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Don't you have to have insurance to have the bypass surgery or the lap band? sm [2008-10-05]
It may take her more than 4 months to even get a start on checking into surgery.
My understanding is that you have to have exhausted all other weight-loss options before you can even THINK about surgery. Then you have to have psych eval, CPE, lab work etc. The BMI also plays a part as well as various co-morbidities. If she has until 2/2009, it may very well take that long just to get into a doc, surgeon, psych etc. and then the insurance company has to authorize it to boot.
Good luck Siren, I hope all works out well for you.
surgery for hallux rigidus [2008-09-19]
Has anyone had surgery to correct hallux rigidus? My husband will be having this surgery done on both feet.One foot in a week and then the other foot later. What can you tell me from a personal perspective? Did you feel that it made you better, worse, the same?Were you sedated put to sleep or have local anesthetic? thanks for any info.
post knee surgery [2008-08-24]
i had arthroscopic knee surgery a week and a half ago.my MRI showed fluid and a medial meniscustear, but whenthe doctor got into the knee he saidit was very angry looking and inflamed and he couldn't really find anything tobe causing thatinflammation. he couldn't even find the tear, but did find some frayed cartilage that he shaved off. he said he did about 5 laps around my knee trying to finda source of my problem, but did not findit, except for the above mentioned. my knee still feels stiff and very, very tender around the kneecap. it hurts when the skin is pulled up or down, the entire kneecap area. the incisions are healing nicely, but i am still having swelling and pain and stiffness. it's better than pre-surgery, but it just seems to me that i should be better by now. my doctor told me i can go ahead and do whatever i want to do and let pain be my guide. it seems like my knee felt better a few days ago and now it seems to be getting stiff again, and it's not for lack of exercise or use. i do ROM exercises and go up and down steps, trying not to baby my knee. i keep hoping it's going to just get better but i'm getting just a little disheartened at this point. has anyone else had a similar experience? my doctor said he was going to be cautiously optimistic that he fixed the problem. i certainly am trying to be too but this morning when coming down my steps i was walking very awkwardly due to stiffness and pain. any thoughts are appreciated.
I had bilateral arthroscopic knee surgery for sm [2008-08-24]
internal derangement, synovitis, chondromalacia, etc. The doc told me I would have healing pain that would be worse than the original pain as my patellae learned to track in the proper groove. It took several months before I stopped having pain. I had all kinds of fluid--big bags of fluid flopping under my knees,stiffness, swelling, and heat. For lunch break I'd walk the length of the mall next door and at home would do plies (sp?) (ballet) while holding and cuddling my 10-pound cat. It was a long, long haul, but it eventually ended. Wish I hadn't waited so long for that surgery!
You'll get better. It takes a while.
Bariatric surgery [2008-08-08]
My employer is strongly considering outsourcing, so I'm looking for a national company with insurance that will help pay for laparoscopic surgery.
bariatric surgery [2008-08-08]
Blue Cross/Blue Shield covers the lap-band, not sure which one you are considering. Go to lapbandtalk.com to search for and ask insurance questions if this is the one you have chosen.
At the time of my surgery I was not an MT, but [2008-07-01]
was doing a lot of writing. I was back to normal as soon as I had my stitches. I missed 3 days of work and really could have gone back the next day, but was recently married and just took advantage of having a surgery to have some down time. After a week the stitches were pulling and I had discomfort until they came out at 2 weeks and I was back to normal activity after that. I found I did lose some strength in my operative hand. I was the one that could open those stuck jars, can't do it anymore, but I had surgery 20 years ago this year and all is well. I do get some discomfort if I work a lot of hours, like now when I have been working OT for months, but after some rest it is better.
They have perfected techniques now and although the surgery wasn't a major surgery when I had it, recovery time is shorter these days.
35 years,,,not one pain/wrist surgery, etc. [2008-04-19]
works for me. everyone is different. No one can say what for whome. I always used to laugh at all those writting documents we used to get from the hospital I formerly worked for on how to sit in a chair.
They also made everyone watch a 10 minute movie on washing thy hands.
