where can we access and read this study nm

From what I've read [2008-06-14]
M-TEC and Andrews are in the very top of the best schools around. I've checked their websites and the prices are around $2500-4000. They also are really good about job placement (from what I've read). I also found a Sylvan program for MT which is very reasonable, but I cannot attest to how good the program actually is. I do, however, know it's a reputable company.

where can we access and read this study? nm [2008-06-06]
nm

Study on outsourcing -- For Real! [2008-04-08]
Put this under your hats, but there has been a study performed in Ohio regarding the cost effectiveness of outsourcing transcription versus bringing American MTs onboard to handle all of it. Oh, happy day!! The concensus is ..... sit up and read this twice ...... it is more lucrative to hire more people who are skilled and pay them a nice hourly rate with benefits than tooutsource some or all of the work.Hang in there. What goes around, comes around. It's about timethat the true cost effectiveness of inferior work be scrutinized. There are managers and QA's and editors and customer service people up the ying-yang who may have to worry a bit because I truly feelthat doctors across the county (many of whom have invested in outsourcing medical transcription)are beginning to realize that it definitely is a skill/profession that needs to stay here in The States. Woooohooo!

I'd never read this article from May, [2007-07-06]
but had just heard about it. There are some very important details given about this company.

Read Book [2006-10-12]
Order book Working at Home the American Way in Medical Transcription. www.medtrans4u.com Lots of tips on getting a medical transcription job TODAY.

From what I've read [2008-06-14]
M-TEC and Andrews are in the very top of the best schools around. I've checked their websites and the prices are around $2500-4000. They also are really good about job placement (from what I've read). I also found a Sylvan program for MT which is very reasonable, but I cannot attest to how good the program actually is. I do, however, know it's a reputable company.

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!!!!!

AMEN [2008-04-22]
Amen but where did you hear of this study?? Sometimes these are just rumors and everyone gets a jazzed up. I get a minimum of three phone calls a day on my business phone from either India or philippines. Maybe there are just too many companies there doing this work, or they are losing the work? I don't kn ow, but the guy from India is always called Joseph. Even in some of the emails. I agree with your comments about the work.

Outsourcing [2008-04-22]
I worked for an imaging center (I was already gone) that laid off the MT's and outsourced the work back in 2002. It lasted about a month. The doctors got mad and insisted to the suits to bring the MT back. They wasted so much time correcting and filling in blanks. They were spoiled with their MT and even stated that they did not read their reports when they signed them because they had that much confidence in the MT. Good news for the MT, she came back and demanded more money...and got it. Lesson learned.

link? [2008-04-18]
Do you have a link to or source for this study? I'd like to read it. Thanks, Amy

You're right but ... [2008-04-11]
Yes, absolutely, the suits and middle managers have no clue at all, nada, zip, zilch about medical transcription. However, many doctors actually invest in offshore MT companies .... according to Wall Street Journal. It was, oh, maybe 10 years ago that there was a caption or article about medical transcription being where the money is, as in investments, etc. You're right. Typically the MDs don't know and don't care who transcribes their dictation. Most do care, however, about quality at least to some degree. I'm just glad someone came up with a study as to cost effectiveness for whatever reason. It's like they're thrown us a crumb. Hope we get the whole cookie soon.

Study on outsourcing -- For Real! [2008-04-08]
Put this under your hats, but there has been a study performed in Ohio regarding the cost effectiveness of outsourcing transcription versus bringing American MTs onboard to handle all of it. Oh, happy day!! The concensus is ..... sit up and read this twice ...... it is more lucrative to hire more people who are skilled and pay them a nice hourly rate with benefits than tooutsource some or all of the work.Hang in there. What goes around, comes around. It's about timethat the true cost effectiveness of inferior work be scrutinized. There are managers and QA's and editors and customer service people up the ying-yang who may have to worry a bit because I truly feelthat doctors across the county (many of whom have invested in outsourcing medical transcription)are beginning to realize that it definitely is a skill/profession that needs to stay here in The States. Woooohooo!

can't find message i left [2008-04-01]
left a quick message for an article I just read and I have no idea where it is. All I can find our these chatty things.??????

