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For what it's worth, I commented on mistakes when

Posted By: tested years ago. Obvious, didnt bother to fix the on 2008-01-15
In Reply to: Were the typos there for a reason maybe? nm - Kay

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I have commented on the disorganization as well, but
there is a ton of work, they leave me alone, I have some flexibility with my account, so I try to overlook the disorganization.  I think they are just growing so fast. 
mistakes

I have the feeling that the one that answered me belongs to the company and wasn't happy about what I pointed out.  But have never heard anything about this company and if nothing is said, guess it must be an okay company.   But usually you are a little more gracious when someone tells you that there are errors on something that the public views like a web page, brochure, advertisement, etc.  We don't like mistakes but they happen and we don't usually attack the person that points it out.   If I were perfect and made no mistakes I would not be here right now but in a far better place.  E-mails are completely different than web pages or brochures at least to me. 


Thank you for what you said.  I truly appreciate it.


 


mistakes
I can see where radiology and other diagnostic tests need to be 100% accurate. But if any report done by some obscure, remote Transcriptionist working piecemeal in some who knows where place really meant life or death to anybody, do you think they would be sending it out to have it typed?
I don't think the OP pointed out any mistakes.
She was trying to help as she said. You all are just plain nasty.
Corrected mistakes - sm
I agree with you about the stupid mistakes that are corrected by the dictator. I feel terrible when the doctor spells out BOWEL or other simple words. The MTs who type like that are a disgrace to the profession. You HAVE to pay attention to every word, know the difference between ileum and ilium, in these diagnostic imaging reports. I don't blame the radiologist for being upset - and the MT deserved being yelled at for it. There is NO excuse. I'm ashamed everytime I have a dictator spell out something so simple, but I do appreciate the occasional spelling of an obscure illness, etc., although I don't trust their spelling, I always check it myself, but their spelling is a help to looking it up. Why throw stones about the offshore MTs when there are MTs here just as bad, or worse? No wonder accounts are constantly changing over to other companies.
I see so many mistakes in reports..

it makes me cringe. These reports are coming from US MTs who are supposedly so well educated they can't figure out the difference between the words to and too, their and there and have the gall to say they are professionals and demand more pay, all the while sitting at home griping about how fast, slow, mush-mouthed doctors are and they can't understand them. Take it more seriously, it is a real job, not just typing what doctors say.


Pharmacist mistakes
Like all production jobs, do you know how many pharmacy's fill in excess of 500-600 prescritions a day in a noisy, crowded, often unpleasant environment? That's less than a minute per prescription. Plus they have to deal with store management, counsel patients, field questions from patients and doctors (and sometimes even tell a customer where the toothpaste can be found), answer phones, and be responsible for what 5 or 6 pharmacy techs are counting and cramming in those little orange bottles. They often work 9 to 12-hour shifts, have to stand, and many times do not get breaks and sometimes even lunch. They also have to order supplies and medications. I agree pharmacists should hold a high-degree of responsibility for getting it correct, as should any doctor, but we ourselves need to wake up and realize they work in conditions most of the time far worse than our own, so we need for our own safety to check out what is in that bottle before we take it.
They would care about the mistakes if they had
nm
funny. she can point out mistakes but we can't? lol
lol
It bothers me because the mistakes I hear about

are stupid mistakes, like typing cereal instead of serial, or misspelling a doctor's name when we have a doctor's list, etc.   This is carelessness that could potentiall cause the account to be lost.  All the ones I've heard about were mistakes I know I wasn't making and it bothers me that I have no control over it and that 1 or 2 people who produce sloppy work jeopardize the account.   I haven't really had a doctor do a correction in an ugly way, but then again I'm not sensitive to them that much because I know I'm not the one doing these.  I'm not saying my work isn't being corrected, just that I have never head a correction dictated that I was guilty of.  


I also dislike it when the QA dept. sends out a stern e-mail to the entire company about stupid errors, when I know I wasn't making the errors.


If I'm signing my name to a document I want it perfect so I don't blame the doctors for going over the reports with a fine tooth comb.  The reports are a legal document and could also mean the difference in life or death of a patient if there are errors in the report.  


 


They used to penalize and doc your pay for repeated mistakes. Don't know about now. nm
s
They dock you for mistakes that are not there or even if you go by AAMT BOS
No matter what, they dock you. When they cannot find mistakes in your work, they make them up. Late paycheck. I would make more money panhandling! System goes down...
Do not blame the MTs for company mistakes

I just received an email from my MT supervisor stating that she wanted to let us know that we just lost 3 worktypes on a major account because we were not transcribing, editing and delivering to the client within our contracted turn around time.  She said she was sharing this information in hopes that we will realize how important it is for us to work our shifts,etc.


