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I totally ageee with that. I was so [2008-09-05]
mad thinking I was making a few cents, only to turn around and erase everything he said; many, many lines each time. I think we should get paid for typing it, regardless. I am going to check.
Thanks to ALL of you.
I agree with Belle01. You are not alone. [2008-09-04]
Prayers and hugs to you. I feel your pain. I hope we ALL get through this.I do not think it is fair thatsome MT's get to be happy and some are miserable. Just not right.Bad management.
I agree that MQ needs to keep their staff happy. If you watch the video on QTube [2008-09-04]
at MQCentral and go toTown Hall Meeting (4th one down), he states that for the last three years the company has tried to grow.He stateswe NEED ALL U.S. MT's and wants to Higher every MT we can domestically every month. He also states, Supply declining in the US and we LOVE AND NEED ALL OF OUR DOMESTIC TRANSCRIPTIONISTS IN THE U.S. AND WOULD LOVE TO GET MORE. He also states, We have an active recruiting program andlook to find ways to higher more transcriptionists. The company should focus on how to keep the MT's they have.GET A CLUE.
He also states that MQ has about 40-50 MILLION sitting in a bank. Well then, start giving out raises to the MT's every year, especially the MT's who have not had a raise in 5-10 YEARS. My gosh, GET A CLUE. Then the company would not have to spend money and find more ways on how to higher more MTs. TRY AND KEEP THE ONES YOU HAVE. The Board of Directors allget raises EVERY YEAR PLUS HUGE, HUGE BONUSES and if it was not for us MT's, ME's, QA's, they would not be making the money they are making. It makes me sick to my stomach even writing this. Sorry for misspelled words. Gotta go.
I agree that MQ needs to keep their staff happy. If you watch the video on QTube [2008-09-04]
at MQCentral and go toTown Hall Meeting (4th one down), he states that for the last three years the company has tried to grow.He stateswe NEED ALL U.S. MT's and wants to Higher every MT we can domestically every month. He also states, Supply declining in the US and we LOVE AND NEED ALL OF OUR DOMESTIC TRANSCRIPTIONISTS IN THE U.S. AND WOULD LOVE TO GET MORE. He also states, We have an active recruiting program andlook to find ways to higher more transcriptionists. The company should focus on how to keep the MT's they have.GET A CLUE.
He also states that MQ has about 40-50 MILLION sitting in a bank. Well then, start giving out raises to the MT's every year, especially the MT's who have not had a raise in 5-10 YEARS. My gosh, GET A CLUE. Then the company would not have to spend money and find more ways on how to higher more MTs. TRY AND KEEP THE ONES YOU HAVE. The Board of Directors allget raises EVERY YEAR PLUS HUGE, HUGE BONUSES and if it was not for us MT's, ME's, QA's, they would not be making the money they are making. It makes me sick to my stomach even writing this. Sorry for misspelled words. Gotta go.
Agree. New CEO's background managed onshore and offshore productivity. What does that tell you?n [2008-09-04]
x
I agree. [2008-09-04]
This is exactly why I quit. What makes it worse, I think, are the lies told when they first hire you...like hours are flexible for one. You are also right, now I will get negative replies.
But totally worth it!!! (nm) [2008-09-04]
x
I agree: who made BOS "God," anyway? nm [2008-09-02]
x
I have to agree. ASR is EQUALLY as dangerous... [2008-08-27]
as canned text; however, we are being told weCANNOT use canned text (which will increase our salaries), but we MUST use ASR (which will decrease it). They are both tools, equally as effective, equally as dangerous, but we can only use the one that benefits MQs bottom line. Nice.
good one and agree. nm [2008-08-27]
nm
I totally agree. I don't post often...-sm [2008-08-26]
but I feel that this needs to be said. There were times back in the good ole days that I could do 6000 lines in one day (not a typo) when I really needed the money and there was one of the great bonuses out. I could regularly do 400 lines an hour with most report types, and 500 lines an hour with ERs. My bonus rate was WELL over $30 an hour, and that was including the time I had to take to send in my reports every hour, etc.
