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Ctrl i in EXText for us MT's with TT gives a higher line count, because we do not get paid

Posted By: Ichart is the closest means we have of knowing our on 2007-07-07
In Reply to: When company does not allow CTRL i function to be used by its MT's. - I-chart is a means of finding out your line count

for everything that that function shows.  I-chart is as close to the exact amount of lines we get paid for than anything that we have.  Ctrl i was blocked from us, but lately opened up for us to use; however, it is not what we get paid for.  Hope this helps you.


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TT sent out email saying CTRL i function is 7-12% higher than paid-for line counts,

so you would need to deduct 7-12% off function of CTRL I.


Per TT email regarding this subject, the headers and footers average between 7-12% of a document . . .   Conversely, if you are transcribing a two to three line report/addendum, the header and footer may be as much as 50% or greater.


So, it is true that if we transcribe short reports, we are given the pleasure of transcribing almost FREE for TT !!!


This is about as clear as we MT's can get from TT regarding this line counting issue.


Is this a live count of lines paid for or same as CTRL I that we do not get paid for ?? nm
m
Ctrl I line count Ex-Text
No, people working on that system used to be able to see Ctrl I.  I guess multiple people across the board who now are getting their line counts at ICHART site complained when they did a Ctrl I and the line count was VERY different from the ICHART site count they were told to use.  Yes there can be a big discrepancy.  I wonder why no one can look at Ctrl I any more?  I wonder why they thought blocking it out would stop people from questioning things.  I think it only made it worse.  Any MT can and should use another source to count, whether it be Word, Sylcount or whatever, until they feel they are being counted fairly and equitably.  If they tell you you are not getting pain for Headers and Footers you should be able to figure this out by comparing their count to yours.  From 10,000 down to 8,000 is totally unacceptable and unbelievable.  Good luck to anyone with this problem.
I've been with places that disabled Ctrl/I as they said the line count given was "too high.
s
EXTEXT-LINE COUNT
Someone tell me how EX-Text word/line count calculates 10,000 lines and it results in 8,500 on company-end? Headers, demographics/footers count THAT much difference?
EXTEXT-line count

That is because you are not management, and that is who posted! 


I'd sure like to know how to get a great line count on ExText.
nm
ExText line count for individual reports? Is there a way? nm
 x
What companies give an accurate EXText line count?
Either an accurate count or the option to check your own!
I agree - hard to get decent line count with ExText...sm
Good to know other people are having the same issue as I thought I was just getting slower in my old age!  Seems like I can do almost twice as much with DocQScribe and escription.
Just checked line count for another GREAT Extext company
nm
You get paid for the whole line count in the report.

Only on QA do some companies (GRRR) pay for just a certain amount of lines or what you actually type in the blanks. 


VR is the same line count as text reports - and the whole report.  Hope this helps you.  You might want to check with your company to confirm though, lots of weird stuff going on with some of them;-)


Went from hospital to company using DQS, line count has definitely went down, don't get paid for
demographics even if we have to enter them in. I've put a lot more abbrev in my Expander since switching over to DQS to help compensate.
If Ichart deducts 8% from ExText line counts, you are actually not getting paid for spaces

It is the equivalent of a 70.2 character line with spaces, 65  characters without spaces. 


Using Ctrl-I, you can get the count
for previous days by changing your PC calendar date to whichever day you want the counts for. To do this, at the lower right corner of your PC (called the system tray), right click on the time displayed. Click Adjust Date/Time and change it to the date you wish to see counts for. Go back to EXText and run your counts using Ctrl-I. Remember to change your date back to the current date.
I thought it was because Ctrl+I gives you all of the ilne count, but since they do sm
not pay for headers or footers, the line count at the ichart site represented the subtraction of the lines for the headers and footers.  I could be wrong, but I thought that was how it was explained at the time. 
Ctrl+I counts headers and footers, but we don't get paid for that sm
and we don't type it in, in any case. The headers and footers usually have text that is a lighter color and these are embedded headers and footers. We get paid for the regular color text. You aren't being cheated in the least. Consider, I worked for a company where they charged the MT a 65 character line for every report, although the headers and footers compromised a whopping 30 to 40 characters. On a short report, you paid the company for the privilege of transcribing it!! Embedded headers are not things we transcribe, but ARE paid for what we DO type.

This 1.236 accounts for the headers and footers, on ICD1. Different accounts have different headers or lack thereof and so it varies.
WMX - line count. Was working along and noted line count accumulation (sm)

signed off the report I was typing.  Those lines didn't add immediately, but sometimes they do that.  What concerns me is that when I signed that job off and the next one came up, not only were the other lines not added in but they were LESS than they were before I signed off previous job.