Google to test pilot storing patient health records.... [2008-02-21]
I read this article on the Fox News page this morning. A worthwhile read for all interested - http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,331613,00.html

VBC- just another way to rip us off. Dowetypereportslikethisnottomentionalltheworkwedonotgetpaidfor! [2007-05-26]
Do we get paid when the doctor changes his mind and redictates? No. Do we get paid extra when the doctor does not dictate the date of exam or the correct one, and we have to dig through 100 patient sheets? No. Do we get paid for looking up the spellings of doctors' names and addresses? No. Does the amount we are now getting paid cover software expenses, AAMT dues, business license, tax accountant, reference books, computers, car expenses for those accounts that insist on tapes that only put 1-2 reports on the tape that do not even cover gas or time spent driving/getting dressed, IT techs, phone lines, template setups, training other MTs, call-in systems, transcribers, foot pedals, office rent, medical expenses related to work injuries, paid time of when seeing a doctor for these injuries, surgeries, etc.? Not hardly. I have 7 years of experience working over 120 hours a week, 7 days a week and make less per line than the first 2 weeks I was interning in college. Jeesh, we have to hit the space bar to separate words. If you have radiculopathies as bad as I do, each keystroke hurts like heck, and I should get paid for it. Unfortunately, I cannot say space to my computer, and it magically puts it in. Just for once, instead of the doctors cutting our paycheck, why not going after the overpaid HIM department who came up with this hairbrain idea!!! They are on salary. It does not cost them money to go to the bathroom, yet everytime we take our hands off the keyboard, we pay! How would the HIM department like to read their reports like this? Laboratorydata:Completebloodcountstodayevealawhitebloodcellcountof,000/mm3,hemoglobin of2.3gm/dL,andaplateletcountof93,000/mm3. I say they can pick up my medical bills, which in the last 2 years were over $3 million with us paying over $90,000. Did I remember to include all the money it costs in lost work to apply for a job only to get ripped off on your paychecks or have them pay so late that after late fees, there is nothing left. Oh yeah, advertising, websites, e-mail accounts, FTP, cell phone, fax lines, equipment, equipment, equipment.

i so don't agree w/this post...I made more doing [2007-02-18]
so I continue to say to the newbies to the field, be careful what you read on these types of bulletin boards and/or forums - everyone's experience is different and please do not book your $$ on people whose experiences have not been as good as others..... I'm telling you, I'm in this biz close to 30 years and 10 years on my own and this year I made a fewgrandmore in $$ working for a nat'l than last year.......... If you plug it out, stick to a schedule,it still can be done, and I'm doing editingtoo (love it, easier on hands) and am twice as fast as I am on regular typing reports so.......again, some are just AGAINST editing, whereas I LOVE editing (did it 30+ yrs ago for a newspaper)..... Best of luck - remember to try to be optimistic (glass half full) versus choosing to be pessimistic (glass half empty) - THAT, TOO, WORKS REAL WELL.........

DocQment(TM) Ovation - MedQuist Launches Next-Generation [2006-07-07]
MOUNT LAUREL, N.J., June 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today's healthcare providers face what appear to be several conflicting challenges in the area of dictation. Pressures to decrease costs and improve productivity must be weighed against the need to demonstrate compliance and increase physician choice and satisfaction. To help its customers meet these challenges, Medquist Inc. (Pink Sheets: MEDQ) has introduced DocQment(TM) Ovation, a Web-based, enterprise digital voice capture and transport solution. Studies by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (http://www.himss.org/) have shown that when considering the purchase of a new dictation system, providers value HIPAA compliance most highly, followed by Web-based, centralized administration and automatic document routing. Because Ovation is Web-based, it offers easy-to-use tools to manage documents, users and workflow from any computer with Internet access, creating numerous opportunities for productivity improvement. Physicians can select from a variety of options for capturing their dictation, including telephones, PDAs, and desktop computer-based dictation devices. DocQment Ovation is our newest technology innovation developed in direct response to industry feedback and providers' interest in replacing previous- generation dictation systems, says Scott Bennett, MedQuist senior vice president of Sales and Marketing. An integral component of our growing technology portfolio, Ovation helps to provide an end-to-end solution from dictation to billing, including front-end and back-end speech recognition. Document Ovation was specifically engineered to be compatible with MedQuist's previous-generation dictation stations, thus facilitating the retention and recruitment of transcriptionists, and making it easy for providers to upgrade with little or no physician retraining required. Deployed at the customer's location, Ovation provides an enterprise view that allows transcription supervisors to easily manage users, documents and voice files from a single dashboard instead of using multiple systems. Ovation's sophisticated configuration options enable administrators to easily track work and share resources in order to get the right document to the right Transcriptionist at the right time. According to Emmy Weber, MedQuist vice president of Product Management, Breakthrough capabilities engineered into DocQment Ovation, like the ability to define the date that begins the aging process for documents (including admit date and date of discharge), give users better information at the point of dictation to improve workflow, accuracy and report routing. With MedQuist's help, we configured DocQment Ovation around the way we do business, says Wanda Newton, HIM director at Maury Regional Healthcare System, a three-hospital system located in Tennessee. With Ovation, we are now managing our hospitals and departments more efficiently. We saw a 34 percent increase in productivity in the first two months of use of Ovation, a positive trend that we expect will continue. Ovation is available for immediate installation. For more information, contact a local MedQuist representative or dial 1-877-489-1500 for sales assistance. MedQuist, a member of the Philips Group of Companies, is a leading provider of clinical documentation workflow solutions in support of the electronic health record. MedQuist provides electronic medical transcription, health information and document management products and services, including digital dictation, speech recognition, Web-based transcription, electronic signature, medical coding, mobile dictation devices, and outsourcing services.