I once again repeat that not only the company devalues our skills, but so do we. A good medical Transcriptionist is WAY MORE than just a typist. To prove this point, I will once again point out that I am now in my third year of medical school, less than 24 months away from my M.D. I am doing this while working two jobs (both as a transcriptionist), which of course leaves very little time to study. I am one of the top 10 students in my class. I have passed the USLME (United States Medical Licensing Exam) essetially without studying (I have friends who have failed 3 times already). And all of this is based upon the knowledge I have gleaned from being a transcriptionist.
If the company is going to insist on making this a minimum-wage job, then I think all of us highly-educated, dedicated professional transcriptionists should move into other fields, such as M.D., P.A., R.N., etc., where our skills are valued, and leave the field to the other minimum-wage earners (burger-flippers., etc.) who generally cannot put a complete sentence together.
I agree we deserve a decent living wage [2008-08-25]
But I do not agree with short changing the client to get it. If you aren't making it at one job, move on. And no, if MQ loses accts it is because the clients did not get what they want. the bottom line is your responsibility to perform the job you were hired for, not the job you want to do. If, indeed, MQ loses the clients, they will have to sit up and take notice.
I actually agree with you to a certain extent [2008-08-21]
this job allowed which made the fact that we never receive cost of living raises, but rather continual cut in pay is history as well. Hello!! We have to clock in our own living rooms (or spare bedroom..or garage..wherever your office is)..and are kept to an extremely tight 8 hour per day schedule, even though we are paid by production. So that argument went out the window with E-time and the 25 chiefs I answer to.
I agree [2008-08-20]
We were told to send support info about ASR not learning, etc.. but since I can't seem to find out how to contact support and don't get paid to do this, I guess I won't be sending them an e-mail or calling. .
Totally agree... (nm) [2008-08-15]
!
I agree [2008-08-14]
Common sense would almost tell you to check it but if they never explained it to us properly say in an email whenever people were trained on it not everyone would know the proper way of signing off. I was told about it in docuscribe training session but I guess that could have been missed by some since those sessions can be somewhat boring.Since being on docuscribe now for about 4 years I have never really heard so much about it as I am lately. I would hear aboutit here and there a while back but not to this extent. Maybe more newbies not knowing about it is causing more of this to happen??
I agree [2008-08-14]
one of my exsupervisors sent an email out stating that you should not be logged in to etime while notphysically typing. it was as descriptive to say you should not be eating at the computer askeystrokesare counted while you are logged into docuscribe and E time and it couldlower your pay rate such as for pto. This was after he found out people were being logged in for 8 hours but actually working only 5 hours!This was about 6 months after statutory turned employees. I do not know about the rest of you but every 6 months my PTO rate is either a little higher or lower than before so after those experienceswhat is thebig deal about logging offbecause like you said you are not typing the whole time. I am just replayingthe voice pedal and maybe filling in a blank.
I agree. I'll leave pretty much the second my paycheck declines, but not before. [2008-08-08]
nm
agree [2008-08-06]
I agree with you. So many comments have been made about clients not caring if it is done offshore. My experience is physicians are for the most part very very picky about their work. My Quality Assurance Lead is constantly sending E-mails on specific complaints and specific requests made by individual doctors on how they want their work done. If there notes are not accurate, it could be a liability for them if taken to court, and the last thing they want to do is spend their extra time proofing their notes as they would prefer to send that extra time with the patient. They want a service that will save them that time by having confidence in the services quality of work generated to them. For the most part, they do care and want the most accurate work done for them. I worked in-house for many years for a facility of over 400 physicians and dealt with doctors on a daily basis picking apart the littlest errors in their work aiming for complete accuracy. If accounts go to Cbay and are done in India, I hope they have pretty darn good QA specialists.
I agree [2008-08-05]
Just days before the major cut backs, first lower management, then QA, their jobs were secure asper upper management. Days later, they were gone. QA was not even given the choice to remain with the company as an MT. Oh yeah, I believe him, NOT!
