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td = 10/13/2005. in IT I just keeping adding them as td.

Posted By: My way on 2005-10-13
In Reply to: word shortcut for date? NM - sandy54

dd


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EXACTLY! Thank you for adding.
x
And that is without adding in the
Ouch, ooch, eech, (walking out to grab the paper off the step this morning).
And adding to that. ..
What happens when the company runs low on work, which is known to happen.  There is nothing in the contract about the "penalty/incentive" does not apply.
Nothing about MQ is adding up anymore.
x
adding my 2 cents
It can be done, as I have been in your shoes as well. It will be tough without family close by, but thank goodness you have a job that can keep you close to your children. When I did it my job was 12 hours a day. Just wanted you to know that you have support here, and by the looks of it you have alot of it. You and your children are in my thoughts.
lol.. thank you for adding humor to my otherwise
nm
Keep adding to that expander SM
Just backing you guys up. I'll never have those quick fingers either (nv hv tos qk fgs eir), just not in me, but by continually creating and memorizing abbreviations, I transcribe fairly challenging acute care hospital work somewhere between 330-340 lph--including short breaks for coffee refills and so on. It wouldn't add up to 3000 over 8 hours (most of my work is actually editing these days), but could be if I were doing work I could make more templates for, clinic for instance. Zero stress, BTW.
Adding Expansions

I was wondering how you build your expansion list, meaning, about how many words do you put in day?  A few, 20, 50?  And do you review them daily so you know what you have?  I tend to create them and then forget I have them and then do not use them.  What are you tips?  Thanks in advance!


Did you try leaving the .09 and adding .09.vox? nm
nm
Are you getting paid for adding the
demographics, such as the patient's name, the medical record number, the dictator's name, two spaces instead of one at the end of a senstence. Is the space included in your line count? Some companies are now paying by the character only. Unfortunately, a lot of these things we used to get paid for have been taken away, thus you need to work a lot harder for the same amount of money. Try to master the more difficult dictators, and once you do, then ask for a higher rate.
just adding my 2 cents; not sure where you have
worked with 'Indians' to have such a negative viewpoint, but my experience was pleasant and the people I knew from India were polite, quiet, respectful but probably mistrusting of Americans I supposed. Most everyone is India gets a college education, not like here. Even on the phone from call answering centers, the 'Indians' I have spoken with for the most part are very soft-spoken and polite.

They were given an opportunity and are taking it and making the most of it and for that I don't blame them. It is our American companies that sought them out and went over there and started these transcription companies, yes?
I had 6346 and adding each day. :) nm
.......
2005.
2005 was a good year for me. While I realize many people suffered through Hurricane Katrina and many families lost loved ones in Iraq or Afghanistan, their losses have given me the ability to teach my son about life, its ups and downs, its joys and sorrows. I leave 2005 behind with memories of hugging and laughing with my loved ones and being thankful that we are all still here. I have a job, a son, a wonderful husband-to-be, a dog, and the rest of my family. Yes, I've lost loved ones this year and faced what I consider to be "hard times" though not as hard as what others have faced. But I still see the lesson to be learned; not to take anything, or anyone, for granted. To say what I want to say to my loved ones, and do what I want to do for them. I may not have another chance.

I only have the 2005 BOS and it says:

On page 146 that those are legit but it looks like q.4h is typed out in the book as q.4 h. (with a space in between the 4 and the h). 


There is a list of abbreviations that have been since classified as dangerous and q.d. was one of them and is now supposed to be typed as "daily."  You can do a search on that thread, I think, and it should come up. 


The BOS book says to find dangerous abbreviations in the list from "Institute for Safe Medication Practices."  I'll have to check that out...the only list I have access to is from a site I had to join through owning of a piece of software and i tried to post that link once and I couldn't due to password protection :( 


I am talking about adding a few more notches to
make the playback speed increase, only if you want it to, such as if you have a really slow dictator and you want to go back and proof the whole report. Since I proof every report by going back and listening, it really would make the proofing go faster to be able to increase the speed more than we are able to now.
We got plenty and adding new accounts every day it seems - nm
x
Stuck adding dictionary
  I've downloaded Stedmans 6.0 to Word (program files) and am attempting to add the dictionary for spell check.  I can locate the file but when I try to add a file name, I get hung up.  I'm sure the problem lies in the file name, either the original download or my efforts to add the dic.  I would very much appreciate an assist, pulling my hair out.  TIA - I have googled extensively and followed the instructions but I am missing something here.
adding 5 a week would not work well IMO

I currently have over 1500 entries in my mail abbreviation program file.  If I had built this by adding 5 entries a week, it would have taken 300 weeks, or almost 6 years to build my main file.  I have an additional 6 other files with varying numbers of entries built specifically for different purposes - one for medications - one to correct misspelled words in my current MTSO's spellcheck - and one for each of the different accounts I work (mostly entire op notes and templates).


