Accuracy in counting
Posted By: Vann Joe on 2006-09-13
In Reply to: Abacus is not free. It is $20 but worth it. You can download a trial version free which does not h - Abacus is great!
<Disclaimer: We are the publishers of MPCount / MPTools>
No cook can please everyone with just one soup recipe, and no software will suit each and every user. I'm glad you found a program you really like. 
We're proud of the accuracy of the counting in our software, and even have a page discussing it.
Best wishes,
Vann Joe
LINK/URL: MPCount / MPTools Accuracy
Complete Discussion Below:  marks the location of current message within thread
The messages you are viewing
are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select
the boards given in left menu
Other related messages found in our database
98% accuracy - sm
Please help an old horse understand -- to have 98% accuracy what does that exactly mean? If I do an account that has an average of 10,000 to 12,000 lines per month -- what do I need to know to see if I have 98% accuracy? Sounds stupid I know but just wondering. Also do minor errors such as leaving an "e" off HERE versus misspelling a drug or procedure count more? I have an account that suddenly tells me that my accuracy is going down but they won't send me back any errors, and said that they just "cross them out" -- so I have asked them to at least let me know what days/patients have "errors" so I can go back and look and try to find them. But I am just curious as to how to figure up this accuracy rate that everyone is talking about -- Thanks to all of you.
Accuracy
To my understanding, standards may vary by company. My company has a weighted system. There are minor, major, and critical errors. When we receive our evaluations, we are shown exactly which reports where checked and exactly what errors were marked and exactly what weight those errors were given, so we have no question as to how our score was arrived at. It's too bad your company won't do the same for you.
Accuracy of the BOS 2nd (sm)
Has anyone else on the board had problems with the revised edition of the BOS? I recently tested for a high level client and they had their "own way" of doing things. Since they were in the business of teaching academic subjects at a very high level, the argument about the new BOS went over like a lead balloon. They had their own rules. I was ashamed of what I turned in, although I did follow our own MLS new rules. Anyone else getting demerits for changing over?
Not sure of accuracy, but here's the
Straight Dope scoop: The truth about the boy with "two spiders living in his ear."
24-May-2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Straight Dope:
Today I was reading an article on CNN's website (www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/07/spiderboy.ap/index.html) about a boy who apparently had two spiders living in his ear – quite unnerving really. What intrigued me, though, is that the article stated that the spiders were feeding off the boy's earwax. I wasn't aware that earwax could sustain life, other than some microorganisms of course. Is this article merely speculating or is there some truth to this "earwax for food" claim? —Cameron Williams
SDSTAFF Doug replies:
You demonstrate a useful trait which fewer people in the U.S. seem to have now than ever before in our history: healthy skepticism. While U.S. medical professionals are among the finest and best-trained in the world, one thing they do not teach you in med school is the life history of spiders. As for the U.S. media, especially the numerous bloggers who chimed in on this story, expectations are even lower, and journalists fully lived up (or down) to them, presumably because the story had such a magically bizarre ring to it that the capacity for critical thinking was suspended. Combine these elements and you have the makings of an urban legend.
Now for the facts. First, all spiders are predatory in the strictest sense – without exception, they only eat what they can kill. There aren't even spiders that suck blood from a living host as a mosquito does, let alone any that can feed on earwax. Second, anyone who knows about spiders would have realized instantly what the doctor found in that boy's ear: a single spider that had crawled in seeking a secure spot in which to shed its skin. Look at the photos: There's one spider, plus the old skin it shed. Anyone can recognize this once it's been pointed out. So the story was wrong on three counts: (1) there weren't spiderS, just one spider; (2) it wasn't "living in" his ear, it was hiding there temporarily while its exoskeleton hardened after molting; and (3) it wasn't feeding on anything. A spider before and after molting doesn't feed, and never eats earwax when it does feed.
