Examples of flyers

Can you give us some examples of the contradictions? [2008-09-24]
It's pretty normal to be really freaking stressed out when starting a new MT job, let alone being a newbie with a new MT job. However, I'd like to know specific examples of what they are doing to help with advice. Good luck!

We need actual examples of patients harmed by outsourcing [2008-09-12]
to take to the media. Then we could probably get enough interest for someone to do an expose on it.

Regarding the Advance article, here's how I would have handled the examples [2008-08-12]
I'm curious how other MTs would have handled them? 1. Hemoglobin 9, hematocrit 39. (I would have flagged this with a blank for the hemoglobin and sent to QA). 2. The nose and mouth were suctioned on the perineum (during a C-section dictation). (I would have changed perineum to abdomen and sent it on). 3. SKIN: Without lesions, rashes or scars (Patient has HIV and kaposi sacroma). (I'm not the doctor. I did not examine the patient. Therefore, I would have transcribed as dictated and sent it as usual). 4. Left atrium is normal, measuring 4.6 cm. (I don't get paid enough to second guess the doctor on whether the LA is normal or not. You get what you pay for.) 5. VITAL SIGNS: Heart rate 70, respirations 18, BP 120/70 (in an 18-year-old with a comminuted ankle fracture). (Again, the patient may have gotten pain medication by the time the doctor saw him, so perhaps he/she didn't have pain at the time of examination and so the vitals were normalized. I wasn't there, I don't know. Type verbatim and send it on!)

Business cards, flyers, brochures, intro letters (sm) [2008-06-26]
network, network, network, persistence and lots of luck. Read The Independent Medical Transcriptionist by Donna Avila-Weil .... worth it's weight in gold!

some of my examples... [2008-03-19]
One thing I do is use a j in place of -ion. For example, hos = hospital hosj = hospitalization I also use a 2 to make everything all caps - for example hpi2 = HPI chf2 = CHF If I have a PA dictating for a doctor I have their last name with a 4 to spell out the signature line; for example - brown4 is Joe Brown, P.A., dictating for Jane Doe, M.D. I also use the first letter of each word for long phrases such as tpcit for the patient comes in today... Hope some of these suggestions help!

What are some examples of deductions you use? [2008-01-30]
nm

Google contract samples, basic contract examples, etc. [2006-11-02]
:+

I sent out flyers...sm [2006-10-23]
I also bought a minicassette transcription machine. I live in a podunk little area where there are practitioners who still use the ol' tapes, so I thought that it would pay for itself when I received calls. It did. I sent the flyers a few months back and have received calls back from two clinics. One clinic was all online and had software for me to use to get in their computer. The other was tapes. The Independent Medical Transcriptionist is a good place to get ideas. I would have liked a little less sensationalism in it (and I totally could have done without the Glamour Shots), but it's a pretty good place to start. The technology now is a bit more sophisticated than what they describe from their copyright date of 2002, but some ideas are timeless. Good luck!

I would use hyphens in the examples you provided. sm [2006-09-27]
I would put 32-year-old male, but no hyphen if it'ssomething like *Patientis32 years old.*(Same with 11-pound weight loss vs pt has lost 11 pounds.) I can't quote the rule on this offhand,but whatever the rule is, I personallyI think the hyphens make it easier to read/understand.

Flyers/Brochures [2006-07-14]
Do what the rest of us have done if you want to design your own, buy the paper, write out what you want to say about your service, find a logo, business name, figure out how to put the two together and design your brochure. Or you can find a company that will design one for you when you supply all this information and pay them anywhere from $100 to $1000 depending on how fancy you want it to be. I put a lot of sweat, blood and tears into mine and I have been asked several times for copies and samples and guess after somone in the area used parts of it in their brochure after I have shared it, I just don't share anymore. If someone gets one through my mailings, that is different but I just don't mail off copies to others to share with due to the above fact. But they aren't hard to do, just takes time. And yes mine works as I have always signed on a new account when I do a mass mailing. But again, it reflects me and my company as yours should reflect you. Good luck, you can do it. Just start and it comes to you. Patti

anyone know where to find samples of flyers to start your own business? [2006-07-13]
I want to make my own and would like to look at how a few are formatted. Thx.

more examples.... [2006-05-29]
*j* would be used such as precj for precaution, or *prcj* for procedure.*z* would be used such as *stabz* for stabilization. I should have put these examples in my earlier post. Also, I use *g* for words that end in *ing* such *bgg* for beginning.Have other words such as reviewed as *rvd*, reviewing is *rvg*. But as stated, I have been using abbreviations for about 7years.Some of my abbreviations don'tmake any sense, but I remember them that way!! LOL. Words that I don't like to type get abbreviated!!! Hope this all helps! Good luck!

