Don't bet on the high pay. Take a look at the board of

No surprise statement you made...This board has (sm) [2008-06-09]
more take-offs than the 3 most heavily departing airports in the US: RANK AIRPORT: 1. Flag of the United States Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Atlanta, Georgia, United States ATL/KATL 994,346 2. Flag of the United States O'Hare International Airport Chicago, Illinois, United States ORD/KORD 927,834 3. Flag of the United States Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, United States DFW/KDFW 684,779 HURRY UP AND READ THIS BEFORE IT'S TAKEN OFF! LOL OFF!!!!!

Don't bet on the high pay. Take a look at the board of [2006-04-08]
The majority of the MTIA who was the big pusher for this program are owners of MTSOs whose primary investments are in voice recognition and offshoring ventures. One in particular pays a newbie out of school 2 cpl to edit VR reports until they are off QA, which they don't clearly define with a timeline. This particular one is investing in a project to employee an additional 5000 MTs in India. Be careful where you step and be sure to wear your thigh high boots.

working as an IC [2008-07-18]
Greetings: Can someone on this board give me some advice regarding working as an IC? I have 20+ years transcribing Pathology; I have also done the basic four, but I love Pathology. The hospital I work for has implemented VR, before that the outsourced our work (and our union did not do a THING about it)and some of us have already been given the boot. Only thing I will say is that it is a big HMO and it starts with the letterthat comes after J('nuff said). Any advice you can give me will be greatly appreciated

VR is here to stay [2008-07-03]
I think it serves any professional to keep up with any technology affecting their chosen profession. A medical Transcriptionist who refuses to learn editing of voice recognition files will end up being left behind. Having said that, if you're thinking about transcription work, then choose a school who isn't afraid of current technology and includes it in their curriculum. I love voice recognition. Working with it on a high-end technical level has made me understand that there isn't now, nor probably ever will be, a substitution for the human element. Trained editors will ALWAYS have job security. Because any speech rec system is only as good as the people behind the scenes writing the software. It's not an unlimited technology, and it simply cannot interpret certain things. I love reading some of the gobbledegook it spits out, and snicker while I edit it. Please stop being afraid of technology. Learn it, embrace it, get good at it, and secure your own future.

Job openings [2008-02-08]
Can anyone please send me emails on services who have been willing to supply the MT with up to date, state of the art, platforms to work on. I am so sick and tired of starting jobs with services only to find out you have to copy and paste your work from A to B, because of crappy platforms, or if you don't copy and paste, the platforms are so prehistoric, you could type faster on a selectric. I want to work, have 35 years exp in all field. I have invested major money into up to date computers, software, hardware, etc so I can perform my job for the service to the best of my ability - what comanpies have done the same for us? I am looking again - someday I might find that one service who is looking out for us, as well as their pocketbooks. I don't expect to make millions, I dont' mid ESL doctors, or doing OPS or even working weekends, all I ask is respect for our profession and provide us with quality tools to perform out jobs. ANY INFORMATION WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED - I hope this posts, I have put many posts on this board, but they are never published ?

It is still possible, I made $90,000 this past year [2007-01-16]
working full time straight production for one of the big nationals, 8.75 cpl base plus incentives and part time for a smaller national at 9.5 cpl. The most I worked at both was 60 hours a week. Made just over 70,000 at my FT position alone at 40 hours a week plus occasional OT but took the second just to have options in case work got low. It has taken me 15 years to buid up speed and expansions and $55,000 was my previous high but it's not totally out of the question to do. I should add that I am single and no kids, so I'm sure the lack of distractions helps my production quite a bit.

Supply and demand [2006-07-31]
That is only going to supply the industry with cheaper labor! If the demand is that high for MTs then it would seem we would be paid more since there do not seem to be enough of us, right? Then here comes AAMT to the rescue with the latest of their nutty ideas - training people to do our jobs for even less! Seems to me that would flood the labor pool with new MTs (I use the term loosely here) and drive down our wages. I am so glad I gave up my membership and CMT years ago when I saw the direction they were going. I still have friends who are AAMT members who, IMHO, appear to be brainwashed. One person told me recently that the USA does not have enough people interested in becoming an MT and that is why AAMT is recruiting overseas and it will not impact our jobs at all. Argh!

CBaySystems Introduces CBayFlo VoiceDirect [2006-07-07]
ANNAPOLIS, Md., July 6 /PRNewswire/ -- CBaySystems Services, Inc., one of the industry's fastest-growing providers of medical transcription solutions, today announced the general availability of CBayFlo VoiceDirect -- its own automated digital dictation and voice capture system. Using CBayFlo VoiceDirect, everyone involved in the medical transcription process -- physicians, HIMs, and transcriptionists -- is able to take advantage of greater speed, quality and security, from capture, to review, to transcription, to approval, to records management and archiving. At its core, CBayFlo VoiceDirect enables physicians to dictate into any digital recording device -- a PDA, tablet PC, desktop or phone -- and have it securely captured for transcription. Highly accurate, and featuring natural language processing, it eliminates the time and cost of manually transcribing recorded dictation. With the introduction of CBayFlo VoiceDirect, hospitals who are dependent on expensive, proprietary dictation systems from Dictaphone, DVI, and Lanier can enjoy new freedom and flexibility. CBayFlo VoiceDirect incorporates the same features and quality at a significantly lower price. At the same time, it is built on an open technology platform that allows it to interface with legacy Dictaphone, DVI, Lanier and home-grown systems. This allows a smooth migration path (with zero training) as well as easy integration with other HIM systems. By developing our own technology, we're able to seamlessly integrate the power of voice into every component of our CBayFlo platform, said Christopher Foley, President of CBaySystems Services. Our commitment to RD means we're no longer reliant on a third party system, and can deliver more of the benefits from this powerful technology -- and significant savings -- directly to our customers. Some of the specific benefits of CBayFlo VoiceDirect include: * High security and voice quality -- resulting in better quality records, and easier workflow * Compliance with the latest HIPAA regulations and technologies * Customized/advanced reporting capabilities, through a secure web portal: making it easy for HIMs to review and manage the entire workflow process Part of a Comprehensive CBayFlo Technology Suite CBayFlo VoiceDirect is just one of the components of the CBayFlo System -- a fully-integrated technology platform that manages medical transcription records at every stage of their lifecycle, from dictation and scheduling, through transcription, editing, web-based management, and long-term archiving. Unlike other systems that force hospitals into a fixed process, CBayFlo is flexible and customizable to work the way you want to work. All processes and workflows can be configured to your exact business and information/reporting requirements. Specific components of this powerful technology platform include: * CBayFlo DocView: advanced document viewing/editing/reporting * CBayFlo VoiceRecord: software for PDAs and digital recorders that allows voice to be uploaded to the web, and offloaded to a dictation server for transcription * CBayFlo eDemographics: an HL7 interface engine to exchange data with other HIM and patient records * CBayFlo Enterprise Document Manager: hospitals can manage and track the transcription process through a web-based portal -- CBayFlo DocuTrack: real-time updates of the status of each record and file -- CBayFlo DocView: document view/edit -- CBayFlo E-signature: document e-sign -- CBayFlo DocXchange: an HL7 compatible interface engine As an ASP application (no additional hardware or software is required for the hospital to purchase), CBayFlo is extremely secure and reliable, with multiple levels of redundancy incorporated into its standard architecture. The CBayFlo platform represents an important component of the WorldClass Advantage we deliver to our customers every day, noted Foley. By providing advanced technology, hospitals and physician practices can significantly reduce costs and save time -- allowing them to devote more resources to improving patient care.