I agree with this. [2008-08-05]
What else is there to do. Why not give it a try. My pay has already decreased and should notcontinue. The latest email from MQ does not state who CEO would be and from the article below, it is Kumar along with the other five proposed directors that was mentioned in the email and in the article below.Also some parts of the article below was also in the MQ email. That bothers me. Ialso will takeemails.
http://www.hemscott.com/news/static/rna/item.do?newsId=65753801837046
So agree [2008-08-05]
It's not worth the effort, only to get kicked in the teeth by MQ in the end. In my SA, I've found bonuses and extra hours appear, when one account is really behind, and they expect other caught-up account ppl to be on the clean-up committee. Lost my manure shovel!!!
I agree. MQ has to be losing MTs because there is no way to make money - [2008-08-05]
not the way we used to before the national pool and the ASR cuts plus the bonus cuts. I think this is the result of mass exit of American MTs who need to make more money to keep up with the cost of living and realized things are not going to change at MQ and in fact could get worse.
I agree with this post.. [2008-08-04]
That is an incredible story of mistranscription with nothing being done about it. Perhaps when the lawsuits start taking some of the savings they are getting on outsourced work, the hospitals/clinics will see the light and bring it back home where it belongs.
It is very sad to see the state of affairs across the board in this country due to outsourcing of everything, it seems. A modicum of CEOs and MBAs have systematically destroyed this county from sheer greed. I am sure they will have enough money to take care of their extended families but the rest of us will have to be inventive in our own survival.
ditto - agree with you 100% [2008-07-31]
Good insight......very good insight......I agree 100%. That is why I just sent my supervisor a note telling her my time is limited here. What an insult to us qualified, skilled MTs. It's a very sad day for all of us.
Padding [2008-09-05]
Re: ...Repeating PMH again when it was dictated that way can be construed as padding...
I was told by QKL that it is only considered padding when YOU ADDWORDS that are not dictated. Is this correct or is it just another *depending on how individual QA looks at it* thing? This was addressed by me with QKL when a particular QA person was adding/changing things to make the sentence read better and so when I started doing this another QA changed these things back to the way originally dictated, making me totally confused.
Not bashing QA, I appreciate what you do, just a question that has been bugging me.
I hear you 100% [2008-09-05]
I agree that dictating physicians need to take more responsibility and be more aware of how it is affecting the MTs...but I seriously doubt that is ever going to happen.
I have one DP routinely that is a habitual delete that delete that..and she says oh sorry, sorry over and over. It almost makes me feel sorry for her because she obviously is in pain trying to get it all spit out. LOL. I've learned by now though what is going to happen...so I always listen ahead before I delete anything because I know invariably she may put it all back in. What I sometimes do if she is really struggling, is to put in the @markers to set it off@ before deleting anything and then proof before completion and take out anything that really needs taking out.
Supply & Demand [2008-09-04]
It's truly about supply and demand. Right now they seem to have both. But the tide will turn (or is already), and when they've totally spent their last dime on these speech gadgets they'll likely need us again.
That's when we'd be just total fools to not stick it right back at them.
You are one of the lucky ones....sm [2008-09-03]
I am happy for you, really I am, so please don't be upset with me when I say that I can't understand how you can't understand the negative posts.
You make a great line rate here with 10 cents, but as you can see from some of these other posters, many MTs are making 7 cents for doing tier 3 work. You may also have some of the good ASR accounts where your production is increased enough to make as much as, or more, with ASR than with straight transcription. But please understand that your situation with MQ is not the norm, but rather the exception. You are also very lucky to have a flexible schedule that you chose... I don't know how you managed to get that luxury as most of us had to set a schedule and stick to it no matter what, but I'm happy for you that you can have the flexiblity.
I would probably stand right beside you in not understanding the negative posts if those who were posting them were making 10 cpl and had great ASR dictators and were still complaining that they wanted more, more, more or weren't getting all they wanted, then I wouldn't understand their negative posts and would wonder what they had to complain about.