Actually a surgery center is acute care. [2008-03-18]
But surgery is surgery. Clinic work is not transcribing anything too invasive other than a Botox injection if you're lucky. I would think about that rate for transcribing surgeries. 8.5 is low.
IMO, you should have the surgery before [2008-02-08]
trying to hold down a typing job. I need some surgery too (different type) and don't have disability insurance. I am trying to hold out until the stimulus package check comes (I know, I shouldn't hold my breath) and will use it to pay the bills while I am laid up. I also have health insurance, so that is not an issue, thank God. Good luck!
New job first, save sick time, then surgery or surgery first? [2008-02-07]
I’d like to go back to medical secretary work. I’ve had cortisone shots in my ECU tendon 3 or 4 times and was warned not to have too many or my tendon could rupture. It’s been very weak for a year or so and my left wrist is smaller than my right wrist. I can’t type at all with my left pinky so I think it’s ruptured. I have Word auto correct and Instant Text set up so I very seldom type As, Qs, or Zs. I haven’t had surgery because I have my own account, no subs, a DD in college to support, and no disability insurance and didn’t want to take time off work for surgery. I do have medical insurance though my DH.
I’m debating whether to get a job, save up sick time, and have the surgery while getting sick time pay or have the surgery first without any sick time pay.
I’ve done medical secretary work before. I figured if I use Word there I can save their Auto Correct and transfer mine. If they use EMR, I can make my own shorts to stay away from Q, S and Z. I could only accept a job where I don’t type for more than an hour straight, which is what I do now. Then I started worrying about what if I have to use someone else’s computer? What if I unexpectedly have to type more than an hour?
I think I have cold feet about getting a job outside the home after over 7 years at home AND I’ve had cold feet about having surgery! Can someone help me think this through logically? I can’t think straight when my feet are cold.
Wouldn't want any of them doing plastic surgery on me, [2008-01-16]
Definitely no HIPAA in India, just came upon surgery sheet with patient names! [2007-12-30]
I just googleda term, and up comes a surgery schedulewith all the patients' names and phone numbers. Yikes.....
Estimated downtime for hernia surgery? [2007-12-26]
I have a large ventral hernia that needs repair and am trying to determine how much I have to save to see me through the disability period...have any MTs had similar procedures who could tell me approximately how long you were not able to work? Thanks for any input.
things sometimes work for a reason; maybe surgery would have gone bad [2007-12-21]
nm
Cataract surgery routinely does not "go bad" these days. [2007-12-21]
.
jude is right. Cobra may not be cheap, but it's cheaper than the surgery. [2007-12-21]
.
I feel the same way when I do eye surgery or dental reports. sm [2007-11-30]
Get a good anatomy book, study it, and keep it on hand. It will really help in the future.
knee surgery [2007-11-16]
half days for a week. Should have stayed off the full time but did rest when I at home.
When comptemplating podiatry work the surgeon said no work for two weeks till off the pain meds due to thought processes possibly being affected.
I just had the surgery and my doc has me wearing Occunomix Neoprene gloves [2007-09-06]
I found them only on-line and at a surgical supply store, but they are great as far as I am concerned.
I just had the surgery - sm [2007-08-30]
I waited way too long before taking steps to stop it. Good for you for doing this now. Make sure to get an ergonomic keyboard and mouse. They have new ball mice (is that right for multiple mouses??) that is supposed to be really good at preventingcts. Taking breaks and wearing the splints at night are the keys though I think. Hoping that you can stop this in its tracks.
is the Donald doing surgery now? [2007-08-16]
today while editing voice recognition....
patient had tube Donald surgeries....
Carpal tunnel surgery?? [2007-08-01]
Has anyone had the surgery on both hands? I just got done with the left hand and now will have the right hand done next week. Just wondering if you are right handed if that hand takes longer to heal. My left healed enough for me to type in about three weeks.I am hoping my right does too. I want to change companies, but cannot really apply for any jobs or even test if I do not know when I can start.
Thanks for any help. I am new here and it has been a wealth of info for me.
right carpal tunnel surgery - sm [2007-08-01]
I had my right carpal tunnel surgery about 10 years ago, and I would say I was fairly well healed by three weeks, but I took the whole six weeks that I was allowed as my job paid for the leave. IF I had to have it done now, I would have to go back to work at three weeks, cannot afford to stay out for six weeks. I found that squeezing a small rubber ball really helped. Good luck.