So the doctor got it wrong, and reporters passed along the misinformation without doing any fact-checking. To confirm this, I called Dr. David J. Irvine, the doctor in Oregon who removed the spider from the boy's ear. He admits that yes, he initially believed there were two spiders, but now recognizes that there was in fact a single spider and its shed skin, and he doesn't object to going on the record as recanting his original testimony, as it were. Dr. Irvine also says (and I have no reason to dispute this) that when he talked to reporters and was asked whether the spiders had been feeding on earwax, he did in fact say that as far as he knew, all spiders were predatory. In other words, the doctor isn't the person who started that part of the rumor – that's entirely the fault of the reporters.
Sadly, none of the journalists involved ever thought to ask the simple question you did, or this story would never have gotten the attention it did. I'm sure we'll all be hearing about this incident, and the urban legends it will inspire, for decades to come. But at least the readers of the Straight Dope will know the truth.
—SDSTAFF Doug
Straight Dope Science Advisory Board
Just 98% accuracy?????
What happened to 100% when typing. The company I work for strives for 100%. We do not leave any blanks on our reports or they are sent through QA and it will go through each Editor to see if they can complete this report at 100%. This is what makes a successful company and sets some companies apart from the others.
Not everyone hears the same thing 100% of the time. No one is perfect and there is no one who knows everything.
You are pathetic!!!!!
% of accuracy
I have only been doing medical transcription since August, 2007. Can someone please tell me how to determine your level of accuracy? I have seen before where companies require 98% accuracy. Is this the norm? I feel that I am above 98% but how do I know for sure?
yea, accuracy is best
I correct as I go. The error is fresh in my head, so it is easy to correct it right away rather than forget it and the context so it might get missed by the checker. Also, it would probably take more time using the spell checker to fix them. I try to type every sentence correct as I go so I don't have to correct later. The only things I skip and go back to are names and names of places, stuff I have to look up on the internet, that I do at the end all at once. Wow this was a long message lacking decent grammar, oh such is life...plus I just woke up and tend to ramble when I do so.
VR accuracy.
Dictated: Mucous membranes were dry.
VR translation: Mucous membranes were red wine.
What???? Last week I had a dictator say that the patient had a rash. VR translated that the patient had cancer. There's a bit of a difference between a rash and cancer, I would think.
Although MT accuracy is very important,
I think the source of dosing medication comes mostly from the physician's order sheet. I agree with the other poster that a cascading effect is very possible when later dictation and charting is based on the previous records. Also, there are other safeguards and checks made in terms of operations, and they would not be based simply on the H&P. If a doctor bases any operation on just an H&P I would consider him incompetent. This does not excuse the MT who is not careful in documentation.
I wonder how their accuracy is given this article
Speech recognition technology shows double-digit error rate11/30/2006
By: Jonathan S. BatchelorCHICAGO -
A study of radiology reports generated by speech recognition software at a prestigious U.S. academic medical center found that even with fully trained system users the technology was introducing significant errors in almost one out of five signed, final reports. We structured a study where we could look at the types of errors and frequency of errors in attending dictated reports using Voice recognition software, said Dr. Ronald Dolin, who is from the department of radiology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. Dolin and his team retrospectively reviewed radiology reports dictated and signed by attending radiologists from February to March 2006 at Thomas Jefferson.
According to Dolin, all radiology reports at the institution were generated using PowerScribe 4.7 from Dictaphone/Nuance Communications of Burlington, MA, which had been implemented for 16 months prior to the start of the study. A total of 395 reports, consisting of five to 10 consecutive reports from each of the 41 attending radiologists, were reviewed, according to the researchers. They categorized the dictation errors into 10 subtypes, such as missing word errors, wrong word errors, extra word errors, nonsense phrase, unclear meaning phrase, or abnormal phrase with meaning intact. Errors were classified as significant if they altered or obscured the meaning of the sentence in which they appeared, Dolan said.