I thought I noticed this happening the other day, but figured I just wasn't paying attention.  Today I definitely noticed it.  For some reason it changed it's mind and took 8 lines off my line count.  What the heck? 


Am not really ecstatic with the way things are going anyway  and then this confuses me. 


Please, someone have a realistic explanation so I don't feel paranoid and cheated here. 


In my Extext experience count was about 10% less than the Word count. nm
X
We could check our line counts up-to-the-minute with CTRL I inhouse n/m
b
Nice people, use ExText. Lack of communication with the higher ups and especially QA
s
Were the MTs let go older/higher-paid, and
.
Then company should set line count per day with incentives for above that. If get line count done
:[
In the past, they paid higher rates.
Those days are gone. When I worked there I started at 11 cpl. Soon after friends of mine applied and were hired, and benefits, including shift differentials, CMT bonus, etc., had gone away and pay had gone down. The bucks were there, but you had to hire on at the right time.
That is a higher line rate
than I make now.  Thank you for the info, I will apply with Medware this afternoon, they sound like a good company.  Where I am at now my supervisor rarely contacts us, only to say work more so a company like Medware that has nice people is what I am looking for.  Thank you again!
why do you all say they have higher line rates? sm
I applied there thinking they would offer me something competetive and I was offered 8 cpl for 6 years' experience. Not on your life.

I turned them down flat.
Higher line rates
When I was with MQ, I was making 9.75 cents a line, but I accepted a position with another company for 8.5 cents a line. The lines are easier to come by with this company, so it equaled out anyway. By the way, have 20 years experience. These companies only pay so much. What do you get per line?
Higher line rates
Yes, worked for the company MQ bought up for about 3 years before that. I left because I was not making money at MQ anymore, was working harder for less money with the cesspool and all, was making about 500.00 less a month. I am back where I was with MQ before all the changes financially, and really like the company I am with. I read on here that MQ was offering 12 cpl (I think) for people to come back. I got a few phone calls, but never called them back.
Who, besides FutureNet, hires IC higher than 0.09 per line?

Do any companies offer this pay rate anymore for ICs? 


I just left my old company, which I loved greatly, but they were bought out by another company and it went downhill FAST.  Didn't think I would be in this position for a long time of looking for a reputable company.


I have 12 years or more of actual work experience and very fast, always received 99% accuracy on audits (and they were tough audits - very strict).  Any suggestions would greatly be appreciated.


 


So this is higher line rate than MQ and 90% of the other MTSOs - sm
Lots of companies pay 2-3 cpl flat rate for editing. This is still a better deal.
Just curious...do they give you a higher line rate? nm

Yes to old reports! Their ExText has all the regular functions except line counts are done on line
s
Keystrokes has very few accts on line using ExText. Most use Cphones/2nd line. Lots of Rad
s
Line counts - the lower the line count requirements
the harder the account and problems with trying to get production off the platform the company uses.
I think they did, but you didn't get paid for anything that autopopulated. They use ExText. nm
s
NEVER believe the company line. Do line count for yourself.
p
Line Counts and EXText
I work for a company that uses Dictaphone EXText.  They deduct 30% off our total line counts for headers and footers, saying they will not pay for it because we do not type it.  Of course, we do type it and the template is very time consuming (looking up referrals, etc).  Do you think the headers and footers are 30% of the documents?  It does not sound right to me. 
Why Extext line counts are usually less
Most companies set up the line count to deduct a flat percentage which is supposed to guesstimate how much the headers and footers would be. I know - I used to work very closely with a top person for a very popular/unpopular company that is mentioned on here quite a lot. One of the reasons I left that company was because they used Extext to basically rip off their MT's. I have made my rounds with quite a few nationals and I would have to say that Extext is used in this way by most companies. They deduct a flat percentage. And by the way - counting spaces etc? Don't count on that either. The flat percentage that is deducted for headers and footers also is padded even more. It is a sad state of affairs. You can be certain that they charge the MTSO's a pile of money and it does not reflect in the MT's paycheck. I have my own clients now. Too much hassle with these companies ESPECIALLY those that use Extext which is the perfect format to rip off the MT's.
ExText line counts
I have heard so much about the line discrepancy with ExText and how it is cheating MTs on their lines.   Check your lines with Abacas or TextTally.   Very accurate counting systems and are free downloads.   Does anyone question this with the company or hospital?   It is pretty sad to spend 30 minutes on a long note and then see that you are getting paid for about 20 lines.   There are better companies out there who do not take away lines from MTs.   Ask if they use ExText and then RUNNNNNNNN.  Also, many companies will set up the system to give the minimum lines to the MTs but are charging their accounts the maximum.   Ask questions and ask for verification of your lines.  There are some good companies out there who are honest and fair.
As for line counts on ExText, sm....
that depends on the client and/or MTSO and how THEY configure it to count lines on THEIR END....My last job was on ExText with this client out of florida.....the MTSO had it to where that thing did NOT count spaces, headers, etc....it was SO HARD to get line counts on it, but of course, that was because of the dishonest, full of Indian filled, MTSO.
The percentage of offshoring is higher than 15%, much higher - sm
Two more points - the Indian transcriptionists seemed to get the easy American dictators while the US transcriptionists get the Indian doctors and other ESLs.  Never made sense to me.  Also, a poster said the work is QA'd before being sent to the client - not all the time and if was then QA needs better training. 
LIne count

