PSC Q603 — Medical Transcriptions

Overview

The Product Service Code (PSC) system standardizes how the U.S. federal government classifies goods and services in procurement records. PSC values are recorded in FPDS/SAM to describe what was purchased, supporting spend analysis, category management, and reporting. The Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual on Acquisition.gov is the official source for PSC definitions, structure, and maintenance; it provides the authoritative includes/excludes language used to determine the correct PSC for a procurement.¹

PSC Q603 is the code the PSC Manual assigns to medical transcription services — work performed by trained transcriptionists or medical language specialists to convert clinical dictation into formatted, structured medical records. The Manual distinguishes Q603 from general transcription and administrative transcription by specifying typical outputs (clinical reports, discharge summaries, H&P notes) and explicit exclusions; agencies apply Q603 in FPDS when medical transcription is the predominant deliverable on a contract or order.¹

What this PSC covers

• Medical transcription services performed by credentialed medical transcriptionists or medical language specialists, including editing and formatting of clinical dictation into final medical record documents.
• Onshore and offshore labor for transcription of clinical dictation where the primary product is a medical transcription deliverable.
• Creation and formatting of clinical documents such as discharge summaries, histories and physicals (H&P), procedure reports, operative notes, and consultation notes.
• Services that require medical terminology expertise, accuracy checks for clinical content, and adherence to healthcare documentation standards.
• Excludes general non‑medical transcription services and administrative transcription tasks; administrative transcription is classified under R603 and other non‑medical codes per the Manual’s excludes language.¹

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
PSC	Q601	Medical Coding & Auditing
PSC	Q602	Medical Records
PSC	R603	Support‑Administrative: Transcription

Notes: Related PSCs may appear on the same contract if distinct deliverables exist; agencies should select the PSC that best describes the predominant product or service for data element 8A in FPDS.²

Reporting & FPDS use

Agencies report the Product/Service Code in FPDS data element 8A and must select the PSC that most accurately identifies the predominant product or service procured on a contract, order, or task order. When medical transcription is the primary deliverable, use PSC Q603 for element 8A; FPDS guidance and the FPDS‑NG data dictionary explain how to determine the predominant product or service and apply PSC codes consistently across transactions.²

If multiple deliverables exist and no single PSC predominates, agencies should follow FPDS valuation guidance to assign the PSC representing the greatest portion of contract value or to use the appropriate combination of codes per agency reporting rules. For formal mapping or broader category alignment, consult the PSC Manual and any agency supplements or spreadsheets referenced by the Manual for crosswalks and guidance.¹

Frequently asked questions

• What specifically is included under PSC Q603?
  Q603 covers medical‑specialty transcription services performed by trained medical transcriptionists and medical language specialists, producing clinical documents (e.g., discharge summaries, H&P, procedure reports). The PSC Manual lists explicit excludes such as general non‑medical transcription and administrative transcription classified elsewhere.¹

• How should Q603 be entered in FPDS?
  Enter Q603 in FPDS as the Product/Service Code (data element 8A) when medical transcription is the predominant service on a contract or order. FPDS instructions require selecting the code that represents most of the contract value; see the FPDS data dictionary for element 8A rules.²

• Is there an official NAICS code mapped to Q603?
  Not specified by official sources ¹

• How does Q603 differ from R603?
  The PSC Manual distinguishes Q603 as medical‑specialty transcription (clinical documentation with medical terminology) while R603 covers support/administrative transcription for non‑medical or general administrative tasks; review the Manual’s includes/excludes to confirm classification on a per‑requirement basis.¹

Useful resources

• G2X — PSC Q603 overview (internal link).
• Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual (official): https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202025.pdf¹
• FPDS‑NG data dictionary — Product or Service Code (8A) (official): https://www.fpds.gov/wiki/index.php/V1.4_FPDS-NG_Data_Dictionary²

References

1. Acquisition.gov — Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual (April 2025). https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202025.pdf
2. FPDS.gov — V1.4 FPDS‑NG Data Dictionary (Product or Service Code / element 8A). https://www.fpds.gov/wiki/index.php/V1.4_FPDS-NG_Data_Dictionary