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lines versus reports

Posted By: Latrice on 2006-04-13
In Reply to:

I have a question for you seasoned radiology transcriptionist. I have been a Transcriptionist since 1995. Most jobs I have worked at required 1150 to 1250 lines per day. I now work for a place that 120 reports per day. I have never had a problem with acheiving my quota until now.............some days we have a lot of long_________dictators and I have trouble reaching the 120 reports. Today I typed 1240 lines, but only had only typed 58 reports by the half of my shift............. On the days that I have mixed reports, some short, some medium, some long, I don't have any trouble meeting my quota. What is the usual requirement per report. I feel like I am spinning my wheels and am very discouraged as I like everything else about this job. I have talked with my supervisor, but I get the feeling she/he does not really want to be bothered.................


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MDI versus MedScribe versus SoftScript versus Transsolutions versus TransHealth. SM

I'm getting ready to start applying and these are the companies that I'm looking at.  So give me the low-down.  Good, bad, India?


Here are my criteria:


9 cpl or better


Does NOT send work to India


Good accounts with at least 50/50 of ESL versus American dictators


Consistent work flow - no downtime or time spent waiting for work


Upper management should be professional, positive, and encouraging.


Pay for lines WITH spaces.


Is there such a job out there or am I just dreaming?  If there are other companies other than the ones I listed that would fit the bill, please feel free to let me know. I tested with TransHealth and I felt like I tanked.  It was a hard test and I had to use the mouse to stop and start the dictation as it was online test and you couldn't download the voice files.  So that made it a lot more difficult.  One of the dictators was cutting himself off through the report and I had to leave some blanks.  I'm very frustrated with this whole process of looking and testing.  Are all the tests like that?  Or are there companies that allow you download the test files and transcribe them using your pedal and software?  Ugh!  I am just so frustrated and discouraged.


Thanks for any helpf.


Minutes versus lines
Just thought I would share my experience. I am working for a company who counts minutes and most of us are lucky to get 10 minutes of dictation done in an hour. In this case though, we are constantly pulling info into and out of the EMR to complete reports. On paper, it looked like this could be a very lucrative job - NOT! It is impossible to get any sort of rhythm going for productivity, coupled with many reports which are all of 20 and 30 seconds long and can easily take 10-15 minutes to complete. When I do get a straight 10 minute dictation though, it is completed in about 20 minutes, so based on that I would also think the 10 minutes = 100 lines is a fair comparison as long as it is straight transcription.
Lines versus minutes?
Which one do you generally come out better getting paid for?  I realize that there are instances where one would be more favored than the other but as a whole, which is better.....
Pay for lines versus minutes
I have been paid both ways and have always come out better with lines. When dictators are pretty good and move on, there is a huge advantage to lines over minutes.
legality of hours versus lines
Has anyone ever questioned with a labor organization of any kind the legality of being paid by piece work (lines) but having to adhere to full time hours? Something doesn't seem quite right to me about this.  If the hours are enforced then we should be paid by them, right? Even a daily mandatory quota of say 1000 lines for full time makes sense versus 8 hour time sheets.  How can this be legal? If not shouldn't we all be independent contractors?  I will seriously have to consider leaving full time work if MQ enforces 40 hours per pay period but they are not the only ones with this practice.  It seems if one gets away with it they all do.  Any thoughts on this?
Gross lines versus 65 character
What is 7 or 8 cpl gross equivalent to in 65 character
at 80+ reports a day, you are getting more than 1000 lines in
nm
at 80+ reports, you are doing about 2000 lines
nm
High line rate versus possible lines per hour....

I'd like your opinions...  I think it's more important to be able to produce a high line count than what your actual cents per line rate is.  $0.10/line means nothing to me if I have to struggle to produce 200 lines per hour because of their format or platform.  I'd rather make $0.07/line if I can count on producing 500 lines per hour. 


 


Just something to think about when you interview with a potential employer who tries to dazzle you with a high line rate.  I always ask about the average line counts and if they have auto-populated headings.  We don't get paid for auto-populated headings (which can make a significant difference in our line counts), yet I'm sure the service bills the hospital for them. 


You get paid 15 lines for reports with any # of blanks
If you do a full listen you get paid for all the lines. They discourage this unless the MT is on 100% proofing because they have a massive backlog. My pay was roughly half of my pay as an MT and I was one who got fired a few months ago because they were doing away with QA's in the US. Can't imagine why they are hiring for US QA's again.
Ichart does not give us the # of reports, lines per report,

but does give a pretty instant line count, most of the time. However, that counter is set which ever way the MTSO wants it to be set. They have complete control of that setting and what the MT is paid for.


At least, that is what I was told. Inhouse we could use Ctrl I at anytime to get our exact line count -- true line count with every stroke counting.


