through a clean transcription that has been edited to include only content. These documents may later even be used as evidence in court or when presenting a fraud case to law enforcement.

#2: There Are Multiple Types of Verbatim Transcription

While many people think that all verbatim transcription is the same, it is not. In fact, there are two different types that are commonly offered throughout the industry: true verbatim and verbatim.

True verbatim includes everything on the audio file, such as background noise and laughter. It also includes various non-verbal communications that make a difference in how the information is conveyed instead of just the words used. For example, a sigh or pause can project a different value than a giggle or whine. Even a smile during a statement can be detected through tone of voice. While nonverbal elements cannot be captured through either type of verbatim transcription, all verbal cues are included.

Basic verbatim involves transcribing what was said, but with a minor amount of editing. Often, this includes taking out “uhs” and “ums” and other various sounds that don’t necessarily change the information being given. However, basic verbatim still includes as much of the actual information as possible.

Both styles are fairly common throughout the transcription industry. Deciding which one suits your needs usually depends on the overall information you want to capture and the reason why you are having a transcription done in the first place.

#3: Verbatim Transcription Providers Have to Pay Attention to Detail

Attention to detail is vital when it comes to verbatim insurance transcription. Those converting audio files to text have to have a keen ear for virtually every small sound that comes through a file. In some cases, this even means listening several times to ensure the final document is as complete as possible.

It takes years of experience to become a successful verbatim transcriptionist. Voice recognition technology is improving every day, but the technology is still not at the point where it can completely replace a trained human ear so editors or scopists are still necessary.

Most quality transcription providers have rigorous standards and accountability procedures that they use to ensure nothing is missed. Transcribers and editors also have to be familiar with certain industry terms and jargon for what industry they are transcribing for and continuously looking to increase their knowledge about a particular subject.

#4: Many Industries Utilize Verbatim Transcription

While Allegis focuses on transcribing recorded statements from the insurance industry, transcription of text in a verbatim fashion is actually utilized by a wide range of niches. Usually, these are areas where having clear facts presented in a complete, unedited fashion is essential. Medical teams, legal firms, and other similar companies all utilize this transcription type.

At Allegis Transcription, we understand how important quality verbatim transcription is to our clients.  With nearly three decades of experience with insurance transcription, we understand the unique needs of the industry and how a recorded statement is converted to text. In addition, we score our transcribers to ensure they maintain, at minimum, a 98% accuracy rate, allowing us to provide our customers with the best service possible.

Why Verbatim Transcription Matters

/4 Comments/in /by Karla Ellison

Verbatim transcription is a unique type of transcription where every utterance – every “um,” “ah,” false start, stutter, repetition, grammatical error, and partial word – is reproduced in written format.

This means a verbatim transcript reads just how the recording sounds. A transcriptionist seeks to turn the spoken word into text, most accurately reflecting what was said.

Recorded statement transcripts are almost always verbatim style. Steven Kerry Brown defines a recorded statement as a, “voice tape recording made by a witness covering facts and/or the witness’s recollection of the pertinent incident.”

Adjusters and insurance special investigators typically take statements and it does not matter if they are taken in person or over the phone.

 

Uses for Verbatim Transcription

A recorded statement is a key piece of evidence in the investigation of a claim. Subrogation and special investigation (SIU) professionals typically put in the requests to have a statement transcribed.

A subrogation professional might prepare a claim file to be submitted to arbitration, and having a transcript included as a piece of evidence often adds significant value and credibility to the file. As Hector Quiroga, a law professional, points out, he has seen many cases in which arbitrators will rule in favor of a better documented file.

The most common use for recorded statement transcripts is in claim files used for inter-company arbitration.

Arbitration Forums is the most popular group of insurance arbitration professionals, and provides a neutral panel of claims professionals to hear cases. The organization offers arbitration through a number of different forums, including auto, PIP, and property forums, to name a few.

Insurers might also use verbatim transcripts as an exhibit in court.

 

Every Word Matters

This style is important for interviews where the way in which something is said is just as important as the content of what is being said.

Claims professionals can often pick up on valuable information based on certain sighs, stutters, pauses and other utterances the interviewee produces and it takes a skilled transcriptionist to accurately reproduce all the utterances of an interviewee.

Having every utterance reproduced in typed format can help a fraud investigator more easily identify areas of the case to devote greater attention to. For example, if the interviewee stutters more and uses more filler words (perhaps indicating nervousness) when explaining who was driving their car at the time of the accident, perhaps the interviewee is attempting to distort the truth.