But if some day your 10 cpl is dropped down to 8.5 because that is now the highest MQ will pay, your primary account doesn't renew its contract, and you are thrown into the worst of the worst dictators that you've ever heard in the cesspool, so now you can't make decent line counts which diminishes your bi-monthly paycheck and virtually destroys your chance of getting enough extra lines to earn a bonus -- if and when that day comes, I'm sure you'll then understand what the negative posts are all about.
Like I said, I'm not coming down on you, I'm really happy that you are doing well, just don't belittle these posters who have lost a lot over the years with MQ. It's not their imagination, it's what happened and it's real, it just hasn't happened to you yet.
How do I know? I'm one who used to do very well with MQ. I worked for over 13 years here, made just over 9 cpl, was pulling down 15,000-20,000 lines a pay period without breaking a sweat. My primary account got flooded with MTs who had lost their primary and were placed on it, and there wasn't enough work to go around, so began the spiral down with my paycheck. Sure, I was still making a good line rate, but with the cesspool, the ASR, and tons of unfamiliar work, I went from doing over 300-400 lph to barely making minimum 150 lph and possibly losing my benefits. I had to move on. It took several months, but I finally found a better job.
I totally understand their negative posts. What I don't understand is how people can't find the compassion to lend an ear or offer a kind word to those who are not as fortunate as them. JMHO.
HELP! What's the protocol? [2008-09-02]
Myregion is obviously out of work this morning, and I am receiving work from other regions, and of course, each and every report is from a different site, which, in turn, takes forever to read each and every CP, so ofcourse myproduction is going to totallyblow!!. Am I required to type thisunfamiliar work, or can I wait and hope for workto come in from my workpool?? What's the protocol? Appreciate any input!!!
My advice is ignore the small stuff, it does not [2008-09-02]
especially as you get 10 different responses from the 10 different QAs reviewing. I agree...this job is difficult enough...if the medical information is correct, if the punctuation is not changing the meaning, then leave it alone. There are many newbies who quite frankly need better training on medical content and terminology, not ; versis ,
still have to meet turnaround time ... [2008-09-01]
but I do agree there should be a better system of scheduling ... have an additional status;
1. off
2. standby (call in and be released if no work at certain intervals during the day)
3. working (plan on sitting there)
Evaluations? [2008-08-28]
I've worked this job for TWELVE years, with 27 total years experience. And in 12 year I have never ONCE gotten an evaluation. And I'll bet I know why. If you're constantly giving evaluations of 100% accuracy to your employees, they might just ask for a raise, and we can't have that, can we? And if you think I'm being arrogant in thinking that my evaluations would be 100%, please see my previous post, where I mention I am less than 2 years from my M.D. Yes, I'm that good, and if I wasn't, I wouldn't be getting my MD because I wouldn't put patients at risk. And for all of you who are going to start mentioning idioms that nobody's perfect, I totally agree. Nobody is perfect, but our work can be.
verbatim [2008-08-28]
Totally understand what verbatim means and type verbatim. This certain report last week was so redundant, left QA marker, said same sentence 3 time, flagged it, they let it go. That is garbage. I worked in a physcian's office and needed to find information in a hurry, as meds and doses, allergies, diagnoses, blah, blah and to have to wade through the messy reports we are REQUIRED to transcribe for them would be a very time consuming task, not to say dangerous when details are missed as they are all run together. Will never go to that clinic, as if they do not care, well that scares me. This is the point people are trying to get through your head, my goodness, where is the company/customer liasons to show the clientthe mess we are REQUIRED to create and sign our name to, and show examples of a professional report? It really makes no sense. Something needs to get standardized. Spell out milligrams, how ridiculous is that? Come on, can we all get along here.
Yes [2008-08-28]
I agree wholeheartedly, verbatim is ridiculous, but I type as the client wants because that is whatthey pay mefor. If there is something dictated in a way I feel is dangerous to the patient, I don't type it and leave a QA note to that effect. If they want a report that is grammatically sloppy and unprofessional looking, well, you get what you payfor.
