yeah, noticed that too, speak nniiicccceeee and dddiiissttinncctt for a machine, huh

Yeah, right!!! [2008-04-08]
Any MT who edits any voice recognition files should be stoned. If they want to take out the human element, leave it out. The whole voice recognition thing will disappear in a heartbeat. One in a thousand doctors might, might be able to pull it off without help from a medical transcriptionist/editor. Actually, I doubt that. I teach medical transcription, and one of first instructions to students is, Never, never, never spell a word or drug as dictated by the MD, and never pay attention to their instructions with regard to punctuation. It isn't a matter of trying to nip voice recognition, it's a matter of not jumping through the hoops or nooses meant to eventually hang us. If they're using VR, just tell them to have a happy life and be on your way. Helping them out is like give terrorists a map and directions. C'mon people. Use the gray matter.

yeah, noticed that too, speak nniiicccceeee and dddiiissttinncctt for a machine, huh? [2006-07-06]
Makes my blood boil!!!

Also agree...sm [2008-06-29]
...sit down where it’s quiet, where you can relax and concentrate on your speaking habits. Pardon me, but, =)) ROFL! “Mumbling,” says Dr. Block, “that’s the main problem. No kidding!!! But for voice recognition, doctors need to speak in a normal, conversational tone of voice, Again, =)) ROFL! Yeah, like that's gonna happen!

Welcome to MT Stars [2008-04-22]
There seems to be no logic to where your posts go. It should go under the topic you replied to, but who knows? I've noticed the same thing before.

my thoughts [2008-03-28]
yeah, I have some thoughts on it, time to get the H out of MT. Where am I, in China?

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.

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.”

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?

Foreign speaking docs [2005-12-01]
They keep the FSDs HERE for us to struggle with and send the easier stuff to India where the MTs who don't speak English are given an 8 week crash course in English diction, typing and computer processing. Those of us who have worked our entire adult lives in this profession are left to keep the FSDs from getting their backends sued for malpractice. I'm proud of my profession and resent being demeaned and cheated out of what I've spent a lifetime perfecting by seeing it given away by a money hungry, two-faced oursourcing country that swears on a stack of Bibles that we do not now and never will outsource outside the United States. Way to go Spheris.

The people who live and work in India....sm [2005-12-01]
speak the King's English.......................*tsk *tsk that you all don't get this. *LOL* WHAT THEY will have problems with are foreign doctors from all over the rest of the world, i.e., ESL and French MDs. I, personally, find the French accent the most difficult (and that's after being married to one of them for too long a time *lol*). just one person's opinion here :)

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.

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.

Evergreen+Spheris=India [2005-09-07]
I'm sure everyone noticed in sm's submitted article about India's opportunities for housewives in medical transcription, that one of their work sources is Spheris. Another submit states that Evergreen Hospital is outsourcing to Spheris ---- does Evergreen know their medical records are going to India? Doubt it!!!! PS. The article about India said Stheris -- it's an error -- wonder how many of these errors show up in transcribed reports. Hmmmm