A total of 239 errors were identified in 146 of 395 reviewed reports for an overall error rate in final reports of 37%, he reported. In addition, he noted that at least one error was identified in reports from 40 of the 41 attending radiologists at Thomas Jefferson. The researchers found that missing or extra words that did not alter the meaning of a sentence constituted 113 of the 239 errors, or 47% of the total. This type of error was found in the reports of 33, or 81%, of the attending radiologists, Dolan said. Other common errors reported by the scientists included the wrong word, which accounted for 21% of the total errors; typographical or grammatical errors accounted for 8.8% of the total; a nonsense phrase with unknown meaning showed up in 11% of the total errors; and an error in the dictation date presented in 2.9% of the erroneous reports. Most of the speech recognition technology errors, 83%, did not alter the meaning of the report, Dolin noted. However, the remaining 17% of the errors could have impacted patient care. Significant errors -- errors that could conceivably alter a patient outcome -- accounted for 40 of the 239 error total. He said that significant errors were found in 54% of the attending radiologist reports and that five radiologists had two or more significant errors. Dolin acknowledged that he set the criteria for classification of significant errors and determined what was and was not a significant error.
During a discussion of the research after the presentation, a few audience members vigorously expressed their belief that Dolin's standard for significance had not been inclusive enough. Rather than being a condemnation of the technology, Dolin believes that his study can provide a method for Quality Assurance and continuing education in the vagaries of speech recognition software. A periodic audit of a relatively small number of radiology reports, such as five to 10 reports per radiologist, can identify significant Voice recognition error patterns among the group and by individuals, and can assist in efforts to mitigate these problems, he said. By Jonathan S. BatchelorAuntMinnie.com staff writerNovember 30, 2006
98% accuracy configuration
I would also like to know how to calculate this. I received a 96% on a transcription test for Transcription Relief, but I needed a 98% to work for them.
What's with all this smugness about your accuracy, and
Hope you're not an MT supervisor - you'd be a real pill to work with.
98% is the norm for accuracy
and most companies have their own QA system of assigning point deductions per error divided by line count. If you have a way to review your reports after they go through QA you should be able to see what your percentage is. If not, ask QA.
Apparently? what was your accuracy, what did they tell you?
nm
That seems silly. Accuracy, yes, but speed, too.
Why would you want to hire someone with 99% accuracy who could only type 30 wpm? Telling a potential employer you can type quickly in a test situation doesn't mean you're automatically fast and sloppy. Besides that, typing tests take accuracy into consideration. How about 99%+ accuracy with a typing speed of 90 wpm? Speed is a huge part of this job, especially considering TAT and pay on production.
Yes there are people actually good enough to hit 98% accuracy. Happens every day!!!!! sm
QA has only become a real job in the last 10 years. Before that there was 1 QA person for every roughly 100 MTs!!!
If you aren't paying me to do 100% accuracy
x
Agree. Accuracy is most important, and
you can't let pride interfere when it comes to patient safety. This job is a learning process & we will always have new terms to learn & get marked for errors -- it's just part of the job, and you have to learn to look at it as a learning opportunity, not an insult, in order to thrive at this job.
The swiftness and accuracy of proofreading is mainly reflected by (sm)
length of experience, as well as your fund of medical terminology knowledge. I am fortunate in that years ago I took an Evelyn Wood Speed Reading course. I would suggest trying different methods, such as those you stated, until you feel what is most comfortable for you, in addition to producing error-free reports.
Most MT co's REQUIRE 98% accuracy in order to stay - sm
employed. I've had to do 98% accurate work for years - it's no big deal. There's not an MT alive who is always 100% accurate. There ain't no such animal. But what I'm talking about is QA's that take a report that IS 100% accurate, and 'create' an inaccurate report out of it. I don't know if they're just bored, or spiteful, or if they have a minimum work quota like all the rest of us do, but jacking up a perfectly good report and sending it back with 'errors', (and no initials, so you can't call your co. and COMPLAIN about them), is a royal pain. I think they get paid more money, the more reports they mark up, and as is so often the case, in that field too, it's 'quantity over quality'. The Almighty Dollar, again.
I've had problems with Abacus' accuracy in the past.
.
Never said that typos were acceptable, what I said was is 100% accuracy expected 100% of the time.
Yes, I used to work in a docs office doing this as well as other things and but never had this problem.That is why I am frustrated. My question was whether or not there was a curve for MT'ing or not. I guess I just was not clear on exactly what editors/QA were really meant for. I thought they were more of a saftey net for a TX company to ensure that everythign that goes out is what it should be. But I guess I was mistaken.