You're right [2008-08-27]
I think a lot of us are paranoid - including me. I work a split shift, and no matter what the backlog says (when I get a backlog), I'm guaranteed to have one good shift and one cesspool shift. Doesn't matter if my primary has work out of TAT, I'm only allowed one decent shift/day.
I'm also paranoid about my performance evaluations. Not a single report evaluated was from my primary account - all from the cesspool. I questioned my supe about this, and did get a reply, butshe totally ignoredmy very clearly stated question.
ASR will not result in poor patient care. [2008-08-27]
ASR is just another tool. If you, the MT, do not operate it correctly it will not work.
I agree newbies have no place using ASR but to say that ASR will cause problems is not true. MTs cause the problems - we are operators behind ASR.
I GOT THE JOB!!!! [2008-08-27]
They just called!! Am totally dancing. Oh am so excited. First intereview and I got the job!! GBU all.
3-1/2 weeks vacation, plus all paid hols, plus get great hourly rate!!! Mon-FRi.
What bothers me in particular is [2008-08-26]
all the time I spend doing the ADT screen, especially if it is an account without a feed. Fortunately I haven't done many without a feed.
I also have been totally irritated with the spell check situation. Totally crappy spell check which it appears, based on some changes I have noticed, they upgraded to a newer version. I have sent an email to the QA manager in the past pleading for a proper spell check and even gave the name and the URL for a spell check that I used to use that was fantastic, correct and had updates every quarter which included new drugs. I wish I could overlay that spell check like I do my word expander.
As far as notes to QC, I have a few standardized notes that I have in my Expander which helps.
401k [2008-08-26]
Hi all. Ok I am totally 401k illiterate....my last job had a plan where we would sign up, put so much into it and then the company would match the amounts. The account also earned interest. I really have no clue about how to deal with Medquist's 401K plan with all of those stocks, bonds,etc. I know I also need to try to rollover my old 401k plan.
Would anyone be willing to share which investment plan they use on the 401k? After reading through them all, I am more confused than ever. You can email me if you wish. It really just gave me a royal headache. Hubby asked me if we had anyway to talk to other MTs and I remembered this site. I just want something simple. Thanks for your help.
silly me!! [2008-08-25]
I obviously misread yours! Too early, too stressed out, too old, too something! and yes, I do agree with you.
I agree we deserve a decent living wage [2008-08-25]
But I do not agree with short changing the client to get it. If you aren't making it at one job, move on. And no, if MQ loses accts it is because the clients did not get what they want. the bottom line is your responsibility to perform the job you were hired for, not the job you want to do. If, indeed, MQ loses the clients, they will have to sit up and take notice.
my biggest google frustration [2008-08-24]
Is on meds, where I have to keep looking to determine if it's capitalized or not. And then there are the ones with trademark thingies in all caps. It must be easier out there somehow.
I do agree with immediatelyweeding outpatient websites.
Recommend Drake & Drake Pharmaceutical Drug book. sm [2008-08-24]
The 2009 version ought to be coming out soon.
In the meantime, try RXlist.com if you haven't already.
If you can get your hands on a PDR (Physicians Desk Reference), the front sheets are a big help. Before we had drug books geared to MT, I'd ask one of my docs for his recent old PRD and I'd tear out the front pages, keeping the rest of the book for reference, too. Those front sheets have drugs in generic, brand, and by category (antibiotics, painkillers, etc.) A huge help!
Agree that Google is frustrating. It's difficult to tell sometimes what is trustworthy, must be especially so for new MTs.
Don't be afraid to invest in reference books. It's an investment in a successful career (and education!).