Surgery [2007-07-25]
Just to let you know the condition I am in, and I am not looking for sympathy here, but I had a major foot surgery. I was born with clubfeet. I had to undergo a calcaneal reconstruction due to bone damage, and I underwent an Achilles lengthening and reattachment. I was totally non-weightbearing of the right foot for 8 weeks, and then another 8 weeks of rehab. Again, my doctor did not want me to go back to work yet, but due to the insurance and FMLA situation at work, I had to go back.
I am just belly aching I guess, but it just seems that this other FMLA person gets away with murder. I am more than willing to work 4 to 6 hours a day, as my foot withstands it, but it would mess up my insurance coverage, which is the only reason I have stayed at this facility for as long as I have. Such is life!
you are not alone [2008-11-25]
After reading posts, it seems there are a lot of folks out there in the same boat. We all know it's tougher to get a job and to hold that job. The tests I don't feel are fair. They don't tell you if they want them by BOS or verbatim, so that's up to your own judgment and frequently they don't even know what they want.
Let me tell you about me. I had a full-time and a part-time job. I am in QA and QC. I worked very hard 7 days a week and we had pretty much anything we wanted, new home, new car, you name it. Then I had surgery and had a stroke. They fired me from my part time job because they said 30 days was enough to recover. Try getting over being paralyzed on one side and in a chair in 30 days.
I too am getting back into the swing and looking for a job. The first couple of tests were awful, I wasn't sure of my own brain, it takes me longer, plus the urgency of finding something. I did fail one, but that was Focus and I really believe they let pass who they want because it was extremely simple.
We did lose our home and everything we had and resorted to food pantries to keep the kids fed. Spent many nights crying and worrying. Have now moved into a small rental house and starting all over at nearly 50 years of age. No the feds aren't bailing me out, too bad I'm not a bank or car builder with private jets! No turkey this year, can't afford it. So far nothing for Christmas but decorations. That's okay, we'll live!
You'd be surprised what you can do without when you have to. So we have to resort to using cash only instead of my two credit cards, big deal. So I don't have the nice big house now, big deal. I have my children and I'm still here, which was iffy for awhile. Just slow down, take a breath, get rid of what you don't need to pay off what you don't need, and work to live instead of living to work. I'm still looking for that full-time job but it will come. I think everything happens for a reason and this too shall pass.
I went from FP clinic to OPs sm [2008-11-14]
hardest darn 4 months of my career! I skipped acute care other work types. In the end, it has been just great. I then went work for a service doing OPs after that (it was all outpatient surgery) for a large teaching hospital. At this point, you can throw me about any OP and I can do it. I learned cardiothoracic surgery this year without much cardiac experience and didn't even find that a problem.
I have a Stedman's Surgical Equipment word book, but if you are a good googler that is almost as good, but can be time consuming if you are not. It would help you to have another MT who knows OP notes to ask questions of as you learn. I did, it helped a lot.
Depressing news today [2008-11-12]
Well. My hospital job was outsourced in August and I also had a PT job to help pay bills too. Today I found out that I will no longer have that PT job as that I was working PT forhas decided to put all MTs in one pool to work at all of their hospitals they own, so the Outsource Co I have worked for four years has lost that contract basically. Another financial loss. I was making bringing home about $2300 a month and now I am down to about $900 a month or less. What a blow. Jobs are so scarce now and I just cannot go to Walmart to get a job because I had major back surgery years ago and I just cannot stand lor long periods of time. I do not know if I would even qualify for unemployment benefits which is so little but it would pay credit cards maybe. I have not heard really of MTs qualifying for unemployment and I am not so sure about this either. I am going to check into it, but I doubt. MyMT friend where we used to work had to borrow $30 yesterday to buy a couple of groceries. She bought food to make chilli and Hamburber Helper to last for days. I hope things turn around, but at this point I am not so sure. So depressing and I am tired of taking typing tests. I have been an MT for 29 years and score really high on tests, but then a person never hears back from those companies. Just how depressing is that and I know that a lot of us have been there, done that. Have resumes in everywhere I can think. Lets all hope and pray hard for things to turn around in this next year.