Offshore Outsourcing to India by US and EU [2006-05-10]
Posted May 1, 2006, this article analyzes the legal and cross-cultural issues that affect data Privacy Regulation in business. It examines India's lack of law enforcement and scores it workforce regarding the potentiality of selling confidential information and India's lack of faith of its ability to enforce any laws it has declined to adopt to protect personal information. A long but must read for those concerned about offshoring.

outsourcing [2006-05-10]
This was a great read - I sent it to the senators of my state. Thank you for sharing!

What a Hoot!! See Msg.... [2006-04-25]
I used to IC for Dr. Fishman's group or ortho in WPB, and at that time he was selling his VR on the side, too. His VRsworked so well (NOT!) that he had a large group of in-house MTs plus outsourced the remainder of the dictation to ICs, of which I was one. Hahaha! Thanks for the post- I just about split my side laughing when I read it.....Poor Dr. Bloch....

Real nice to know [2006-03-29]
that the doctor has so much more respect for a machine than he does the human ears that have to make a living listening and typing the reports day after day! This is what the doctor said... �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.�

Medical Transcription Recognized as an Apprenticeable Occupation [2006-03-14]
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 10, 2006--Graduates of selected medical transcription training programs will now have access to registered apprenticeship programs, as the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has now declared medical transcription to be an apprenticeable profession - the first step in establishing a national apprenticeship program. The Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employer and Labor Services approved the application for apprenticeability determination submitted by the Medical Transcription Industry Association (MTIA) along with the American Association for Medical Transcription (AAMT). Having a recognized apprenticeable occupation will provide a pipeline of medical transcription professionals entering into a workforce facing a serious labor and skills shortage. stated Keith Flannery, Vice President, MTIA. Workforce development under the standards established by this apprenticeship program will aid in facilitating the transition between student and an employable, productive, and qualified medical transcriptionist. Given the challenge the industry faces in recruiting qualified candidates to meet the ever-increasing demand for real-time, quality healthcare data, a registered apprenticeship program couldn't be developed and launched at a more critical time, stated Peter Preziosi, PhD, CAE, AAMT Executive Director. Workforce development is essential to ensuring that documentation experts are in place to assist the industry in transitioning to an electronic health record and to preserving the quality and integrity of the health record in that future. The Registered Apprenticeship Program, sponsored by the Medical Transcription Industry Association (MTIA), will offer structured on-the-job learning and related technical instruction for qualified medical transcriptionists entering the profession. The two associations, along with the Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employer and Labor Services, are finalizing program details. Medical Transcription is a crucial process in the provision of quality healthcare in our country. This is a hallmark program for the industry, said Sean Carroll, President, MTIA.

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?