I'd be interested in some examples. There are absolutes, and then there are [2006-05-17]
nm

Professional flyers [2006-05-09]
I do flyers and they are very professional and so what if they offer a free car wash. I found that most office managers just want to look to see what it offers and I feel opening a letter is sometimes takes too much time while at a flyer they can just turn over and read immediately what it is about. Again, I think whether letter or flyers if you are at the right place at the right time, you can nab an account. And yes, have gotten several accounts that way and one has been with me for 18 years. So probably either works, I just prefer the flyer. But remember just like selling a house, it takes time and you have to put it out there to several hundred to get a bite. And once I get a bite I then go in and talk to them taking cookies or something. Also when I am looking for a new account I do several mailings about 6 - 10 weeks apart so I stay fresh in everyone's mind. I also inform my present docs and their gals and offer a small bonus to anyone that helps me landa new account I am sure that everyone has their way of soliciting for new accounts and it has worked for them and so they feel it is the only way to go but whatever route you take you have to get out there, be visible and that means to a lot of people as with that also you get word of mouth between offices. Good luck.

I believe all of the examples you have here are [2006-03-17]

brochures/letters/flyers [2006-02-12]
No you are not a horrible person - and having owned my own Transcription Service for 15 yrs until my husband passed away 12 yrs ago....I WOULDN'T SHARE my hard work either!! I think it is extremely kind of you to offer support, advice and tips. I can't fathom asking for another persons/business brochure, it is just not right and personally I think it shows lack of respect for you. My two-cents...

brochures/letters/flyers [2006-02-10]
Okay --everyone let me have it. I don't feel I am better than anyone but several of you have asked for me to E-mail you my brochure/flyer/letter that I use when contacting doctors and I am having a hard time doing so. It took me a long time to do the research, many hours/days and weeksdesigning my simple brochure that reflects me and my business and I guess I am scared that someone will scan it and just replace my name with yours and it took me a long time to do it. So am I wrong? I basically just have a logo, state what services I provide, price and what experience I have but it has worked for me. I don't like ignoring those of you who have asked but I am having trouble sending it to you.I have no problems offering any of you support, advice, tips on what I do but have trouble meeting this request and not thinking that any of you would simply duplicate it and guess it wouldn't be that big a deal so am I really a horrible person?

Flyers Fan too! Gotta cheer for the Steelers though! nm [2006-01-28]
x

Flyers [2006-01-13]
Patti, I am an IC with a desire to go on my own with local doctors. Would you mind sharing with me the kind of things you put on your flyer. Also, how do you go about getting the information from them about what kind of system they use. They usually have one don't they? I am a little familiar with dial in since I worked for a small MTSO on that kind of system, but I only know how it worked from my end. Do you find a lot of offices still use tapes and do most want printed copies of the reports? Thanks for any information.

Does anybody have any sample intro letters or flyers [2005-12-19]
they'd be willing to share? I'm just looking for something that you found effective when picking up your own accounts. I have a database of potential clients ready to go, but my flyer looks a bit cheesy. Thank you.

Any examples? [2005-11-03]
Could you give me any examples of questions asked? I am just curious. Thanks!

ok..examples..sm [2005-09-01]
Ok, admittedly, my Expander was huge, containing many sample reports which I type over and over almost word for word such as in op notes, etc. Most of those are now gone; but, also gone are those such as prz for prednisone, ARMC for Auburn Regional Medical Center and others such as that, along with my capital I which i really depend on to be sure i get a capital I when I need a capital I....pd for per day, and I could go on and on, but you get the point. Just wondering if anybody else has lost parts of their expander?

quality as in ethics/morals/education/parenting/will to do one's best and set examples for others [2005-08-03]
qualities as to working hard to make your life better and not settling for second best so you can drink your six-pack and rent videos while your kids run wild. you know what i'm talking about. quality as to have no grasp of consequences of one's behavior.

cold calling/flyers/brochures [2005-08-02]
I have gotten several accounts that have been with me for years but I do a random flyer/brochure and then let them contact me. If they do, after I go in, I go back with cookies and reel them in. Seriously has worked for three accounts that have been with me from 4 to 15 years. Good accounts too.

We try to set good examples for our kids. We rarely [2005-07-26]
drink, don't have alcohol in the house except for cooking wine/sherry, don't smoke, don't do drugs, are honest, hard working people. My oldest son has friends who smoke, who put vodka in their Coke cans, cuss, steal, etc. My son is a good kid and no I'm not naive and he isn't doing this stuff behind my back because we spend lots of time together. My son is a health freak and won't allow anyone to smoke around him. We've also tried to explain to him that even if he isn't drinking if someone he is with is caught drinking then he is guilty by association and he knows he needs to avoid these kids. He has come home before upset that kids were using seriously foul language. The F word at our house is spelled f-a-r-t. We live in a country club community. The kids around here get new cars when they turn 16. The parents don't keep up with their kids, just give them money. My son has to earn his car with saving $$, keeping out of trouble, and good grades. I don't keep tabs on him 24/7, but I know where he is at ALL times so that if I need to find him I can. He even asks me if he can get on-line so I know he isn't using the computer for porn. He is concerned that he doesn't have enough testosterone because he isn't wanting to sleep with anything that stays still long enough. Don't know that his friends are, but they talk a good talk anyway. I think you are wise to be concerned and just need to keep open communication with your kids and hope that he makes good choices. My son was a follower when he was younger and I had serious concerns about how he would be growing up, but now he has become a leader and I'm very proud of him because so far he is making good choices.