MedQuist Announces Unaudited Financial Results, 6 Million in Operating Loss [2006-05-11]
MT. LAUREL, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 11, 2006--MedQuist Inc. (Pink Sheets: MEDQ.PK) announced today certain preliminary, partial and unaudited financial results, and provided updated information regarding previously-announced litigation and governmental investigations and proceedings. Once the Company completes the financial assessment and review of its billing practices disclosed in the Company's previous filings with the SEC, KPMG LLP, the Company's independent registered public accounting firm, will complete the audit the Company's financial statements. The Company is continuing the process of working toward becoming current in its periodic reports pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Company's review of its current and prior period unaudited financial statements, as well as KPMG LLP's audits for those periods, may identify adjustments or reclassifications which may be reflected in the periods to which they relate. At this time, the Company cannot estimate the total costs of (i) the billing review, (ii) defense of the class action matters, (iii) the SEC investigation, and (iv) compliance with the Department of Justice investigation, all of which have been previously disclosed in either the Company's filings with the SEC or the Company's press releases. Accordingly, the only costs related to the defense of these matters that have been included in the results below are actual costs incurred through March 31, 2006 by the Company. Because the completion of the billing review and resolution of the litigation and governmental investigatory matters are pending, the Company is not certain whether any changes to the accounting treatment of any component of its consolidated financial statements will be required and, if any changes are necessary, whether any such changes would have a material impact on its current or prior period consolidated financial statements. Accordingly, the financial information set forth below is preliminary, unaudited, and subject to change based on the completion of the financial assessment and review of the Company's billing practices, resolution of the class action matters and governmental investigations and proceedings, and the completion of the review and/or audit of its financial statements, as appropriate. The financial information and related narrative discussion set forth below is derived from the Company's internal books and records. The Company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the financial information presented below. As a result of the developments described above and in the Company's previous SEC filings, the Company's financial statements have not been audited or reviewed by KPMG LLP, its independent registered public accounting firm. The financial information contained in this press release also has not been audited or reviewed by an independent registered public accounting firm. Such information is not a substitute for the information required to be reported in the Company's Forms 10-K and Forms 10-Q that have not yet been filed. There can be no assurance that the results of the billing review, and resolution of the litigation and governmental investigatory matters will not have a material adverse effect on the Company's revenue, results of operations and financial condition. Legal Proceedings Investigations and Proceedings Commenced by the SEC and the Department of Justice As previously announced, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) is currently conducting a formal investigation of the Company. The Company will continue to fully cooperate with the SEC. As previously announced, the Company received an administrative HIPAA subpoena for documents from the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts on December 17, 2004. The subpoena sought information primarily about the Company's provision of medical transcription services to governmental and non-governmental customers. The information was requested in connection with a government investigation into whether Medquist and others violated federal laws in connection with the provision of medical transcription services. MedQuist continues to cooperate fully with the Department of Justice. Shareholder Securities Litigation As previously announced, a shareholder putative class action lawsuit was filed against the Company in the United States District Court District of New Jersey on November 8, 2004. The action, entitled William Steiner v. MedQuist, Inc., et al., Case No. 1:04-cv-05487-FLW (the Shareholder Putative Action), was filed against the Company and certain former Company officials, purportedly on behalf of an alleged class of all persons who purchased MedQuist common stock during the period from April 23, 2002 through November 2, 2004, inclusive (the Class Period). The complaint specifically alleged that defendants violated federal securities laws by purportedly issuing a series of false and misleading statements to the market throughout the Class Period, which statements allegedly had the effect of artificially inflating the market price of the Company's securities. The complaint asserts claims under Section 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5, thereunder. Named as defendants, in addition to the Company, were its former president and chief executive officer and its former executive vice president and chief financial officer. On August 16, 2005, a First Amended Complaint in the Shareholder Putative Class Action was filed against the Company in the United States District Court District of New Jersey. The First Amended Complaint named additional defendants, including certain current and former directors, certain former Company officers, the Company's former and current external auditors and Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Philips). Like the original complaint, the First Amended Complaint asserted claims under Sections 10b and 20(a) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (the Act) and Rule 10b5 of the Act. The Class Period of the original complaint was expanded 20 months and now includes the period from March 29, 2000 through June 14, 2004. Pursuant to an October 17, 2005 consent order approved by the Court, Lead Plaintiff Greater Pennsylvania Pension Fund filed a Second Amended Complaint on November 15, 2005. The Second Amended Complaint dropped Philips as a defendant, but alleges the same claims and the same purported class period as the First Amended Complaint. Plaintiffs seek unspecified damages. Pursuant to the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, discovery in the action is stayed pending the filing and resolution of the defendants' motions to dismiss, which were filed on January 17, 2006, and will be fully briefed by May 26, 2006. The Court has not set a hearing date on the motions. The Company believes that the claims asserted in the Second Amended Complaint are without merit, and is vigorously defending the action. Customer Litigation As previously announced, a putative class action was filed in the United States District Court Central District of California. The action, entitled South Broward Hospital District, dba Memorial Regional Hospital, et al. v. MedQuist, Inc. et al., Case No. CV-04-7520-TJH-VBKx, was filed on September 9, 2004 against the Company and certain present and former Company officials, purportedly on behalf of an alleged class of non-Federal governmental hospitals and medical centers that the complaint claims were wrongfully and fraudulently overcharged for transcription services by defendants based primarily on the Company's use of the AAMT line billing unit of measure discussed below. The complaint charges fraud, violation of the California Business and Professions Code, unjust enrichment, conversion, negligent supervision and violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Plaintiffs seek damages in an unspecified amount, plus costs and interest, an injunction against alleged continuing illegal activities, an accounting, punitive damages and attorneys' fees. Named as defendants, in addition to the Company, were a senior vice president, its former executive vice president of marketing and new business development, its former executive vice president and chief legal officer, and its former executive vice president and chief financial officer. On December 20, 2004, the Company and individual defendants filed motions to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction and improper venue, or in the alternative, to transfer the putative action to the United States District Court District of New Jersey. On February 2, 2005, plaintiffs filed a Second Amended Complaint both adding and deleting named plaintiffs in an attempt to keep the putative action in the United States District Court Central District of California. On March 30, 2005, the United States District Court Central District of California issued an order transferring the putative action to the United States District Court District of New Jersey. On August 1, 2005, the Company and the individual defendants filed their respective Answers denying the material allegations contained in the Second Amended Complaint. On August 31, 2005, the Company and individual defendants filed motions to dismiss the Second Amended Complaint for failure to state a claim and a motion to dismiss in favor of arbitration, or in the alternative, to stay pending arbitration. On December 12, 2005, the plaintiffs filed an Amendment to the Second Amended Complaint. On December 13, 2005, the Court issued an order requiring plaintiffs to file a Third Amended Complaint. Plaintiffs filed the Third Amended Complaint on January 4, 2006. The Third Amended Complaint expands the claims made beyond issues arising from contracts based on AAMT line billing and beyond customers billed based on an AAMT line, alleging that the Company engaged in a scheme to inflate customers' invoices without regard to the terms of individual contracts and even in the absence of any written contract. The Third Amended Complaint also limits plaintiffs' claim for fraud in the inducement of the agreement to arbitrate to the three named plaintiffs whose contracts contain an arbitration provision and a subclass of similarly situated customers. On January 20, 2006 the Company and individual defendants filed motions to dismiss the Third Amended Complaint for failure to state a claim and a motion to compel arbitration of all claims by the arbitration subclass and to stay the case in its entirety pending arbitration. On March 8, 2006 the Court held a hearing on these motions, and took the matter under submission. The Court has not yet ruled on the motions. The Company believes that the claims asserted have no merit and intends to vigorously defend the putative action. Medical Transcriptionist Litigation Hoffmann Putative Class Action As previously announced, a putative class action lawsuit was filed against the Company in the United States District Court Northern District of Georgia. The action, entitled Brigitte Hoffmann, et al. v. MedQuist, Inc., et al., Case No. 1:04-CV-3452, was filed with the Court on November 29, 2004 against the Company and certain current and former Company officials, purportedly on behalf of an alleged class of current and former employees and statutory workers of MedQuist, who are or were compensated on a per line basis for medical transcription services (the Class Members) from January 1, 1998 to the time of the filing of the complaint (the Class Period). The complaint specifically alleged that defendants systematically and wrongfully underpaid the Class Members during the Class Period. The complaint asserted the following causes of action: fraud, breach of contract, demand for accounting, quantum meruit, unjust enrichment, conversion, negligence, negligent supervision, and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act violations. Plaintiffs sought unspecified compensatory damages, punitive damages, disgorgement and restitution. On December 1, 2005, the Hoffmann matter was transferred to the United States District Court District of New Jersey. As discussed immediately below under the heading Myers Putative Class Action, the Company believes that the claims presently asserted have no merit and intends to vigorously defend the putative action. Myers Putative Class Action As previously announced, a putative class action entitled, Myers, et al. v. MedQuist Inc. and MedQuist Transcriptions, Ltd., Case No. 05CV 4608 (JBS), was filed against the Company on September 22, 2005 in the United States District Court District of New Jersey. The action was brought on behalf of a putative class of MedQuist's employee and independent contractor transcriptionists who claim that they contracted with the Company to be paid per AAMT line, but were allegedly underpaid due to intentional miscounting of the number of characters and lines transcribed. The named plaintiffs asserted claims for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and request an accounting. The allegations contained in the Myers case are substantially similar to those contained in the Hoffmann putative class action and the two actions have now been consolidated. A consolidated amended complaint was filed on January 31, 2006. The named plaintiffs assert claims for breach of contract, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, unjust enrichment and demand an accounting. On March 7, 2006 the Company filed a motion to dismiss all claims in the consolidated amended complaint. The motion has now been fully briefed. The Court has not set a hearing date on the motion. The Company believes that the claims asserted in the consolidated actions have no merit and intends to vigorously defend the suit. Derivative Litigation On October 4, 2005, the Company announced the dismissal with prejudice of a shareholder derivative action filed in United States District Court District of New Jersey. The suit, Rhoda Kanter (Plaintiff) v. Hans M. Barella et al. (Defendants), was filed on November 12, 2004 against Philips and ten current and former members of MedQuist's Board of Directors. MedQuist was named as a nominal defendant. In a ruling dated September 21, 2005, the Court found Plaintiff's allegations that MedQuist's Board members breached their fiduciary duties to the Company to be insufficient. The Plaintiff had alleged that for a period from 2001 through 2004, the Defendants violated their fiduciary duties by permitting artificial inflation of billing figures; failing to adequately ensure accurate and lawful billing practices; and failing to accurately report the Company's true financial condition in its published financial statements. To the contrary, the Court concluded: Far from alleging facts supporting a substantial likelihood of liability, Plaintiff here has painted a picture of a board of directors that acted responsively given the circumstances . . . . On October 3, 2005, plaintiffs filed a motion for reconsideration of the Court's order dismissing the action with prejudice. On November 16, 2005, the Court denied Plaintiffs' motion for reconsideration. On December 13, 2005, Plaintiffs filed a Notice of Appeal with the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. On March 21, 2006, Plaintiff filed her opening brief on appeal. On April 20, 2006, MedQuist and the other defendants filed their opposition briefs. The appeal will be fully briefed by May 4, 2006. The Court of Appeals has not set a hearing date for the appeal. Customer Accommodations As previously disclosed, the primary allegations in a number of the litigation matters relate to how the Company interpreted the AAMT line billing unit of measure. The AAMT line billing unit of measure was developed in 1993 through a collaboration among several industry organizations with the intent of providing standardization in industry billing practices. However, due to inherent ambiguities in the definition of this unit of measure not fully anticipated at the time of its introduction, AAMT line-based billing was applied inconsistently throughout the medical transcription industry and eventually renounced by the groups initially responsible for its development. Despite these issues, a number of companies in the industry have continued to use AAMT line-based billing, and some customers still request proposals and contracts based on the AAMT line. Like many medical transcription service providers, MedQuist once used the AAMT line unit of measure to calculate invoices for many of its medical transcription clients. It has been widely recognized and well documented throughout the industry, however, that the AAMT definition of a line is inherently ambiguous and subject to a wide variety of interpretations. In fact, no single set of AAMT characters was ever defined for this unit of measure. Accordingly, MedQuist began the process in 2004 of transitioning its AAMT line-based customers off the AAMT line unit of measure and, in April 2005, the Company completely eliminated the use of the AAMT line for billing and called on other industry transcription providers to follow its lead. Due to these AAMT line unit of measure ambiguities, and the disparity in its interpretation, health care providers have raised concerns regarding charges for transcription services by their respective transcription providers, including the Company. In response to those concerns, and to foster ongoing business relationships with its customers, the Company has approached certain customers and offered to resolve any issues related to their prior AAMT line and other billing related issues. As previously disclosed, the Company's Board of Directors has authorized Company management to make accommodation offers, up to an aggregate amount of $65.0 million, to certain customers to resolve any concerns over AAMT and other billing related issues. As of March 31, 2006, (i) the Company has entered into agreements with certain customers who have accepted accommodation offers to resolve concerns over AAMT and other billing related issues, and paid or credited an aggregate amount of $31.3 million as an accommodation to those customers and (ii) additional accommodation offers have been made by the Company to certain other customers in the aggregate amount of $11.9 million. From April 1, 2006 through the date of this release, the Company has entered into agreements with additional customers and paid or credited an aggregate amount of $2.9 million and has extended accommodation offers to additional customers in the aggregate amount of $1.1 million. Company management currently intends to make additional accommodation offers in the future, consistent with the Board's authorization described above, although the timing and amount of such offers have not yet been determined and the Company's plans may change in the future. The accommodation offers do not represent an estimate of potential liability, if any, in any of the previously disclosed litigation or investigatory matters pending against the Company. The Company is unable to predict how many customers, if any, will accept the outstanding accommodation offers on the terms proposed by the Company, nor is the Company able to predict the timing of the acceptance (or rejection) of any of these outstanding accommodation offers. Until such offers are accepted, the Company may withdraw or modify the terms of the accommodation offers at any time. In addition, the Company is unable to predict how many of the future offers, if made, will be accepted on the terms proposed by the Company. The Company believes that its existing cash resources and cash flows from operations are sufficient to fund all of the customer accommodation offers it may make. By accepting the Company's accommodation offers, the customer must agree, among other things, to release the Company from any and all claims and liability regarding prior AAMT and other billing related issues. The accommodation offers made to date, and those offers which may be made in the future, are not an admission of liability by the Company of any wrongdoing or an admission or acknowledgement that its billing practices with respect to such customers were or are incorrect. MedQuist Inc. -- Preliminary and Unaudited Financial Information (in millions) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Three months ended ---------------------------------------- March 31, 2006 March 31, 2005 ------------------ ------------------ Revenues $ 97 $ 108 Operating loss $ (8) $ (2) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- As of As of March 31, 2006 December 31, 2005 ------------------ ------------------ Cash $ 164 $ 178 Debt $ - $ - Three Months Ended March 31, 2006 Revenues: Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that the Company's revenues decreased $11 million to $97 million for the three months ended March 31, 2006 from approximately $108 million for the comparable 2005 period. This decline in revenues is largely due to decreases in transcription outsourcing services and product sales of $9 million or 10%, and $2 million or 27%, respectively. The decline in transcription outsourcing revenues is largely due to a decrease in the volume of lines transcribed primarily related to clients for whom we no longer provide transcription services. Additionally, pricing pressures continued on the base transcription business during the first quarter 2006, but revenues were impacted far less by pricing pressures than in the comparable 2005 period. Management expects that pricing pressures will continue for the foreseeable future but that the introduction of several new sales initiatives and improved customer service programs should cause transcription volume to stabilize or improve throughout the duration of 2006. Operating Loss: Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that our operating loss increased $6 million to a loss of approximately $8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2006 from an operating loss of $2 million for the comparable 2005 period. The operating loss of $8 million was primarily attributable to $9 million of costs associated with the following: (1) costs related to the ongoing billing review including (i) legal fees incurred in connection with governmental investigations and proceedings and defense of the class action matters and (ii) non-legal professional fees; and (2) increased expenses related to prior years' accounting reviews and audit. Operating loss was also impacted by the $11 million decline in revenues over the same period. Balance Sheet Highlights: As of March 31, 2006, the Company had $164 million in cash and cash equivalents and no debt. The $14 million decrease in cash as of March 31, 2006 compared with December 31, 2005 was primarily attributable to accommodation payments ($10 million) and capital expenditures ($4 million). There were no issuances of capital stock or other securities for the three months ended March 31, 2006. The Company expects to incur significant costs and expenses in the future relating to the ongoing billing review, defense of the class action matters and governmental investigations and proceedings, and accommodation agreements. These costs and expenses include (i) legal fees relating to the SEC and Department of Justice investigations and proceedings, (ii) legal fees relating to defense and resolution of the litigation matters described above, (iii) customer accommodation payments and credits, and (iv) non-legal professional fees. The timing and level of these costs and expenses is, in many cases, not within the Company's control. While the Company is unable to predict the timing and level of these costs and expenses, the Company currently believes that it has sufficient resources, including cash on hand and cash flow from operations to fund these costs and expenses. However, there cannot be any assurance that unanticipated changes in the level of these costs will not exceed the Company's available cash resources, nor can there be any assurance that sufficient financing from external sources will be available to the Company on acceptable terms, if at all. In the event that the Company's cash requirements exceed its available cash resources, or if the timing of such costs and expenses requires the Company to divert cash resources away from operations, the Company may not be able to execute its operating plan, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business and results of operations. Other Developments Restructuring: As previously disclosed, in conjunction with the Company's movement to a single national service and support organization, a restructuring plan was developed in 2005 to consolidate approximately forty-eight (48) operating facilities and centralize certain components of the business in order to improve operating efficiencies. The Company is expecting to incur total restructuring costs of up to $8.5 million associated with this plan through the end of the fourth quarter of 2006. The Company incurred $1 million of restructuring costs for the three months ended March 31, 2006. This restructuring is expected to generate annualized savings of approximately $18.5 million. The Company realized approximately $1.9 million in savings during the three months ended March 31, 2006. Specifically, the Company has shifted resources to a single national service delivery and support organization for all of the Company's services and products and is in the process of eliminating local service centers. The plan does not contemplate reductions of, and the Company has no current intentions to reduce, its medical transcription workforce. Rather, the Company will continue in its efforts to hire additional qualified transcriptionists. Further, although the Company is consolidating its local service centers as described above, customer-facing teams, led by account managers, will continue to coordinate customer support on the local level. The customer-facing teams will continue to work with and be supported by the Company's centrally managed customer service organization.