All of us working on this specific account are ICs. What has been happening is they want to treat us like employees.  We get demanding emails to work and tons of how to do lists.  No one at this company are employees,yet they want us to work like employees.  When are companies going to realize that if you want someone to work a set shift and answer and read daily emails, then they should make us employees.  This particular company send out daily long emails and only pay 5 cpl to edit acute care accounts with no benefits on escription.  As an IC I never put all my eggs in one basket and especially not for 5 cpl.  I do not feel the MTs should be blamed for losing these work types. I feel the company should take responsibility for this.


If the MTs are not meeting TAT or their said upon line count, then management should have let them go. However, I personally am required to meet 2,500 per pay and that is exactly what I do and no more at these rates and especially not for this company who make demands on us like we are partners in the company.  I feel companies try to get off cheap by hiring ICs, but then try to hold you down to a schedule and treat you like an employee when you are not.  This loss of work is the companies fault.  Any opinions.  Thanks


 


 


 


 


maybe he/she has excellent skills without mistakes
nm
I see lots of mistakes too and I work there
We can look up old reports and I am astounded by some of the mistakes made. Makes me wonder how they even got out of 100% QA. One report for a dictator I knew to be on ASR looked like they didn't even edit it -- it was just a string of words that made no sense.

Have no idea what's going on there, except there is the usual big push for production. Don't know which accounts the Indians are on, but they do have Indian coordinators working the overnight shift; they have given them phony American names, but it is easy to tell they are not from here. I'm getting aggravated with the place but don't want to be a job hopper.
What kind of mistakes are they pointing out sm
to you? This whole situation seems odd to me.
who is made responsible for the mistakes
that slip through into a patient's report?

Do you think that all transcribed or VR reports are 100% error free?

This is no reason to stop the ongoing change to EMR.

Same thing.
Which is why I don't care if a few mistakes slip by.
Hope they're saving those pennies for the eventual patient lawsuits, either for malpractice, or ID theft.
Common for doctors to correct MTs mistakes

I posted this on the MQ board by accident...


I am an IC and have doctors (but one in particular that does it the most) correct other peoples transcription mistakes while they were dictating ..It doesn't happen all of the time, but when it does it's pretty harsh ..and it even embarassed me and I knew that I wasn't the one that made the mistakes!! My face turned red a few times (not just by the mistake, but how the doctor would say it/react)!! Or leave little sly comments (which I have to note) for the transcription company. Not to mention how insanely strict they are, as they go over EVERY SINGLE REPORT with a fine tooth comb and if you have an *a, of, to* out of place (that doesn't even come close to changing the context)... your boss/you/one of the other MTs hear it.



Is this common?  I am beginning to feel very belittled by this. It is just to the point where I am so paranoid that I am human and might make the smallest mistake. My production is really showing it.


Um, some facilities are getting back huge mistakes!
Depends where you work. If you have access to all reports, try looking up some that have gone to the facilities. Where I work, it is frightening!!!! ; 0
I dunno, don't you see the words that you are typing? Can't you see mistakes that way?
I have great transcription times. Instead of 4:1 or 3:1, I'm definitely 2:1 and have one dictator that I can actually type as fast as he can talk, yielding a 1:1. I have easy work (physical therapy), use word Expanders and just look at what I type as I'm typing. I don't re-read, never have, never will but easily hold to 99-100% accuracy. Once in a while, I might put in something like state for stat but honestly, my clients love my work and my clean reports.
docking $10 per report for mistakes. I immediately sent in
p
whoa what kinda mistakes are YOU making?
You work that many hours and I am sure there are a few screw ups here and there in your reports from tiredness. I mean even your posts are very hard to understand.
Takes a lot of patient to correct same mistakes for
x
Agree with hmm, no perfect MT, everyone makes mistakes, as do computers
and when do they are usually a lot worse...
People do make mistakes sometimes. Maybe it was an oversight or plain ole mistake
on someone's part, an unintentional mistake. It is possible.
My point was to show that these are NOT typos, but grammar mistakes, comprende?!..nm
nm
I agree platform awful and they deduct for mistakes, to the tune of $10 per report.
:_
WHY isn't it worth it?
j
For what it's worth ...
I don't know about smaller nationals, but Spheris doesn't pay for those things either. If you run out of work, you can flex your time and make it up. If you don't want to do that and had rather have the time off you are allowed to do so. If you cannot get it made up AND you don't have PTO to pay yourself, then you still file for PTO and it covers you as far as failing to make minimum production -- that way you're not in trouble.

When I first started with TEM (now Spheris), they paid downtime by the hour but cut that out with their new pay plan about a year or more ago.