Thanks Kathleen [2008-11-12]
Thank you Kathleen for taking the time to respond. I also have OA in my neck and spine and have already had one surgery so it sounds like it might be helpful for that as well. I am to the point where it might at least be worth a try.
My way of doing things sm [2008-11-12]
My shortcuts started with Mary Morkin's list 10 years ago. I have added a lot of things because she didn't do much cardio, ophtho or ENT, but she did do OPs, as I do.
You start with a root word, we'll use irritate as an example. The pattern states: The first 2 letters of the first word or part and the first 2 letters of the second word or part. Irritate is irta as the root on this scheme.
irtad=irritated
irtas=irritates
irtaj=irritation
irta-irritate
Just for an example.
J added gives you the -tion or -sion sound
S added is plural
D added is -d as in ed
N or C (depending on what fits) will give you -ance or -ence
Y will give you -ly
x=expanded anything
C=C as in dx=diagnosis dxs=diagnoses dxc=diagnotic dxd=diagnosed
bil becomes bilateral, but bily becomes bilaterally.
spta=spontaneous and sptay=spontaneously
You can add things like CAD and CHF
chf=CHF
chfx=congestive heart failure
cad=CAD
cadx=coronary artery disease
sst=since that time
phh=patient has had
hhh=he has had
shh=she has had
atp=at this point
awti=at which time (note an extra letter that prevents a crossover)
att=at this time
atht=at that time
You have to have exceptions because there are too many things that have similarities with the above. In mine, cardiac stuff is mostly an exception. hedis=heart disease hefai=heart failure depec=deltopectoral It is best if the exceptions fall within a body system.
I have lot of vascular words because I do a lot of vascular surgery and cardiac surgery. ica=internal carotid artery eca=external carotid artery sfa=superficial femoral artery and so on.
If you have to type headers, and I do, I have used a C for capped words. prdxc=PREOPERATIVE DIAGNOSIS
I don't include punctuation at the end of my expansions because typing a colon, a period or a comma will expand things. I type prdxc than then : and I get PREOPERATIVE DIAGNOSIS: Saves strokes.
You should be able to translate this easily enough given the above rules:
hpix:
tp is here WI atfx and chfx pri to cavej tomo. Tp wil hv a preop ec bf the proc. Tp wil be on plav for a yr afwa, and a rx ws gvn to tp tod.
OR:
HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS:
The patient is here for atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure prior to cardioversion tomorrow. The patient will have a preoperative echocardiogram before the procedure. The patient will be on Plavix for a year afterward, and a prescription was given to the patient today.
I have plenty of doctor's names in there too, if I have to type them out all the time, like my cardiology fellows. bbmd becomes Benjamin Bratt, MD or M.D. depending on what account it pertains to.
The longest things are stuff like asap for as soon as possible and amap as much as possible. I don't have many of those.
Nw tht I hv inrud your train of thot wi my expar thots...you cn se what I mean here. Gvn what I do it works jus fin!
Laptop [2008-11-04]
Boy, do I WISH I could leave work behind!!! I work 2 jobs, 15 hours a day 6 days a week, my laptop gives me freedom to get outside and get some fresh air, just a change of scenery. I haven't had a vacation in 5 years thanks to ASR (my paycheck is 40% smaller than it was 5 years ago, I need every dime to pay bills), so going somewhere, even if I have to work, is a real treat. It also gave me the freedom to go stay with my dad when he had back surgery, and house-sit for my brother when he goes on vacation, without having to pack up two company computers.