I love the K. Long reports, good lines.
nm
Prior complaints of low work loads and only short reports, so struggle to get lines. How about
s
where they 35 comparable reports - or 35 short and 35 long reports? nm
x
Typing ER reports and radiologogy reports
are completely different with regards to pay. For typing regular reports, that is a very fine line rate. For typing radiology reports, it would be horrid.
1800 lines is easily achieved. I average 300-340 lines per hour. nm
x
10 lines per minute = 1500 lines for 150 minutes - average. nm
x
I average 1200-1400 lines per day with a national, and am only getting around 600-800 lines per day.
It's been this way since the day before Thanksgiving. I've been doing this for almost 30 years now, and more often than from Thanksgiving until the new year is the slowest time of the year. I have some months where I am swamped with up to 2000 lines per day. I stash that little extra money, and take advantage of a handful of extremely slow days this time of the year to actually cook dinner, decorate for Christmas, or do Christmas shopping. I actually anticipate this slow time every year and have grown to enjoy the breathing time. Any time I have attempted to pick up extra work with another company to supplement these slow times, the minute I get adjusted to the new accounts, etc. I have no time to finish all of my work because my full time job with national gets slammed again. Hang in there if you can, and hopefully your work will pick up significantly around New Years.
They work with you to make sure you get the lines required or the amount of lines you want...
I have never had a problem getting more work
Minimum lines for FT used to be 60,000 keystrokes a day, about 925 lines. Pay was good. Just not a
s
Yes it is possible to double your lines. I cant type 460 lines an hour but I can get those with VR
x
Regular lines, not weighted lines
was what I got paid for....
12K lines payperiod is 6K lines a week.
nm
0.8 x 1000 lines = $80.00 - 0.8 x 1500 lines = $120.

MQ versus others
Neither do I......
SE versus IC
I thought they were the same, so I guess I am the one with the missing brain cell!
IC versus SE

I know the SS differences between the 2 but can anyone tell me is there any real advantage of being an SE versus an IC?  Why did MQ do away with SE?  Do you think this will be growing trend with companies?


RN versus MT
Take the R.N. course. I wish I had taken it at an earlier age. You will have a job that you can depend on with good salary. Don't make the same mistake I made.

Good luck.
RN versus MT
So true!!!
SE versus IC - sm
If you got 8 cents as an SE, what do you think this would calculate to in line rate as an IC - 9 cents?  By this, I mean SE helps with your taxes but by how much would you estimate?  Anyone know? 
QA versus MT?

I was just offered a QA position.  If I accept the position, it will be my first QA job.  According to my calculations, I would only make about a dollar more an hour on average by staying a production MT than I would as QA with this particular company, who pays their QA staff by the hour.  I am wondering, is being offered QA anything like a promotion in the industry, or is it more of a lateral move/matter of preference?  Would love to hear opinions on pros and cons of QA  Thanks!


BS versus DQS
I have used them both and produce about 150 more lph on Bayscribe.
MDI versus MDI-MD
Would appreciate clarification - Are these the same company, the one located in Gaithersburg, Maryland? Thanks in advance.
MDI versus MDI-MD
Thank you for your response. Do you happen to know if the one in Maryland is the one that people generally refer to as a good company to work for and one that and does not send work out of the US?
MQ versus Webmedx
Been and done MQ...now at Webmedx and enjoying my job again. Nice to feel valued.
SE versus IC. I know there is s simple

but I'm a math retard.  If an SE made 10 cpl and an IC also made 10 cpl, and everything else were equal, then the SE is actually making more because half of the 15% social security tax is paid by the employer.  So the SE makes 7.5% more than the IC, correct?


Now here's where I'm a math retard.  If you take that 7.5% into account, what is the SE's *real* line rate?  Sure, it's still cpl but when you figure the employer is paying 7.5% of the taxes then does that make the line rate actually more like 10.75 cpl?  Or am I off on my math?


MT VERSUS MTSO
I have to agree with you that job hopping can look unprofessional. I have a bit of dilemma though: I am on my second job and either I stay and continue to be unhappy or risk a third try that may put me in a similar/worse situation. Here's the kicker though - My problem is not the company...it is my coworkers. I am discouraged by a lot of my fellow MTs' work ethic and the every-man-for-himself attitude. I don't mind sharing my normals with everyone. If it means they are more productive, helps them get more lines in and our account is in turn, why wouldn't I want to share? We have all been new to an account...why not be helpful and supportive? Here is the resume I would love to send out:

MT with 3 years experience in acute care; ESLs not a problem; reliable, will work the schedule YOU need, will be on time and stay for entire shift(imagine that); no children to bring to doctor/football practice/exhusbands house/school play; actually does research, has an extensive library of research books, and does not just toss a job to Quality dept for them to finish; NEVER cherrypicks or skips jobs; will not poach, working outside my schedule trying to get extra lines to pay for Xmas/kids braces/second mortgage, taking work from others; does not mind working over/extra when needed; does not have a endless stream of mysterious health problems - in fact, has only called in sick once in 3 years; recognizes the Quality department's value and that they are an essential part of the job I do; does not whine about hard dictators/OPS/ESLs/short reports/long reports; have taken Anatomy and Physiology courses in addition to initial training and still taking continuing education courses; sitting for CMT next month; helpful and supportive of my TEAM (for those of you who do not know, that is my coworkers and my employer); does not have constant, vague-sounding internet/phone/electricity problems that prevent me from working.