I believe the one on ShortHand's site is a good start.  Once you get familiar (or even while you get familiar) with it's pattern, you can add your own.  I constantly add to my main file.  Sometimes when I come across something I haven't seen in a while and don't know for sure it is in the file, I follow the pattern, and voile'...there it is and I don't have to guess at the spelling or look it up.   


In addition, if you activate the prompt screen of available entries on your screen, you do not necessarily have to memorize all the entries.  You get to chose from a selection of 9 entries to help jog your memory if needed.  I am a firm believer in the use of expansion software, even though the first one made me dizzy for 2 weeks


Beg to differ with the adding of words
to report if not necessary. That is commonly known as "line padding," especially adding "the patient" when it is not said. I know MTs who have been let go for doings things like that.
Adding some info to this post...

Here is an interesting bit:  http://law-wire.blogspot.com/2008/02/india-to-adopt-data-privacy-rules.html


Also, you may want to look into the Information Technology Act (India).


And adding insult to injury,
I have a few that dictate like they're trying to keep it all a big secret; ironically, it usually sounds like they are trying to keep their voices down so they don't disturb the people having the LOUD conversation 5 feet away! Hello, get a clue! Gaaaah!
Adding up line counts
I am about to start as an IC with a company.  Up to this point, I have not had to add up line counts at all.  What do you use to figure this out to invoice the company?  Any favorite softwares?
Adding insult to injury,
it's IC (independent contract) work with an insultingly low line rate. If I were going to take THAT big a pay hit, it had BETTER have one KICKER of a benefits package attached to it. No, thanks. Don't call me and I won't call you.

In addition to the various fees charged if you don't jump through all their hoops (and they were a bit fuzzy about whether those fees would still be assessed if the failure to complete the required work was THEIR fault not yours, there was also some verbiage in their contract that sounded like they might require you to use a dedicated computer--i.e. you can't use the computer you use for their work for anything else. Naturally, they do not supply this dedicated computer. Excuse me, if I own the computer, I can do whatever I bloody well please with it.
Reality and how it is in 2005 and my
being able to "deal" with that is not the problem. What others seem to have a problem with is that they believe they are stuck with that reality for the future. You should only be that lucky. The one thing that is sure for the future for MT is that it is not going to be is static. If you think it can't get worse, think again. It absolutely can. And if you think it can't get better, you are wrong there too.

I didn't say there was a "code of ethics" in any particular company. What I said was that the above-mentioned practice was unethical by higher codes of ethics such as what is right and what is wrong. I don't know of anyone who would argue that the majority of MT services are the epitome of ethical practices or even have ethical codes.

The fight I am referring to? For one, the fight against unethical practices by MT services. The MTs that would unite to fight that? Certainly not all of them, but you would be surprised how few it would take.

I think it is time for MTs to start organizing to form their own destiny, not be pathetic sheep following the heard that AAMT is trying to shepherd us into as they walk us off a cliff, or slaves to the whims of service owners who are used to being able to take advantage of us and get by with it.

The one thing I am sure of is that it isn't a fight I expect to lose.

Closing 09/01/2005
/
MeDiCaLeSe 2005. - nm

Mine is a 2005
so that's only a year newer than yours. Sorry, I don't know what to tell you to try! Maybe try some tech person. Maybe they would have some ideas
I like the 2005 version, old I know, (sm)
but I didn't like the fact that you couldn't get it on the toolbar and it did not seem as user friendly as 2005.
Just for your info.. this 30-year MT is NOT adding s to Down syndrome
so that is not what the problem is... I don't care HOW long you've been transcribing a split infinitive is a split infinitive!  and verb tenses haven't changed, as far as I know... so don't act like 30-year MTs just aren't "with it" cause this one is!
Thanks for your feedback. Will see about adding back the time.
/
Determine your line rate by adding that 25%
get and don't forget to add in costs of marketing, setting up a HIPPA compliant system, printing, sending/receiving work, travel expenses, trying to mantain a client who wants to lower your line rate because someone else will do it for less and/or suddenly finding the need to get a different client because the own you got decided to use voice recognition and didn't tell you until they no longer need your services....
Thanks. I'm adding to my shortcuts. I Googled and saw different spellings.
nm
2005 Payroll Schedule

The payroll schedule for MedQuist states PayDate as 07/11/05 (Monday). 