Transcribing verbatim style can be quite a challenge and still requires human expertise. The adjuster and interviewee might speak over one another, accents can be difficult to understand, and poor recording quality can complicate the transcription process.

7 Tips for Hiring a Verbatim Transcription Company

/0 Comments/in , /by Tyler Marshall

Hiring a verbatim transcription team to handle your firm’s recorded statements is an important part of the claims process. However, finding a provider that meets the exact needs of your company doesn’t have to be a difficult task. Consider these seven tips when looking around.

#1: Ask Whether They Do True Verbatim or Clean Verbatim Transcription

In some cases, the manner in which something is said is far more important than the words that are used. With insurance claims, this could not be more important. During a recorded statement, an insured or claimant is often conveying their side of the story. Inflection, emotion, and even brief pauses can make that information translate differently on paper—which can make a big difference during litigation or arbitration proceedings.

Companies transcribing in “clean verbatim” style remove brief utterances (“uhms,” “ahs”), filler phrases, and false starts. True verbatim transcription includes all these elements, which are quite important to the claims investigation and arbitration process.

Ask any transcription company you are considering hiring which one of these two process they offer or even if they provide a choice between them.

#2: Determine How Secure Their Data Security Protocols Are

Another thing to consider when deciding between providers is how secure their data protocols are. In this day and age, identity theft is a huge problem among large corporations—and insurers are definitely not immune. Very personal details of both insureds and claimants are revealed during a recorded interview, and turning those audio files over to a company that doesn’t have a data security plan in place can be detrimental to your business, should a data breach ever occur.

Be sure to also ask how long they keep audio files before securely deleting them. Some insurance transcription companies hold these recordings for months or even years, which can leave your firm unprotected against data theft if there is ever a large scale breach.

(Hint: Allegis Transcription offers top-notch enterprise-grade security procedures in place to protect the sensitive data of our clients.)

#3: Request Information on the Average Transcript Turnaround Time

Time is money in the insurance industry. Sometimes, getting a transcription file back in a reasonable timeframe can make a huge difference, such as when a file is about to go to arbitration or when you are up against a tight deadline.

Finding out that your new verbatim transcription company takes weeks and not days to return a document to you when you’re on a strict schedule can be incredibly frustrating. Thus, it is vital to ask about this part of the process before deciding to hire a particular translation company.

(Hint: At Allegis, our average turnaround time on transcription files is about four days. However, we also offer priority and rush services to ensure you have a document returned in as little as four hours.)

#4: Ask Whether They Can Handle Your Volume Level

Whether you have only a handful of transcriptions per month or several thousand, it is important to ask any firm you are considering if they can handle your particular volume level. Many companies offering insurance transcription online aren’t fully equipped or staffed for taking on large orders, which can create a huge issue as your company and transcription needs grow. Find one that meets your current order level now, but can also keep up with your volume in the future.

(Hint: At Allegis, we produce an average of 150,000 verbatim-style pages per month for our clients and are comfortable handling a wide range of order volumes.)

#5: Find Out Their Experience with the Claims Industry

There’s no doubt that insurance transcription is its own special niche.  One of the most important things to consider when hiring a verbatim transcription firm is what their level of experience with the industry entails. Find out whether or not they are familiar with industry jargon, claims protocol, and procedures. If they aren’t skilled in working with insurance claims specifically, it might be time to consider someone else.

(Hint: The insurance industry is Allegis Transcription’s primary focus. In fact, we work with some of the biggest carriers in the P&C industry.)

#6: Inquire How Long They’ve Been in Business

It is also important to inquire how long the transcription company has been in business. While some of the methods utilized today in verbatim transcription are state-of-the-art—instant uploads, digital files, secure backup, etc.—the industry has actually been around for many, many years. If they’ve only been open for a short amount of time, consider working with a firm that has more experience to ensure you’re getting the best possible service.

(Hint: Allegis has been in business for nearly two decades.)

#7: Ask What Their Accuracy Standard is for Verbatim Transcription

Accuracy is extremely important when it comes to recorded statement transcription—especially verbatim files. Ask any company you are considering what their accuracy standard is for their transcriptionists. Do they regularly review files? What is their internal filtering process like? With the insurance industry being so high stakes, it is really important to work with a transcription provider who takes accuracy very seriously.

(Hint: Allegis Transcription has a very high 98% standard for our verbatim recorded statement transcriptions. Find out more here.)

Finding the right verbatim transcription provider takes a little time and effort. However, keeping these seven tips in mind will ensure you hire the right one for your needs.