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I am MT/ME and ME is easier on the hands...

Posted By: but 20% less per line than reg....sm on 2006-09-09
In Reply to: Anybody change from MT to MT Editor? - Peggy

I love ASR (automated speech recognition) aka editing as it's easier on the hands for some (me!!).  It does pay 20% less per line but I'm very fast with editing.  I like it a lot but to each his/her own opinion on it.


Good luck!!




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my opinion is that VR is easier on hands...nm
.
INMO, pros and cons to both -- easier on the hands but harder for me mentally.
nm
It's a lot easier to get rid of a BF than a DH
I wouldn't put up with it, but that's just me.
I think it's easier but.....
I also think MTSOs add them so we don't get paid for them, after all if they add them we do not actually type them.  Just my opinion. 
It will get better, and easier. My one sm

inhouse experience was awful.  Not only was I transcribing for $15 an hour, I had to make copies and go down 2 flights and stuff their mailboxes with copies.


I so much prefer working at home of a national, where all I do is transcribe, and they take care of the distribution of the records.  I just push send.  Plus I find the dictators a lot more doable than at that hospital.  They were a mess.  They didn't even have a standard format.  It was just, whatever.


We have it easier than we think

My youngest sister came by this late night after getting off work.  She works 2nd shift at a local factory.  It has provided an okay and steady living for her and her family but it has taken its toll on her.


Her beautiful young face is worn and tired.  Her clothes are nasty from the oil and sweat and metal shavings.  Her poor little hands are literally worn out, muscular, rough with callus.  Her back hurts all the time from all the standing.  Some of the attitudes she works with keep her humble little soul in discomfort. 


She gets in trouble by management and by every line worker if she has to miss.  She has no opportunity to move anywhere really within that plant.


We don't always have the work we want in this business and sometimes we have to really take a stand to get where we need to be.  All said and done, though, we have it easy. 


I don't have to wear my self out physically.  I can get up and stretch and take a break.  I can be somewhat flexible with my time.  I don't have to put up with people who try to control or intimidate me.  I have a marketable skill, though that market is changing rapidly ... it is still a skill that I can adapt and use.  There are so many ads on this very board that I can explore if I need a change or additional employment ... all those opportunities and I don't have to move anywhere, I don't have to uproot my life .. just go to work for someone else.


We have it easier than we think. 



Again, easier said than done.

I have found that many transcriptions who say they want to work for me have one of three issues:


1. They embellish on their experience/quality.


2. Time off--they want more time off than I get and they usually wait until they're walking out the door to say they're not available. Deadlines are seen a "negotiable".


3. They are asking for more per line than I am able to pay (usually they want .12-.14/line--I only charge .12/line on my accounts because that's all the market will bear)


Many of these are newcomers to the field who have somewhere gotten the idea that they can get away with all of these behaviors. (I would bet more than one of them are some of the criers on these boards as well.)


I would LOVE to find someone who is dependable and experienced, who knows how to work and is not looking to take my accounts on a permanent basis; someone who would do as good a job for me as they would want someone else to do for them if they needed some time off. Apparently, they're all working for other companies and are happy, which is great for them.


An easier way...
If you are typing in Word, there is an easier way. Where you have the ?? in your document (I am guessing it is a template), erase the ?? and hit CTRL+F9 This will insert {} Use this throughout the document where you need to insert things. When you load your template, you can hit F11 and it will automatically take you to the next field.
is it easier to use
the CD for the computer...easier to use than the 2007?
This will get much easier sm
I was nervous about first podiatrist as she talked fast, used some not so good English, etc., but after the first few days, I realized she used almost all the same terms repeatedly. I bought a book - don't have it with me now - but one of the  "word books" which helped me tremendously, it covered podiatry as well as other such entities. Just look up on the book search, believe it was a Stedman's. After that first week, I knew exactly what she was going to say next. I made more progress on this account than others. Just hang in there and it will be a breeze. I almost refused to do this account and was very surprised at my progress and earnings. Go with it! It only hurts for a little while. It's only the lower extremities usually and the rest is "history" which you should be able to figure out. It is important in podiatry that they mention diabetes and other such history which would bring on podiatry problems. They only know their own specialty usually and will admit they don't go outside the box much. They are insecure out of their box so you are helping them trememdously. Be patient.
easier yes, but a job
is still a job, and that part is not so pleasurable. but i do think after 30+ years that i would enjoy it much more if i were working only 3-4 hours a day. I still get great satisfaction from doing a job not everyone can, and doing it very well.
hands down by the....

