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Clinic notes or physical therapy?

Posted By: Sue on 2007-10-18
In Reply to:

Hello,


Does anyone have suggestions for companies that hire for physical therapy or just general transcription/clinic work?  I've tested at several companies and did not score high enough apparently to do acute care, even though I did not leave so many blanks, I thought.  My problem was with the actual transcription; passed the other part of tests.  Really discouraged right now.  TIA--


 




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Physical Therapy
I have to beg to differ with your last paragraph. I work for a small owned company and I am assigned all of the physical therapists, (speech and one OT is included in this group) and I have no problem making money in this field. As a matter of fact, I asked for part time but the way these PT's talk, I'm almost full time with my line count. I'm sorry you aren't having a good experience, maybe it's just not a properly run situation?
do you mean part time or physical therapy. nm
x
Are there companies that hire for physical or occupational therapy?
nm
9 cpl as an IC doing clinic notes vs. 8 cpl is
still quite a bit of difference, especially 8 cpl as an IC at Softscript...
9 cents for clinic notes
nm
Clinic notes 6.65 then 7 when off proofing within 90 days
It was supposed to be 7.5 cents if off proofing within 30 days, but they never did a QA assessment, so got 7 cents after calling and asking for an assessment.
Yes clinic notes go to Cameo India
..
I have very few applicants who can even do easy clinic notes,
Hiring is can be a total nightmare.
Also the Clinic work SOAP notes
*
Clinic notes. SOAP is the format,

subjective


objective


assessment


plan


ExCUUSSE me... she said 7.5cpl for clinic notes,
NOT op-notes. Most places consider clinic notes easier and pay less for them. So if that is the case, the op-notes SHOULD pay more at that job.
Clinic notes very rarely delve into
specifics like acute care does. There is a difference.
Acute care is very different than clinic notes

I have been an MT for 20 years.  I have hired and trained MTs for a service.  There is a HUGE difference between clinic notes and acute care.  The poster who says she made the switch and didn't have problems is lucky and is probably a very good MT, who had a good base of knowledge to start with.  It can be done, but not in every case. 


Some MTs who work on clinic notes work for the same set of dictators every day typing about colds and aches and pains.  Dictators tend to say the same things over and over.  Most clinic notes are only a 2 or 3 paragraphs.  They work for the same set of dictators for years and even have their stuff canned, just pull it in and make the changes.


You put that same MT on an acute care account for a large teaching hospital and they may have a nervous breakdown, I've seen the meltdown, it's not pretty.  On an acute care account like that you may have all the specialities and subspecialties, probably 30-40 or maybe more, adults and peds, with all the dictators, anywhere from 5 to ??  And residents, let's not forget them.  And all the work types.  They are dictating DS, H&Ps, consults, ORs, clinic visits, progress notes, etc.  They are dictating about new procedures and medications that may not even be in reference books yet or that are experimental.  Some of those reports are 20-30 minutes long, 7 or 8 pages.


I'm not knocking the clinic MTs, but don't just assume because one does clinic notes, they can jump into acute care.  That would be very misleading and a total injustice to a newbie who read that and got into an acute care position, possibly setting themselves up for failure. 


 


i would definitely start out with clinic notes first to get a good base.
You need to try to get as much learning as you can in an unrushed way. When you do acute care notes, you are having all medical specialties pushed on you all at once.
are clinic notes productive... 2 and 3 line reports?
Can you turn them around pretty fast or do they slow you down?
Was told recently that they do 70% clinic notes and 30% acute care, very few Ops. Don't know
m
Do you recommend starting with clinic notes or acute care when just starting in the MT field?
!I realize this question may be better suited for the new MT board, but this board is my favorite)

I am considering accepting an acute care position, even though I am just out of MT school. However, I don't want the learning curve to be so steep that I fail before I even begin. I would also like to have a smaller pool of dictators to transcribe from as opposed to many.

Also, are there more ESLs in acute care versus clinic/dr office work?

What has your experience been? Would you do it differently?

Thanks for any insight!
Have you look into Respiratory Therapy? - SM

Yesterday I visit the website of what seems to be a very reputable Online University (located in CA) that offers a variety of degrees in many business and health care fields, including either a AAS or BS in Respiratory Therapy.  It really caught my interest.  It's hard work, just like getting a nursing degree -- but pay seems to be pretty good.  You can start any time - no semesters, will refer you for financial/scholarship aid.  All study and tests are done online with the exception of your clinicals, which have to be done in a local hospital, just like with the nursing degrees.  I saw that the field also appealed to a lot of men, many of these were military service connected, others worked with advanced EMS after graduation.  Seems like a bright light at the end of a dark (MT) tunnel - I'm just a few years short of retirement age - but what the heck - I don't want to retire in dead-end poverty in this MT h****.  If you're interested, I'll give you the name of the college - I think it's the only one that gives a 2-year degree in RT - the others all require 4.