Don't bet on the high pay. Take a look at the board of [2006-04-08]
The majority of the MTIA who was the big pusher for this program are owners of MTSOs whose primary investments are in voice recognition and offshoring ventures. One in particular pays a newbie out of school 2 cpl to edit VR reports until they are off QA, which they don't clearly define with a timeline. This particular one is investing in a project to employee an additional 5000 MTs in India. Be careful where you step and be sure to wear your thigh high boots.

Shapin [2006-03-02]
I had posted on another thread that I sent in my resume through the Job Seeker's Board, then they emailed me back and told me to go to the site to take the test. I did and I couldn't find the test anywhere. I emailed them back and so far no reply so I'd be interested in hearing about them myself.

Neurologist saves $12,000 per year on medical transcription [2006-02-22]
Recognition vs. Transcription W. Palm Beach, FL neurologist saves $12,000 per year on medical transcription using state-of-the-art voice recognition software [ClickPress, Tue Feb 21 2006] Dr. H. Steven Block, M.D. uses Dragon NaturallySpeaking Medical Edition, voice recognition software for medical professionals, to eliminate a very real business problem--medical transcription costs-- which six years ago, began topping the $1,000-a-month mark. Today, a doctor can easily spend three times that amount. Very open about his high regard for the Dragon Medical VR product, Dr. Block had much to say about its place in his solo practice: �I purchased Dragon Medical from Eric Fishman�s company, Nuance, which is actually located in the same building as my practice, on the floor above me. Neurology is all about �nuance�, no pun intended. But �nuance� is really the best word to describe the health effects of a neurological problem. It has been a major focus of my practice.� �Very subtle neurological changes can have devastating health consequences. You have to be able to communicate those subtleties in order for a medical record to have any meaning.� �I see some really sick patients. Using an on-the-spot note generation product like Dragon, instead of a transcription service, let�s me get back to the referring physician with a fast note, usually within 10 minutes of seeing the patient. That kind of speed in delivering a medical exam note with �nuance� can mean a great deal to everyone involved. You see, I can�t type. I never learned how to type. My kids who grew up instant-messaging can type faster than I can speak. They don�t need Dragon. But for me, Dragon is a wonderful tool.� Dr. Block, 49, is no stranger to high technology tools: �There are only so many hours in the day,� he laughed, driving down the road, talking via wireless cell phone headset, �and I�m very detail-oriented. I couldn�t be without Dragon, quite frankly.� One word I did not hear from Dr. Block is the word �downtime�. It doesn�t seem to exist in his vocabulary. Having traveled the long and winding upgrade path for both Dragon and laptop hardware, Dr. Block has watched and participated in the evolution of the product for six years. �Like a surfer looking for the perfect wave,� he joked. The improvement he�s seen in the most recent version of Dragon Medical�combined with a high-RAM laptop with at least 512MB�has boosted performance to an almost unbelievable 99.5% real time voice recognition accuracy level, according to his observations. His advice to new users: �If you haven�t tried Dragon Medical in the last four years,� he said, �try it again, the way it is now, with the new speech engine. It uses mathematical models to analyze word groups. There is a learning curve, but the training is not that bad, consisting of you reading a 15 minute script into a microphone, then a little touch-up here and there.� �Try a few charts each day, and sit down where it�s quiet, where you can relax and concentrate on your speaking habits. Tech support is great; they�ll help you, and be sure to read the help file �How to Speak to a Computer��and the manual. Especially for often repeated phrases, the voice-actuated �macros� are great, a real time-saver. It�s well-worth the time you invest in learning how to use this tool.� What are the pitfalls? �Mumbling,� says Dr. Block, �that�s the main problem. Doctors are used to dictating in a low, monotone mumble, as fast as they can. A person might be able to handle it by going back and listening to the recording again and again. But for voice recognition, doctors need to speak in a normal, conversational tone of voice, just like we are doing right now. Speak normally, and Dragon has no problem, it works very well. It�s really quite simple.� He stated that using a handheld Sony digital voice recorder with removable memory stick allows him to dictate anywhere, anytime, then later, �feed� the sound file to Dragon, achieving about 98% voice recognition accuracy. (Please note: If you are considering making a recording for later voice recognition by Dragon, be sure and use 16-bit resolution .avi format, or Dragon won�t even try to �digest� it. It won�t bother with a recording of poor quality, because the end result would be useless.) Although he is considering it, Dr. Block has not yet adopted a commercial EMR(Electronic Medical Records) software system for his medical records, mainly because of concerns about interoperability standards. (Coming soon to an EMR near you.) However, by using Dragon Medical as his �front-end� for the creation of detailed paper medical records, email reports, and digital-FAX messages, Dr. Block not only uses computers, but has also created a highly personal and expressive way to �chart� a patient, unmatched in detail, depth, and the �human touch� by out-of-the-box EMR software. Would EMR software developers do well to discuss with this doctor any design plans for a voice-controlled, voice-recognition-based EMR program? I think so. Will a �hands-free� EMR workstation which responds to voice commands--as does the entire Dragon program--ever be used to help maintain a �sterile field� in the medical environment of the future? It certainly worked well on the Starship Enterprise, didn�t it?

The Top 10 Reasons to Become a Medical Transcriptionist [2006-01-19]
January 17th 2006Work From Home You've seen the commercials: medical transcriptionists are in high demand. Should you consider this field? Below are the top ten best reasons to become a medical transcriptionist. If these characteristics are something you're looking for in a job, then medical transcription may be for you. To get started, try �Working at Home the American Way in Medical Transcription� by Debra Jan Hebert, an experienced (http://medtrans4u.com) medical transcriptionist. 10. Quick entryMany lucrative professions require extensive training and advanced degrees. Other jobs in the medical field can take eight or more years of grueling, expensive schooling to begin. In medical transcription, you can begin your work in a year or less, avoiding huge debts and student loans. Some employers require no training, especially not if you already have good English skills and some experience in a medical field. 9. Contribute to societyAs a medical transcriptionist, you can contribute to society in many ways. In addition to the economic contributions you'll make to the overall economy, experienced medical transcriptionists become well-versed enough to catch errors or even act as patient advocates. Medical transcriptionists can see inconsistencies and correct them as well. By quickly returning transcripts to hospitals, private practices and individual doctors, medical transcriptionists can ensure fast patient care in the medical system. 8. Work from homeWhile the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 70% of medical transcriptionists still work in hospitals or physicians' offices, medical transcription is becoming increasingly popular as a work-from-home profession. The convenience of a home office appeals to some people on its own virtues, while parents may value the opportunity to stay close to their young children and still support the family full time. No matter what the reason, if you're looking to work from home, you should seriously consider medical transcription. 7. Excellent payWhile compensation methods may vary, almost all medical transcriptionists enjoy excellent pay, even in entry-level positions. According to (http://medtrans4u.com) DJS Enterprises, you can earn as much as $50,000 to $80,000 a year as a medical transcriptionist. If your pay is production-based, as you gain more experience and dexterity in medical transcription your salary will steadily increase. If you're looking for a job that can really support your family working from home, medical transcription may be for you. 6. Job securityThe US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the job outlook for medical transcriptionists is definitely positive. The medical transcription field is expected to grow at a faster than average rate through the year 2014. This indicates that medical transcriptionists will have plenty of opportunities to find steady work, even if they work at home on a freelance basis for at least another 8 years. 5. Job satisfactionWhile job satisfaction may vary from job to job and person to person, if you enjoy being able to visibly track the progress you've made in a day, medical transcription can bring you a high level of job satisfaction. As your completed medical reports pile up, you'll be able to see how much you've accomplished. 4. Set your own hoursMost of the medical industry operates 24 hours a day. Many hospital and at-home medical transcriptionists are able to set their own hours at any time to accommodate their families or other commitments. No matter when you're able to work, there's a medical record waiting to be transcribed. In medical transcription, you can work when it's most convenient for you. 3. Comfortable work environmentWhether they work in a hospital, a private office or from home, medical transcriptionists enjoy a comfortable work environment. Noise levels are low, safety risks are minimal and strenuous labor is negligible. In medical transcription, you'll enjoy a comfortable office and dedicated work station to transcribe. And what could be more comfortable than working in your own home? 2. Transferable skillsMedical transcriptionists acquire many transferable skills that they can use in other jobs if ever they want to leave the industry. In addition to a basis in the medical field, transcriptionists learn skills that could apply as a court reporter or an administrative assistant. Transcriptionists also develop their English skills, which can be useful in all types of positions that involve writing and editing. Whether medical transcription is a step on your path or your dream job, the skills you learn can improve your overall career outlook. 1. Rewarding workWhy do people become doctors? The vast majority of the people who endure 8 or more years of schooling and incur substantial debts and student loans to become doctors do so because they love to help people and to cure them of their illnesses. Every member of the medical field helps in this endeavor. What could be more rewarding than to contribute to the speedy treatment of people who desperately need your help? If these ten things sound like characteristics you're looking for in a job, look into medical transcription. You can learn more about medical transcription from books, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and other materials online.