Thanks, it has been a rough 2005 for many reasons - sm
but Jen is doing well now. Her hair grew back quick (3 different colors currently, quite interesting), looks like a little elf now and everyone thinks she is so cute (those that don't think she is a boy, get that a lot now since her hair is so short). Almost 10 months cancer-free so far and things look very good for her. She looks so different and healthy now that she is done chemo. Her 6th birthday present will probably be being told her Port-A-Cath is coming out--Dr. appt. day before her birthday, due to come out a year or so after the initial surgery. But I am so thrilled that she was eligible for a wish. She got exactly what she wanted and it was a trip of a lifetime I don't think any of us will ever forget. I am very grateful to everyone who contributes to Make-A-Wish, it is really amazing what they do for sick kids and their families. I hope everyone here had a good 2006!
some info on spheris...from nov 2005...
If you go to the site, check out the picture of the India facility (how nice it is), and the 1500 employees to be hired there, if not already, as this was from Nov 2005.

What a company, huh? It is like it is there GOAL to take over all transcription, and ship it to India for cheap labor. They are the 'walmart' of MT...


Friday, 11/25/05
Spheris hopes boomers help it become tops in industry

Medical transcription company adding second office in India to help with expected work increase. By TODD PACK

Staff Writer

Taking note of the aging population's need for more health care and a marketplace that is wildly fragmented, Spheris Inc. is taking aim at becoming the country's largest medical transcription company.

With the oldest wave of baby boomers about to turn 60, the number of checkups, outpatient surgeries and hospital stays is going to rise steadily over the next few years, so there's likely to be more doctors' notes to transcribe, said Steve Simpson, president and chief executive of the privately held company.


Doctors often need their recorded notes written out in a matter of hours, even in the middle of the night, so last month the Franklin-based company said it would increase the size of its work force by about a third.

Of the 1,700 people it planned to hire, 700 would be based in a new office in the southern India city of Coimbatore. It already has offices in the larger city of Bangalore.

Simpson said recently that the decision to open a second facility in India was more about making it easier for Spheris to offer its services 24 hours a day and less about saving any money on salaries. When it's midnight in Williamson County, for example, it's 11:30 a.m. in Bangalore.

"The goal, really, is just to lead the market," Simpson said.

Spheris wouldn't disclose earnings, but Inc. magazine this month named Spheris the country's fastest-growing health-care IT company, listing its revenue as $152.7 million. Spheris was 16th on the magazine's overall list of the 500 fastest-growing private companies, with three-year growth of 2,710.8%.

Created two years ago when Total eMed, a Franklin-based provider of electronic medical transcription services, bought the larger EDiX, based in St. Petersburg, Fla., Spheris is the country's second-largest medical transcription company after Medquist Inc., a publicly traded company whose shares are held mostly by the Dutch electronics giant Philips.

MedQuist hasn't reported earnings in more than two years because of a probe into its billing practices. It reported 2002 revenue of $486 million.

"In the medical transcription industry, you could range (in size) from David to Goliath," but there aren't many companies approaching the size of MedQuist and Spheris, said Elaine Olson, executive director of the Medical Transcription Industry Association, based in Chicago.

Last year, Spheris bought one of its closest competitors, Avicis Inc., for an undisclosed sum, but executives said the company doesn't plan to grow by buying smaller rivals.

Rather, it intends to grow one client at a time.

"Clearly, the best opportunity for us to grow is to grow organically," said Jim Panoff, Spheris' executive vice president. "We're telling our story, which is a story of partnership, which is a story of balancing service and technology to create a solution."

Doctors dictate their medical notes by phone or computer. Spheris employees download a recording of the notes from a secure Web site and transcribe the notes, which can then be printed out or added to a patient's electronic medical record.

Simpson said there's no shortage of potential customers. He estimates that companies such as Spheris provide only about 48% of all medical transcriptions, while most are still done in-house by someone on the payroll of a doctors' office, surgery center or hospital.

"I think the decision to outsource is the easiest part, because that's usually being driven by pure economics," Panoff said. "It comes down to (health-care providers asking themselves), 'Do we have the ability internally to continue to provide this service? The dollars we're spending, are they going up or going down?' "

When competing for a big hospital's business, there are usually only a handful of companies large enough to handle the account, but because so many different departments have a say in the final decision, it can take months to win a contract and weeks longer to close the deal, Panoff said.

With sales expected to keep growing, Simpson is considering taking Spheris public in a year or two.

"The focus really isn't going public," he said. "I just see that as a vehicle to really help offset some of the debt the company has incurred in its acquisition and recapitalization — and give it currency for growth if acquisitions were to come up on the technology side or even the work force side."

