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Reference Book Questions - Posted By: Angie

I am a new MT, I am in the process of purchasing MT reference books. I have heard that Greggs and Stedmans are good reference books. I wanted to find out the books that are used the most, please let me know which books that you use so I can make a good decision on how I spend this money on books.

Thank you in advance

Angie

angifogg@aol.com

HELP! Where did I read this? (sm) - Posted By: Lynn M

JAAMT or Plexus or other???

It was an article about AAMT's position in dropping the possesive form of an eponym and how other organizations were following suit (like AMA). In other words, not to type Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease, but Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease. I meant to copy this to have it readily available (doctors don't seem to have read this explanation yet). Thanks!

Hows does your employer handle descrepancies in dictation? - Posted By: me

Started with this one company and I had a report that had several problems. An illness was listed in the past medical history, then listed as not having in the review of systems. Father listed twice, one with unknown age and cause of death, two sentences down listed what age and what he died of. Documented all of them for QA and got a reply that they leave it like that. What if there was a medication listed in allergies and the medication list? I know from having my son given medications he is allergic to this can be deadly! I can't believe they would just let it go!! They are too worried about marking out the word "an" added to make a sentence complete than being worried about the REAL stuff!!! That's MY name on that document!!

Ball park figure for cataract extraction with no insurance (as an outpatient) - Posted By: Does anyone know?

nm

HELP - Posted By: Jennifer

can someone please help. I had problems with my computer and ended up having to shut down. When i signed back on i had a reserved job but now my font is much smaller and looks almost bold. Does anyone know what to do or the number to tech support.

Married? When did you know that your mate was "the" one for you? sm - Posted By: Poll lady

I just got engaged and knew the minute I met him that he was the one for me. He felt it too - we just waited until we dated a while before making it official.

How about you?

How do I bold entries in Shorthand? - Posted By: Nothing in the Help box about it. nm

nm

Question for txmt. I have tested - Posted By: sm

for Transtech Medical. They sound like a great place to work IMO. Do you mind if I ask you several questions about them, such as what platform they work on (I am going to use their computer), what the sound quality is like, how is the pay, etc? TIA. If you would like, I can leave my email for you:) Thanks!!

Just have to vent..... - Posted By: IndyMT

I just have to vent. This doctor is chewing in my ear and talking at the same time. I can feel my blood pressure rise as she talks. Don't they realize how annoying this is, not to mention rude. I think colleges should make all doctors take a course in the proper way to dictate. Sometime I think chewing in the ear is worse than a bad ESL.

Thanks for listening. Back to work. I sure hope her lunch is over soon!!!!

AHDI members. - Posted By: Please read.

Did you know there is a corporate member of the AHDI that is known to be a scam? I am not allowed to post the name on this board evidently as it keeps refusing my post when I try to post the name saying it is a �bad word,� but it is a company that will train you for free, have you pay $400 for software, and then tells you they will hire you and pay you once you are up to their standards. However, somehow, the MTs they train can never live up to their standards. How do you feel about this company being a member of your organization? Who exactly does AHDI represent? Why do they allow a company that is known to scam MTs and is a complete ripoff to be a member of their organization? Will this company soon be an "approved" school? LOL. Any thoughts on this? Please share.

Parents: Are your kids spoiled? sm - Posted By: Inquiring mind

For instance, do they do chores that are age appropriate, do their own homework, get themselves up in the morning and ready for the day if they're older than say age 10? Here's how it works in our house:

6-year-old: Responsible for cleaning her room, feeding her fish and bunny rabbit and her bathroom each week. Puts dirty clothes into the hamper and puts up clean clothes except those that have to be hung, which we do since she's not tall enough. Likes to mop the kitchen floor so we let her do that. Does her own homework after I make sure she remembers the directions.

15-year-old: Has to clean her own room and bathroom - alternates the bathroom cleaning with the 6-year-old since they share a bathroom. If she cooks anything that's not a meal for everyone she has to clean up after herself. She's now learning to do laundry - my DH always took care of that for her in the past or her mom did, but I've forced the issue that she can do her own laundry now that she's 15. Also has to do her own homework without help from us. For instance, while doing English she commonly asks for the meaning of a word. I tell her to go to webster.com and look it up or grab the dictionary - which is how we learned as kids. Also her dad (and bio-mom) used to help do her homework by looking up stuff and writing the answers which she'd re-write but that stopped while we were dating as I got him to realize that he wasn't helping her by doing this and she needed to do her own school work and not whine to get him to help. She is also required to get herself up and out the door for school in the morning, on time, and knows that if she oversleeps and misses the bus because she's goofing off then she gets no PC or TV privileges for the day. It only took her 1 time of missing the bus to learn to get up on time.

What about your household?