In the same boat...sm [2008-10-27]
I am experiencing the same thing you are. I have been with this company since August 07 and I love the account I work on. It is really all I have ever done. I started MTing in May 07. This company too has ups and downs but here lately it is just downs. I mean the work is slim pickings. I too wondered if it was due to overhiring but then some other MTs are having the same problem. I have been looking on the job board too but I also do not do acute care. I would but nobody will hire you without exp. I do clinic work. Specializing in general surgery clinic. I have applied some places just on their website and heard nothing. I don't know what to do either.
rate for stat reports [2008-10-22]
Hey, does anyone on here charge extra for stat reports. I receive work in the evenings and the doctors need some stats done before the next morning for surgery. I wanted to know what the going rate for stats are, as I have to stop what I am doing, work in the evenings, plus, they are on tapes so I have to search the entire tapes looking for the stat reports to type. It is very time consuming and wondered if anyone charges extra for those, more per line, or a flat rate, etc. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
QA [2008-10-18]
When one of the QAers does something really strange, I just consider the source. However, I'm still trying to just figure this one out: (Help me here, QAers) I had a heart surgery that the surgeon has a canned report for with some paragraphs without blanks and some with two or three choices to slide in (with the doc dictating the variables). Well, I did one of his ORs the other day and on paragraph 8, half of which is composed of the variables, he said that it was OK the way it was. Huh? I left it the way it was and put in a QA/QC note mentioning what had happened and what I had done. So, the QAer who got this gigged me for 8 minors (I had left no other blanks. I've either missed something completely--or this QA person is out for blood--or has an IQ of 2. This one I'm going to inquire about. It's just too weird.
Going back on the market -- any advice? [2008-10-11]
Hi y'all,
Three weeks ago I began a new job doing acute care at a local hospital (part of CHS). On Friday they told us that our work would be outsourced beginning in April.... Previously I worked at another local hospital for 9 years transcribing Rad and ER notes, echos, etc. I left there because I need expensive orthognathic surgery and their insurance plan has a blanket exclusion against it. Plus I wanted to brush up on my big four skills.
Now I am looking for work. Boy have things changed! I really prefer to work for a hospital or start up my own company again but would work for a service as a last resort. After reading the informative posts here, I have begun compiling a list of good and bad services so I can avoid certain ones.
Does anyone here have any advice for me? Not general advice about job hunting, but more specific advice about the services -- what to watch out for, etc. I have never done editing/VRT, but apparently that pays less anyway so I don't think I will be doing that.
Thanks.
Thanks guys! [2008-10-06]
and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.
A lot of my weight problem is medical, but I think more so is my emotional state. I have a very emotionally abusive husband. He rides me all the time about my weight. When I was thinner (wearing a size 7 - - now wearing a size 28), he would badger me then about my weight. It got to where I was sneaking food and of course what happened? Now it is even worse. I try, I really do. I am definitely an emotional eater though.
My husband rode me and rode me and TOLD ME to get the bypass surgery. I had everything set up (this wasabout 5 years ago) with the surgeon who brought bypass to the United States. I felt totally comfortable with him, and to top it off he is my regular physician! Then my husband totally freaked and said that with MY LUCK, something would go wrong and he would be stuck with an invalid for a wife, and DEMANDED that I not do it. So, here I am - - a total of 160 pounds overweight -- and need to lose 70 of it by the end of February to have insurance. I get so depressed sometimes that I do not even want to get out of bed.
I am going to look into Alli and the liquid diet mentioned. I really appreciate your help and suggestions.
I definitely think I need a support group, but I don't know who that would be.
Anyway, I am going to look into these things. I think I will try the liquid diet and see how it works.
AGAIN, THANK YOU!
Thought of Medi-Fast? sm [2008-10-06]
I have not used it, but I know of people who have. I am a Richard Simmons' fan myself and I have lost weight on it, but only about 25 or 30 lbs because that is all I had to lose. I have thought about alternating Medi-Fast with Richard Simmons to push up weight loss. This was before I discovered several food allergies which, once controlled, resulted in a pretty massive 40+ pound weight loss.
To be brutally honest...you have enough weight to lose that actually a lap band or a bypass would be indicated. You have to be at least 100 lbs overweight before they would consider you. While most people who have them never become thin or reach an absolutely ideal sort of a weight, they DO help a number of health issues like diabetes and hypertension. It is major surgery and the complication rates are pretty high, but this would be a fight you would never have to fight again. You would always weigh a lot less.