I don't know of any remote company that pays only on a production basis that would really afford such an offer -- paying downtime for no work. The hospital I used to work for has remote employees but they are all paid by the hour, period (yes, even at home) with incentive that pays out an extra hourly for production. If you are going to be down for 2 hours in a day, you are expected to drive to the hospital and work your day or flex it to a later time or PTO the missing time.

I'm not saying I agree with it or am thrilled about that situation but MQ is not the only company and, in fact, I would think right in line with everyone else.
Definitely worth it!
go for it
I think DRC - they'd be worth a try. nm
xx
Keep trying. It is worth it. nm
zz
Not worth it

The 12-hour window was nice and the account I was on was great. The people were nice but the payscale was just too low. Like many others have stated nice doesn't pay the bills.


The whole training in Trinidad and other countries really irked me too. The way it was presented and handled just stunk.


You are worth more than that
I have about half your experience and make more than that. You deserve better. But, I do agree with you since I make less than I did 5 years ago that the industry is drowning.
worth a try

All of the companies that I have left told me before doing so that I was welcome back at any time.  You never know if that rings true or not until you ask for your job back. 


I asked for my job back at 3 places....


The first one accepted me back no problems but had to jump through all of the hoops again.  I decided after receiving ALL OF THE paperwork late that that is basically the reason I left in the first place (lack of any kind of decent communication) - also noticing that the send back by date on my paperwork was due 3 days before the overnight package even got to me (if that tells you anything).  Plus I wasn't able to get an old account back (that I knew had the work) so I would be going back into a situation where I might or might not have work again.  From the looks of it would be running out frequently.


So, I decided to stick with the place I was with - hoping the workflow got better and that I would actually start making a paycheck again - It didn't.


I asked for my job back with the other place - they got back to my inquiry within minutes telling me I could come back!  Boy was I thrilled.  I left to test the waters with VR because I thought it would be easier for me -- boy was I wrong and stupid.  I've been back there for a month now and couldn't be happier!!!!!!  I've been through H*LL the past few months with companies and it makes you appreciate what you did have. 


The third one, well, I didn't burn any bridges (minus leaving the in the first place which I think made her angry) - it was one place that I was sure would accept me back - or at least send me an I'm sorry we dont have any positions at this time.  that is the kind of work relationship I thought we had -- because I bent over backwards for them as an IC basically 7 days a week.  I do know the e-mail was sent and received (basically as soon as it was sent) and I never received a response back.  Then again, thinking back on it, when I said that I was leaving (twice) first time never got a response, second time I got the coldest response out of any company that I have ever been with and I was with this one for almost 2 years making 7 cpl IC.  So, I guess I saw the true colors then and regret now even asking for a position back with them. I can't believe I was willing to take a 2 cent pay loss to go back. 


SOOO-- moral of my story is -- follow your heart on this one. You left, match up the reasons why you left to is it WORTH going back.  If it is worth it, don't waste your tiem in asking for your position back!! 


Good Luck to you!!! 


 


Not worth it
TTS - This lady is actually contracting MTs to work for the company she works for. Very poor communication, much chaos. Pay not dependable and on time, although I did get all money owed but was such a hassle, not worth it!

No, not worth it
Editing by the line can be profitable, but not with this company.  Reason being just about all the work is typed offshore and needs to be listened to, even though some are just said to be read throughs.  There is also a constant lack of work.  The changes are what drove me out the door.  Person after person just GONE.  I had an account manager who had been there more than 10 years and just all of a sudden her job was gone.  The HR lady is GONE, the other HR person is now helping manage accounts.  No new accounts in ages.  No information is the worst thing, people leaving, pay dropping, and no explanation why.  They used to be an awesome company, but not now.
Why is it that men know what they are worth...
...and most women have that 'awesome' attitude in your opinion that we do not count, do not matter, and should be happy just to have a jobs, no matter how we are treated, how low we have to go, how much heavier the work load gets year after year...

sorry, but that attitude is not going to get your anywhere but the unemployment line in the long run...good luck with that.

When your companies start weeding you out, because they WILL eventually, get back to us on how great they are and how happy you are about it.

Seems like you not only agree with that, but you like it.
We always think we are worth more, don't we? (sm)

LOL - seriously though, this profession is not what it was 10 or so years ago.  I am very happy at TT.  They are very easy to work with, I love their platform, and I especially like the tech support which was practically nonexistent where I was before.  I plan on retiring from this company.