MedQuist Announces Preliminary, Partial and Unaudited [2005-08-20]
MT. LAUREL, N.J., Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Medquist Inc.(Pink Sheets: MEDQ) announced today certain preliminary, partial and unauditedfinancial results. Once the Company completes the financial assessment andreview of its billing practices disclosed in the Company's previous filingswith the SEC, the Company expects that an independent registered publicaccounting firm will review and/or audit the Company's financial statements,as appropriate. While, at this time, the Company cannot estimate the totalcosts of (i) the billing review, (ii) defense of the class action matters,(iii) the SEC investigation, and (iv) compliance with the Department ofJustice investigation, all of which have been previously disclosed in eitherthe Company's filings with the SEC or the Company's press releases, the costsincurred to date by the Company in connection with the foregoing have beenincluded in the results set forth below. Because the completion of thebilling review and resolution of the litigation and governmental investigatorymatters are pending, the Company is not certain whether any changes to theaccounting treatment of any component of its consolidated financial statementswill be required and, if any changes are necessary, whether any such changeswould have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.Accordingly, the financial information set forth below is preliminary,unaudited, and subject to change based on the completion of the financialassessment and review of the Company's billing practices and the completion ofthe review and/or audit of its financial statements, as appropriate. The information set forth below is derived from the Company's internalbooks and records. The Company cautions investors not to place undue relianceon the information presented below. As a result of the developments describedabove and in the Company's previous SEC filings, the Company's financialstatements have not been audited or reviewed by an independent registeredaccounting firm. The information contained in this press release also has notbeen audited or reviewed by an independent registered accounting firm. Suchinformation is not a substitute for the information required to be reported inthe Company's Forms 10-K and Forms 10-Q that have not yet been filed. Therecan be no assurance that the results of the billing review, and resolution ofthe litigation and governmental investigatory matters will not have a materialadverse effect on the Company's revenue, results of operations and financialcondition. MedQuist Inc. - Preliminary and Unaudited Financial Information (inmillions) Years Ended 12/31/2002 12/31/2003 12/31/2004 Revenue (1) $486 $490 $456 Operating income (1) 71 61 23 Cash (3) 103 162 196 Debt (3) 0.1 0.1 0.1 Quarters Ended 12/31/03 3/31/04 6/30/04 9/30/04 12/31/04 3/31/05 6/30/05 Revenue (2) $121 $118 $114 $113 $112 $108 $106 Operating income (2) 13 13 7 6 (3) (2) (6) Cash (3) 162 180 183 192 196 199 198 Debt (3) 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 - Notes: (1) Information presented for the twelve months ended (2) Information presented for the three months ended (3) Information presented as of the date Twelve months ended December 31, 2003 Revenues: Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that the Company's revenueincreased from approximately $486 million for the twelve months endedDecember 31, 2002 to approximately $490 million for the comparable 2003period. The increase was largely the result of twelve months of Lanieroperations being reflected in 2003 results as compared to six months of Lanieroperations being reflected in 2002 results, as the acquisition of LanierHealthcare LLC took place on July 1, 2002, largely offset by transcriptionservice volume declines as well as declining pricing from both new andexisting transcription clients. Operating Income: Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that operating income declinedfrom approximately $71 million, for the twelve months ended December 31, 2002to approximately $61 million for the comparable 2003 period. The decline inoperating income is largely the result of transcription service volume andrate declines, partially offset by the result of twelve months of Lanieroperations being reflected in 2003 results as compared to six months of Lanieroperations being reflected in 2002 results, as the acquisition of LanierHealthcare LLC took place on July 1, 2002. Balance Sheet Highlights: At December 31, 2003 the Company had $162 million in cash and cashequivalents. At December 31, 2003, the Company had less than $100 thousand intotal debt. Other than minimal exercises of stock options, there were noadditional issuances of capital stock or other securities for the twelve monthperiod ended December 31, 2003. Twelve months ended December 31, 2004 Revenues: Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that the Company's revenuedecreased from approximately $490 million for the twelve months ended December31, 2003 to approximately $456 million for the comparable 2004 period. Thedecline in revenues includes the impact of decreasing transcription servicevolume from existing and lost clients, partially offset by new clients, aswell as the impact of pricing declines attributable to a competitive pricingenvironment. Additionally, the Company has recognized declines in revenue fromits front-end speech recognition products as it transitioned from TalkStationto SpeechQ for Radiology. Operating Income: Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that operating income declinedfrom approximately $61 million, for the twelve months ended December 31, 2003to approximately $23 million for the comparable 2004 period. The decline inoperating income includes: 1) the impact of approximately $11 million in costsincurred in 2004 related to the ongoing billing investigation and associatedlitigation, 2) approximately $4 million in costs associated with separationand replacement of the Company's management team, including members at theexecutive level and 3) approximately $3 million associated with the write-offof intangible assets associated with products no longer being offered. Inaddition, the base business, as described above in the Revenues section,experienced a decline in transcription service volume from existing and lostclients and a decline in transcription service rates charged to customers.The impact of the revenue decline was partially offset by several cost savinginitiatives including reductions in telecommunications costs, officeconsolidations and associated staff reductions. Balance Sheet Highlights: At