Anyway, I was thinking that maybe there was something else similar in this field that would be an option for me to do. Since I actually like this line of work, I don't see why I should give up so easily.
Lastly, its just me, but I actually think staying at home with my kids is a perfect reason to do this for a living. I mean seeing as though I actually do want to earn a honest living doing something that I have experience doing ...why not? It's better than relying the government for money to support my family isn't it?
Five and counting
Because otherwise I might run out of work at the end of the pay period. My partner has 8. They are prioritized, so I work on my primary until it's empty, go to the next one, etc. Works for us.
I have 6 and counting.
It all depends where you get it as far as how much pain. Make sure it is something you REALLY want for the rest of your life. If you're getting a symbol, make sure you have the correct meaning. Make sure the shop you go to is reputable and clean.
still have my Kirby 35 yrs and counting
My FIL gave all his kids Kirby's for wedding presents and it's still going strong. Just have to have it in the shop once every few years, outlasted the kids and junk they didn't pick up before using it and now working on the grandkids.. Those things cost an arm and a leg these days, but it was free way back when.
how are you counting the lines?
If you are typing in Word use the Count feature. It shows char w/sp, char w/o sp, lines, blank lines. AND to clarify something - a lot of rad companies are NOT now paying per line but rather paying PER REPORT and cheap, awful rates. I just got a new Rad MT job but the majority of them out there want to pay crap per report rates. I won't take those - I am NOT typing a 40/50-line CT for $1.05-1.25. I have a per line rate on this new job and their avg report is 30-40 lines. My other 2 a/c's (one 30 MDs, other over 100) avgd about $1.90+ a report when you divided lines by # of reports.
11months and counting...
Husband's first cousin - married last MAY. Very expensive wedding at 4-star hotel downtown. You'd think she'd have the manners to acknowledge her gifts. I still cannot believe this. I don't know if I'll ever get a note. I just asked the grandmother to find out if she RECEIVED it. I know it's sneaky but it was an expensive gift and I want to know.
Thanks!...Mom & Dad for 6 years and counting!
/
line counting
Is there a site out there that explains exactly what line counting is? Thank you.
counting rules
I have Sylycount. Go into the software under counting rules and there you can tell it what you need it to count.
Line counting
Hi, I have a question regarding line counting. I used to know an MT who said she charged by the virtual line and was wondering if anyone knows what that is and how it differs from an actual line. Also, I was looking for a low cost/free line counting program that worked pretty well. How do you define a line? I charge for a 65 character line, is that what most of you do? Thanks,
D
Line counting: Is there a way
approximate # of lines? I am very curious. I am unable to see the # of lines I type daily using the system we use. I love the company I work for and trust them as the number of jobs and number of minutes are usually higher than what I come up with each pay period but would like to see how the number of lines calculate between the two of us. Thank you in advance.
Line counting
I have yet to find a decent line counting program. What does everyone else use? Do you count a line as 65 characters or 55 and with or without spaces?
Thanks,
Line counting
Anyone use a line counting program given to you by your MTSO to track your line count.....and it ends up that the line count is different from there's? Shouldn't the line counts be exact since the company issued their own program?
The program works with MS Word's count, and their reasoning is that Word counts differently on different computers. Say what???
I've been a Transcriptionist for 14 years and this is a first. I've worked for several MTSOs and my lines have always been the same. Is MS Word that inaccurate on their counts on different computers?
Nope, 20+ and counting but
my DH drives an 18 wheeler and his hearing is not all that good.
Line counting
I work as an IC for a company. When I type my document I go into Tools and use the Word Count and divide by 55 (that's what my company pays by) giving me my line count.
However, when I get my paycheck it is considerably less than what I anticipated. Is the MS word count not adequate to go by?
DOes anyone feel it is necessary to have their own line counting program?
Line counting
Thanks so much. That's very good information to have. Thank you again.
Line counting
I am an IC who uses flashcount to count lines. How do you decide how to count, i.e., per 55 characters, per 65 characters, etc. Thx.
Line counting
If you have your own accounts, you can do as you please. Industry "standard" at the moment is 65 characters with spaces. I say standard, but there is really no such thing, it is merely that most of the companies out there pay that way.