LINE!!


I am currently getting paid per report on one acct and per line on another and hands down...per line always adds up to more money.


From years of experience, there is at least one MT that will tend to skip the longer reports when being paid by the report - if this weren't the case then it might be about the same but just from years of experience it seems there is always one bad apple in the bunch that spoils it for the rest.


When being paid per line, at least when they skip reports they don't want to do - it just means more lines for me and more $$$.


Hands

Does anyone else have problems with puffy, stiff hands during the hot weather.  Never bother me in the cold but this heat kills my speed and accuracy.  Anybody have any home remedies that helps.   I feel like the Pillsbury Dough boy with regards to my fingers and hands.   Please don't tell me it is old age setting in. 


Thanks.  


Hands
I tried Glucosamine with chondtritin and it did not help with any of my aches.  But then I was told by a chiropractor to try MSM Glucosamine after I was T-boned and had terrible hip and buttock problems.  Tried 2 to 4 did not help much and gave up -- I give up easily.  But the past several months tried again at 2 twice a day and after a couple of days it helped not only with my hip but my hands have not ached all summer/fall now.  Really helped and I now take only 2 or so and not every day.  Vioxx also helped but they took that off the market.  But this helps tremendously.  But you should check to see if by chance you have Raynaud's or something in your hands or low thyroid.    Good luck.  
is there something i can use to help my hands....
to be smoother. i have been using baby powder, but have already went through 2 keyboards...is there a transcription something i can buy? also, how about my hands freezing....what can i do about that?
do you guys think it would be easier on the

To work a split shift, example 6-10 n then 3-7, OR would it be less painful to get it all done at once so you have more time to rest fully?  My hands kill me constantly.  I've tried everything.  Don't want to be in more pain if the split would end up being worse.  Thanks.


It would be faster and easier to ask
which companies treat their MTs well than to go through the masses that haven't treated people well.
Is doing QA easier than transcribing? nm
nm
It's easier if you are in India, I think. nm
x
I can tell you how to do it using Autotext, which is easier.

I'm using Word 2003 with Instant Text as my Expander software.  I have been trying to figure out how to insert *stop codes* literally for months using Instant Text.  I finally gave up and here's what I do.  There may be easier ways around it, but I just learned today. lol


I transcribed the report,, which is a pain center report. I get the same doc everyday who has a style that he sticks with pretty much.  After I was finished, I copied the report and went into a new document to tweak it up.  I left in basically all of his  repetitive phrases along with the exam, and all of the headings.  Anywhere I wanted a stop code or field as MS Word calls it, I pressed the combination of ctrl+ F9.  When I  was  finished I highlighted the document and clicked on Autotext.  If you've never used autotext, when you want to retrieve an entry you've created, you start typing the name you've assigned to it, and either press F3 or enter and BAMM there it is.  The stop/field codes look like this {  }, but you can shade them gray.  To access each field you simply press F11 and it takes you right to the next stop. I hope I didn't confuse you.


I just bought a book that is truly a MUST HAVE for MTs working with Word.  It's called Tips N Techniques to boost the productivity of the medical transcriptionist.  It was put together by an MT.  I think you can find it under www.cherylflanders.com.


Good luck!