AHDI: BOS............... [2008-11-12]
Yes, it is: For instance: AHDI tells us: 5cc's was injected. ???? 1. Why has there to be an apostrophe cc's? It is just only the plural of cc, css is right, like MTs, the 70s, etc..... Why 'was' injected; ccs is plural, consequently 'were', this is the right grammar. But, AHDI says: 'NO, you have to look at it as a UNIT, 5ccs, is a UNIT, so you have to type 'was'. BS! And there are a lot of these examples.

Make Word 03 and 07 work together! [2008-11-10]
First of all, I appologize for the LONG message, but well worth reading if you use Word. I asked this question on the Microsoft Discussion Board on 11/7/08. Here are the posts: DeviousRedBaron wrote: I am running Word 2007. For work, I download a template created in Word 2003, then type my document in Word 2007. After this, I have to import header/footer info that I believe is created with Word 2003. This takes a long time and at the bottom of the screen the message Word is replacing ... appears. Is there any way I can speed this up, or avoid it all together? I love Word 2007 and would like to continue to use it. I do have Word 2003 also. I cannot change the info that I have to download. I access it through the intranet and it is different for each report. (I am a medical transcriptionist.) Speed is important in my line of work! Thanks in advance!!!!! Graham Mayor wrote: You will need to tell us more about the importing of the header/footer. How? From where? What is the exact sequence of steps used to create a document. At what point does the message appear? -- Graham Mayor - Word MVP My web site www.gmayor.com Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org DeviousRedBaron wrote: Hi Graham, I open my transcription program (created by the transcription company that I work for) and download my reports over the intranet. These are voice files and .doc information (that ends up in the header/footer). I double click on the report I want to type up and a template box pops up. I choose the .dot template that I need and it automatically opens Word in compatability mode with part of the header/footer info already in the document. This is usually the hospital/clinic address and phone number, or what ever info that particular company has requested. On some reports, there are headings that are loaded into the body of the document as well. This process is usually pretty quick, depending on my company's server. Now, I type up my report in the body of the document. When I am finished, I have to apply the demographics to the document. This is the information about the patient, clinic/hospital numbers, doctors' names, cc info...that is also downloaded with the report from the intranet. Some of this info goes into the header/footer as well. Some of this info is attached to the document so it is sent to the correct departments/doctors.... Once I apply the demographics, I have to wait for Word to replace .....something. (The message on the bottom of Word flashes from a long message to a short one very rapidly, making it impossible to read the entire message!) I have read a little bit about writing a code (macro) so that everything opened with Word is opened in 2003 format. I do not start Word, it opens with my company software, so I never get to choose a template in Word. I have also tried to set the compatibility for all documents to 2003 and this does nothing. Also tried to set it up to save as a 2003 document, as well as a .dot and this does not make any difference. I am at a loss! Thanks for your quick response, it is greatly appreciated! Graham Mayor wrote: It is the application of demographics - presumably by a macro that appears to be the issue. This was obviously created by the transcription company with Word 2003 in mind. Whether it would be possible to improve that code is impossible to say without seeing it - and really that is a job for the company that provided it, so I will stick to attempting to make the function use Word 2003 rather than 2007. http://www.gmayor.com/Toolbars_in_word_2007.htm demonstrates how to set Word 2003 and 2007 to share the same platform without reconfiguring the registry each time one of them is run to grab the shared settings for itself.. You should then be able to associate doc and dot files through Windows Explorer Tools Folder Options File Types - DOC Advanced Open Edit and change the application used to perform the action to Word 2003, which by default should mean entering C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOFFICE11WINWORD.EXE /n /dde %1 in that space. Repeat for DOT, though this time edit the action for NEW - the application used to perform the action should be C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOFFICE11WINWORD.EXE /n /dde and the DDE message should be [REM _DDE_Direct][FileNew(%1)] In both examples if Word 2003 is installed in some other location than the default shown, change the paths to reflect that other location. -- Graham Mayor - Word MVP My web site www.gmayor.com Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org DeviousRedBaron wrote: Thanks so much, Graham! I have followed your instructions, but have not yet tested it with my company's software. I am going to test it out tomorrow. If there are any gliches, I will repost. If all goes well, would you mind if I pass this info on to my fellow MTs? (Medical transcriptionists.) I am sure there are numerous woman, and a few men, who could benefit greatly from your advise. I will await your response. Once again, thank you!!!!! If it works for you, feel free to share with your colleagues. If double clicking a doc or dot file opens Word 2003 and not 2007 it should work with the company software - depending on how the company software calls Word.-- Graham Mayor - Word MVPMy web site www.gmayor.comWord MVP web site http://word.mvps.org I hope this will help everyone! I know it helped me. I love typing in Word2007, but for now, I will have to type in Word 2003 until my company's software is compatible with it. At least I can have both programs running at the same time! The info on his web page about creating a toolbar is not necessary, unless it is something you need to do for Word 2007.