Let me say that I really think this is discrimination and that isn't right, but yours is no the only case I have ever heard of and I fear this will be the wave of the future. I also have to respect you for making the effort to try to lose the weight on your own. Please do see your doctor and ask lots of questions. There are other reasons for people to be overweight besides the fork lifting routine. Blood work seems in order. A registered dietitian might not be a bad idea either. Your diet might need some tweaking. What works like a house on fire for one person is not too effective for another. Your doctor won't know too much about nutrition, but an RD will.
Gastric bypass patient here [2008-10-06]
Hi There,
If you would like to coorespond with someone who has been there, done that...please feel free to email me. Send me an email by clicking on the reply by email link as I dont want to post my email address here. I will tell you this though....I had gastric bypass surgery almost 6 years ago and have gone from a size 28 to a size 10 and is it absolutely the most wonderful thing I've done for myself. I KNOW where you are coming from as far as sneaking food and being depressed!!!
Don't you have to have insurance to have the bypass surgery or the lap band? sm [2008-10-05]
It may take her more than 4 months to even get a start on checking into surgery.
My understanding is that you have to have exhausted all other weight-loss options before you can even THINK about surgery. Then you have to have psych eval, CPE, lab work etc. The BMI also plays a part as well as various co-morbidities. If she has until 2/2009, it may very well take that long just to get into a doc, surgeon, psych etc. and then the insurance company has to authorize it to boot.
Good luck Siren, I hope all works out well for you.
The point [2008-10-01]
I work on an account that requires 24/7 coverage as well. However, my point was that it is the choice of the MTSO whether to provide coverage outside of a daytime, weekday schedule. Nobody forces them to do it, and some companies are able to stay in business while still setting limits with the facilities. In the example that I gave, the doctors have to adjust to this; for instance, there is no more dictating of preop HPs on the morning of surgery.
Reply [2008-09-30]
There are actually a few companies around that tell the facilities when their MTs will be available. I know of one that has office hours of 8:30-5:00 only. I guess the facilities actually have to inform the doctors that there will be no stat reports done outside of the MTSO's business hours, and to get preop HPs done a few days ahead of surgery.
Again, IMHO, the main source of the problem regarding workflow and timing of work goes back to the facility/HIM department.
Former MTSO [2008-09-29]
I used to be MTSO of my own company and in my best year I made almost 6 figures (gross). I had 6 MTs subcontracting for me. I paid them 2/3 of what I made as I felt they were worth it but I still worked 7 days a week, 12 hours a day with no vacations and worked every holiday. When we did our taxes that year I made $30,000, divide that by the number of hoursI worked and it was minimum wage. For that money I could have stayed in corporate America, had paid time off and weekends off. I should have gone back to school then.It ruined my health, I had to have surgery, closed the business. 8 years later, I keep making less and less. The company I work for just lost our acct to someone cheaper and the hospital did not even give her notice. We are done tomorrow. I go back to college in January. I've had enough.
I like it [2008-09-26]
I work for a small company as an IC doing only OP reports and I am very happy with the flexibility and the money. I only work part time (most of the time). I sometimes get swamped because I handle my two surgery centers, whether they have a lot of work or not. The difference is that I do have small children and I do not have to worry about health insurance because my husband is in the military, so I am not sure how I would feel if that were different. Good luck!
Makes me want to cry! [2008-09-24]
You know, people........ it just makes me want to cry out loud! I am getting more angry as we speak.. youhave all heard from me before about this business, but I'm going to be VERY frank and spill my guts right here in front of you and the whole MT world, hoping that someone who is in the right positionwill read it and HAVE THE GUTS to make a stance. (Can you say hospital board of directors?) This is something that AAMT (or whatever the daylights they are now) should be doing for us. It's about time these high and mighty doctors listen up!
We are a family of hard-working people who practically have to become doctors just to transcribe these stinking reports. I don't know about all of you, but I DON'T MAKE A DOCTORS' SALARY! I truly believe thatall of you as well as myself try every day like the devil to do the very best we can to participate inpatient careand earn a decent living, but as I have said a million times if not more, it is nearly IMPOSSIBLE and at this time, there ARE NO ANSWERS TO ALL THIS CHAOS....