What word expanders work best with MS word? Or.. - Posted By: NEMT

.. is there another way? Do many use the "autocorrect" to make your own word Expander without having to purchase anything? Does that workout well or is it best to buy expander software?

I'm setting things up to start again after a couple years out of hte business. My Spellex spellchecker expired and I had to purchase a new spellchecker. Also wanting to get my expander going. GAH! It's a bit spendy to get things going again... not fun.

MPcount question - Posted By: helpme

Hi all...I am thinking about using MPcount to generate my invoices for one account I have, but I have been using it today and I keep getting different counts each time I run MPcount. I don't understand why. I tried counting the same group of documents 4 times and got different line counts each time, either plus 1 or minus 1 line. In other words, I would get 811 one time, then 813 the next time, then 812, then 811 again. What would cause that? I don't want to use it if it's not very accurate in case any questions come up. Thanks.

Per page versus per line - Posted By: CrazyMT

Does anyone know how to compare a per-page rate versus a per 65-character incl. spaces rate?

In reply to job ads . . . on the company board - Posted By: Oncology/OrthoMT24INPA

I would like to respond to a post about new job listings on the company board. Yes, it seems the same companies continually post want ads for MTs and yes it seems like these companies in question do indeed have revolving doors, but please do not blame the MTs or complain about them speaking their minds on the board.

I left a very good MT job because of a paycheck that was returned for insufficient funds. I say "good" because I loved the accounts and for the most part I was content until the pay incident. It took me nearly a year to find what I had given up. I applied for and accepted many jobs advertised here only to be very disappointed. I asked questions up front before accepting and for the most part the companies lie to get you in the door.

First company gave promises of working whenever I wanted. Said there was always work. That turned out to be nothing but "BS." There was never any work unless I wanted to work overnight.

I had two job offers at the same time soon after that and I accepted the one that promised 8 cents a line. Well I never saw 8 cents a line. Once again it was a sham. First off they only allowed you to type a total of 9 reports a day until off hold. You never get off hold (months) because no two QA people QA by the same standards. They claimed to follow the Book of Style, yet faulted you for typing things as demonstrated in the Book of Style. Once my paycheck was over a week late and I had contacted payroll 3 times and received no response. Another time I was cheated out of pay (60+ lines) I informed payroll and they never responded nor did they ever pay me for it. The final straws � one day I had called for work � by the way most times there wasn't any because the pool was dry, once again you gave a schedule as to when you wanted to work � yet work was rarely there � anyway there was a smart remark about still being on hold. I have never been on hold more than 2 weeks with any other job in the past so it wasn't me. I followed the Book of Style � seems like some QA people have never opened the book! They only ever checked the ESL reports � horrible dictators by the way � what about all the other perfect ones? I'm sorry but you can only do so much with bad dictators. And when the company fails to pay on time I don't feel obligated to go that extra mile to leave zero blanks with and ESL doctor who makes my ears bleed! Last but not least I received a paycheck without a signature. Yep! I reported it ASAP. Big surprise no one in payroll that day. They didn't overnight me a new signed check either. I had to mail the check back and wait another week for it to be returned with a signature on it. I left. There was no advancing in h e double hockey sticks.

There was another job that I tried while this mess was evolving. I asked up front what type of platform they used because I dislike Emdat and Inscribe. The person who hired me wouldn't say what it was but that I would love it. Well, it was indeed Inscribe. Also the contract stated I would be paid for spaces � I used my own counting software and discovered I was not being paid for spaces. There was also a charge for typos in the demographics and according to my line counter the company didn't seem to be paying for the demographics as it was. How can you fine someone for typing something incorrectly that she is not being paid for in the first place? With this particular job I also asked up front "Would I have my own accounts?" I was told yes. Nope it was a typing pool.

Moral of the story . . . if you don�t want MTs to complain about these jobs then please do not lie to them! Pay them on time and treat them right. I have found I cannot make money on a majority of the platforms out there. MS Word is the only way to go for me. I also thrive on my own accounts so please . . . when we ask if we will be assigned our own group of doctors again do not lie to us. A typing pool is not what I consider to be my own account!

Thank you and good night.

Going rate - Posted By: HappyICMT

I was just wondering what the going rate is that companies are charging their clients? Any help would be appreciated!

Re-posting - Posted By: EH

Just re-posting about speakers, as I did not get any responses: Note: I have the couple speaker brands that were originally mentioned written down.

I would like to get away from headphones too.

Where do I find those speakers mentioned (or other good ones I can use)?

Right now I am plugging my headphones into $30 speakers I got at Best Buy. They sound crappy without my headphones.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

mac - Posted By: msbeanctr

Does anyone use a Mac and if so what kind of foot pedal do you use?

transcribing numbers - Posted By: tootsie

We have a hot topic discussion going at work. What is the correct way by BOS rules for typing numbers 1 through 10? I pretty much know the rules by the BOS vol. 2, but what about vol 3? Did they change the rules and standardize numbers? I don't have volume 3.