It may have started with the best of intentions [2008-10-16]
But as time went on it became like most other associations and became about how much $$$$ they could make. I've been in this biz for a decade and never spent a dime to become a member because I never saw the benefit in spending that amount of $$$ just to get some memos, flyers and get invited to workshops (aka sales pitches). When they changed their name, to me it signified that they no longer represented MTs in the industry, but rather became about representing just documentation procedures in the medical field, whether it�s being done by VR, foreign MTs, or one of us sitting at home trying to make a buck. Personally, I think that stuff about unionizing was just a bit of propaganda to get people to join.

hyphens sm [2008-10-15]
I have a thing about misplaced hyphens and apostrophes. PER BOS: Compound modifiers You DO hyphen BEFORE the noun, not after. So: The patient is well developed and well nourished. (after the noun, no hyphen) This is a well-developed well-nourished woman... (before the noun, so you DO hyphen) Simple rule. I have an MT who really is screwy with hyphens. Examples: I will the patient in 1-day. NOPE I will see the patient in 2-day's time. NOPE, and this pisses me off! BOTH the hyphen and the apostrophe are wrong. Now, I see non-distended and non-tender all the time. Is this right or wrong? Wrong as far as I am concerned, but I don't correct or count off for it because gee, it really makes no difference, no matter where it appears, it is not the above rule at all. A QA person who THINKS she knows where every comma should or should not go is full of it. They are, as always subjective. And most of them don't know this. It is explained in the BOS, which is where I got this, if you find I am too hard to follow. It is a grammar rule and probably something that you get slammed on, fairly or unfairly. Look it up in the BOS and make your case. If you have been an MT for a long time, YOU are probably right, not the QA person. Is it: Your family is here or your family are here? Technically either is correct. Marcaine 0.5% 2 mL were infused. WRONG, it is Marcaine 0.5% 2 mL was infused. Marcaine is your noun, not the 2 mL. I have been counted off for doing it right. Bet you have too. There are plenty of these examples and there are the rules in the BOS. QA is NOT always right! I am not always right and I do it every day. Like you, I do the best I know how. I have, over my time as an MT, questioned my skills many times. There was one time, 4 yrs ago, when I had an epiphany. I was not as good as I thought I was, plain and simple. I took a new job, had to learn a new Expander and almost start from scratch because I went from family practice to OP notes, nothing in between, I didn't pass go and I didn't collect $200! If I thought I was all that, I was wrong. It was an opportunity for me improve my skills and BE the MT I thought I was, but was not. I don't read every report, I do proof as I go along, but every couple of weeks, I will read word for word a couple of reports to check myself and make sure I am not getting sloppy, careless or losing something in the translation. We ALL get into bad habits that one company said was okay and the new company says is wrong. You have to look at it, honestly, and judge yourself carefully. It may be you need to pay more attention, but it may be that you are being harshly and incorrectly judged for work that is quite acceptable. If it is quite acceptable and they are pounding you, move on with a new, better job. QA people sometimes think they are all that and in charge of you, and they aren't. We have MT managers to be in charge of us! They are often not as smart as they think they are, and they are not your superior in experience or skill either, not most of them. I wish I had time to vent about being a QA, perhaps another day.

Can you give us some examples of the contradictions? [2008-09-24]
It's pretty normal to be really freaking stressed out when starting a new MT job, let alone being a newbie with a new MT job. However, I'd like to know specific examples of what they are doing to help with advice. Good luck!

Shorthand Dilemma [2008-09-21]
When I type the abbreviation for an expansion the first letter gets separated from the rest of the expansion. Examples: tp (the patient) expands to: t he patient. sep (September) expands to: S eptember This only happens when I use the doctor's normals created by the hospital, for my account. I print out the normals, then insert them into my Shorthand, and refine them further, adding additional text that the doctor says all the time, and then save the whole thing -- in other words I have customized the normal even further. If I just pull up the hospital normal (with a Ctrl + R) and type in it, there is no problem with expansions. But if I put the normal into my Shorthand, customize it, save it, and then print it out, sometimes I get these separated expansions and sometimes I do not when I type in the report. I can't figure out what is making it happen, but it's driving me nuts, and I can't find a pattern. I've used ShortHand for years with Word and never had this weird problem. Any ideas on what is causing this and how to solve it?

