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Why I hate speech editing.

Posted By: sm on 2009-03-09
In Reply to:

Just finished my 3rd week of speech editing. Of course I was told that I could double my line rate, hence the half-rate pay. Not that it matters. To me, a line is a line is a line, and I've had to apply my brain to each line, even if I don't make any changes. And when do you not make a change to a line, or even completely re-type a line?

We've hashed this out many times on this board, and we know it's not fair. I did increase my line rate a bit, but certainly not double, and I doubt I'd get much faster. I'm doing a mix of traditional and speech, and this pay period I worked 8 hours longer, 88 hours total, and made $80.00 less. And that includes bonus pay.

I can't do this anymore. It's completely demoralizing. Traditional lines are drying up as my accounts are switching over to speech. I might be able to hang on for a bit more, but not much longer. If I end up doing 100% speech I'll never double my line count, and even if I did, I'd be working twice as hard for the same money.

It's time to start looking around for a new career. So much for my 21 years of experience. I made more money back when I was listening to cassette tapes and using an IBM Selectric!


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I want to do VR (speech) editing - sm
which companies should I contact? I do not care whether they outsource or not (please no flaming). Just want to learn the new technology.
Speech Editing question for anyone who has done this..sm

Can editing voice recognition from hospital be as lucrative as straight medical transcription...Is it more difficult and time consuming to edit a doctor's voice than editing another transcriptionist's work?


 


Thanks


Front-end speech is "talking;" back-end speech is flatulence. :-)
nm
Love psych notes. HATE, HATE, HATE, HATE,
HATE ER notes.
I found out a long time ago that there are two kinds of editing.. one is editing MTs work (like QA)
and the other is editing as in VR. I have done VR editing, but when I put down this as experience on a resume, I was asked by the HR person if this meant that I had "edited" other MTs work. I think there is a lot of confusion out there and I wish they would just keep that as QA instead of calling it editing. Just be clear in what you want to edit as most companies that expect you to "edit" other MTs in a QA position do require you have a lot of experience. If you just going for VR editing, which is what Transcend has available and there are a few companies out there doing VR, none of which I think really require much experience as it is easy to learn. Hope I made some sense and it can be pretty confusing on how companies use the term "editing" thus it effects their expectations as far as experience goes.
I hate DocQSribe, I hate DocQScribe, I hate DocQScrbe, I hate DocQScribe, I hate DocQSribe.
NM
Editing is the higher skill. I earn more editing SM
because I'm able to produce more--if the company doesn't adjust the way production's figured down and down again to keep the account from going elsewhere (when that happened to me on EditScript with no explanation of why my income was dropping, I went elsewhere also).
Love cardiology, hate podiatry. Hate discharges, but
nm
I hate those but I hate trauma notes on children even more sm
I used to work for a large hospital that saw a lot of children for various horrible things.

The very last one I did was a 12yo boy who had hung himself while his mother was at work. She thought he was in school. The doctor cried, I cried (as I usually did) and I just couldn't handle that anymore. That was the longest report I swear. Short in lines but the length was almost an hour. The doc didn't pause the machine, she cried, horrible gut wrenching sobs, and I did too, right along with her.
Question about Editing for those who do editing
What would you consider to be  the average amount of lines a day of editing based on a 65 space line in an 8 hour day.  If you can do an average of 1200 straight typing what would be the expectation for a day of editing?  What do you think is a fair rate of pay for that editing? Do you know of companies that offer a tiered incentive rate for editing rates to do most of them offer a flat rate for lph?   Do you find you make more money,  less money or about the same than straight typing?  Thanks to anyone who is willing to share this information.  Feel free to email if you would rather share by email. 
VR editing versus MT editing pay

Greetings,


How does VR editing prod. pay compare to hourly pay ($15) regular QA and constantly being threatened to start being payed production.  Are there any special tricks to know to make good money on a VR program?  Any companies that have VR and are better than other ones would be appreciated as well.  Any and all assistance much appreciated-have to make a change shortly, so looking for a great company that offers ins. benefits.  Thanks for your time.