MedQuist Announces Preliminary, Partial and Unaudited [2006-01-19]
MT. LAUREL, N.J. --(Business Wire)-- Jan. 19, 2006 -- Medquist Inc. (Pink Sheets: MEDQ.PK) announced today certain preliminary, partial and unaudited financial results, and provided updated information regarding previously-announced litigation and governmental investigations and proceedings. Once the Company completes the financial assessment and review of its billing practices disclosed in the Company's previous filings with the SEC, the Company expects that KPMG LLP, its independent registered public accounting firm, will review and/or audit the Company's financial statements, as appropriate. The Company is continuing the process of working toward becoming current in its periodic reports pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Company's review of its current and prior period unaudited financial statements, as well as KPMG LLP's audits for those periods, may identify adjustments or reclassifications which may be reflected in the periods to which they relate. At this time, the Company cannot estimate the total costs of (i) the billing review, (ii) defense of the class action matters, (iii) the SEC investigation, and (iv) compliance with the Department of Justice investigation, all of which have been previously disclosed in either the Company's filings with the SEC or the Company's press releases. Accordingly, the only costs related to the defense of these matters that have been included in the results below are actual costs incurred through December 31, 2005 by the Company. As described in the Customer Accommodations discussion under the heading Legal Proceedings, an accrual has been made in an amount up to which the Company's Board of Directors has authorized the Company to make accommodation offers to certain of its customers. Because the completion of the billing review and resolution of the litigation and governmental investigatory matters are pending, the Company is not certain whether any changes to the accounting treatment of any component of its consolidated financial statements will be required and, if any changes are necessary, whether any such changes would have a material impact on its current or prior period consolidated financial statements. Accordingly, the financial information set forth below is preliminary, unaudited, and subject to change based on the completion of the financial assessment and review of the Company's billing practices, resolution of the class action matters and governmental investigations and proceedings, and the completion of the review and/or audit of its financial statements, as appropriate. The financial information and related narrative discussion set forth below is derived from the Company's internal books and records. The Company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the financial information presented below. As a result of the developments described above and in the Company's previous SEC filings, the Company's financial statements have not been audited or reviewed by KPMG LLP, its independent registered public accounting firm. The financial information contained in this press release also has not been audited or reviewed by an independent registered public accounting firm. Such information is not a substitute for the information required to be reported in the Company's Forms 10-K and Forms 10-Q that have not yet been filed. There can be no assurance that the results of the billing review, and resolution of the litigation and governmental investigatory matters will not have a material adverse effect on the Company's revenue, results of operations and financial condition. Legal Proceedings Investigations and Proceedings Commenced by the SEC and the Department of Justice As previously announced, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) is currently conducting a formal investigation of the Company. The Company will continue to fully cooperate with the SEC. As previously announced, the Company received an administrative HIPAA subpoena for documents from the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts on December 17, 2004. The subpoena sought information primarily about the Company's provision of medical transcription services to governmental and non-governmental customers. The information was requested in connection with a government investigation into whether MedQuist and others violated federal laws in connection with the provision of medical transcription services. MedQuist continues to cooperate fully with the Department of Justice. Shareholder Securities Litigation As previously announced, a shareholder putative class action lawsuit was filed against the Company in the United States District Court District of New Jersey on November 8, 2004. The action, entitled William Steiner v. MedQuist, Inc., et al., Case No. 1:04-cv-05487-FLW (the Shareholder Putative Action), was filed against the Company and certain former Company officials, purportedly on behalf of an alleged class of all persons who purchased MedQuist common stock during the period from April 23, 2002 through November 2, 2004, inclusive (the Class Period). The complaint specifically alleged that defendants violated federal securities laws by purportedly issuing a series of false and misleading statements to the market throughout the Class Period, which statements allegedly had the effect of artificially inflating the market price of the Company's securities. The complaint asserts claims under Section 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5, thereunder. Named as defendants, in addition to the Company, were its former president and chief executive officer and its former executive vice president and chief financial officer. On August 16, 2005, a First Amended Complaint in the Shareholder Putative Class Action was filed against the Company in the United States District Court District of New Jersey. The First Amended Complaint named additional defendants, including certain current and former directors, certain former Company officers, the Company's former and current external auditors and Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Philips). Like the original complaint, the First Amended Complaint asserted claims under Sections 10b and 20(a) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (the Act) and Rule 10b5 of the Act. The Class Period of the original complaint was expanded 20 months and now includes the period from March 29, 2000 through June 14, 2004. Pursuant to an October 17, 2005 consent order approved by the Court, Lead Plaintiff Greater Pennsylvania Pension Fund filed a Second Amended Complaint on November 15, 2005. The Second Amended Complaint dropped Philips as a defendant, but alleges the same claims and the same purported class period as the First Amended Complaint. Plaintiffs seek unspecified damages. Pursuant to the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, discovery in the action is stayed pending the filing and resolution of the defendants' motions to dismiss, which were filed on January 17, 2006, and will be fully briefed by May 1, 2006. The Company believes that the claims asserted in the Second Amended Complaint are without merit, and is vigorously defending the action. Customer Litigation As previously announced, a putative class action was filed in the United States District Court Central District of California. The action, entitled South Broward Hospital District, dba Memorial Regional Hospital, et al. v. MedQuist, Inc. et al., Case No. CV-04-7520-TJH-VBKx, was filed on September 9, 2004 against the Company and certain present and former Company officials, purportedly on behalf of an alleged class of non-Federal governmental hospitals and medical centers that the complaint claims were wrongfully and fraudulently overcharged for transcription services by defendants based primarily on the Company's use of the AAMT line billing unit of measure discussed below. The complaint charges fraud, violation of the California Business and Professions Code, unjust enrichment, conversion, negligent supervision and violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Plaintiffs seek damages in an unspecified amount, plus costs and interest, an injunction against alleged continuing illegal activities, an accounting, punitive damages and attorneys' fees. Named as defendants, in addition to the Company, were a senior vice president, its former executive vice president of marketing and new business development, its former executive vice president and chief legal officer, and its former executive vice president and chief financial officer. On December 20, 2004, the Company and individual defendants filed motions to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction and improper venue, or in the alternative, to transfer the putative action to the United States District Court District of New Jersey. On February 2, 2005, plaintiffs filed a Second Amended Complaint both adding and deleting named plaintiffs in an attempt to keep the putative action in the United States District Court Central District of California. On March 30, 2005, the United States District Court Central District of California issued an order transferring the putative action to the United States District Court District of New Jersey. On August 1, 2005, the Company and the individual defendants filed their respective Answers denying the material allegations contained in the Second Amended Complaint. On August 31, 2005, the Company and individual defendants filed motions to dismiss the Second Amended Complaint for failure to state a claim and a motion to dismiss in favor of arbitration, or in the alternative, to stay pending arbitration. On December 12, 2005, the plaintiffs filed an Amendment to the Second Amended Complaint. On December 13, 2005, the Court issued an order requiring plaintiffs to file a Third Amended Complaint and set forth a briefing schedule for the filing of anticipated motions to dismiss the Third Amended Complaint, which have been set for hearing on March 8, 2006. Plaintiffs filed the Third Amended Complaint on January 4, 2006. The Third Amended Complaint expands the claims made beyond issues arising from contracts based on AAMT line billing and beyond customers billed based on an AAMT line, alleging that the Company engaged in a scheme to inflate customers' invoices without regard to the terms of individual contracts and even in the absence of any written contract. The Third Amended Complaint also limits plaintiffs' claim for fraud in the inducement of the agreement to arbitrate to the three named plaintiffs whose contracts contain an arbitration provision and a subclass of similarly situated customers. The Company believes that the claims asserted have no merit and intends to vigorously defend the putative action. Medical Transcriptionist Litigation Hoffmann Putative Class Action As previously announced, a putative class action lawsuit was filed against the Company in the United States District Court Northern District of Georgia. The action, entitled Brigitte Hoffmann, et al. v. MedQuist, Inc., et al., Case No. 1:04-CV-3452, was filed with the Court on November 29, 2004 against the Company and certain current and former Company officials, purportedly on behalf of an alleged class of current and former employees and statutory workers of MedQuist, who are or were compensated on a per line basis for medical transcription services (the Class Members) from January 1, 1998 to the time of the filing of the complaint (the Class Period). The complaint specifically alleged that defendants systematically and wrongfully underpaid the Class Members during the Class Period. The complaint asserted the following causes of action: fraud, breach of contract, demand for accounting, quantum meruit, unjust enrichment, conversion, negligence, negligent supervision, and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act violations. Plaintiffs seek unspecified compensatory damages, punitive damages, disgorgement and restitution. On December 1, 2005, the Hoffmann matter was transferred to the United States District Court District of New Jersey. The Company believes that the claims presently asserted have no merit and intends to vigorously defend the putative action. Myers Putative Class Action As previously announced, a putative class action entitled, Myers, et al. v. MedQuist Inc. and MedQuist Transcriptions, Ltd., Case No. 05CV 4608 (JBS), was filed against the Company on September 22, 2005 in the United States District Court District of New Jersey. The action was brought on behalf of a putative class of MedQuist's employee and independent contractor transcriptionists who claim that they contracted with the Company to be paid per AAMT line, but were allegedly underpaid due to intentional miscounting of the number of characters and lines transcribed. The named plaintiffs assert claims for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and request an accounting. The allegations contained in the Myers case are substantially similar to those contained in the Hoffmann putative class action and the two actions have now been consolidated. On January 3, 2006, a consent order was executed pursuant to which the Hoffmann and Myers plaintiffs will file a single, consolidated class action complaint on or before January 31, 2006. As with the Hoffmann putative class action, the Company believes that the claims presently asserted in the Myers action have no merit and intends to vigorously defend the consolidated actions. Derivative Litigation On October 4, 2005, the Company announced the dismissal with prejudice of a shareholder derivative action filed in United States District Court District of New Jersey. The suit, Rhoda Kanter (Plaintiff) v. Hans M. Barella et al. (Defendants), was filed on November 12, 2004 against Philips and ten current and former members of MedQuist's Board of Directors. MedQuist was named as a nominal defendant. In a ruling dated September 21, 2005, the Court found Plaintiff's allegations that MedQuist's Board members breached their fiduciary duties to the Company to be insufficient. The Plaintiff had alleged that for a period from 2001 through 2004, the Defendants violated their fiduciary duties by permitting artificial inflation of billing figures; failing to adequately ensure accurate and lawful billing practices; and failing to accurately report the Company's true financial condition in its published financial statements. To the contrary, the Court concluded: Far from alleging facts supporting a substantial likelihood of liability, Plaintiff here has painted a picture of a board of directors that acted responsively given the circumstances . . . . On October 3, 2005, plaintiffs filed a motion for reconsideration of the Court's order dismissing the action with prejudice. On November 16, 2005, the Court denied Plaintiffs' motion for reconsideration. On December 13, 2005, Plaintiffs filed a Notice of Appeal with the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Customer Accommodations The primary allegations in a number of the litigation matters relate to how the Company interpreted the AAMT line billing unit of measure. The AAMT line billing unit of measure was developed in 1993 through a collaboration among several industry organizations with the intent of providing standardization in industry billing practices. However, due to inherent ambiguities in the definition of this unit of measure not fully anticipated at the time of its introduction, AAMT line-based billing was applied inconsistently throughout the medical transcription industry and eventually renounced by the groups initially responsible for its development. Despite these issues, a number of companies in the industry have continued to use AAMT line-based billing, and some customers still request proposals and contracts based on the AAMT line. Like many medical transcription service providers, MedQuist once used the AAMT line unit of measure to calculate invoices for many of its medical transcription clients. It has been widely recognized and well documented throughout the industry, however, that the AAMT definition of a line is inherently ambiguous and subject to a wide variety of interpretations. In fact, no single set of AAMT characters was ever defined for this unit of measure. Accordingly, MedQuist began the process in 2004 of transitioning its AAMT line-based customers off the AAMT line unit of measure and, in April 2005, the Company completely eliminated the use of the AAMT line for billing and called on other industry transcription providers to follow its lead. Due to these AAMT line unit of measure ambiguities, and the disparity in its interpretation, health care providers have raised concerns regarding charges for transcription services by their respective transcription providers, including the Company. In response to those concerns, and to foster ongoing business relationships with its customers, the Company has approached certain customers and offered to resolve any issues related to their prior AAMT line and other billing related issues. The Company's Board of Directors has authorized Company management to make accommodation offers, up to an aggregate amount of $65.0 million, to certain customers to resolve concerns over AAMT and other billing related issues. As of December 31, 2005, (i) the Company has entered into agreements with certain customers who have accepted accommodation offers to resolve concerns over AAMT and other billing related issues, and paid or credited an aggregate amount of $20.5 million as an accommodation to those customers and (ii) additional accommodation offers have been made by the Company to certain other customers in the aggregate amount of $13.8 million. From January 1, 2006 through the date of this release, accommodation offers have been made to additional customers in the aggregate amount of $1.7 million. Subject to the previously mentioned authorization of the Company's Board of Directors, Company management currently intends to make additional accommodation offers in the future, although the timing and amount of such offers have not yet been determined and the Company's plans may change in the future. The accommodation offers do not represent in any way the Company's estimate of potential liability, if any, in any of the previously disclosed litigation or investigatory matters pending against the Company. The Company is unable to predict how many customers, if any, will accept the outstanding accommodation offers on the terms proposed by the Company, nor is the Company able to predict the timing of the acceptance (or rejection) of any of these outstanding accommodation offers. Until such offers are accepted, the Company may withdraw or modify the terms of the accommodation offers at any time. In addition, the Company is unable to predict how many of the future offers, if made, will be accepted on the terms proposed by the Company. The Company believes that its existing cash resources and cash flows from operations are sufficient to fund all of the customer accommodation offers it may make. By accepting the Company's accommodation offers, the customer must agree, among other things, to release the Company from any and all claims and liability regarding prior AAMT and other billing related issues. The accommodation offers made to date, and those offers which may be made in the future, are not an admission of liability by the Company of any wrongdoing or an admission or acknowledgement that its billing practices with respect to such customers were or are incorrect. -0- *T MedQuist Inc. - Preliminary and Unaudited Financial Information (in millions) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Three months ended ----------------------------------- 12/31/2005 12/31/2004 ---------------- ---------------- Revenues (1) $ 96 $ 112 Operating loss (1) $ (78) $ 0 Cash (2) $ 178 $ 196 Debt (2) - Current $ 0 $ 25 - Long term $ 0 $ 0 Twelve months ended ----------------------------------- 12/31/2005 12/31/2004 ---------------- ---------------- Revenues (3) $ 411 $ 456 Operating (loss)income (3) $ (98) $ 25 Cash (2) $ 178 $ 196 Debt (2) - Current $ 0 $ 25 - Long term $ 0 $ 0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes: (1) Information presented for the three months ended (2) Information presented as of the date noted above (3) Information presented for the twelve months ended *T Three months ended December 31, 2005 Revenues: Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that the Company's revenues decreased from approximately $112 million for the three months ended December 31, 2004 to approximately $96 million for the comparable 2005 period. The decline in revenues is largely due to a decrease in the volume of lines transcribed primarily related to clients for whom we no longer provide transcription services. Additionally, while pricing pressures continue on the base transcription business, the pricing pressure has not had as great an impact on revenues during the second half of 2005 as it did in the first half. Management expects that pricing pressure will continue for the foreseeable future but that the introduction of several new sales and improved customer service initiatives will cause transcription volume to stabilize or improve in 2006. Operating Income: Preliminary results indicate that operating income declined $78 million from approximately $0 million for the three months ended December 31, 2004 to an operating loss of approximately $78 million for the comparable 2005 period. The operating loss was attributable to the following: restructuring charges ($4 million), audit fees in connection with the Company's 2003, 2004 and 2005 fiscal years ($4 million), asset impairments ($2 million) and $69 million in costs incurred during the three months ended December 31, 2005 related to the ongoing billing review, including: (i) customer accommodation payments and accruals ($60 million), (ii) legal fees incurred in connection with governmental investigations and proceedings and defense of the class action matters, and (iii) non-legal professional fees. Operating income in 2005 was also impacted by the $16 million decline in revenues over the same period. Fiscal 2004 results reflect $6 million in costs related to the ongoing billing review. Twelve Months ended December 31, 2005 Revenues: Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that the Company's revenues decreased from approximately $456 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2004 to approximately $411 million for the comparable 2005 period. The decline in revenues is due to (i) a decrease in the volume of lines transcribed primarily related to clients for whom we no longer provide transcription services and (ii) reductions in transcription service rates due to pricing pressure in the medical transcription industry. Management expects that pricing pressure will continue for the foreseeable future but that the introduction of several new sales and improved customer service initiatives will cause transcription volume to stabilize or improve in 2006. Operating Income: Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that operating income declined $123 million from an operating income of approximately $25 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2004 to an operating loss of approximately $98 million for 2005. The operating loss was attributable to the following: restructuring charges ($4 million), audit fees in connection with the Company's 2003, 2004 and 2005 fiscal years ($4 million), asset impairments ($2 million) and $101 million in costs incurred in 2005 related to the ongoing billing review, including: (i) customer accommodation payments and accruals ($65 million), (ii) legal fees incurred in connection with governmental investigations and proceedings and defense of the class action matters, (iii) non-legal professional fees, and (iv) costs associated with separation and replacement of the Company's management team, including members at the executive level. Operating income in 2005 was also impacted by the $44 million decline in revenues over the comparable period, which represents the impact of both the pricing pressures experienced most strongly in the first six months of 2005 and of volume declines throughout the twelve months ended December 31, 2005. Fiscal 2004 results reflect $15 million in costs related to the ongoing billing review. Balance Sheet Highlights: At December 31, 2005, the Company had $178 million in cash and cash equivalents and no debt. There were no additional issuances of capital stock or other securities for the twelve months ended December 31, 2005. The Company expects to incur significant costs and expenses in the future relating to the ongoing billing review, defense of the class action matters and governmental investigations and proceedings, and accommodation agreements. These costs and expenses include (i) legal fees relating to the SEC and Department of Justice investigations and proceedings, (ii) legal fees relating to defense and resolution of the litigation matters described above, (iii) customer accommodation payments and credits, and (iv) non-legal professional fees. The timing and level of these costs and expenses is, in many cases, not within the Company's control. While the Company is unable to predict the timing and level of these costs and expenses, the Company currently believes that it has sufficient resources, including cash on hand and cash flow from operations to fund these costs and expenses. However, there can be no assurance that unanticipated changes in the level of these costs will not exceed the Company's available cash resources, nor can there be any assurance that sufficient financing from external sources will be available to the Company on acceptable terms, if at all. In the event that the Company's cash requirements exceed its available cash resources, or if the timing of such costs and expenses requires the Company to divert cash resources away from operations, the Company may not be able to execute its operating plan, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business and results of operations. Other Developments Restructuring: As previously disclosed, in conjunction with the Company's movement to a single national service and support organization, a restructuring plan has been developed which consolidates approximately forty-eight (48) facilities and centralizes certain components of the business. The Company is expecting to incur restructure costs associated with this restructuring plan of up to $8.5 million and the restructuring is expected to generate annualized savings of approximately $18.5 million. Specifically, MedQuist has shifted resources to a single national service delivery and support organization for all of the Company's services and products, eliminating local service centers. This transition has resulted in the consolidation of approximately thirty-eight (38) facilities as of December 31, 2005, with ten (10) more scheduled over the next six months. The plan does not contemplate reductions of, and the Company has no current intentions to reduce, its medical transcription workforce. Rather, the Company will continue in its efforts to hire additional qualified transcriptionists. Further, although the Company is consolidating its local service centers as described above, customer-facing teams, led by account managers, will continue to coordinate customer support on the local level. The customer-facing teams will work with and be supported by the Company's centrally managed customer service organization.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking from Nuance Strengthens [2005-11-28]
Dragon NaturallySpeaking from Nuance Strengthens Foothold as Standard Speech Recognition Solution for Healthcare Industry Nuance Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: NUAN), formerly ScanSoft, Inc., the leading provider of speech and imaging solutions for businesses and consumers around the world, today announced that its Dragon(TM) Dictation Solutions family has become the standard in speech recognition technology for the healthcare sector. Already in use at thousands of healthcare facilities worldwide, Dragon NaturallySpeaking(R) Medical, Dragon NaturallySpeaking(R) SDK (software developer kit), and the Dragon(TM) MT Workflow System can save healthcare organizations thousands of dollars per doctor each year in reduced or eliminated manual transcription costs by converting speech into text at up to twice the speed of the spoken word, automating the clinical documentation process and eliminating the high cost and long turnaround time associated with the manual transcription of patient notes. Nuance provides the healthcare industry with an unmatched set of speech recognition solutions, including Dragon NaturallySpeaking Medical, the world's best selling front-end speech recognition solution for electronic medical records systems, the Dragon NaturallySpeaking Server SDK, which enables the server-based processing and workflow of recorded patient information, and the Dragon MT Workflow System, a scalable, HIPAA compliant, web-based platform for end-to-end transcription processing The Dragon NaturallySpeaking family of products includes 14 pre-made medical specialty vocabularies, supports the creation of custom vocabularies, and delivers patent-pending roaming user capabilities to enable use within distributed care provider facilities. A growing number of healthcare vendors and integrators have joined with Nuance to speech-enable their healthcare solutions, including: Allscripts Healthcare Solutions; Cerner CoPath; ChartLogic, Inc; Clinical Content Consultants, LLC; Commissure; Dictaphone; DR Systems, Inc.; ERad; Guardian; IDX Systems Corporation; Instar; Meditech; Misys Healthcare Systems; Mountain Medical Technologies, Inc.; Northbase; NovaRad; Polaris-Danforth; SoftMed Systems; STI Computer Systems, Inc.; Structurad; Swearingen; ThinAir; Virtual Radiological Consultants; and Voicebrook. In addition, ScanSoft(R) Dragon NaturallySpeaking(R) has garnered accolades from respected publications worldwide, including CNet, Computer Reseller News, Forbes, The New York Times, PC Magazine, PC World, and SmartComputing. Nuance's Dragon Dictation Solutions apply highly accurate speech recognition to intelligent workflow processing solutions in order to reduce the costs associated with manually converting medical dictation into text, estimated at $10 billion in North America and $15 billion worldwide each year. Nuance delivers these solutions through its growing number of channel partners, including healthcare information systems vendors, systems integrators, digital dictation systems vendors and MTSOs. Dragon Dictation Solutions are used worldwide by physicians, records management and medical transcription teams within hospitals, clinics and physician practice organizations, as well as MTSOs to enhance their current transcription services businesses. Nuance Speech Solutions Nuance Speech Solutions make the user experience more compelling and expand business potential. Through its dictation, embedded and network speech solutions, Nuance offers the world's preeminent portfolio of speech technologies, expertise and solutions that transform the way people interact with businesses, information and each other. Today, thousands of companies and millions of users around the world depend on Nuance Speech Solutions to deliver vital information, increase productivity and conduct business. To experience the power of the spoken word, please visit nuance.com. About Nuance Communications, Inc. Nuance (Nasdaq: NUAN) is the leading provider of speech and imaging solutions for businesses and consumers around the world. Its technologies, applications and services make the user experience more compelling by transforming the way people interact with information and how they create, share and use documents. Every day, millions of users and thousands of businesses experience Nuance's proven applications and professional services. For more information, please visit nuance.com. Nuance, the Nuance logo, Dragon, and NaturallySpeaking are trademarks or registered trademarks of Nuance Communications, Inc. or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. All other company names or product names may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