MTSO at crossroad. sm [2008-09-08]
I have been in business since 1995. When I started, it wasn't such a challenge to get clients, a few of whom I have to this day. Since moving to another area, I have had a hard time getting work. I send out flyers, put myself in the yellow pages, etc. I did get a few accounts here and there, which I would be told was permanent, but they were actually looking to get caught up. Once that happened and they were finally honest about it, they let me go - along with the MTs I obtained. I only have enough work for myself now, and I want to grow my business to the level it was in the past. I'm at a crossroad. Don't know if I should continue to search for clients or let my business go and try something else. I've been doing it for so long. I don't know what I can do at this stage of my life - but I love the MT field. No matter what I do, I can't get clients. Has anyone else been in this position?

Spare me. [2008-09-08]
Instead of being so unsupportive of the learning process of new MTs, why not just be quiet since you obviously have no interest in actually teaching them anything. Furthermore, I can give a hundred similar examples this kind of intellectual laziness. Goodbye! Strength be with you. I hope you find the strength to help mold a hire-able MT soon.

I'm not surprised at all! [2008-08-23]
AAMT (by whatever name it chooses) has ALWAYS been about making money. I remember when my Iowa Chapter was begun. Anyone with 5 or more years' experience could be grandfathered in. I only had2 years under my belt, but a couple of transcriptionists with whom I worked had over 10 years each. One was an extremely talented Transcriptionist and most likely would have aced the CMT test. However, the other one was justawful (examples of misspellings: payed, recieve, intellagent....so you can imagine the errors in the medical terminologh). Not only was her work not up to par, but she only transcribed the easiest doctors andeven at that only produced 12 to 13reports in an 8-hour shift (average was 20 to 25). Needless to say, I was very skeptical of an organization that used the grandfather clause. After all, wasn't this supposed to be the stamp of excellence? Can you imagine the nursing profession allowing someone who took care of ill family members for a few years to be able to put the RN initials behind their name? This is why I felt it utterly unnecessary to become a member. I wasn't the only one who felt that way, either. It really looked like they were money hungry, and as long as you were a paying body (who typed a couple of letters per day for a few years), you could have your CMT. I felt no need to pay a couple of hundred dollars to belong to the organization that just allowed membership without testing to an extremely incompetent transcriptionist. About10years later,I did become credentialed. The test was done in 2 parts at that time (written and practical). I passed and became a member. I kept up the CUs for several years, but then let it expire because even thoughI enjoyed the symposiums, I still didn't feel the initialshad great meaning (I mean, how would people know I wasn't grandfathered in?) More importantly, I didn't receive increased pay at my job, and the cost of keeping the CMT active outweighed the information obtained at the workships and seminars. AAMT (ADHI) and whatever they decide to call themselves in the future has in my opinion always been about the money. This isn't the first (and probably not the last) time they've thrown the (American) transcriptionist under the bus.

MTSOs are a dime a dozen, but your kids are not. - sm [2008-08-05]
I'd have no problem at all postponing the training time with THEM, since they had already done it to ME! The kids are only kids for so long, and I think it would be more important to honor a promise made to them for swimming night, than to be further strung along by the company. The people at your new job are perfect examples of what happens if people grow up not learning to honor their promises & commitments. So in your same shoes, I'd keep my promise to the kids, which will help them to learn to keep theirs, as well. And I'd tell the MTSO what time is convenient for ME to have them train me. They deserve nothing more until they've earned it.

Preferences? Setting up NP with Doc signature block [2008-07-31]
Need to set up nurse practitionerdictatorwith Doc signature block, think I know how it should be set up but it's been awhile. Any currentexamples or preferences of how anyone likes to do this? Thanks.

I have copied and pasted from IRS [2008-07-30]
guidelines. If URL does not work, the link is also included so you can paste and copy in your browser. If you hire an electrician, a painter, or aroofer(as examples of independent contractors), you do not tell them HOW to do their work or WHEN to do their work. Just try doing so and see how many contractors you can obtain. Today, we have these large companies not only telling us how to do the work for which we have been trained, but when to do the work (specifically, what days of the week and what hours). Certainly, the quality of the end product must meet the client It cannot be cancelled on the grounds of not working specific days or hours each day to fulfill that contract. If you sign a contract specifying you will produce 1000 or 1200 or 1600 lines per day and you meet that production, a client (the MTSO) cannot fault you if you produce the agreed upon lines in 4 hours, 6 hours, 3 days, 2 days, etc. When requiring you to work a specified schedule of x number of hours producinig x number of lines, then it becomes employee-employer status,not one of client-independent contractor status. Also note the evalutation system below. I would saying doing QA in evaluating a contractor Would you? What about being put on probation or fined (as some companies are now doing)? Does that point to employee status? Can you put a roofing contractor on probabtion or issue a fine? And...just read the section on training. An eyeopener for certain. Below are the guidelines. I say we ICs start filling out the misclassified workers form. If we are treated as employees, then we need tax relief. If MTSOs provide employee status in some states and not others,AS WELL AS hiring ICs, then an IC cannot be required to adhere to the policies and procedures that their employees are required to adhere, and that includes WHEN the work will be performed and HOW it will be performed. The guidelines are clear. I They are going there at arate faster than the speed of lightning anyway, and nothing we as ICs or employees can do willstop it. They are going there because it is a cheap, cheap way of doing business. *************** http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=99921,00.html Independent Contractor The general rule is that an individual is an independent contractor if (the person for whom the services are performed) has the right to control or direct only the result of the work, and not what will be done and how it will be done or method of accomplishing the result. People such as lawyers, contractors, subcontractors, public stenographers, and auctioneers who follow an independent trade, business, or profession in which they offer their services to the public, are generally not employees. However, whether such people are employees or independent contractors depends on the facts in each case. The earnings of a person who is working as an independent contractor are subject to Self-Employment (SE) tax. Evaluation System If an evaluation system measures the details of how the work is performed, then these factors would point to an employee. If the evaluation system measures just the end result, then this can point to either an independent contractor or an employee. Training If the business provides the worker with training on how to do the job, this indicates that the business wants the job done in a particular way. This is strong evidence that the worker is an employee. Periodic or on-going training about procedures and methods is even stronger evidence of an employer-employee relationship. However, independent contractors ordinarily use their own methods. Misclassified Workers Can File Social Security Tax FormWorkers who believe they have been improperly classified as independent contractors by an employer can use Form 8919, Uncollected Social Security and Medicare Tax on Wages to figure and report the employee�s share of uncollected Social Security and Medicare taxes due on their compensation. See the full article Misclassified Workers to File New Social Security Tax Form for more information.