I don't hate AAMT at all, ks. I don't hate
their book. In fact, I love the BOS2. It is not a regular grammar book at all - there are hundreds of issues in it that are point specific to MTing and medical field. I have dozens of regular grammar books, too, for other purposes, and they are not similar at all. I purchased the BOS2 when out job interviewing for a few months. Every single employer wanted me to have my own company, and they all tested off of it. Several used it in their daily work, and I have found it priceless over all. I think its even on sale now, but $89 is not a lot for a professional tool that we should use if required, or if a newbie. MTs who don't like to buy books are not very wise in the big picture. Its like shooting yourself in the foot.
Are you using Speech EXT or something else? nm
nm
speech
Transcription,Technology,and Support is supposed to be implementing this in the near future.
speech rec
It really does suck. No punctuation, wrong headings, puts in he instead of she or vice versa, lists numbered wrong, doctors names wrong. If you ask me, lets get back to what worked!!!!
speech rec
I absolutely hate speech rec. I see it as a way of utterly dumbing down the profession and paying us even less than we're already getting paid over time, like factory work. With our system (not Dictaphone but a major player), they have enabled essentially all the dictators (even those who are horrible), meaning that the proofreading is a killer, and it's not getting better, some dictations are absolute gobbelty-gook. These days, it ain't my wrists but my neck and left shoulder muscles that get the workout from the stress of how hard I have to concentrate. We've been told that the physicians must never see what the report would look like if we weren't charged with making absolutely certain it's picture perfect, as though we'd typed it! And yeah, I'd just as soon delete the whole durned report on some of these and just transcribe it. To heck with production, which is the constant mantra where I work. Again, I absolutely HATE it and pray it will somehow collapse, but I don't see it happening, not with jobs being so hard to come by.

I can foresee where speech rec could be "perfected" to the extent that there will come a time when an intelligent person could conceivably just sit down and read through these reports and actually learn medical terminology and the whole process by just doing speech rec. Again, like factory work. Think about it.
On speech rec
The company I work for pays 4 cents a line for speech recognition and the minimum for speech rec is 11,000 a pay period. That comes out to $5.50 an hour. I believe the minimum wage in Texas is $6, so I do not make minimum wage doing only SR. To get minimum wage I have to do 12,000 lines a pay period. Actually I do more than that because of the cost of living!
MQs speech recognition.
:
speech recognition
I worked with speech recognition at my last job and I didn't like it.  It took longer and alot of mistakes came through.  You were editing, but I found I could do a better and faster job typing it myself.  Everyone's production went down and error rates went up because you become complacent and when you are reading along with the words playing in your ears your eyes have a tendency to overlook a lot of little things that should be edited.  I did not find it productive or helpful just a mess. 
Speech recognition
I am on speech recognition as it comes up. Don't have it all the time and it is on the DQS platform. I enjoy the break from typing but can be slow as you really have to listen to every word and make the corrections where necessary. The fastest typists just erase the entire report and retype. I just listen and make corrections. I have not had a pay reduction as of yet since this is not all I do. I am still paid my regular per line rate for SR but rumor has it that this will change but this is only a rumor, nothing in writing. If you do not like editing, can always tell them that you just want to type and not edit. I am on high speed internet also. Hope this helps.
Ah, a figure of speech. (sm)
Like a burden or baggage from a person that will not take the time to learn or understand?  One who doesn't want to fix it or get off his/her duff to understand?  One who generally doesn't care?  Anyway, I thought my original post was perfectly understandable and if they didn't understand it that is not my problem!
speech vs. transcription
Thanks...I appreciate the input--I may just give it a try and see how it goes!:)
speech files
Sorry for confusion, my company has switched from plain typing to basically editing speech files, so my lines have dropped, so pay has dropped. Is there anyway of edit any faster to increase line production? any tips or tricks?
Speech files
Can you speed up the voice file without distorting it too much? Is there a way to move the cursor along with you as you edit, rather than using a mouse (if that's anything you are doing)?
speech files
Thanks for replying. I am working with EXText and am using the foot pedal as I would in text typing, speeding up the files, etc. Don't know why I am in a slump.
thanks anyway.
Speech Recognition
Does anyone use speech recognition software for better transcription productivity?  If so, I am interested in learning more about it & would like to talk.  Thanks.
Speech recognition
I absolutely love editing speech recognition.  After typing for 20 years, it definitely gives my hand a break.  I like the pay as well.
Enterprise speech
No, currently working in-house at a local hospital.  The hospital recently leased the program and we are all having troubles.
ExText speech
My company plays up the speech rec part, saying it takes an average 150 lph MT to 250 to 300 lph. They do admit if you are a fast MT, speech rec doesn't really help you. I know I will eventually train for that part, but I'm not looking forward to it!

Used to do speech therapist also
and that is big business - stroke rehabilitation, kids with problems, oral cancer surgeries - found it boring but pretty easy once you learned the terminology. 
Citrix/Speech Q
The hospital I work for just went live with the radiology platform Speech Q last week.  I can access via Citrix from home but cannot get the foot pedal to work.  Any ideas...........?  Thanks!
A number have gone to speech rec - sm
because Radiology is so repetitive that it's easy convert to speech/voice rec via programs like Dragon or PowerScribe. I was so frustrated with the lack of work that I went into Acute Care (in-house for a hospital).