Actually, I take that back... there area coupleanswers..We are all reprimanded for the incompetence of the doctors. THEY ARE NOT GODS as they would like to believe they are. They put on and take off their pants just like we do and when the he _ _ are they going to take some responsibility? I, for one, am NOT afraid of them and if I had the chance to do it over again working in-house, I would have the guts to tell them how bad they are right down to their burping, farting, yawning, chewing,mumbling,whispering,non-English speaking two-sided faces. Let us not forget the 50 second operative note that should have been dictated clearly in 10 minutes. Yes, they're busy, but the bottom line on this issue is thatthey don't want to do a surgery and BE TOLD togo and tell someone about it, so they dictate like their hair is on FIRE. IT JUST MAKES ME SICK. It's part of THEIR JOB. If they don't do a good job, how the sh _ _ do they expect us to do a good job!
Let us not forget QA.... We are punished and yelled at for leaving blanks........DUH! and I just hate the thought of a QA person (whose quality of work I don't even know), making corrections to my work - and don't tell me that at times, they are guessing... AND WHOSE NAME IS ON THE REPORT - OURS !!!!!!!!!! In the end, if there was a lawsuit, we'd most likely be the ones to have to answer to THEIRblunders. I would rather make my own mistakes and have to answer for them than have one or two opinionated QA people telling me what I did wrong... one telling you one wayto do something andanother telling you a different way. I say, leave the stinking blanks and let these JERKS remember whose country they are living in.
BOTTOM LINE.......... Make the doctors more responsible... after all, they want to get paid and couldn't without us. I say, stand up and be heard, tell them to get with the program and most of all, SPEAK DISTINCT AND PROPER ENGLISH!! THIS IS AMERICA, NOT PAKISTAN.
Please don't get me wrong. I love what I do and for the right dictating physician (s), it is a gratifying experience. Something has GOT to change.Thanks for listening... we're all in it together. We need some mercy... it's a thankless joband !
surgery for hallux rigidus [2008-09-19]
Has anyone had surgery to correct hallux rigidus? My husband will be having this surgery done on both feet.One foot in a week and then the other foot later. What can you tell me from a personal perspective? Did you feel that it made you better, worse, the same?Were you sedated put to sleep or have local anesthetic? thanks for any info.
I use shortkeys 2 [2008-09-19]
and you can pretty much get a whole surgery note done in on swoop. I put the doc's name in the code i.e. Katz1 will give me a kidney transplant. Then I put in blanks for variables that will change from patient to patient (right versus left).
With shortkeys, if you put something in like rrr for regular rate and rhythm, and the dr dictates rrr, you can just hit the ctrl key when you use the code, and it then will ignore the replacement text that normally comes with the code.
If a doc has a habit of repeating a word or phrase, (typically a diagnosis name (ex: hepatocellular carcinoma), or patient name (ex: Ms. Dollaganger)), you can put in something like 1x each time the phrase is repeated, and at the end of the document, you use ctrl F, with the find word window, plug in 1x and the replacement text you want it to stand for, hit replace all.
Have a normal (or macro) for the signature line with your initials already in place, or have a template set up (macro) with the name of each doctor individually for the file name of the template, which can further be specified to document type (clinic note, procedure note, surgery note...) in the name of the file for the template.
who's in charge in the office [2008-09-11]
I am brand new at this and am working nights for a national co with good reputation. Suddenly tonight I am getting the WORST cancer surgeries, bone surgeries, static, mumbiling - did I make somebody mad? And the work is out of synch as per time and numbers. LIke one thing at 5 pm, next report at 9 pm. Do they do that, sit in some office and send the good stuff to their friends? I have been working my butt off to average 450 lines in an 8 hour shift,since I hae to also build up my autocorrect aND learn the company, do you suppose they are telling me something? It's already 4 hours and I have gotten through 2 cancer surgeriies of 9 minutes each by esls and am on myh 2nd bone surgery 8 mknutes each. Need advice or encouragement or something.
this is also interesting info for newcomers... [2008-08-28]
From the same link:
**Check out the last paragraph... Apprenticeship from the US Department of Labor - is that also for overseas MTs?
Education and training. Employers prefer to hire transcriptionists who have completed postsecondary training in medical transcription offered by many vocational schools, community colleges, and distance-learning programs.