Rin


Thank you all!!! i do use templates, but its easier for me to just add the cc on the ones i need as
i put the cc: in autotext and it is working like a charm!! i have never used autotext, just autocorrect and it wasn't working in autocorrect. never knew what autotext was about. thank you so much!!!!!
I think that as long as you are available, it is far easier
than learning where to look for things.  When I worked in an office when someone would ask me, I would show them how to look it up.  Somehow, that came across wrong and I got in trouble.  If I asked for help, I wanted to know where to look the next time.  I would sit and run down the entire list of fractures, or whatever, to see if I could find the correct one, rather than leave a blank or have to bother someone.  I think some people have had things done for them for so long, they don't know how and don't care to.  
Yes, it gets easier. I do find it to be (NM)
dd
Found an easier way for me
I have the voice file load in ExpressScribe and type it in Word and copy it over. So much faster for me and I can use any of the pedals I have.
Easier (cheaper) for HIM! OMG,
that would slow me down so much...trying to leave out those little words. Tell him if he really wants those words left out to white them out after he gets the report. Hah!
Being an employee may be easier.
As an employee someone else takes your taxes out of your check before you get it. As an IC, you set it aside, but you do pay less because of business deductions. If you make as much as an employee as you did as an IC, you will pay more taxes, not less. I am hoping to switch to employee for the paid time off and benefits, but I want to always keep a little IC work for the tax deductions.
Another--usually easier--way is to use CONTROL-K. sm
When you are in the entry box and ready to type the text you want bolded, type CRL-K. It'll tell you the next keys you type will be assigned to the entry. Then you hit the same keys you normally do to turn on bold (CRL-B). It'll then ask you to accept what you've done. THEN you type your text. Then you repeat the CRL-K/CRL-B thing to toggle off the bold (just as you do normally).

Remember, CRL-K to turn on and off special functions in your entries. :)
It is much easier to train a new QA
to break the bad habits of an old QA that believes they are infallible.
It's would easier to view

some of this disorganized dictation as a delightful 'quirk' and a way to serve the customer, if it were not so expensive for US.  Every time I type a paragraph and then have to take it all out and retype it in slightly different language [which does not change its meaning at all]; every time a dictator starts every sentence with 'the patient' only to change it, every time a dictator starts and restarts a sentence several times, it costs me time and money. 


I've never gotten the knack of typing behind the dictator to eliminate this problem, though I've read that's what we should be able to do.  I type right with the dictation, which means I often have to delete stuff and retype it when they change their mind. 


I think it is just easier for some people
My mom is a fast typer. She was over 100 wpm on an old manual typewriter. She insisted I take typing in high school. My fingers fly, however, that doesn't translate to the piano, lol.

Even when I was at MQ on Medrite, I got over 250 lph, and I was a newbie, right out of school. I do use a lot of expanders, but honestly, my fingers are just fast.

When I worked on an ER account, I was able to do 425 hour (lots of templates, but still)

However, the older I get, I wonder if I will be able to keep up the pace.
Female..hands down !


I swear, every account I've ever worked had one problem dictator.. always female !  One REFUSED to use macros, even on normals.. and she would always make sure she made every report unique, so that we couldn't sneak away with using a macro for her.  Another one spoke a hundred miles a minute.  I remember my first day with her.  She said something several times in her reports and I went crazy trying to figure it out.... lumbar spine ??  supine ??  Turns out she was saying "skip a line" !!  


 


Obviously not for his face, but maybe his hands?
x
Hands On Transcription
Does anyone have any info on Hands On Transcription?  They say they pay daily.  Thanks
not sure what you are looking for exactly but for my aching hands sm
i have a mixture i make. it leaves your hands for soft and smooth and feels great too. take table salt and mix in essential oil. i love to use peppermint as it leaves a "cooling sensation" afterwards. just mix it until the salt is moist, not drowned. rub it is (preferably over the sink as it will make a mess), rub deeply or massage and it feels great. then rinse hands with warm water and it leaves your hands so soft and feeling great as the oil is left on your hands.
hang on with both hands - and don't let go

some swear by, but I think my hands are too big.