I love a friendly debate!! And I think you realize [2008-08-24]
that and will accept this in that spirit. I agree 100% on Google and I made reference to those odd hits where it is great. Can I personally find a photo of necrotizing fasciitis in 5 seconds or less in my personal books? Yes. I am really, really fast with books, out of years of necessity. Yes, Google can be a great tool, but my point was, as QA, I see it as a hindrance to many MTs who use the entire internet actually, incorrectly. They choose drug names based on a layman's board, killing the spelling. These MTs are not learning or even attempting to learn. Your CTR was a good example, but again, the MT should have the knowledge of scar formation rather than the random luck of having Google fix or finish a sentence for you. I have used it for that myself, like those incredibly complex genetic results, stuff like that, but again I then go on to read the entire article, and my rule is always triple reference at 3 valid sites on the internet. You sound like a super MT and obviously very intelligent. Unfortunately, lots of your peers do not share that gift, so they could search for a drug, like dijoxin, and they see a hit and immediately think its correct. You would not believe the errors we see in QA. Its scary. As O&W opines, books designed for MTs are great, approved tools - yeah, there is the occasional typo, but they are designed for us to find terms fast and efficiently. Lots are garbage, but I have my collection of 10 or so that are the bombs in the MT world, and well worth the $$ spent each year to renew them. Again, all the medical articles and journals are online now, too, which is a great resource, but not many MTs read them. Again, its the knowledge that is key here, not the expanders. Google and the internet are unbelievably fantastic tools, but most do not use them correctly, or to their fullest. Give me a good medical reference book anyday!
I know how you feel about losing your [2008-08-22]
I routinely produced 1800 to 2000 lines a day..now I struggle to make 1200. I have tried and tried to figure it out..what happened?? I do think it is harder to make a line..but that is maybe 100-150 lines less a day...It is not my account..I am so lucky..I love my primary and I am in it all day...It is the corporate nature of MedQ, the extremely low pay, the micromanagement of my time, the too many chiefs corporate mentality. If they paid me a fair rate..at least 9/cpl, took away e-time and not dock me 30% for ASR (which is robbery pure and simple..I would agree to 10%), and let me do what I do best..my production would increase exponentially. Never gonna happen.
I got a verbal reprimand fot not doing 2000 lines in a week, sm [2008-08-22]
Then I got a written reprimand. I came down with neuropathy from diabetes and did not know I had diabetes--who can afford insurance---anyway could not work a lot. Well I am better and my line count is up so my PS said they slacked off on doing the 2000 a week but otherwise she would have had to fire me because even though my line count is up it is up totally up to 2000 so I guess they woud but they are stupid to fire us because they are looking for new people all the time. Why not keep the ones who can do OP notes and all the other junk? Doesn't make sense to me but I don't care, been looking for a while anyway.
ASR tips [2008-08-22]
You'll notice that certain of your dictators in ASR will be consistently wrong. You can take advantage of the consistency. For instance, there is one dictator I do that is saying left ventricular ejection fraction but ASR never gets the ventricular part. With an entry in your word expander: leftx which expands to left ventricular you can fix it fast.
The word expansion also recognizes entries with spaces in them. So if the incorrect phrase is lap band when it should be capitalized, Lap Band all you have to do is tap on your space bar after lap band and it will become Lap Band if you have it that way in your expander. Of course you have to quickly back space to take out the space you've put in to activate the expander.
Also, you may find some very repetitive procedures that doctors do (echocardiograms, etc) that ASR totally mucks up, and you can create a template with tab markers and ignore the ASR completely, erase the ASR, and fill in the values by tabbing through to the @@ markers in your template.
you were fine [2008-08-21]
yes, i agree with your point, it was my response that wasn't clear....i agree with you....
i guess i can understand some of the strictness with e-time and such, considering they give benefits. the part-time IC job i have only has a minimum line count per week requirement, and they just kind of want a ball park idea of when you'll be working. its so great. but i guess with benefits, you can't quite allow that...or can you? i don't know. i guess in a way i'm glad i didn't discover Medquist back in the good old days. the way they are now is bad enough....i think adjusting to changes is harder than starting in when its already bad.
QASAR [2008-08-20]
I agree that the QASAR is a great feature.
I would like to see a board for just style questions, or maybe this is covered by the word board.
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