South to become another MT outsourcing destination [2005-10-27]
PART of the developmental strategy in the region is the determination of information and communication technology (ICT) industry niche for Region 12. Transcription, particularly in the medical field, is one of the priority ICT sub-sectors being pushed. Its consideration includes the rising global demand for competent yet cost-effective workers. Foreign MT outsourcing companies continue to seek medical transcriptionists for their familiarity with US medical standards, terminology, and practices. The region has access to cost-effective telecommunications and business infrastructure. The 12-hour time difference between the US and Soccsksargen could facilitate speedy delivery of output to US hospitals. So far, only Garner Global Transcription, Inc. and Transcode One Solutions in General Santos City are the registered MT company based in Region 12. But there are already a number of sub-contractors that operate home-based. A group of medical persons received a transcription project from an existing MT companies in Manila for a certain fee. After a year of industry advocacy lead by RITECC 12 and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 12, not only the local business sector together with the medical practitioners are manifesting their investment interest but the growing appreciation by the academe and training institutions to join the developmental bandwagon. One of the activities during the 2nd e-Business Week Celebration is the conduct of a Forum on Medical Transcription on October 26, 2005 at Family Country Homes and Convention Center in General Santos City. This aims to prepare professionals to work in MT firms and provide entrepreneurs with information on the MT business, said DTI regional director Ibrahim Guaimadel.

Spheris India looking at expanding in tier-II cities [2005-10-20]
BANGALORE: US-based medical transcription company Spheris, which recently acquired HealthScribe, is looking to expand in a tier-II cities in India, preferably in the South by 2006. Spheris India (formerly HealthScribe), based in Bangalore, recently opened an additional 300-seat center in Coimbatore this month. The company has over 2000 employees in India at present, and plans to ramp up the headcount to 3000, next year. �We feel that large cities are very competitive while smaller cities have a lot more candidates who are serious in taking up medical transcription as a full-fledged career,� said Suresh Nair, CEO and MD, Spheris India. Elaborating this aspect, he said that unlike BPOs or call centers, which require good spoken English skills, medical transcription is more knowledge-oriented and needs good grammatical skills. Commenting on the merger with Spheris- the second biggest medical transcription company globally, he said that the move had made HealthScribe a truly global company with access to bigger funds and support for growth. The company has already added 15 new accounts from the Spheris' stable. Nair said that next year, he plans to start a technology development team that would build solutions based on their delivery platform and sell them commercially. Nair also revealed that by end of 2006, Spheris India would look at new areas like medical coding and billing. Spheris' revenues globally are in the region of $200 million. He expects Spheris India to grow at 60% this year. �The medical transcription industry has made a comeback in India and US customers are sending more and more work to us,� he said.

