A study on the pervasiveness of offshoring of labor-intensive acitivities

What is it about?

In doctors' offices and hospitals, doctors dictate notes into a recording device. The transcripts of these notes become important parts of patient medical records. This study examines the ongoing and massive outsourcing of medical transcription activities to India and to other low-wage nations.

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Why is it important?

There is somewhat of an accordion or yo-yo effect in outsourcing and offshoring in general. Some activities are being "inshored" back to USA even as large scale offshoring continues. This and similar studies look at offshoring of services that are time-critical and privacy-sensitive. There is need to look at all these processes from various angles (including the offshore locations) to get a good conceptual grip on these globalization phenomena.