MedQuist Names Scott Bennett as Senior Vice President [2005-11-01]
MedQuist Inc.(Pink Sheets: MEDQ) today announced the appointment of Scott Bennett as itsnew senior vice president of Sales and Marketing. He will join Medquist onNovember 1. Bennett comes to the company with more than 20 years ofexperience in the healthcare technology sales and marketing field, including aproven track record in developing and leading high performing sales andmarketing organizations. Bennett will lead a newly integrated sales andmarketing function, which MedQuist unveiled earlier this month. Bennett was most recently the senior vice president of Sales and Marketingat Scheduling.com d/b/a SCI Solutions, Inc., where he rebuilt the company'smarketing, sales and sales support infrastructure and processes, as well ashelped lead the company to record revenue and profit growth. Prior to holdingthat position, Bennett was the vice president, Corporate Sales, at SiemensMedical Solutions, USA. During his tenure at Siemens, he led the regionalsales teams to win and close the company's largest transactions, includingnegotiating the company's first Information Technology strategic allianceagreement. Bennett also spent 17 years with Shared Medical Systems in avariety of increasingly responsible sales and marketing leadership positions. I am excited to be joining the MedQuist team, says Bennett. MedQuistis already the world leader of outsourced transcription services, and ispositioned to play an even larger role in assisting health providers as theypopulate, safeguard and digitally transport patients' Electronic HealthRecords where and when they are needed. MedQuist is right at the forefront ofthe future of healthcare technology.