Paid Per Report - Posted By: bipslg

Has anyone here ever heard of being paid a different amount depending on the "type" of report? A different amount for x-rays, different amount for mammos, different amount for ultraounds, and a different amount for CT's and MRI's.

Is Emdat a decent platform? comparable to DQS? - Posted By: wondering

Inhealth transcription???? - Posted By: Thanks

Anyone know anything about them? All of the posts I get when I search are old. Thanks in advance.

Electronic signature - Posted By: NMT

Where can I get information on electronic signatures and HIPAA compliance regarding this? Thanks!

lead 5??? what sm - Posted By: Need help with EKG sm

The patient�s EKG shows a sinus rhythm 73 beats/minute with normal intervals, normal axis, normal QRS, normal STs. The patient has nonspecific T-wave inversions in V2, V3, V4, V5, and V6, as well as biphasic T-waves in lead I and aVL. She has flattened T-waves in leads II, III, and 5. There is no lead 5 (at least not in roman numbers) What should I type here????

Email spam software - Posted By: mlstoo

Any good programs free or otherwise? I use Outlook and lately all I get is spam for Viagra or what have you. I have filtering at my ISP but it takes out my important emails too. Ideas anyone?

Help on the drug board--osteoporosis drug? - Posted By: mighty

Sorry..........thanks in advance, I appreciate it.

trouble receiving Daily Digest?? - Posted By: bj

Can anyone tell me why I am having trouble re-signing up for the Daily Digest. Have not been receiving now for about a month and cannot seem to re-sign up - keep getting error message?? Thanks - I miss it.

Anyone remember your line counts per day as a newbie? - Posted By: mt

The reason I ask is because I know it takes time to get up to speed with acct specs, software, etc. but it seems like I am making really low line counts. Looking things up, etc? I wonder if I will make any money, especially w/o consistent dictators. Any info appreciated! Thanks.

Employment after home study - Posted By: k8990

Does anyone know who will hire a Transcriptionist who has studied at home? Also, will they hire you if you have not been employed as a transcriptionist outside your home? (I have a little hospital experience but years ago).

Amphion - Posted By: please advise

I need to know anything you can tell me about Amphion -- QUICK!

Has anyone participated in employer health assessments? - Posted By: CalifRADMT

Aetna is my ins. co. This year, I was dx'ed with BC, grade I, Stage 1 (thank you Jesus!). The ins. co. apparently sends a person to my home to draw blood.

The participation results in discount in health ins. premium for employer (I think!). I am receiving mail to schedule my appt for the home visit. I find this rather invasive somehow.

Has anyone heard anything bad that can come of this?

Thanks Mates - Feliz Navidad!

Wanting to land my own local account - Posted By: HR

I am currently working part time IC for two different people, I have a little less than one year transcription exp, all in family practive or GI...I have been thinking about trying to get my own account locally but not sure about some of the "in's and out's". Those of you who do this, do you have someone who covers for you when you have to leave town? I have always had someone to QA my work, so if I do my own account and have a question(blank) do you call the office and ask or do you leave it blank? I am kinda back and forth w/ the idea, I know I would make more money, but not sure if I want ALL the responsibility.

Doctor wants my macros!!!!!???? - Posted By: Toni

This is not the first time this has happened to me. However, I always have a hard time getting my pont across when asked. I once again have a doctor who would like to cut his rate, go to voice recognition, etc. However, he wants me to give him my macros! Am I to give him all my macros that I programed so that he can give them to someone else? I feel that whatever means or vehicle I use to give him the finished transcript is my proprietary information. I could really use some help in this fight though. Any thoughts or opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Acute care - Posted By: explain in detail please

Can someone please explain acute care setting in detail?

"Oh, I could do that..." sm - Posted By: arrrghh!!

OMG!! How do you respond when someone says this about your job? My neighbor just the other day said this when I told her what I do at home. We just moved into our house and she and I have talked a few times...Saturday night she said, "I know you work at home, but what exactly do you do"? I said, medical transcription...she said, oh, do you have to read the doc's handwriting and type it out...I said, no, they dictate and I transcribe what they are saying...HER REPLY: Oh, I could do that...! I didn't know what to say. I mean, she's a teacher, and I did not presume to say, oh, you spend all day with 20 6 year olds, I could do that...that just burns me up. I felt like saying to her, ok, let's go to my office and see how well you do...

I really need to know how to handle this sort of situation if it ever comes up again. I honestly did not know how to respond. I just said, yeah, well... I thought I liked her, but now I'm not so sure...