Beth HT is a speech pathologist..sm
I am unsure what her husband does. She is staying in the same room Natalee stayed in. I imagine that a lot of the hotels and restaurants on the island are offering their services to the Holloway-Twitty family. I wouldn't go so far as to say they are spending their billions 'vacationing in Aruba.' Thats rude to assume.
Does anyone work with speech recognition? sm

We are currently learning this, and I hate it.  It's not editing others' work, its doing your own transcription with speech rec.  Does anyone else do this, and like it?  Anyone had success with it, or failures?    I'm seriously thinking of quitting my company, as we have to give this three months trial to get used to it, before we are considered for being taken out of the program.     


    All I hear from work is how wonderful it is, how positive, how everyone hates it at first but once you get used to it how you love it.  I don't think so.  This just isn't for me.   There are others who feel the same way, but you never hear about them, unless you happen to stumble across those particular people somehow; which I have. 


speech recognition sucks
They are selling it to docs and hospitals based on one thing only, it will cost them less money. Guess why?

It will cost US more money.

The only good thing I have to say about it is this: I know one of the major hospitals in my area is trying it and failing miserably.

They came out of the barn with this donkey a wee bit too early.
Automatic Speech Recognition (nm)
.
Freedom of speech is still a part of the

constitution.  I once had a supervisor tell me he knew that his secretary and I had been talking about him, and he would terminate me if I ever talked to ANYONE about him again.   I actually laughed in his face (and never got terminated). 


This is really stupid that anyone or any company thinks they have the right to control what people can and cannot talk about.  Now, company information that can be damaging if disclosed is another issue.  However, salary info doesn't fall into that category.  It falls under the "How much do you make, because I want to be sure I'm getting a fair deal" category.   


ASR question (speech recognition). sm TIA
For someone who transcribes roughly 250 LPH on acute care, what would the introduction of ASR due to her line count?  Could she potentially increase it? 
QA Mgr's email w/picturesque speech

Notice the missing words and "excuse" instead of "reason" ???  Give me a break   LOL


Due escalated number of quality issues with __, we are having a mandatory conference call tomorrow, Thursday, at 4:30 p.m. EST.  This call should not last more than 30 minutes.
 
If you are unable to make this, you are required to email __ with the excuse of why you cannot make it.


speech versus transcription

Hoping to find some input/wisdom here---I have been offered a positon where may of the accounts are partially voice rec--I have never edited this speech stuff--but I am wondering if you can make the same amount of $$ doing that as you can transcribing it--all the speech rates seem very low, around 4 cents a line--is it actually that much faster than transcribing?  I would think it would be a lot quicker to actually do the transcription--has anyone any experience to share in this regard? thanks for any insight.....


productivity for speech files

does anyone have any pointers that can help my productivity with voice files.  Voice recognition board not working and productivity board says go to main board.  Help if you can.


Thanks


Maybe because right now we are training them, sort of like speech rec?
Just a thought.
Back end speech recognition.

Can anyone tell me if this is a difficult job?   Would this be much different than proofreading my own reports while listening to the sound file?  What is the going line rate for something like that?  Is it better pay than regular transcribing?


Thank to all who can soothe my nerves!!!!


question about speech recognition. sm
Do you need high speed internet for speech recognition?  I've been informed by a company I edit for that they are going to incorporate speech recognition into ASP.  I was also recruited by a company I recently left to rehire to do speech recognition.  I can only get dial-up where I live.  No DSL or cable.  Could get satellite, but so many companies say no to satellite.  Thanks!
Speech recognition platform. sm
The company is called MultiModal. They said they're going to integrate it with ASP. The other company I don't know.
Speech, or voice, recognition
nm
Has anyone tried Vista speech recognition?
nm
speech recogn. question
Wondering if you guys when doing VR use the feature where the highlighter moves along with the words and attaches the cursor for editing?  Maybe all VR programs don't do this... only have experience with 2 that did. Feeling pressure to use this feature and for the life of me I just can't function when it is on. I end up editing where I don't want to and spend more time trying to figure out where my cursor is or isn't than worrying about the text I am editing.  I can do about 300 to 325 an hour without. Wondering if working through the frustration of trying to use this feature will gain me anything?  Any thoughts??
Dictaphone EXText Speech

Are there any MT companies doing Dictaphone EXText Speech. 


Dictaphone EXText Speech
Thanks.  Appreciate your reply. I guess not too many companies use this, as I have not received any other replies. 
Speech recognition good or bad?
Is ASR using DEP/DocQscribe better than traditional transcription?  What are the benefits & disadvantage of using ASR/DocQscribe?  All input appreciated.  Thanks.