hospital to MTSO [2008-07-24]
I can assure you the line counts are not correct unless you are counting them yourself or have word count. I work for company which switched to their own platform. The work I do has several templates. I was getting 21 lines and now it is either 13 or 14. When I asked about it at a conference, I was informed it should be the same but never has been. I sent examples as requested and quess what - no response. We are being had.

My tips (and I can't type tonight so bear with me) (sm) [2008-07-22]
Also if you're serious about starting out on your own, here are my recommendations (been there, did that last year). 1. Be patient ... realize that unless you hit the offices at just the right time when they're looking for a transcriptionist, you won't get a billion calls just because you opened your doors (I was sadly optimistic for quite a while). 2. Market yourself as a professional ... meaning no email addresses such as ilovemykitties@catsrus.com. Have a business name or simply YOURNAME transcription service but have something to print on those business cards and flyers and brochures you're going to create! 3. Get business cards. If you go with vista print's free ones, pay the $3.99 to have a BLANK back side. I didn't at first and had to redo mine because they all said free business cards at vista print which looked like ca-ca. 4. Create a flyer or a brochure advertising what you have to offer. You can do this in MS Word (we all have it) and there are free templates you can down load or just use the column function. 5. Decide WHAT market you want to target and go for it. I didn't want acute care/hospital work so I only targetted clinics. 6. Send out introduction letters (do a search for client getting letter on the internet, there's one out there that I found but I didn't like it so created my own but it's some place to start) ... enclose a business card and a flyer or brochure advertising your services. Ask them to please keep your information handy in case they need transcription help. 7. Get a website (if you like that kind of thing ... I did). Also you can advertise on craigslist (all I got was spam from it though) or on freeyellow, kijiji, etc. I took advantage of all the free resources there were to get my name out there and I did get calls from people that had to have found me on the internet. 8. IF you live near a big town, it might be worth it to pound the pavement and go directly to offices to drop off your information. For me, I found it more economical to send out letters to every single doctor in the phone books in several nearby towns/cities. 9. Be patient and realize that once you get your own clients, you will feel amazing ... it will revitalize your career when you can say good bye to the middle man and know that every single line you type is YOUR money!! Feel free to email me if you have any questions. :)

Why does nobody recommend sm [2008-07-04]
that the MT get concrete examples of contradictory QA to present to her supervisor? Continuing to work until July 18 without at least doing that seems like a waste of time.

Re: Career Step [2008-06-17]
Hello, I just began the Career Step Online Training Course a couple of weeks ago. You answered a question to a concern that I had from the very start. I wondered if they really help the student transition into an at-home MT position upon completion of the course. You stated that from experience you can say that they get you to work right after graduation. If you don't mind me asking, can you give me some feedback on your experience with Career Step, please? How long did it take you to complete the course? How long after completion did you obtain employment at home? Is it fairly easy to understand what the physician is saying as you transcribe? How do they prefer to pay their at home employees? Those are examples of questions I have. Looking forward to hearing from you! :) Dianne