Completion of a 2-year associate degree or 1-year certificate program—including coursework in anatomy, medical terminology, legal issues relating to health care documentation, and English grammar and punctuation—is highly recommended, but not always required. Many of these programs include supervised on-the-job experience. Some transcriptionists, especially those already familiar with medical terminology from previous experience as a nurse or medical secretary, become proficient through refresher courses and training.
Formal accreditation is not required for medical transcription programs. However, the Approval Committee for Certificate Programs (AACP)—established by the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) and the American Health Information Management Association—offers voluntary accreditation for medical transcription programs. Although voluntary, completion of an ACCP approved program may be required for transcriptionists seeking certification.
Certification and other qualifications. The AHDI awards two voluntary designations, the Registered Medical Transcriptionist (RMT) and the Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT). Medical transcriptionists who are recent graduates of medical transcription educational programs, or have fewer than 2 years experience in acute care, may become a registered RMT. The RMT credential is awarded upon successfully passing the AHDI level 1 registered medical transcription exam. The CMT designation requires at least 2 years of acute care experience working in multiple specialty surgery areas using different format, report, and dictation types. Candidates also must earn a passing score on a certification examination. Because medicine is constantly evolving, medical transcriptionists are encouraged to update their skills regularly. RMTs and CMTs must earn continuing education credits every 3 years to be recertified. As in many other fields, certification is recognized as a sign of competence
**Graduates of an ACCP approved program who earn the RMT credential are eligible to participate in the Registered Apprenticeship Program sponsored by the Medical Transcription Industry Association through the U.S. Department of Labor. The Registered Apprenticeship program offers structured on-the-job learning and related technical instruction for qualified medical transcriptionists entering the profession
Had 2 knee scopes [2008-08-25]
On the same knee for a torn medial meniscus 11 mos. apart. I've been a fitness maniac forever, so it was all of that stuff. The day after the surgery I went to the gym on crutches and did cardio with the ergometer. My sports medicine doc knew it was pointless to even say anything, but his partner told me it's abuse when I had biceps tendinitis. Oh, well. The 2nd MR showed a recurrence of the tear, but my SMD told me that's commonly seen on MR but it's not actually torn. So I did conservative stuff for a month as I recall, and it still hurt. The second time it was basically debris.
I did my PT in the gym with my trainer, but even so, it was the worst surgery to recover from (& I was in good shape, I guess). This is comparing it to all the neck surgeries, too. The reason it was so bad was the wt-bearing.
I hope you do well with it, as many people do. The main thing I would advise you is to do everything possible to not limp. It doesn't take long to teach yourself to walk a new way after this surgery, and I found it annoying to have to go back and concentrate on the heel-toe walking. Even when my trainer wasn't beating me up (therapy-wise), I was constantly stretching my quads and hams. Another really good exercise at some point to strengthen is the sitting leg lift. Yes, you'll be in tears, but they're worth it.
Elevating it is still like breathing to me all these years later. The treadmill bothers me, but the StepMill (the moving stairs thingy) is okay.
My guess is that you'll get lots of varied answers. Just don't let yourself get stiff or allow yourself to limp. Those are my 2 main suggestions. I don't envy you one bit.
SM [2008-08-25]
ouch!! Yours sounds very, very painful. I am an exercise fanatic too, and that is another thing that has really gotten me down. I have been doing as much yoga stretching and strength training as I can. And yes, I see exactly what you mean about training oneself to walk the right way again without a limp. When I realize I'm limping I try to correct that. I think one of the other comments hit the nail on the head too about patella tracking. I kept telling my husband it feels like my kneecap is dislocating, and when I read that comment this morning I figured that must be my problem. This morning it feels like the patella is slipping and it's making it hard for me to walk w/o limping. It is quite frustrating when one is so used to running up and down steps all day long, walking, treadmilling, elliptical-ing, step machine, etc. I have lost almost all muscle tone in my left leg as a result of this injury/surgery. I appreciate everyone's comments. I think I will try icing it off and on and see if that will help the heat and swelling, and maybe when that resolves I will be better able to move it and perhaps then the soreness and stiffness will ease off.
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