HL7 Launches eHealth Effort for Katrina Relief [2005-09-30]
The Health Level Seven, Inc. (HL7) community is supporting the development of portable, interoperable electronic health records for the hundreds of thousands of people whose lives have been disrupted by Katrina. Many HL7 members are already involved, improving access to vital healthcare information and HL7 has formed a task force to support and guide further efforts. Last week, HL7 issued a call to members to participate and is forging relationships with other industry groups to solve the immediate and long-term problems of disaster relief and preparedness. The HL7 community represents the most concentrated group of interoperability expertise anywhere. We are rising to the challenge of rebuilding the medical records of the displaced population and doing so in a way that can become a model for the future of the country, says Mark Shafarman, HL7 Chair. We stand ready to work with anyone and everyone implementing standards-based applications. Our Reference Information Model for healthcare, our community of experts and our standards and specifications for interoperability can guide this process. The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Electronic Health Record Vendors' Association (EHRVA) is already working with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONCHIT) towards constructing and integrating an electronic health record (EHR) infrastructure within the areas of the gulf coast affected by Hurricane Katrina. HL7 Standards Making a Difference HL7 standards are already making an impact on the ground in the wake of Katrina providing access to records of childhood immunization records. The American Immunization Registry Association (AIRA) (www.immregistries.org) -- an HL7 member organization -- reports that nine registries are now using HL7 messages to query the Louisiana Immunization Network for Kids Statewide (LINKS), resulting in retrieval of 4,250 records as of Tuesday, September 27. Immunization registries querying LINKS are: Arizona, Houston, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming. The importance of HL7 standards was never more evident than during Katrina, said Julie A. Boom, M.D., Medical Director, Houston-Harris County Immunization Registry and Director of the Immunization Project at Texas Children's Hospital, and AIRA member. Literally overnight, the Houston-Harris County Immunization Registry was able to be connected to the 'LINKS' Louisiana statewide immunization registry with the assistance of Scientific Technology Corporation. Because each registry was fully HL7 compliant, this link was able to be made quickly and easily. Retrieving these records from LINKS has saved the public health community thousands of dollars for the cost of re- immunizing these children and it saves the children of Louisiana from the discomfort of additional immunizations. This experience truly highlights the importance of following national standards and should encourage other immunization registries to fully support HL7 standards as soon as possible. More solutions are in the works: * Oracle Corporation, an HL7 benefactor, had been working in close cooperation with the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospital to create a regional solution for health information sharing before the hurricane struck and is now accelerating those efforts. * HL7 member organization OZ Systems, which provides information technology for the State of Texas' Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program (TEHDI), is exploring ways to use HL7 messaging standards to transfer hearing screening results data for Louisiana newborn evacuees who had to have their screenings done in Texas. This data needs to be sent back to respective birthing facilities in Louisiana or the Louisiana Department of Health as needed for CDC reports, or to assure that an infant receives care if necessary. * Intel Corporation is coordinating the donation of 1,500 laptop personal computers to the American Red Cross for distribution to shelters in support of Katrina disaster relief efforts. In addition, Intel will donate 150 wireless Internet access points. * Additional support for the Gulf region has been pledged by HL7 members including the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Information Systems Branch; Medquist Corporation; Microsoft Corporation and TeleVital. HL7 and its more than 2,220 individual and corporate U.S. members have information technology expertise in all segments of the healthcare industry, and real-world experience in developing an infrastructure that is standards based and allows interoperable records to be distributed over multiple sites using multiple local applications. In addition, HL7's more than 500 corporate members include not only EHR vendors, but infrastructure and integration vendors together with suppliers of standards-compliant dictation and transcription. HL7 Response and Recovery Taskforce The HL7 Response and Recovery Taskforce has been meeting daily, speaking with government officials, technologists and planners. The Task Force will coordinate education and outreach to the HL7 community including vendors and providers, HL7 International Affiliates as well as other standards development organizations, and U.S. national bodies such as the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONCHIT), the Department of Defense (DoD), the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Taskforce will design, coordinate and organize implementation projects focusing on the creation of a healthcare information infrastructure to help address the personal and public health information crisis created by Katrina. HL7 members wishing to be involved in this effort should respond via katrina@HL7.org and sign onto the Katrina support listserv available on the HL7 web site (www.HL7.org). Participation by EHRVA In the aftermath of Katrina, the EHRVA has been actively engaged with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONCHIT) and other healthcare stakeholders to support the potentially nomadic evacuee population in the goal of making medical record information available wherever they receive care. * The EHRVA is on task of suggesting immediate means to meet emergency patient information needs and laying the groundwork for rebuilding a patient information management infrastructure. During this process, the EHRVA is dedicating workgroup and executive committee time to plan a practical framework. * EHRVA contribution to Katrina Relief leverages the organization's partnership with IHE and an ongoing commitment to devise viable interoperability models. * EHRVA is in dialogue with ONCHIT and channeling updates and requests to members to support roll-out of response plans now and in the near future. EHRVA has joined with HL7 in this call to members to participate and pool resources for interoperable electronic health records. The two organizations are ideal partners in this effort, since two of their core goals are based on making progress in the areas of standards and interoperability. EHRVA is comprised of 35 member companies that serve the vast majority of healthcare providers in the nation with Healthcare Information Technology (HIT) solutions, which complements and overlaps with HL7's membership. Since Hurricane Katrina we've been humbled by the dedication of our clients in hospitals and physician practices as they have brought EHR technology into the heart of the crisis. We are taking our cues from providers who are working from the conviction that a stronger HIT foundation will better prepare us for any eventuality such as these recent storms, said Charlene Underwood, EHRVA chairperson and Director, Government and Industry Relations for Siemens Medical Solutions. Collaborative Efforts toward a Regional Recovery The HL7 community has the largest single pool of expertise on healthcare information systems and how to connect them for effective collection and delivery of healthcare information. Its members are active in efforts with state and local and national agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition to EHRVA, HL7 is offering to collaborate with all organizations providing solutions for the affected area. About EHRVA HIMSS EHRVA (http://www.himssehrva.org) is a trade association of Electronic Health Record (EHR) vendors who have joined together to lead the HIT industry in the accelerated adoption of electronic health records in hospital and ambulatory care settings in the US. The association provides a forum for the EHR vendor community to speak with a unified voice relative to standards development, the EHR certification process, interoperability, performance and quality measures, and other EHR issues as they become subject to increasing government, insurance and provider driven initiatives and requests. Membership is open to HIMSS corporate members with legally formed companies designing, developing and marketing their own commercially available EHRs with installations in the USA. The association, comprised of 35 member companies, is a partner of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and operates as an organizational unit within HIMSS. About HL7 Founded in 1987, Health Level Seven, Inc. (http://www.HL7.org/) is a not- for-profit, ANSI-accredited standards developing organization dedicated to providing a comprehensive framework and related standards for the exchange, integration, sharing, and retrieval of electronic health information that supports clinical practice and the management, delivery, and evaluation of health services. HL7's more than 2,000 members represent approximately 500 corporate members, including 90 percent of the largest information systems vendors serving healthcare. HL7's endeavors are sponsored, in part, by the support of its benefactors: Accenture; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI); Eclipsys Corporation; Eli Lilly Company; the Food and Drug Administration; GE Healthcare Information Technologies; Guidant Corporation; IBM; IDX Systems Corporation; Intel Corporation, Digital Health; InterSystems Corporation; Kaiser Permanente; McKesson Provider Technologies; Microsoft Corporation; Misys Healthcare Systems; NHS Connecting for Health; NICTIZ National ICT Institute for Healthcare in The Netherlands; Oracle Corporation; Partners HealthCare System, Inc.; Pfizer, Inc.; Philips Medical Systems; Quest Diagnostics Inc.; Science Applications International Corporation; Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services; Solucient, LLC; the U.S. Department of Defense; Military Health System; the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.