I found this....really is scary. [2008-06-16]
Paper and Supplies EMR will substantially reduce paper and supplies for: � Fee Tickets � Charts and Chart Labels � Prescription pads � Paper Copies � Custom Forms Savings: � Paper and Supply reduction in annual costs for paper by eliminating charts, forms and prescription pads. The average cost to create a chart is around $5.00 per record: o Chart Jacket $2 to $3 dollars o Chart tabs and labels $1.00 o Labor cost to assemble $1.00 o Labor cost to Handel $1.00 A physician seeing 30 patients per day can have up to 400 paper chart transactions per day, which would be eliminated with EMR. The following are some examples of this: 30 chart pulls off the shelf 30 charts going back on the shelf 30 chart pulls to file the notes after the exam 30 charts to return after filing dictation 15 chart pulls for incoming lab results 15 chart returns after the lab is filed 15 chart pulls for RX request requiring a pull 15 charts to return after the RX request 40 incoming faxes per day requiring a chart pull 40 charts to return after the pull for faxes 60 calls per day requiring a chart pull 60 charts to return after the call 10 with calls after the visit 10 with call to coordinate care 5 will be billing issues requiring a chart pull 5 to return after retrieving for billing 3 medical record requests to transfer their records 3 to return after paying the cost to copy which could have been faxed to the recipient at minimal charge 416 chart transactions per day @ $.080 cents per transaction = $333.00 per day / $1664.00 per week / $83,200 per year � based on 50 weeks per year assuming a practice closes two weeks per year. Transcription EMRs have been very successful in eliminating or substantially reducing transcription through templates and pick lists. Documents can be customized by provider and document type. Referral letters can be generated automatically and faxed directly to the referring physician before the patient leaves the office. This enhances physician patient relations, minimizes paper, labor and postage costs. My own experience on reducing transcription costs was nearly $1000month. If you employ a Transcriptionist that is nearly a $30,000 annual savings for each transcriptionist you have on your staff. There is a whole article on this at the following address if interested. http://www.urologypracticetoday.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=206

A lot needs to change [2008-06-02]
You say that the Indian MTs are willing to do ESLs and harder work types? First, what I have heard is that they are often sent the easy stuff, but only the companies that send work overseas know the truth. Secondly, the Indian MTs are most likely trained and have lots of support and feedback to be able to do the harder work types and ESLs, as you state they are doing. How many MTSOs here are willing to take the time to train new graduates? Most ads say at least 3 years of experience if not 5 or more. Going to one of the top schools is not enough. We all know that. We still need time to transition from school to the real world because transcribing real reports versus reports in school is a totally different thing. If more companies were willing to give the new grads a few weeks or months, then the quality of the workforce in America would be better. We all know that this is a profession that requires lifelong learning to do it right. How many MTs actually spend the time to read up on procedures, drugs, other specialties to understand better what they are transcribing? Somebody needs to get the doctors to dictate better. The way some doctors dictate I honestly do not understand how they expect anyone to understand them. They should be forced to undergo training. It is not only a matter of making life easier for an MT it is also a matter of ensuring that the correct report is being established. If the doctor dictates by speaking clear, at an acceptable speed, in a quiet environment, this would result in a large number of reports being transcribed faster and with the correct terminology, dosages, drug names, diseases. If reports can be transcribed faster, this would mean more money for the MTs and MTSOs. How many MTs out there actually proofread their reports before they submit them? How many MTs are more interested in being able to say they can type 200 or more lines per hour versus saying they proofread every report and make only 150 lines an hour? I have seen reports that started out with a latex allergy and at the end of the report it had turned into a Lasix allergy. I have seen reports for a female patient with he and him mixed inbetween. These are clear examples of not proofreading. How often is mcg typed instead of mg or left foot evolves to right hand? These things can be dictated incorrectly by the doctor and that is when we have to leave blanks for this to be corrected. We can only do so if we actually listen to what is being said, proofread and check these things before we submit the report. If someone is paying for poor quality, don't you think they would choose to pay the lowest price for that poor quality? The basic problem here is that way too many jobs in too many fieldshave already been outsourced to other countries, and if no one speaks up, then soon there might not be any jobs in the USA. Outsourcing is not only an MT problem. I see that there a large number of problems in the MT world. Who is really still interested in the quality of a medical report? Hasn't it all just turned into a matter of spending the lowest amount for a report to be transcribed? Also, why do so many MTs switch MTSOs so often? How can it be good for the companies and how can it benefit the MT? Who controls what an MTSO does? Why are MTSOs so afraid to approach a lousy dictator? When you consider how much time and frustration is involved in trying to figure out what some of these dictators are saying, wouldn't it be better to approach them and convince them that they need to do better? How many MTs are out there that have no training at all? At the end of the day we should all be interested in producing an error-free document to ensure patient safety. We includes the MTs, MTSOs, and the dictators. We need to work together to find a solution. We need to look at ourselves and be honest about what we do to ensure a high-quality document.The MTSOs need to look at what they are doing, and the dictators need to think about what they are doing. There should be rules and regulations but also an organization that oversees these and takes the appropriate steps. I do believe that there should be a law against outsourcing medical reports overseas. All reports should be done in the USA. I also believe that greedy people have turned this profession into something different than it should be. For each and every person involved in creating a medical document the patient should be the most important part of this document and ensuring that the correct information is being put into that document. How many MTs, MTSOs and dictators are doing that?