Have you look into Respiratory Therapy? - SM

Yesterday I visit the website of what seems to be a very reputable Online University (located in CA) that offers a variety of degrees in many business and health care fields, including either a AAS or BS in Respiratory Therapy.  It really caught my interest.  It's hard work, just like getting a nursing degree -- but pay seems to be pretty good.  You can start any time - no semesters, will refer you for financial/scholarship aid.  All study and tests are done online with the exception of your clinicals, which have to be done in a local hospital, just like with the nursing degrees.  I saw that the field also appealed to a lot of men, many of these were military service connected, others worked with advanced EMS after graduation.  Seems like a bright light at the end of a dark (MT) tunnel - I'm just a few years short of retirement age - but what the heck - I don't want to retire in dead-end poverty in this MT h****.  If you're interested, I'll give you the name of the college - I think it's the only one that gives a 2-year degree in RT - the others all require 4.


Ever consider going to a cognitive therapy counselor? nm
x
Just be sure to also get therapy for your cold and thoughtless nature. nm
x
agree! and when you point the finger at others? time for therapy.
x
physical
Physical was done at my local hospital Occ-Med Dept. I did not need a drug test.
Physical??
Certainly you jest!  A physical to work at home??
physical
No you have to take an extensive physical, hearing test, eye exam, drug screen (of course), etc.
what do you mean no physical ?? -
I had to have a full physical, drug test, hearing test, background check, the works - and this was in October. I had to pay for the whole thing myself and then wait to get reimbursed! I no longer work there because I could not handle being on two/three accounts a day and trying to maintain 1200 lines was sooooo hard. I have always typed 1600-2000 lines/day and the switching of accounts made it near impossible to accomplish this goal.
physical
Obviously you did not read the entire sentence, I was responding to Ginny's question....... I said, No you have to take an extensive physical, hearing test, eye exam, drug screen (of course), etc. you have to take an extensive physical....................
A wax doll, a long straight pin, and a lock of hair - great therapy. nm
x
again, no physical requirement at diskriter
but hospital employees still have to have a physical, pretty extensive one too - - I used to be one but got out of that employee status, prefer the Diskriter employee status, believe you can get both there though whichever floats your boat
Yeah! I'm in better physical condition at 59 than
Chronological age: 59

Adjusted age for immaturity: 12
My better half in the union and he is required to have a physical by
the company doctor ever so often. I am sure his medical records have been reviewed. He also undergoes drug tested whenever the company feels the whim to have 1 done. He loves his job, I love his job. He makes excellent money. We have no fears, concerns, hesitations about the process his company decides on because they are on the safe side of the fence.
Nope, but if I remember correctly you have to do a physical and all that jazz wherever you are.

This was back in 2005 when Diskriter first landed the Florida hospital.  I worked there and had to actually take a three page form to my doctor to fill out.  I had to pay for my own urine drug screen and TB test administered for a local lab and provide the lab with a postage paid envelope to mail the results directly to the hospital in Florida.


I put up a fuss because I thought all that was a little much for a remote MT position, especially when you consider that I would probably never set foot inside the facility so who cared if I passed my physical and got a TB test?


Two are hospitals, one is a clinic. The biggest one is a clinic that only does sm
oncology. We cannot post account names here and do not give out that information until confidentiality forms are signed.

I can tell you that a very, very large oncology hospital will be starting on March 1st that will need 30+ transcriptionists to run smooth.
The basic 4's are: history and physical, consultation, operations, discharge summaries. sm
Radiology is not one of them. Sorry, but I don't have an answer for the strictly radiology question.


Physical address is Texas, website states "supporting health info globally since

xx


Why do you think there are so many notes SM
on this board pertaining to how long it takes to get a decent line count?