E-scription platform - Posted By: debbie

Any working on wireless broadband/satellite for any company on this platform? If so, how well it is working for you?

I am annoyed... - Posted By: Ann

that MT graduates are getting jobs and they have no grammar skills when they post on forums.

Radiology dictation....do any of your radiologists use handheld recorders anymore? - Posted By: MTing

Or is it mainly phone and through the PC? Thanks!

Hi, im new here, long question.. dont know where to post it! - Posted By: Emily Ayn

Hello everyone.. I don't know where to start and I'm just taking a quick break from my work
sorry if this is long, i want to get the best answer and help so i'm gonna give some background (and i dont bother usually with capitalization in my friendly emails, but i assure you it is not how i type my work).. .LOL

Anyways, I am 25 years old, have been doing transcription for seven years (my mom taught me when I was in high school). I love my job and work for two places. One is a hospital so I don't know how negotiable that pay rate is. The other one is a doctor's office.

Urology. I started with them September 11, 2001. (crazy, sad, i know)... I started at 12 cents a line.(the hospital pays me 10 cents) They are located in California, where I used to live. Two years ago, they got a new office manager (i was pretty close with the first one). Well this office manager happened to be someone I had previously worked with, who had screwed over my mom and I because they sent their work to India without EVER telling us until two days before hand (even though we told her to just tell us when it was going to happen). Well that practice eventually broke up... and what luck I had, she is now AGAIN my office manager. Well a year ago I decided I was going to move away and I bought everything for the office that they needed to go digital (we were doing tapes before). Now I live in Nevada and do their work over the internet, returning their work within 24 hours.

My question is, I think I deserve a raise, and I have no idea how to go about it. I have been with them for five years, obviously the cost of living has risen, including health care. By the way, I receive no benefits from either the hospital or the office.

Is this reasonable, and does anyone have any suggestions or pointers? I still feel pretty young and vulnerable because I have never been in a position to ask for a raise. Since I am an independent contractor, I suppose it wouldn't be asking, rather than just telling... but I want it to be more appropriate than that.

And I'm basically wondering what others are making as independent contractors, i know companies don't pay as much, but they also offer benefits...

Thanks for taking the time... back to work for me.

Emily

Merry Christmas - Posted By: mt me

http://www.interviewwithgod.com/prince/

click!

Has anyone ever done an online nursing program or know of anyone that has? nm - Posted By: Wondering

/

Anyone know how many MTs are in America? - Posted By: nm

nm

to anyone considering going out on their own, or has knowledge of such - Posted By: or who is doing it now, just wondering

What is the most difficult part of the process, whether it be finding a physician, figuring out a program for the pc, getting a legal binding contract. How much is the start up fee.

I have been considering this for awhile but to be honest i'm just too lazy. BUT, the thought of making around 11-12 cpl, having only one or two docs that I know like the back of my hand where I can make tons of macros, tons of money and work less, is so appealing, that might jump start me. Am I seeing the big picture here or just dreamin?

Question about using a laptop with Escription. sm - Posted By: searching

I can't use Escription on my desktop. I am thinking about getting a backup laptop. Have been studying the field, but I am not a genius when it comes to computers, just plugging along. Exactly what kind of specs does it take to run Escription? Can I use Office 2007, or do I need the older 2003 Pro version? It wouldn't run with my 2003 Basic. How much memory and hard drive space, what type processor, etc.? I believe I need XP, not Vista. Any info appreciated. TIA.

what gives on 1099-MISC form? - Posted By: MDmt

The MTSO I worked with last year as an IC says they just got their 1099-MISC forms and are in the "process" of mailing them out. I checked on the web and it "seems" that the government has extended the time to mail them out to 02/15...anyone else know of this? I can't do my taxes until I receive that blasted form. GRRRRRR!!!!!

USTranscription - Posted By: rae

anybody work for USTranscription out of Iowa/WI, you like?

keyboard - Posted By: typingmom

Does anyone know of a keyboard to use that the numbers and letters will not wear off? I have an ergonomic split keyboard that I got and a week later the letters were already disappearing.Now, almost all my keys are blank. Any ideas??

Would you consider Vonage or Verizon the best bet? - Posted By: nm

ExText - can it be set to not spellcheck demographics? - Posted By: Me

Every time I complete a report, spellchecker spellchecks the demographics section, which is not necessary. If you hit the wrong button, sometimes it will mess up the demographics on the report, although it doesn't tell you that you did anything wrong. Does anybody know if spellcheck can be set to only check the document and not the footer information?

what is best - Posted By: question

When a physician rattles off the vital signs, blood pressure et al., and just states numbers, do we leave it like that or insert what they are for?

Physician: "Vital Signs: 98.5, 84, 20, 138/64."

Leave as is, or type thusly: "Vital Signs: Temperature 98.5, pulse 84......"?