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.

MedQuist Launches DocQsign(TM) [2005-09-20]
MOUNT LAUREL, N.J., Sept. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Medquist Inc.(Pink Sheets: MEDQ) today announces the release of DocQsign, a Web-basedelectronic signature module of DocQment(TM) Enterprise Platform, an Internet-hosted document workflow management solution. Available as an optionalservice, DocQsign integrates the requirement of electronic signature with theprocess of document workflow and ensures a seamless transition fromtranscribed document to authenticated document, facilitating patient care andthe reimbursement process. MedQuist understands the value of the healthcare providers' time and theurgency to gain quick access to patient medical records. With DocQsign,physicians no longer need to visit the Medical Records department to signcharts or view a patient medical record, says Terry Cameron, MedQuist'ssenior vice president of Marketing. Not only does DocQsign make the processfaster and easier for the healthcare provider, it ultimately reduces theturnaround time for quicker reimbursement and enhanced patient care. Physicians are provided access via the Internet to documents withinseconds of completed transcription, from anywhere, at anytime. Using aWeb-based user account and an array of electronic review and signature tools,physicians can authenticate patient documents that they originated, or withappropriate permission, documents that were originated by other physicians.Physicians can access, listen, review, edit, reject and sign patientdocuments, all through a Web-based interface. Physicians and healthcare providers get a list of documents to be signedin their inbox, says Dori Dunn, DocQsign product manager. From one screen,they can either listen, edit, reject or sign the document, all from thecomforts of home or from any location with Internet access. Attending andresident signatures and a delegate role are available to support the needs ofthe healthcare industry. And once the document is signed, it is automaticallyrouted to the appropriate location, reducing turnaround times and concernsabout incomplete reports.