I have been offered 6.5 cents for a 37-character line strict, no spaces (only black characters). I have been offered on 55 characters too. I have even been paid by the byte line in DOS, which made for a rude awakening when I had to transition to Word and a 65-character line! There are also gross lines, which is everything on a line is a line, though these are often more than 65 character spaces across.
The way this count came about is that in DOS in Courier font and I think it is 12 pt, there are 65 character spaces if an 8 x 10 sheet is used with 1 inch margins. Courier gives you the same space size for each character, whereas something like Times New Roman varies the space size depending on the character, i.e. an L has less space than a D and so on.
You could call other services in your area and ask about their line rates and counting methods, but don't be too surprised if you are rudely treated. Most small local MTSOs don't take kindly to being interrupted at work to talk to a competitor. Otherwise, you are on your own to charge what the market will bear for your services and you are free to count the lines anyway you wish.
Personally, if I were to have my own accounts, I would use Abacus to count lines and I would count every keystroke including hard returns and spaces, tabs and any other key I used because I personally believe this is how it should be, a keystroke line, not a character and spaces line.
I'm over the 3rd decade and counting
This really has to do with the people you work for. My hospital job outsourced, first company who had it was horrible as far as QA. They IMd you to death, you had no time to work, horrible, horrible, picky all the time. Ok, another company has the very same account now and it is pure heaven. You ask for feedback and you get. Most of the time you are left completely alone, no one micromanaging and pure bliss for me. Same work, different companies. I am very happy with my work, the company I work for, not miserable much less moody. Work can be very stressful if the company wants to make it that way. Need to change if you are having those kinds of issues. By the way, used to straight type everything but now I do mostly editing and loving it.
I still have the b-days, but I'm counting
:D
line counting
You go to tools, word count, then look at the number of lines and divide by 65, then multiply by your line rate. The company I worked for took the number of lines and just multiplied it by the line rate. That's how I made out so good. They did not divide by 65 cpl.
They are probably not counting spaces now. NM
x
Right On Counting Reports...sm
I've found that true in setting daily/weekly goals for myself. Instead of concentrating on line acounts all the time (and taking time out for looking them up) I'll set maybe 20 (or 25 if I have to make up lines) reports as a daily goal. Counting lines can get frustrating if you get a string of short reports or the line counter is behind in counting. I'll check my lines, though, after maybe 10 or so reports just to see how I'm doing, so naturally, however, the lines take care of themselves.
Yes, unless they are counting the lines different than you.
I would ask about it.
You need to ask how they will be counting lines first. sm
You need to know their method of counting because all programs count differently. Practicount is a good program because it gives you many more options for counting lines or characters than most of the others. You can also set up different options for different clients.
Line Counting Programs
I was wondering what line counting program is most commonly used by I.C. I had been using Abacus, but unfortunately it causes a fatal error with word, so I quit using it. Downloaded the trial version of Slycount and their count is about 7-10 lines higher than Abacus. I have set up Slycount to count exactly the same as Abacus. So, I cannot figure out the problem. So, I am looking for others opinions regarding the counting program they are using, pros and cons.
I work using MS Word XP
Thanks,
Cheryl
looking for line counting software
 What do you use for line counting software? I am currently using Total Assistant Pro. It was counting accurately when I first purchased it. I even downloaded the free trial version to make sure it counted accurately before purchasing. (I charge by the straight line no matter how many characters are on it!). I'm not getting anywhere with support.
About 15,000 not counting "normals"/Shorthand
nm
About 50K in debt not counting mortgage. nm
x
And Remember with Carb counting
Be sure to deduct the grams of fiber listed in food from the total carb count. On the back of the food label, if it shows that particular food to have 10 gm of carb and 8 gm of fiber, deduct the gm of fiber. End result, you'll be getting only 2 gm of carbs.
Another good thing to drink is Crystal Light - Comes in all flavors, you know. Also, I enjoyed iced tea with lemon and splenda and cold iced coffee with a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream and splenda too. Yummy! Beats a coke any day of the week if you ask me!
|