In November 2004, two private equity investors, Warburg Pincus and Soros Private Equity, acquired ownership of the company from Parthenon Capital. Simpson and other Spheris executives also invested in the recapitalized company.

Simpson said, "There's plenty of opportunity for a company that can meet the customers' expectations and continue to improve service and turn-around time and quality." •
Since you mentioned Ford, I have a 2005
and so far, I love it! I really can't think of too much that I don't like about it, other than wishing I had gotten a few options that I didn't think I would need until after the fact. We actually went to the dealership looking for an Escape, but it was just too small for us. My 12-yo could barely fit in the back seat, so I knew he'd grow out of it too quickly, and we do drive some long distances in our vehicles so comfort is of the utmost importance.

It runs well and seats 5 comfortably and also has another back seat that seats 3 more, though we haven't used that much except for adults, only for kids (one 12-yo) and they are comfy back there -- there are actually wells that go under the front seats to provide additional foot room and never had any complaints so far. It's my first 4x4 and I'm loving that in the snow. I also like that it maneuvers very well in parking lots. It has a real tight steering range and I can get out of just about any parking space even if it's crowded.

I have known a lot of people how had problem with Fords, but we decided to go for it because we got it when they were offering employee pricing plus a $4,000 rebate. Just couldn't beat the price! I think Ford fixed a few of the bugs from the earlier models with the 2005 and up, namely the addition of the stability control, which provides better stability and traction to prevent rollovers.

I've owned a lot of GM vehicles before this and I had trouble with every single one. I had a Dodge Caravan prior to my Explorer and I loved it. Never had a problem with it and had it for 5-1/2 years. If Dodge had been offering the pricing discounts, we probably would've opted for a Durango, but I have to say that I am extremely happy so far with my Explorer, though I have only had it for about 9 months now.
I have a 2005 Dodge Durango...nm
n
2005 Toyota Camry

Love it!


2005 Nissan Altima. NM
:)
I have the 2005 version of QLED (sm)
and can copy and paste from QLED (Quick Look Drug Reference) into Word. Alt tab switches me from that program back to Word. Is this the same program you are speaking of? I don't bother to update my references too often as I find the internet the most useful tool, but sometimes there are programs that do some things I can't get the internet to do for me. In QLED I can search using a wildcard feature. This tool has saved me from leaving a blank a few times. Anyway, I just wanted to say that QLED does have the copy/paste option and I can switch from Word to QLED by using the alt tab. If this is the same program you are referring to, maybe something is wrong with your program? Ingore me if you're referring to another program! lol
I have Microsoft Windows XP 2005
:)
P.S. Those dates should be 2006, not 2005 nm
.
Several posts back in 2005....
There are posts back in 2005 saying the same thing, no pay, unorganized,etc., even that they were taken to court and won but IC still didn't get paid. How do they stay in business if this is an ongoing thing??!!
Line padding is also adding little blank characters

like spaces throughout the report to get paid more.  I saw reports at MQ and Sp that had lines of spaces shown on reveal codes between paragraphs where someone either didn't know how to work their expander, was cutting and pasting, or was deliberately padding their lines.


As for typing out abbreviations, I work on an account that doesn't use abbreviations at all.  I use otcx for over-the-counter, etc.


Instant Text, over 19,800 entries, adding all the time,
and I don't have to remember because the IT is at the bottom of my screen for as many lines as I like, I have 3 showing.
You're welcome, thought to be fun. Will be adding falling snowflakes and
/
Personally I feel very uncomfortable adding something the doc didn't say

I would ask the OM for standardized templates so they would be on file and if there was ever any question, you would be able to show that you were given a template for that particular situation.


Let the doctors worry about covering their @ss. You worry about covering yours.


Thanks!...good idea about adding the def to the glossary...I'll try that too
.
Smarttype - Adding a text file list?

Is it possible to add a text file word/phrase list to Smartype? If so, how do you do this?


Thanks! 


I am making in 2005 what I earned in 1995

Like you and so many others, I have watched my wages as both an IC and an employee go down, down, down.  I worked for a company owned by an MT.  She paid very good wages but sold the company to an Indian company, who got rid of all the Americans except for a few who would accept very low pay.  It's funny...clients want 100% accuracy but they don't want to pay for it.  They agree that they can't just randomly pluck people off the street to do MT, that they have to hire experienced or trained people.  But they don't want to pay us for our experience or our training.  I am doing my last MT job. I have my bachelor degree almost completed and I'm outta here.  The lack of respect for MTs, from employers, other MTs, from offshore companies, from clients, from AAMT, is so disheartening.