MedQuist Moving to Centralized, National Service Delivery Model [2005-10-11]
MedQuist Moving to Centralized, National Service Delivery Model 10/10/2005 9:00:00 AM EST Shift Will Streamline Operations, Drive Improved Service Standards and Technology MedQuist Inc. (Pink Sheets: MEDQ.PK) today announced that management, in accordance with direction received from the company's board of directors, adopted a plan on October 6, 2005 to centralize and streamline the company's organizational and operational structure to better serve its customers. The plan is expected to improve operating performance and increase customer satisfaction. The move toward a new structure and delivery model will be supported by the following actions: -- Medquist will shift resources to a single national service delivery and support organization for all of the company's services and products, eliminating local service centers. This new centrally managed structure will enhance workflow management, with the result being dramatically improved levels of service and quality for our customers. The company expects this transition to result in the consolidation of approximately forty facilities over the next twelve months. -- In conjunction with the shift to centralized customer service delivery, the company's national service delivery and support organization will, in the fourth quarter of this year, begin to implement its Qtinuum of Care initiative. The Qtinuum of Care initiative is focused specifically on driving increased levels of customer satisfaction through a new centralized and integrated customer service and support model. -- To drive greater customer focus, the company's product management group will be moving under the direction of the Chief Technology Officer. Additionally, new products in the area of voice capture, speech recognition and on-premise transcription solutions will be introduced within the next twelve months. -- The company's Sales and Marketing organizations will be combined, which will improve communication between MedQuist's direct sales group and its marketing support organization. As a result of this combination, the Senior Vice President - Marketing and Business Development and the Senior Vice President - Sales have separated from the company. MedQuist is currently engaged in the process of selecting the combined organization's leadership. The company anticipates that all of the foregoing actions will be complete by the end of the third quarter of 2006, and that it will record restructuring charges in the range of $6.5 million to $8.5 million pre-tax, largely representing facility exit costs and employee severance payments. As a result of the plan, the company also expects to realize annualized savings of approximately $18.5 million. About MedQuist: MedQuist, a member of the Philips Group of Companies, is a leading provider of electronic medical transcription, health information and document management products and services. MedQuist provides document workflow management, digital dictation, speech recognition, mobile dictation devices, Web-based transcription, electronic signature, medical coding products and outsourcing services. Safe Harbor Statement under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Some of the statements in this Press Release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 including, but not limited to, statements relating to the Company's expected results of operations and financial condition, scheduled actions under plan to improve the company's organizational and operational structure, restructuring charges expected to be recorded in connection with the plan, expected cost benefits resulting from the plan, expected reductions in location, and consolidation and reorganization of technologies and business units. These statements are not historical facts but rather are based on the Company's current expectations, estimates and projections regarding the Company's business, operations and other factors relating thereto. Words such as may, will, could, would, should, anticipate, predict, potential, continue, expects, intends, plans, projects, believes, estimates and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions and as such are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. As a result, these statements speak only as of the date they were made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The Company's actual results may differ from the forward-looking statements for many reasons, including unanticipated expenditures in connection with the effectuation of the plan to improve the company's organizational and operational structure; unanticipated difficulties in connection with reductions in location, or the consolidation and reorganization of technologies and business units; customer reaction to the plan; any direct or indirect impact of the matters disclosed in the Form 12b-25 filed by the Company on August 19, 2005 on the Company's operating results or financial condition; any continuation of pricing pressures and declining billing rates; difficulties relating to the implementation of management changes throughout the Company; and the outcome of pending and future legal and regulatory proceedings and investigations.

MedQuist Shareholder Derivative Suit Dismissed [2005-10-05]
MedQuist Shareholder Derivative Suit Dismissed 10/4/2005 8:44:00 AM EST MedQuist Inc. (Pink Sheets: MEDQ.PK) today announced the dismissal with prejudice of a shareholder derivative action filed in U.S. District Court in New Jersey. The suit, Rhoda Kanter (Plaintiff) v. Hans M. Barella et al. (Defendants), was filed November 12, 2004 against Koninklijke Philips Electronic N.V. (Philips) and ten current and former members of MedQuist's Board of Directors. Medquist was named as a nominal defendant. In a ruling dated September 21, 2005, the Court, the Honorable Jerome B. Simandle presiding, found Plaintiff's allegations that MedQuist's Board members breached their fiduciary duties to the Company to be insufficient. The Plaintiff had alleged that for a period from 2001 through 2004, the Defendants violated their fiduciary duties by permitting artificial inflation of billing figures; failing to adequately ensure accurate and lawful billing practices; and failing to accurately report the Company's true financial condition in its published financial statements. To the contrary, the Court concluded: Far from alleging facts supporting a substantial likelihood of liability, Plaintiff here has painted a picture of a board of directors that acted responsively given the circumstances.... Howard S. Hoffmann, MedQuist CEO, was confident of the outcome. It is the right decision, and certainly supports the actions of MedQuist's Directors in fulfilling their responsibilities to the Company. About MedQuist: MedQuist, a member of the Philips Group of Companies, is a leading provider of electronic medical transcription, health information and document management products and services. MedQuist provides document workflow management, digital dictation, speech recognition, mobile dictation devices, Web-based transcription, electronic signature, medical coding products and outsourcing services. Safe Harbor Statement under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding MedQuist's business which are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (1) our ability to recruit and retain qualified transcriptionists and other employees; (2) the impact of new services or products on the demand for our existing services; (3) our current dependence on medical transcription for substantially all of our business; (4) our ability to expand our customer base; (5) changes in law, including, without limitation, the impact the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) will have on our business; (6) infringement on the proprietary rights of others; (7) risks inherent in diversifying into other businesses; (8) any continuation of pricing pressures and declining billing rates; (9) difficulties relating to the implementation of management changes throughout the Company; (10) the outcome of pending and future legal and regulatory proceedings and investigations; and (11) any direct or indirect impact of the matters disclosed in the Form 12b-25 filed by the Company on August 19, 2005. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements. As a result, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they were made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Global Leaders, Community Partners [2005-09-30]
Global Leaders, Community Partners; Acusis Assumes Corporate Leadership Role in Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Fundraising PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 29, 2005--In a relationship that began three years ago, one based on the shared values of commitment to excellence, community involvement and global leadership, Acusis has restated its commitment to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Pittsburgh-based Acusis, a premier provider of medical transcription technology and delivery services, today announced its continued confidence in the PSO through a second multi-year gift. This $75,000-per-year gift over a three-year period will be counted toward the PSO's Annual Fund campaign. Acusis's involvement goes beyond writing a check. David Iwinski, Jr., President and CEO of Acusis, serves on the Pittsburgh Symphony Board of Directors. He was author of the Commitment to Excellence Manifesto, which outlined guiding principles to focus the Pittsburgh Symphony Board to fulfilling a promise for excellence throughout the entire institution. Iwinski is a member of the Corporate Leadership Team, which cultivates and solicits new and existing corporate donors and is an active member on the Vitalization subcommittee of our Strategic Planning process. He further joined Board member David Nelsen for a series Tech Talks, which introduced the High Tech community to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Iwinski remarked, A relationship with the Pittsburgh Symphony is a perfect fit. Acusis understands, just like the Pittsburgh Symphony, the importance of delivering the highest quality, whether that's transcribed reports or a musical performance. We also understand the value of ensuring that the Pittsburgh Symphony has a stable financial base, as the Symphony is certainly one of the most globally respected ambassadors of Pittsburgh. We are proud to provide this continuing support to the Orchestra. Lawrence Tamburri, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra President, commented, Acusis is a global company with a Pittsburgh focus. This long-term commitment demonstrates their confidence in the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, both as an internationally acclaimed orchestra and as a committed community partner. Three years ago, during a crucial financial period, the PSO asked the community, 'Does Pittsburgh want a world-class Symphony?' Acusis was the newest corporate donor to say yes. And, they continue to say yes, year after year, in their multi-year commitments.