Job not worth it
I know how you feel. Now they are going to be cutting our holiday incentive in half too. We only get 2 holidays now as it is.
Not worth it at all

I have done seminars, meetings and all of the above.  With everyone talking very hard to do.  In 60 minutes of taping,  I easly got over $100 for line counts so $50 is WAY UNDERPAYMENT.   Again it is not easy to do.  I did a three day seminar once and make close to $1000 but it was an orthopedic one and with all the questions, etc. very hard to understand and lots of blanks.   No way you can get 98% accuracy and if you have to look over all the presentation material to see what they are talking about, you are wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy down there for pay.  My two cents worth.


 


 


Definitely not worth it.
I made $52,000 one year. No social life, bad health, bad attitude, and that aged me about 10 years in one year. I worked in a transcription office all day, went home, ate dinner, and worked until I could no longer see, finally crashing on the bed (if I made if that far) around 2 a.m. Why did I do it? Looking back 10 years later, I have no freaking idea. It definitely wasn't worth it and I would never, ever do it again. I've learned to live with less, changed my spending habits, and now, as an IC, I take off when I feel like it. My life is way more important than my annual income.
please say it was worth it lol
/

What I am saying is, and take it for what it is worth....
Leads usually have quotas too. Work is directed to other transcriptionists and even though they say it is first in first out, that is usually not true! If you have a way to see who is working, what jobs they are getting you will see this is true. What she said was she took a stand for no work, realizes that the consequences were and went with it. Do you know how much time and lines you lose checking back and back for work? They could have let her go as most companies probably would or maybe a higher up would do something about the unfairness, though I doubt it. It is not going to change until we make it change, I certainly don't have an answer but when you cannot see what is in the dictation pool and leads and managers know this, anything can be done to you and is. Leads have quotas too and they also know where the dictation is. Probably how the girl got dictation, she knew probaby the person would be asked why she was quitting. No Transcriptionist that is solely working on line count is stealing dictation from you, you know that. She just got lucky. You should be mad that her company would give her jobs that should have gone to everybody working, where were they that they could be produced. You said it was showing no work for you. I am on your side too because it happens to me too.
MT worth
I see a lot of people say pay me what I am worth, so I would like to know - what do we think MT is worth and how did you come to that figure? What do you do to make yourself worth that? Do you proofread? Do you follow the BOS or whatever the client preference is? Do you know proper grammar, punctuation, etc? I am really curious as to what the consensus is on what an MT is worth and why? I am starting my own business, lining up several accounts, and looking to work with only the best. What things do you look for from a company? What is most important to you? What would make you want to work with someone or not work with them?
Worth of MT......sm

I would have to wonder also, would MTs rather be paid production or hourly? When I was paid hourly I had the time to proofread, research terms and do a fantastic job, however, when I went production, it is just produce, produce, produce. Don't get me wrong, I still research terms, I never guess what a doc might be trying to say, but, I will only listen for so long before leaving a blank, but, when I was hourly I might take the time to look at a previous report for the same doc or a previous report for the patient. 


I am wondering if MTs paid hourly, with the same benefits as most full time employees, such as paid time off, paid holidays, health benefits, retirement plans might not show more accuracy and feel more appreciated and therefore do a better job.


You have great questions, I would like to hear what others have to say.


I don't know how to determine what pay should be, however, I know what I make compared to many on these boards and I can say I wouldn't be able to pay my mortgage on what some of these companies want to pay. For an educated Transcriptionist with 3-5 years experience, I don't think $26-30k is out of the question. There are some on here that may make more than that, there are probably some that make less.


Anyone else have a figure that they think is fair?


Not worth it. (sm)
Crappy pay. Expect lies when they lose accounts and have no work for days on end, and the worst part, it's not true IC - they expect you to keep the schedule you set in the beginning. Yes, you get to set it, however.... when I was interviewing on the phone, the VP asked me to hold on while she IM'd some people asking where the hell they were because they were supposed to be working and weren't sticking to their schedules. They called me once at 8 a.m. on a Sunday asking me why I wasn't working, even though I worked second shift! I was an idiot. Don't make the same mistake I did.
Not worth it for me,
I do 325-350 LPH, so VR would be a huge paycut for me. No thanks!
How can this be worth it?
Do these companies actually save any money sending the work to India? If it still has to go through multiple people to get a legible document, how much could they be saving? I hope it is worth what is happening to the US workers (in all fields) here who are left either jobless or making the same salary they made 15 years ago. I have no ill feeling towards the Indian MTs. I understand that they do what they have to do to make a living, but something needs to be done about companies paying foreigners ridiculously low wages so they can make a higher profit.
is it worth it....

Recently hired by OSi.  When the tech went to install the software, he said he couldn't because I had Editscript installed.  I use Editscript for another part-time job and really don't want to take it off, however, he told me he could not install their software unless I removed Editscript. 


 I guess my question is two-fold from anyone with similar experience.  Does OSi keep you busy?  And, is it necessary to remove another software platform just because you work for more than one company?