They will tell you it is a 65 character line. It is not. As stated, more like 75-80. There are ways to work with it, make tons of macros, etc. But it is tough.
I only wish I had ER or OP notes, mostly
consults, discharge summaries, H&Ps and the occasional progress notes. I've been at this for almost 20 years though.
op notes
I do acute care which includes a pretty good many op notes but there are other work types too. I dont know if you are looking strictly for only op notes. I work for Alphamed solutions who is currently hiring. I have DSL. I believe it is required. There is usually plenty of work on my account. I hardly ever get on and no work. Rare. I work on the Dictaphone Extext with Transnet. But they also have other platforms. I hope I was of help.
ERS/OP NOTES
Does anyone remember seeing the job posting for someone to do ERs and op notes?  What company was it?  I cannot find it.
Can't you do everything but op notes?
H&P reports and consultations are similar whether acute care or clinic work. Discharge summaries aren't that difficult either for someone coming from clinic work. I agree that the op notes will take lots of time to learn. So why not ask if you could just do H&P reports for a while and then consultations, and then discharge summaries and maybe later on the op notes? I just received the opportunity to do discharge summaries after having only clinic work experience, and what I like the most is that this offers the opportunity to expand my knowledge because I get to transcribe reports in so many specialties. I understand that you are mad at the recruiter and somewhat unhappy because of computer issues, which means there are several things going on here. First you might want to figure out whether you want to stay with them or move on. If you like working for Precyse, then I would try to find a solution as mentioned above. If you do not like working for them, then it would be best to move on.
PO/OT notes
I agree. Not only are they boring, good grammar is lacking on many of them; they slur through the reports and don't seem to have any continuity of thought or format. I had one very good dictator the other day; I could have kissed her! Otherwise, I don't consider those medical reports, just a mess of words on a page. This is from my experience. You can also nix about 50% of the psych dictators. Just my take on this.
Vet notes

The trend has always been that vets handwrite their own reports in order to save on costs, but that may be changing now that they are hearing other vet groups are using transcription services?  The company I work for only types veterinary ophthalmology reports, along with a few simple op reports.  The ophthalmology terms and medications are pretty much the same as those for humans, but the reports can be a lot more interesting at times, since the animals don't always cooperate!  Once you are comfortable with the terminology the doctors use on a regular basis and the company guidelines as to how the reports should be formatted, the work is a breeze!


soap notes
Does anyone know of a company that does strictly SOAP notes?
If you like doing chart notes at 7 cpl! (nm)
xx
After reading the below notes sm
After the below notes, along with things posted here in the past, I'm truly beginning to believe it has something to do with who is your supervisor/QA.  I have been there for a number of years, have been very happy and still am; however, I have heard a few things about other supervisors that makes me believe I am one of the lucky ones.  Sad, but I believe it is true.  I believe Amphion's management reads these posts once in a while.  Maybe they'll give this some thought.   
Surgical Notes
This is a company based in Dallas, Texas. They do surgery centers. QA staff are just ordinary clerks--not transcriptionists. There is a lot of orthopedic, plastic surgery, ENT, and GI surgery. Any work up to 5 p.m. is due by the next day--usually by 9 or 10 a.m. This is for weekdays M-T. Friday's work up to 5 p.m. is due back Monday. After 5 and Sat and Sun due back Tue. Pay is always on time and is very good, 0.09 to 0.12 cents a line.
Why do you prefer OP notes? nm

+++


progress notes
My company, XXX, has been out of work quite a lot lately and their only explanation is you know how it is during the off-season but the off-season now has been pretty much all of this year. My question is are MTs now all paid the same way for notes as opposed to reports. I distinctly remember that MTs who did progress notes and ER notes were generally paid differently because the notes were so short it was next to impossible to get an adequate line count. I feel like I am getting shafted because I am reduced to doing progress notes on a daily basis and I am generally spending 10 hours a day just to make my 1100 lines. Keep in mind that these are still ESL doctors who either don't know or don't care about putting in demographics so that too still has to be looked up and in the end I may get 5 lines per report. I understand that things do change but if its gotten to this point then maybe I need to be the one to make the change.
No ESL docs, no op notes (as far as I know) SM

They are mainly consults, soap notes, some radiology.  You use their templates and get paid for headers/footers.


I don't know if everyone makes the same, but I make 8 cpl (55 characters per line) without spaces.  I compared it to the normal 65 characters per line with spaces, and it is equivalent to 8 cents per line with spaces.  So, not too bad...just average I guess. 


But the dictators are really clear and there are a lot of samples.  I think the work is pretty easy.  I think it makes a really good p.r.n. position. 


Good luck with whatever you decide to do. :)


Chickadee


Op notes exclusively

Try Deventure.


 


Surgical Notes
Yes-- I worked for them indirectly. I subcontracted to a contracting MTSO. Their virtual private network is just horrible. It is slow and you get kicked off frequently. I know of MTs who worked an entire week and only made $10.00 because of the system. They have an FTP site system that I loved. You could just download the voice file and type in Word then return it; however, when they changed over to this new program everything went down hill very quickly. My doctors were not happy with it either. SN raised the rates, went to this system -- by the way you need to buy a 15-pin pedal and forget any tech help. When I was there it was also lacking. Anyway my doctors took their accounts and walked away. I ended up leaving for that and other reasons. I haven't worked indirectly for them since July of 2006.