Philips, Citrix Co-Operation Enables [2005-09-21]
Philips, Citrix Co-Operation Enables Speech Recognition and Digital Dictation for 50 Million Professional Users World-Wide VIENNA, Austria--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 20, 2005--Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE:PHG)(AEX:PHI) announced today the release of an enhancement to the professional document creation platform SpeechMagic(TM) enabling for the first time adequate speech recognition in Citrix(R) environments. With SpeechMagic supporting 23 recognition languages and providing a portfolio of more than 150 recognition vocabularies for the medical, legal, governmental and financial sectors, potentially more than 50 million Citrix users worldwide can now benefit from increased documentation efficiency and reduced operating costs. The deployment of speech recognition and digital dictation applications from Citrix servers will be a key factor in more efficient documentation workflow. It will also enable the centralization of IT administration, and bring critical speech recognition features such as automatic learning and acoustic adaptation - significantly reducing the strain on financial and human resources. By centralizing applications and the delivery of data, Citrix and SpeechMagic are able to provide an extremely high level of security (no files are stored locally), dramatically improving the protection of personal data. By adding bi-directional audio capabilities, Citrix enabled the digital recordings to be uploaded and Philips developed a real-time speech recognition channel. This channel improves the usability of dictation hardware, such as the industry-leading Philips SpeechMike and allows for the deployment of the full range of speech recognition features within a Citrix environment. Numerous authors can now dictate simultaneously anywhere within the Citrix network and either delegate the dictation to a secretary/ Transcriptionist or correct it themselves. Citrix infrastructure is popular with large institutions in the healthcare, legal and finance industries. With SpeechMagic being geared towards industrial-grade document creation, our award-winning platform has been optimized for these industries, says Marcel Wassink, Managing Director Philips Speech Recognition Systems. This co-operation with Citrix opens the door to a vast new market for Philips and its partners. As a worldwide leader in Speech Technologies, we're delighted to be working closely with Philips. SpeechMagic brings tremendous value to our customers in significantly increasing their documentation efficiency and hence improving the return on their investment in Citrix Access Infrastructure, said David Jones, corporate vice president, business development, for Citrix. SpeechMagic for Citrix will be presented live at the Citrix(R) iForum(TM) Global conference in Las Vegas, Nev., on October 9 - 12, 2005. The new component to the SpeechMagic platform will be released to the Philips global network of more than 200 integration partners on September 20, 2005.

Dictaphone Expands ichart Speech-Certified [2005-09-09]
Dictaphone Expands ichart Speech-Certified Transcription Network; Responds to Increasing Demand with Certification Program and Call for Additional Transcription Partners American Association for Medical Transcription (AAMT) Annual Convention and ExpoHONOLULU--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 6, 2005--Today at the American Association for Medical Transcription (AAMT) Annual Convention and Expo, Dictaphone announced the creation of the healthcare industry's first Speech-Certified Transcription Network in response to the substantial growing demand for its ichart(R) Managed Services solutions. ichart Managed Services combines Dictaphone's industry-leading speech recognition technology with transcription services performed by Dictaphone's Speech-Certified Transcription Network, which has been trained to edit on the company's speech recognition platform. This combination of labor and technology delivers lower-cost, high-quality medical transcription with rapid turnaround. All Dictaphone transcription service partners are required to pass its rigorous certification program to ensure even higher levels of service excellence and proficiency in speech recognition editing. ichart Managed Services is quickly proving what we suspected when we introduced the product less then one year ago: that using speech recognition to drive down the enormous costs and improve the quality of transcription is the future of medical documentation outsourcing, said Don Fallati, senior vice president of marketing for Dictaphone. The overwhelming response we've had from the market is driving us to create the first Speech-Certified Transcription Network, offering our clients the most talented and best-equipped group of 'speech recognition-enabled' transcription service providers. Speech-Certified Transcription Providers are thoroughly trained, evaluated and benchmarked against specific industry-standard quality, speed and customer service metrics. Those that meet the strict criteria will receive certification and will be reevaluated quarterly to ensure continued adherence. Tamara Brown, president and CEO of Encompass Medical Transcription, Inc., a member of Dictaphone's Speech-Certified Transcription Network, said, ichart has allowed us to increase the volume of work Encompass can do with our existing staff and enabled us to train new medical transcriptionists to generate high-quality reports at a higher level of productivity. Headquartered in Wisconsin, Encompass is a U.S. medical transcription company that employs only U.S.-based medical transcriptionists. We welcome and encourage other medical transcription companies to join the Speech-Certified Transcription Network, Fallati said. The interest we've seen from potential partners wanting to participate in the program has been significant and reflects the broad momentum in our industry for acquiring the skills associated with speech recognition. About Dictaphone's ichart Managed Services Dictaphone's ichart Managed Services offering aims to meet the needs of organizations currently relying heavily on outsourced transcription but who are attracted to the savings that can be generated by speech recognition. The program blends Dictaphone technology with transcription services performed by Dictaphone's Speech Certified Transcription Network who have been trained to edit on the company's speech recognition platform. Customers receive a blended line rate covering work that is transcribed traditionally as well as documents edited from speech recognition. Frequently, significant savings can be achieved by healthcare organizations over current line charges. About Dictaphone Healthcare Solutions Group Dictaphone is the world's largest supplier of dictation, transcription and speech recognition systems and services that simplify and enhance the production and management of paperless electronic patient information. Through the integration of speech recognition and natural language processing within existing health information management workflow, Dictaphone systems are helping healthcare organizations save money and improve patient care by increasing the speed, accuracy and usability of their medical documentation. For more information, please visit www.dictaphone.com or call 1-888-350-4836.

Seventeen employees will lose their jobs [2005-08-17]
2005-08-16by Lori VaroshJournal Reporter KIRKLAND -- Seventeen employees of Evergreen Hospital Medical Center in Kirkland will lose their jobs, most by Aug. 31, victims of a trend toward outsourcing the work of medical transcriptionists. Spheris, a Franklin, Tenn.-based contract medical transcription company, will begin today to take over the work of typing doctors' dictation into Eastside patients' records, hospital spokeswoman Amy Gepner confirmed Monday. The practice is increasingly common among area hospitals. It provides benefits in expertise and cost savings, supporters say. But critics warn that, without careful safeguards, the practice can put patients at risk. Outsourcing has become the area standard, said Caitlin Hillary, spokeswoman for Overlake Hospital Medical Center in Bellevue, which outsourced its transcriptionists in 1999. Such companies have the expertise and the employee base to handle the peaks and valleys of patient loads, she said. Overlake had been having trouble recruiting transcriptionists before it outsourced those jobs, and the solution has worked well, Hillary said. Job quality is `inferior' But others find outsourcing generally ``is inferior to having long-term, loyal staff,'' said Diane Clark, supervisor of transcription services for the UW Medical Center, which outsources about half of its transcription work. Because they offer lower pay, transcription companies attract people with less experience, Clark said. Those workers have no particular loyalty to the medical center, and no personal investment in the work. And, because they often work on a per-line basis, ``the faster they type, the more money they make,'' which can result in mistakes, Clark said. Nor do physicians always review the transcriptions as they should, she added. If the doctors' notes are not transcribed accurately, ``it could result in patient care issues,'' Clark said. Outsourcing can work if the companies routinely sample the work for accuracy and have a second pair of eyes proof-reading the transcription. Spheris was chosen because of its quality, said Evergreen's Gepner. Physicians at the Kirkland hospital read and sign off on all transcriptions before they go into a patient's medical record, she said. In an April memo to physicians obtained by the Journal, however, medical staff warned that problems are possible during a transition period to the new system. ``There will be a period of time in which the new dictation service will need to adapt to the phraseology and individual traits of our Evergreen physicians; during that time there will be more blanks and errors, so please pay close attention to your dictation for accuracy,'' the memo said. The taxpayer-supported hospital expects to save $400,000 a year over its current costs for transcription services, including salaries and benefits, Gepner said. But the move is also being made because existing transcriptionists cannot keep up with the workload without a $500,000 to $750,000 investment in equipment as well as personnel. ``It doesn't make business sense to be significantly increasing the cost,'' Gepner said. The hospital's administration proposed outsourcing and the hospital district's commissioners approved because it was ``best for patient safety,'' Gepner said. ``What we need to do is get (the information) as fast as we can in the patient record,'' she said. Spheris already is capable of working with the new patient records system Evergreen added two years ago, she said. The contract with Spheris also requires that no work be sent out of the country and that all 17 Evergreen transcriptionists be offered jobs, Gepner said. ``Three have chosen to go with Spheris,'' she said. The company has taken out ads in local newspapers seeking more transcriptionists. Some employees complain, however, that the contractor is simply not offering a living wage. Spheris offered 7.5 cents per line, said one transcriptionist, who asked for anonymity for fear that a ``measly'' severance package would be withdrawn. An average Spheris worker would make less than two-thirds that of an Evergreen employee, according to the figures the Transcriptionist provided. Evergreen transcriptionists earn $13.50 to $19.62 per hour, plus a 7-cent per line bonus for more than 938 lines a day. At a consistent day's work of 1,200 lines, the midrange Evergreen employee would earn $150 a day, compared to $90 for the Spheris worker. ``I have to pay a mortgage, pay bills,'' the transcriptionist said. ``I can't live on that kind of wage. ... I'd just be giving my expertise away.'' In a letter to the hospital district's Board of Commissioners in June, transcriptionists complained that they learned by e-mail that their jobs would vanish and that the severance package offered is ``insulting.'' Evergreen didn't want to provide as long a period of extended health care for laid-off workers as the standard set by Overlake and Group Health hospitals, explained Carter Wright, spokesman for SEIU, the health-care workers union. ``Evergreen is not only getting rid of jobs, they're trying to do it on the cheap,'' Wright said. ``There's concern about cutting down errors in hospitals and streamlining medical records,'' he said, ``but it's really important to make sure the information is accurate. Accuracy can literally be a matter of life and death.'' In the June letter, transcriptionists urged commissioners ``to look at the human cost of your actions. We are not only employees of this hospital, we are members of this community, a community that you have sworn to represent.'' The hospital that touts its role as the biggest employer in Kirkland is sending Kirkland jobs elsewhere and dumping employees into the pool of 600,000 state residents without health insurance, a transcriptionist complained. Outsourcing is best for patient safety, Gepner said. ``We're putting patient safety concerns over public relations concerns.'' Lori Varosh can be reached at lori.varosh@kingcountyjournal.com or 425-453-4234.