December 31, 2004 the Company had $196 million in cash and cashequivalents. At December 31, 2004, the Company had less than $100 thousand intotal debt. Other than minimal exercises of stock options, there were noadditional issuances of capital stock or other securities for the twelve monthperiod ended December 31, 2004. Six Months ended June 30, 2005 Revenues: Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that the Company's revenuedecreased from approximately $232 million for the six months ended June 30,2004 to approximately $213 million for the comparable 2005 period. Thedecline in revenues includes the impact of the result of reductions incontracted transcription service rates from existing clients, further affectedby new transcription business service volume replacing lost transcriptionservice volume at a lower average price. Management expects these pricingpressures to continue and for revenue in the second half of 2005 to declinefrom first half levels. Operating Income: Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that operating income declinedfrom approximately $20 million for the six months ended June 30, 2004 to anoperating loss of approximately $8 million for the comparable 2005 period.Operating income includes 1) approximately $16 million in costs incurred in2005 related to the ongoing billing investigation and associated litigation,which represents an increase of approximately $11 million over similar costsincurred for the comparable time period in 2004 and 2) approximately $3million in costs associated with separation and replacement of the Company'smanagement team, including members at the executive level, which representsand increase of approximately $2 million over similar costs incurred for thecomparable time period in 2004. In addition, the base business, as describedabove in the Revenues section experienced a decline in transcription servicerates charged to customers. The impact of the revenue decline was partiallyoffset by several cost saving initiatives including reductions intelecommunications costs, office consolidations and associated staffreductions. The Company continues to strive for improved profitabilitythrough service and technology enhancement initiatives, along with other costreductions. Three months ended June 30, 2005 Revenues: Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that the Company's revenuedecreased from approximately $114 million for the three months ended June 30,2004 to approximately $106 million for the comparable 2005 period. The declinein revenues includes the impact of the result of reductions in contractedtranscription service rates from existing clients, further affected by newtranscription business service volume replacing lost transcription servicevolume at a lower average price. As noted above, management expects thesepricing pressures to continue and for revenue in the second half of 2005 todecline from first half levels. Operating Income: Preliminary results indicate that operating income declined fromapproximately $7 million for the three months ended June 30, 2004 to anoperating loss of approximately $6 million for the comparable 2005 period.Operating income includes 1) approximately $9.5 million in costs incurred in2005 related to the ongoing billing investigation and associated litigation,which represents an increase of approximately $5.5 million over similar costsincurred for the comparable time period in 2004 and 2) $1 million in costsassociated with separation and replacement of the Company's management team,including members at the executive level. In addition, the base business, asdescribed above in the Revenues section experienced a decline in transcriptionservice rates charged to customers. The impact of the revenue decline waspartially offset by several cost saving initiatives including reductions intelecommunications costs, office consolidations and associated staffreductions. The Company continues to strive for improved profitabilitythrough service and technology enhancement initiatives, along with other costreductions. Balance Sheet Highlights: At June 30, 2005, the Company had $198 million in cash and cashequivalents and no debt. There were no additional issuances of capital stockor other securities for the six month period ended June 30, 2005. About MedQuist: MedQuist, a member of the Philips Group of Companies, is a leadingprovider of electronic medical transcription, health information and documentmanagement products and services. MedQuist provides document workflowmanagement, digital dictation, speech recognition, mobile dictation devices,Web-based transcription, electronic signature, medical coding products andoutsourcing services. Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Some of the statements in this Press Release constitute forward-lookingstatements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities LitigationReform Act of 1995. These statements are not historical facts but rather arebased on the Company's current expectations, estimates and projectionsregarding the Company's business, operations and other factors relatingthereto. Words such as may, will, could, would, should,anticipate, predict, potential, continue, expects, intends,plans, projects, believes, estimates and similar expressions are usedto identify these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statementscontained in this Press Release include, without limitation, statements aboutthe Company's results of operations and financial condition. These statementsare only predictions and as such are not guarantees of future performance andinvolve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict.Forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions as to future events ofthe Company's future financial performance that may not prove to be accurate.Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed orforecast in these forward-looking statements. As a result, these statementsspeak only as of the date they were made, and the Company undertakes noobligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements,whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. TheCompany's actual results may differ from the forward-looking statements formany reasons, including any direct or indirect impact of the matters disclosedin the Form 12b-25 filed by the Company on August 19, 2005 on the Company'soperating results or financial condition; any continuation of pricingpressures and declining billing rates; difficulties relating to theimplementation of management changes throughout the Company; and the outcomeof pending and future legal and regulatory proceedings and investigations.