Here's a thought (not for the original poster, but for those the shoe fits) - how about thinking about what you have to offer a company instead of what you can get out of them? What do you bring to the table? Selfishness? Laziness? A baby hanging off of your hip, a slew of pathetic excuses, and a victim's attitude? No wonder you are not happy anywhere...you get what you give.

I will not send out that resume, obviously. Why? Because those types of MTs are everywhere. I cannot hope to find a place where none of that exists, not with the pool MTSOs have to pull from. Plus, it is not professional. The reason I did it here was to illustrate a point. People do not always job hop with the hope of improving their situation, many do it for bonuses or to find a place where they get the most and can do the least.

Want change? The responsibility for change and growth within this industry lies with the individual MTs.
IC versus Employee
As an IC, you can deduct at 100% all of your expenses.  An an employee, you can only deduct the amount that exceeds 2% of your gross income (if you are married and filing jointly, it is yours and your sponse's combined gross income).  In other words, if your joint combined gross income is $100,000, you can only deduct your expensed over $2000.  That is a huge amount to have to not include.  Check with any tax accountant or IRS regarding this.
Holidays versus PTO

I think it all depends on the amount of PTO that you accrue per pay period.  Some companies allow you to accrue more, but then you are expected to use your PTO for holidays.  Some may pay for holidays separately, but then you don't accrue as much PTO; it basically all balances out in the end.


IC versus employee

This is a muliple-part question--hoping someone here can help with some or all of them! 


1.  Does anyone have experience working for Shriners' Children's Hospital inhouse in Norcross, GA?  Many ESLs, how are working conditions, etc?


2.  I've been recently sent home from my small office practice (didn't volunteer!) and changed from transcription/med records clerk employee to IC; lost benefits. I think a little further on I'll have to get another inhouse job--remains to be seen if I can afford to live on this reduced income.  Does anyone have solutions regarding health insurance for self-employed, single people?  In my state an individual BCBS premium for someone my age is $300.00/month w/$250.00 deductible. (Yikes!)


3.  How to tweak my (hopefully) next interview to reflect that in my last job I was told basically I wasn't a good "fit" for the office, even though they were happy with my work quality and quantity?  In their opinion I didn't pitch in and answer phones quickly enough, schedule patients and take on copying duties cheerfully enough--in short, lacked a positive attitude, even though I DID do these extra duties politely. I'm nearly 60 years old--and don't do perky very well.  Should I just explain this last job didn't suit my skills and personality? 


Thanks for reading thus far--will appreciate your suggestions or input!


 


 


VR versus straight
Oh, I get pain 4cpl for VR.
VR versus typing
Do you make more money with straight typing or VR?  Just a poll.  I do both and seem to make more straight typing.  You would think VR would be quicker.
VR versus typing
I make WAYYYYYYYY more money typing that VR. There is no question about that at all. On one particular account that I do I can type almost as fast as he speaks so that is a great moneymaker, but even on my fast talking doctors there is no comparison to doing them in VR.


SPI versus MedQuist
I tested with SPI yesterday -- no word yet on the results, but keeping fingers crossed very tightly!  Anyway, got an E-mail from Medquist today but I see I lot of MTs complaining about running out of work and a high ESL range of doctors.  Is MedQuist a place I should avoid?  I haven't tested or applied yet -- just looking to get out of where I am working now.  Not enough lines and just generally unhappy there. Thanks for all of your input!  Was offered a job with DocuMed -- called to accept and was asked to type a few more files only to never hear from that company again.  I guess I did some free work as I heard that I was not alone.
MQ versus Webmedx
Can anyone compare the hourly line rates between MQ and Webmedx for me?  I'm usually around 250 and 300 per hour at MQ but want to find a company with a better reputation.  Just want to know an average of what anyone can type at Wedmedx per hour.
OSi versus DeVenture

Hi.  There used to be a lot of negative posts on here about OSi.  What are you guys' current opinion on it?


Here's what I'm really contemplating:  contacting DeVenture, who had offered me a job at around the same time that OSi did.  Here's why:  I got put in a program that would advance me to acute care kind of transcription.  It did, but now I have to type for about 10 hospitals, thus I never can get good--or a good line count--at any ONE hospital's transcription.  So--my cents-per-line rate in theory has gone up but there's no way I can make the kind of line counts I made when I was just doing clinic transcription.


Theoretically, I have a primary account, but there is never enough work on it.  That's why I get work from 9 other difficult accounts instead.


Anyone else having this type experience?


Thanks a lot-


CC


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Anybody left MQ for Webmedx?  Just curious about how they treat MTs as compared to the Q.  I was also told they do not offshore - can anybody clarify?
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Has anybody got any feedback on MD-IT.  I am considering an offer from them and also from Amphion.  I've heard some not so positive things about Amphion and was wondering if anybody knew anything about MD-IT....
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MQ versus Webmedx
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