Medical Transcription Industry Association (MTIA), new strategic goals [2005-08-12]
Aug. 11, 2005--At its recent meeting of the Board of Directors for the Medical Transcription Industry Association (MTIA), new strategic goals were crafted for 2005-2006. According to Sean Carroll, President of MTIA, the association will be dedicated to activities that will direct member companies to be valuable and relevant in the rapidly evolving healthcare documentation environment. The following strategies were approved: -- In order to be valuable and relevant, MTIA will lead by asserting itself in the standards development arena, and by serving as a valuable resource for the medical transcription business community and the vendors that support it. -- In order to be valuable and relevant, MTIA will be coordinated and strong by proactively building productive alliances with related associations and becoming an active participant in government relations. -- In order to be valuable and relevant, MTIA will engage with technology by educating its members in the effective use of emerging technologies for continuous quality improvement and greater efficiencies. -- In order to be valuable and relevant, MTIA will focus on programs and deliverables that will help their members preserve and increase profitability and succeed within the dynamic evolution of this industry. Carroll proudly proclaims that the Board is fully committed to achieving these objectives, making this the most important year ever for the association. MTIA is definitely on the move! MTIA is a nonprofit membership association founded in 1993 to represent medical transcription companies of all sizes. For more information about MTIA, contact Elaine Olson, Executive Director, at 800-543-MTIA or eolson@mtia.com.

ZyDoc Extends Clinical Data Center For Pharmaceutical Research [2005-08-10]
ZyDoc, an award-winning technology leader in e-Transcription and Automated Medical Documentation Solutions, announced that it will be offering a customizable suite of clinical data solutions, MedDocTM designed to fulfill the needs of the pharmaceutical industry. The solutions will be used for clinical and marketing research, FDA studies, and post-approval drug monitoring. Currently, these systems are used by physicians for transcription and extended value of EMR (electronic medical records) and PAC systems by allowing the doctors to expedite data capture into the systems with dictation. Hauppauge, New York (PRWEB) August 10, 2005 -- ZyDoc, an award-winning technology leader in e-Transcription and Automated Medical Documentation Solutions, announced that it will be offering a customizable suite of clinical data solutions, MedDocTM designed to fulfill the needs of the pharmaceutical industry. The solutions will be used for clinical and marketing research, FDA studies, and post-approval drug monitoring. Currently, these systems are used by physicians for transcription and extended value of EMR (electronic medical records) and PAC systems by allowing the doctors to expedite data capture into the systems with dictation.James Maisel, M.D., Chairman of ZyDoc explains, ZyDoc is delighted to offer our distinctive technology to the pharmaceutical industry. The companies innovative solutions allow a pharmaceutical company to effortlessly initiate an FDA study with web-based training with documentation, distribution of protocols, consents, and updates to an unlimited numbers of physicians from a centralized point. This remarkable solution is also well suited for physicians and eliminates their travel requirements for education and training. ZyDoc serves as the third-party administrator for the clinical studies, handling HIPAA requirements, and Business Associates Agreements with physicians and patients.ZyDoc has over 10 years of experience in working with physicians who want to document their medical encounters quickly and efficiently. ZyDoc offers low risk, high productivity solutions focused on dictation for data capture involving no change in work habits, infrastructure cost, outlays or extensive training. The company converts the dictations into web-based forms and enters the information into a relational database allowing searches on any data combinations. This provides an effective means for post approval monitoring of drug use and complications. The web-based TrackDoc system offers substantial advantages to physicians and investigator over traditional alternatives and can be implemented in days. These solutions are suitable for 100% of physicians and require no IT experience or internal support. ZyDoc solutions seem like a transcription service on the front end to the physicians and have all the advantages of traditional formal clinical investigational studies. All data is easily shared with other providers or investigators and will ultimately result in larger studies, implemented faster with lower costs.According to Steve Koski, CEO and president of ZyDoc, The ZyDoc technology platform offers a number of advantages to pharmaceutical companies over traditional FDA studies in terms of the ease of implementation, operations, total costs, quality, speed of care, and disaster recovery. The solutions require no software or IT personnel, and are compatible with all PCs and operating systems with Internet browser capability. There is no training involved or complicated software to customize or learn. Doctors can start dictating data immediately after enrollment using 800 toll free dialup or digital handheld recorder. Documents are always available on the Internet with HIPAA secure connections, and can be reviewed and signed remotely. The documents can also be automatically downloaded and printed to a PC, electronically signed, faxed, or shared with authorized caregivers over the Internet. Data can also be stripped of PHI (personal health information) and caregivers for HIPAA and ethical requirements. The ZyDoc carrier class data center has proven reliable without failure over the past year and was operational even during the Northeast blackout of 2003.AvailabilityZyDoc is offering MedDoc immediately to pharmaceutical companies. Current ZyDoc transcription clients are interested in enrolling in clinical investigations in all specialties. Investigators can contact the ZyDoc data center at 631-273-6125. Doctors can start data collection immediately with the TelDoc 800 service or use low-cost digital handheld recorders. ZyDoc provides multimedia demonstrations, training, and support via the Internet at http://ZyDoc.webex.com. For more information on ZyDoc Clinical Data Solutions, visit www.ZyDoc.com. About ZyDoc.com Corporation.ZyDoc is a transcription service and software development company providing e-Transcription, automated electronic health record (EHR), documentation, and infrastructure ASP legacy-replacement solutions. Physicians, transcriptionists, and other healthcare professionals use these services to produce, organize, and distribute multi-specialty patient electronic medical records (EMR) sees in Community Health Information Networks (CHIN). ZyDoc solves the PC literacy, data entry bottleneck, implementation, and cost issues that plague other clinical documentation and transcription companies. The company uses transparent embedded technology that leverages front and back-end speech recognition, workflow enhancements, and the Internet. ZyDoc is a development partner with SUNY Computer Sciences at Stony Brook, Microsoft Solutions Partner, ScanSoft Platinum Dealer, and an IBM Speech Premier Business Partner. In 2004, ZyDoc was ranked third nationally in medical transcription by The Medical Records Institute. ZyDoc has won other awards and was named The Healthcare Tablet Application of 2003.Press contacts:James M. Maisel, M.D.Chairman, ZyDoc.com1455 Veterans Memorial HighwayHauppauge, NY 11749www.ZyDoc.comjmaisel@zydoc.com 631-273-1963SOURCE: ZyDoc

Dictaphone Announces Significant Growth in Its iChart [2005-08-09]
Dictaphone Announces Significant Growth in Its iChart(R) Managed Services Program; Responds to Increasing Demand for Low-cost, High-accuracy Transcription, Leveraging Speech Recognition and Dedicated Network of Service Partners Aug. 8, 2005--Dictaphone announced today that its iChart(R) Managed Services program experienced substantial growth in the first half of 2005. iChart Managed Services uses an ASP model to combine the power of Dictaphone's industry-leading speech recognition technology with a proven network of outsourced transcription service providers to deliver low-cost, high-accuracy transcription with rapid turn-around. The second quarter brought several milestones for the iChart ASP business: -- Overall number of lines invoiced per month surpassed 30 million -- Monthly invoiced line volume for outsourced services doubled from the end of 2004 -- Number of billable sites for iChart topped 300 -- Several significant new contracts were secured during the first half including Adventist Health System, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, and Guthrie Clinic. Other major iChart Managed Services customers include Allina Medical Clinics, Lifemark, and Massachusetts General Hospital. iChart Managed Services is seeing tremendous demand from a market that has been searching for new ways to lower transcription costs without compromising on accuracy, said Don Fallati, senior VP of marketing for Dictaphone. The success of the program is also a testament to the power of our underlying technology. Whether customers choose to use our software themselves or outsource the report editing process to our network of service partners, they still get the ROI that our speech recognition platform ensures. About Dictaphone's iChart Managed Services Dictaphone's iChart Managed Services offering aims to meet the needs of organizations currently relying heavily on outsourced transcription but who are attracted to the savings that can be generated by speech recognition. The program blends Dictaphone technology with labor provided by several major transcription service companies who have been trained to edit on the company's speech recognition platform. Customers receive a line rate covering work that is transcribed traditionally as well as documents edited from speech recognition. Frequently, significant savings can be achieved by healthcare organizations over current line charges. About Dictaphone Healthcare Solutions Group Dictaphone, ranked 31st in Healthcare Informatics ranking of top 100 companies by healthcare revenue, currently deploys dictation, transcription and speech recognition systems in some of the world's premier healthcare organizations. Its solutions automate and integrate critical elements in the creation and management of health information, helping healthcare organizations improve productivity and the quality of patient care. Dictaphone's flagship Enterprise Express(R) dictation, transcription and report management system is an integral part of the creation and flow of patient information in a substantial number of U.S. hospitals. It is estimated that it currently supports several hundred thousand physicians who use Dictaphone systems to generate an estimated two million reports a day. Dictaphone is also actively deploying its EXSpeech(R) and PowerScribe(R) speech recognition solutions, designed to dramatically reduce transcription costs and speed report turnaround. Dictaphone has also introduced the iChart(R) family of Internet subscription-based applications services provider (ASP) solutions that offer dictation, transcription, and speech recognition access, as well as the ability to integrate existing systems with new coding, natural language and data mining technologies, which can significantly reduce the costs of managing patient information. For sales and product information, visit Dictaphone at www.dictaphone.com or call 1-888-350-4836.

MedQuist Announces Key Findings of Independent Review [2005-08-05]
MedQuist Announces Key Findings of Independent Review of Client Billing MT. LAUREL, N.J., July 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MedQuist Inc. (MEDQ.PK), a leading provider of electronic medical transcription, health information and document management services, today announced the key findings of an independent review of the company's billing methods. The findings were presented to the company's Board of Directors, which initiated a broad program of changes and reforms to the company's business practices. The Board of Directors also took disciplinary action against certain company employees. The Board of Directors announced today changes in its senior management. Howard S. Hoffmann, an experienced and accomplished interim manager, has been appointed as MedQuist's interim CEO with a clear mission to implement the changes and reforms to the company's business practices, including its billing practices, and to bring the company current in its SEC filings. Steve Rusckowski, who had temporarily assumed the CEO position in December 2003 in addition to his Board position and led the company through the difficult period of the independent review, will continue as a member of the MedQuist Board. The Board also announced that it has accepted the resignations of its Chief Financial Officer, Brian Kearns, and its Chief Legal Officer, John Suender. This was an extremely thorough and comprehensive review that has clearly identified areas in which we must make changes and improvements, said Scott Weisenhoff, the lead Director on the review. Added Howard S. Hoffmann, who is also a principal and partner at Nightingale Associates, LLC, of Stamford, CT.: Our priority mission now is to work with our customers to clarify and, where appropriate, rectify any problems, make the needed changes and reforms internally, and become current in our SEC filings. The changes we are making address a pressing industry challenge and our goal is to ensure that billing methods are reliable, accurate, measurable and verifiable to customers using transcription services. We hope that our