Voc. Rehab. let me try one out when they were helping me get my ergonomics together, and I knew right away I could never get used to it.  I have rather "fat" fingers, though, and I think that was part of it.  If you have longer, thinner fingers, it might be right up your alley. 


You can rent one (which can then be applied to the purchase price, I think?) for awhile from this site to try it out, rather than outright buying it.


http://www.sforh.com/keyboards/kinesis.html


http://www.keyalt.com/kkeybrdp.htm


 


 


 


hands down..hourly

Hands down, if I had to pick one, my best
resource for medical terms is The Surgical Word Book. Boy that book is awesome. For meds, Quick Look Drug Book is The One! Online, the only site I really frequent is Dr. 411. Now, most of my coworkers are going to know who I am, as I am always singing the praises of these!! Oh well. It won't be any surprise to them how miserable I am at work - we all are.
Insuring hands??
I apologize if this sounds foolish but has anyone ever heard of a Transcriptionist insuring their hands in case they were in an auto accident, etc?? Is it even possible??
Cold hands
Does anyone else have freezing hands as they type?  It's worse of course in the colder weather.  Are there any gloves or similar products out there that we can wear while we type?  Any ideas are appreciated!  I freeze all the time, in warm weather or cold, but my  hands are what I need to be warm to keep transcribing.  I need a space heater that doesn't cause my electric bill to go sky high, but haven't found one of those either.
My hands are always cold too.
I have seen gloves with the fingertips cut out, but do not know how comfy they would be to type with.

I sit with a heating pad on my back cause I have arthritis in my hip and when my hands get cold I just put them behind my back to warm them up.

There are also those heat packs you can squeeze or rub together to warm up your hands.

You would think after typing and typing our hands would stay warm with all this exercise, but NO.

Keep Warm.
Warm Hands
Or how about a heated wrist pad for in front of your keyboard?
http://www.raynauds.org/offers/ThermalRest.cfm
Vonage the best hands down! I never
have trouble with them, either service or billing. No hidden charges, no monthly surprises. My bill is $32 every month for unlimited LD, plus I love their voice mail features, being able to access calls and messagers on line, their privacy settings - all calls can go right to voice mail if you want, etc. They are a miracle to me. Verizon, on the other hand, were skunks to me - my bill was always a nightmare each month, and though I had every Freedom Plan available, it was always a 3-digit bill. Service was great - billing was not.
When your hands feel like they are

going to fall off and your arms are killing you, what do you do/use to keep them going full speed for another 8 hours?


Nothing pill-wise though...that has already been done.


I'd like them for when I have cold hands

wonder if they would work for that...


I have had cold hands lately
and I tried buying some little stretch gloves and cut the fingers out, but I found in the Sunday paper an add for Miracle Therapy Gloves that supposedly reflect body heat. I was going to order them and try them. They do have a web site it's called www.DreamProductsCatalog.com
cold hands
My hands get so cold in my office that it's difficult to type.  They're stiff from being cold.  Any suggestions for a type of warming glove that wouldn't be cumbersome while typing?
what I did for my cold hands

I bought a duel-headed lamp with adjustable necks (kind of like the 50's space-age atomic style).  I have it on my desk in front of the keyboard with a lamp head bent over and trained on each hand as I type.  The warmth is wonderful, and it doesn't get in my way at all.  And you can move them up a little if your hands get too warm.  No cumbersome gloves that will slow your speed and accuracy down.


stiffness in hands
At 40, you could be premenopausal. I know it sounds early but some women are. You might try getting some progesterone cream OTC and rubbing it into your hands. It's touted to help just about all that ails bones, joints, tiredness or anxiety. Just a thought.
Radiology, hands down.
x
Easier said than done. Quit blaming the MT for this!! nm
x