ZyDoc Offers Hurricane Katrina Disaster [2005-09-15]
ZyDoc, a technology leader in automated medical documentation solutions, announced free emergency transcription and medical record support for healthcare workers and organizations affected by Hurricane Katrina disaster. In view of the severity of the hurricane and widespread disruption of critical services, ZyDoc recognizes the need to fulfill the requirements of healthcare providers for medical transcription and documentation management and assist agencies with related documentation needs pertaining to the victims and infrastucture. Hauppauge, NY (PRWEB) September 14, 2005 -- ZyDoc, a technology leader in automated medical documentation solutions, announced free emergency transcription and medical record support for healthcare workers and organizations affected by the Katrina hurricane disaster. In view of the severity of the hurricane and widespread disruption of services, ZyDoc recognizes the need to fulfill the requirements of healthcare providers for medical transcription and documentation management. With many hospitals in the effected area temporally closed or operating with limited services, the infrastructure for ongoing medical records will be severely limited. Coupled with the anticipated increase in medical services secondary to the disaster, and difficulties for healthcare providers and transcriptionists to travel or perform their duties, ZyDoc anticipates that there maybe an immediate need to offer transcription services and secure Internet based medical records to the medical community. The displaced victims will benefit from secure Internet based records that can be accessible from anywhere.Jim Maisel, M.D., Chairman of ZyDoc explains, The ZyDoc technology platform offers a number of advantages to the disaster area to overcome infrastructural limitations imposed by service outages and temporary personnel shortages and displacement of people. Physicians, hospitals, relief, legal, rescue and transcription companies can utilize ZyDoc infrastructure and transcription services starting work within minutes. ZyDoc intends to make our surplus capacity available immediately to the medical community on a first-come first-served basis at no charge until services can be restored.Steve Koski, CEO and President of ZyDoc explains the operational aspects of the transcription and medical records service as follows: Health-care workers will be able to dictate into handheld digital recorders or the ZyDoc TelDoc 800 toll-free servers. ZyDoc will supply fully edited transcription services, usually with overnight service as available, for these documents or provide Internet based ASP delivery of the voice files to the transcriptionists selected by the health-care users. Once transcribed, documents and voice files will be available immediately and securely via Internet access from any PC with a browser and stored for later access. The documents can also be automatically downloaded and printed to a PC, faxed or made available to share with authorized caregivers over the Internet. The ZyDoc carrier class datacenter has proven reliable without failure over the past two years and was operational even during the Northeast blackout. We intend to make our surplus capacity available immediately to the medical community on a first-come first-served basis at no charge.AvailabilityHurricane related services can be started by enrolling at the try it free link on the secure www.zydoc.com website and using the promo code: Katrina. Then contact the ZyDoc Operations Center at 631-273-6125 to receive your user login and password. Dictation can be started immediately using low-cost digital handheld recorders or the TelDoc 800 service. Completed documents will be available with secure confidential access by author on ZyDoc.com website. Documents can be faxed using the ZyDoc FaxDoc system and can be accessed or automatically downloaded and printed from any computer with Internet access. Transcription ASP infrastructure solutions are also available to replace legacy and non-HIPAA-compliant services for transcription companies or hospitals that need infrastructure support. ZyDoc provides multimedia demonstrations, training, and support on an urgent or scheduled basis via the Internet at http://zydoc.webex.com and through an expansive nationwide network of Tech Data, Toshiba, and qualified integrators. For more information on ZyDoc Automated Medical Documentation Solutions visit www.zydoc.com or enroll at www.zydoc.com/leads.htm About ZyDoc.com CorporationZyDoc is an award winning transcription service and software development company that provides automated electronic health-record 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) in Community Health Information Networks (CHIN). ZyDoc solves the PC illiteracy, data entry bottleneck, implementation, and cost issues that plague other clinical documentation and transcription companies. It 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, a ScanSoft platinum dealer, and an IBM Speech Premier Business Partner.Press Contacts: Jim Maisel, M.D.Chairman, ZyDoc.comZyDoc.com Corporation631-273-1963

Medquist Partners with Voiceguard for [2005-09-02]
Mount Laurel, NJ (OPENPRESS) September 1, 2005 -- Medquist announced a partnership with VoiceGard, the leader in developing and implementing business solutions for today�s business communication recovery needs, to provide critical backup for telecommunications continuity in the event of an emergency.The strategic partnership will enable MedQuist, a leading provider of electronic medical transcription, health information and document management services, to continue offering clients access to technical support when the support center cannot receive phone calls, by utilizing VoiceGard�s services. VoiceGard implemented an IP centric solution for reaching MedQuist�s client support ensuring their availability 24 hours a day and seven days a week. If and when an emergency is declared, VoiceGard simply re-routes MedQuist client calls to the appropriate Agent based on their predetermined recovery plan.�Our clients are extremely important to us,� said Mark Blood, MedQuist�s vice president of technical support. �Many of them are hospitals and health care providers with mission critical networks that depend on the support we provide. With VoiceGard�s product, we now have the capability to effectively continue availability of our call center services, no matter what the situation. �Once activated, the voice disaster recovery plan is available for as long as it is needed. A MedQuist Business Continuity Planner can manage and update the plan, or print it at any time. The plan is stored online and readily accessible. It is also continually updated and tested once a year.�Voice disaster discovery is a growing trend - it�s the next step up from data recovery solutions,� said Jim McFadden, Director of Sales at VoiceGard. �MedQuist is a cutting edge company that is consistently evolving and adapting for their clients. With our telecommunication continuity and restoration services, MedQuist will always be available for their clients, without interruption, in the event of any disaster.�FOR MORE INFORMATION:Leeann Essai, MedQuistDirector, Marketing CommunicationPhone: 856.206.4700Private Fax: 856.206.4701Cell: 215.852.8281lessai@medquist.com