Ditto -- see message [2008-05-28]
My mom called to complain all the time, too, and finally I just told her. I have problems, too. Hearing about your problems constantly doesn't make me feel any better. It got to the point where I started hiding in my own house. One day about 2 weeks ago, we were buying flowers at a greenhouse. She began asking me about the mulch my husband had put around her trees last fall. We had extra and offered it to her and even took the time to spread it for her. So at the greenhouse, she starts with Well, I don't even know what that stuff was Nate put all around the trees. He just threw it on there. That was the final straw. I waited until we got in the car to go home and point blank asked her, Do you not like me? You complain about everything we do for you. At first she just looked at me, and then she started to get defensive and say that I was the one always snapping at her. I gave her some examples of the way she was treating me, and she ended up apologizing. She admitted that she actually was jealous of how well we were doing, the way I dressed and fixed myself up, the way I decorated my house, and the life I had with my husband (my parents fight a lot). We patched things up and things have been better since then. We try to be a little more careful of how we say things to one another, but she still doesn't get the whole working at home thing. I can tell you that I feel better, having gotten that off my chest. I let her know how hurtful it was and I think she finally heard me. Life won't always be perfect, but I can work on it. Good luck!

VR [2008-05-15]
Sometimes VR produces downright ridiculous and inappropriate words a n d even sentences. This was my experience till now; maybe I just got some bad examples, I'll see what the future brings........

You don't need a macro for this. [2008-04-29]
Use blank fields instead and all you have to do is hit F11 to jump to each field. Ctrl + F9 inserts a blank field. Search here for fields and you will see examples.

SM [2008-03-19]
I think this link will give you what you are looking for as far as examples. http://www.mtdaily.com/abbvs.txt

Own accounts [2008-02-18]
We just talked about this, but again start out small, tapes as it is very inexpensive to get started. Pick up and delivery is not that bad, gets you out and you can do your errands at the same time, public contact also. If you want to go digital, then docs should have their equipment. Don't know how may do call in, some I am sure but I would not buy anything until I had the account in hand. As for worrying about hiring others, get your feet wet first and take on as much as you can handle for a year or so and then think about adding people if the accounts come your way. As for grants, it does not cost that much to get started, you might be able to get a loan from BBB but don't know of any grants as it doesn't cost that much. But you have to get yourself well acquainted with being on your own before thinking about hiring soimeone. And then finding someone dependable is another bridge to cross, Just as you think that they are, their child gets sick or they need to take some time off, they are IC's can work when they want, and so now you have their work and yours. So like I said, go slowly, get used to doing it yourself and then proceed with caution. Send out flyers, brochures, stop by offices, etc. Just be prepared to mainly do digital -- Wave pedal or whatever, and tapes. Most are microcasette and I still do them and since the majority of you do not like them, no one is going to take my accounts away from me. Good luck. Also be prepared that there is non billable work that goes with your own accounts and they think nothing of calling all hours of the day.

Talked about many times [2008-02-15]
There are ups and downs to both sides. I have my own accounts have been doing it for 20+ years -- cannot believe it. Start small even with tapes, I still do nothing but tapes, and printing and delivery. I have small clinics, two doctor clinics, 3 of them. I do not charge as much as the others but I charge gross line and so I think it all works out to be about the same. I can make up to $50 to $75 an hour at times. But average $40. That includes throwing in the time for printing and delivering so that is my average. My accounts hae been with me for 8 to 20 years. I stay with the tapes as it is easier to not be undercut. But again start small, send out flyers, brochures to doctors, clinics, podistrists, psychologists, chiropractors, etc. You have to be persistent. How many people look at a house before there is an offer. I used to do mailings about every 3 to 6 months when looking for a new account as you have to be at the right place at the right time when they need someone. Cons --But then remember, there is no one to take your place when you are sick or your child is sick so do not over extend. They might be understanding the first time but when it happens often, they are not. Vacations need to be planned out, I take a couple of long weekends, 4-5 days rather than a week at a time. It is hard to get someone to cover and be dependable. It is your name and reputation out there.Your work will always be there in your home, sometimes you just want to run away from it. But the pros are there also. You can make good money, you can make your own hours as long as the work gets done. It takes time and persistence and start out small so you can build a good reputation. Good luck.

If you don't try, you won't make it [2008-02-10]
You need to target the stand alones or two docs, chiropractors, psychologists, etc. Start small, get used to it and then add another doc or two. Everybody hates me to say this but start with tapes, pick-up and delivery, -- small investment, have wonderful write off's, all my mileage, makes me get dressed and out to see the office people, I run my errands then, I am sociable, I am not depressed feeling like I have no connection with anyone, I am in the 10 to15% tax bracket due to write-offs and not the 25% to 30% that everyone else is complaining about. So go for it. If you are near a city that has a medical building -- deliver flyers, mail to chiropractors, massage clinicians, etc. Good luck, let us know how you do.