I have had the same accounts for up to 15 years.  On my surgeons with even charging 12 cents a line I can often make $50 to $60 an hour with their consults.  I think it is fair.  They pay within 48 hours, never a bounced check, got $500 Christmas bonus.  I can do them in my sleep.    They never question my line counts.  It is 60 characters to a line and gross lines, not character count.  On a consult for breast cancer, that is 3 to 4 pages,  probably type 50 lines as the physical is so standard.  If I charged more I would feel like I was ripping them off.  I make a decent living and so  pass it onto them.   I gross over 11,000 lines per month with them and work 5 to 6 hours per week.   They like the smaller amount per line.   My other is a clinic that I have a lot of auto corrects set up and still make $35 an hour and so why charge them an arm and leg when I am making decent money.  My sub's make close to $25 an hour as they aren't quite as fast as I am and don't use as many quick corrects but at 8 to 9 cents they average 250 to 350 (psych reports) per hour.   So we are all happy.     Half way through the year I myself  have made $26,500.   And that is with a slow June. 


 


 


line count
I have always understood that gross line pay is better than character counted. This could be false, however, depending on font used and size of font, as well as the format of the report. Sorry, don't know info specific to Meditech's system, but have read "To convert Gross Lines to Net Lines multiply Gross Lines by .70." This obviously reduces gross lines by 30% to a net line count, but it does not make sense that this formula would be accurate all the time considering all the variables involved (those mentioned above as well as the fact that character counted net lines are not a standard 65, and could be whatever number the client has agreed to pay on).
line count
How can you get an exact count by Word? Even the different Word programs vary.
My line count
Some say that if you are not a high producer, you may actually do well with VR?  How true is that? Due to the summer, my line count is only in the 6 or 7000 range per pay period.  However, in the beginning of Sept, the kids will go  back to school and I will start working full time.  Given that there is full time work available to me, could I stand to actually make more money doing VR?
MQ line count
I've been on DQS for way over a year.  My line count has never improved and I am one the same account every day.  Join the class action and hopefully we will get our money eventually. 
OSi line count - sm
When I started there it was 198 lph...they have lowered it since I left. And why are they allowed to post jobs here? They outsource overseas!!! What happened to MTSTARS policy of not posting jobs from outsourcing companies?
Line Count
Sharon, I've been with TT for over a year and have never had a line count problem (and know it is correct because I know what I can transcribe per hour/day, and have been doing it consistently for years before coming to TT and since being with TT).  Are you new at TT?  If you are having a problem you should email Debbie about it, as she will be able to answer any questions you may have. 
Line Count
This may not be much help but I've worked for 2 years for TT and never had a problem.  Guess before TT I'd worked on just about every platform there is and been paid every way anyone could think of to pay; hourly, by the line, by the minute, per word, per 1000 words, by the page and maybe some others I've forgotten. Thus, I know what I produce forward and backward, don't need to check it, I KNOW when it's right and I'd KNOW if it was wrong.  Once before TT I was complaining to my husband that I absolutely was NOT making ANY money despite the fact that I was working 8 hours a day and that certainly my lines were not being recorded accurately.  Being the helpful person that he is, he suggested that I keep a log for a week of every minute I spent typing and every minute I was out of the chair and then take my log to administration.  To my horror, at the end of the first day, I found I had spent EXACTLY 2.5 hours of the 8 hours I was signed on actually working.  No wonder I wasn't making any money. (Not implying at all that this is the problem with your line count but it certainly was MY problem). Thereafter I parked my butt in the chair and it was amazing how my line count got accurate.
Line Count

I currently work for an oncologist and I do not get paid by the line, but rather a straight salary every month. Can some one tell me about how much typing is involved if expected to type 1800 lines per day??


Thanks


Tammie


Line Count
Thank you very much for the information