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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

If you are that slow, why don't you stop in some local doctor's offices, pt, chiropractic, etc

Posted By: sm on 2006-02-06
In Reply to: anybody BORED?? - MTMommy

do their backlog?  That has always kept me extremely busy.


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I don't know about now, but they used to have local field offices. sm
A friend of mine had a problem, and she went in and talked face to face with a really nice person, who helped her through it. If you're close to an office, and if they still have them, that might be your best bet. Good luck.
Send letters to local offices marketing yourself. sm
Watch the want ads, and offer yourself as IC backup instead of FTs. It works!

As you pick up your accounts and back-up accounts, just do a good job and meet expectations or better.

The only drawback about your own accounts, it leaves little time to clock out and have your own life. If you can find someone else to work the accounts while you rake in the money, that is all the better.

I get .135/.13/.16/.195 direct from hospitals or doctor offices.
.
I am an IC and my accounts are clinics and doctor's offices

So I have weekends off unless the docs dictate late on Friday, in which case I have the choice of working late on Friday or getting the work done over the weekend.


With clinic work, you don't have the constant flow that you have with a hospital. You can't work harder or longer hours to make more money. There is a specific amount of work, and when it's done, that's it. Your income will fluctuate. But if you're willing to put up with that - you can have your weekends off.


Veteran's day. Kids are out of school. Many doctor's offices are closed.
dd
STOP trying to be a doctor. She should
go and get checked for a blood clot.  I'm speaking from experience.  Get it checked out.
Good/let them send it all to India! and stop the slow bleed

I'm sick of hanging on by my fingernails hoping things will get better.


Every day for the last 4 years my income has diminished.  As long as


men have their fingers in any particular industry, you can bet you will starve


doing work for them.  They suck the $$ out of it and then leave whatever profession


they were into, devastated and in shambled.


They have done it to drugs for our health, our hospitals, our medical field of doctors and nurses, and now they have done it to transcription.


I just wish one day I could meet one of these guys face to face.  Better yet I'd like to have a conversation with him when finally one of his loved ones has to use this devastated system they have brought down to nothing.


Now our ERs are overloaded and closing.  Medical care is getting to be nonexistant.  Hospitals barely let you stay long enough to get the IV in your arm, and then they are wheeling you out the door comatose but they have to follow the guidelines which means no longer than X number of hours per stay!!!! Well, hell's bells, why did I go to the hospital in the first place - I could have stuck a needle in my arm at home and not been shuttled around in the heat and car -


PROFIT.....I think America needs to rethink capitalism - it has begun to have an aroma about it.


Yes. If this doctor doesn't stop
snorting back the loogies I am going to vomit.
Slow work and people not going to the doctor

I have been transcribing for about 20 years, but took a break from it for about 1-1/2 years.  Now I am working for a service.  Here is my first question to you guys:


1.  How long has it been slow like this?  There does not seem to be that many jobs, and the response is slow when applying.  I use to get calls almost the same day with just posting a resume (a few years ago.)


2.  Also, this economy is so horrible.  I was thinking, people are losing their jobs - losing their health insurance.  Do you think that is really cutting into our industry, because people just cannot afford to go the doctor unless it is an emergency? 


I think every ESL doctor I type for in this city says "full stop".

The thing that threw me for a loop one day was a patient having a wasowagal attack.  I was so lost in transcription that I had totally forgotten that Indians often confuse V and W sounds so vasovagal attack became wasowagal attack. 


I'd ask the local authorities to tell the MTSO to stop sending THEM on a wild goose chase! NM
x
I'd suggest you look for a local doctor's office if you
want no ESL.   If you do acute care you're going to have ESLs. 
Start Stop voice file player and conflicts with Spyware Doctor

I was having problems with StartStop and talked to one of their techs this morning.  One of the bugs it was having was fixed when I turned off Spyware Doctor so I need a new anti-spyware program. 


 


I’m thinking of trying Spyware Blaster.  I called to see if there were any conflicts with that one but had to leave a message.  In the meantime, does anyone use StartStop voice file player and also use Spyware Doctor without any buggy conflict problems between the two softwares? 


If you want to work at a local hospital or doctor's office, go to community college. Otherwise
if you want to work from home, for a national company, you need to take the course from either Andrews School or M-TEC. It does you no good to save money by taking the Penn Foster course, because most companies will NOT hire grads from that school, it is a poor course and does NOT prepare you sufficiently for MT work.
chiropractic
I have been working for a chiropractic neurologist for about a year, part time. I received my certificate from a local college in May. Stedman's also makes a neurology word book that may be helpful to you. I love doing chiro work.
Anybody do chiropractic trans?...
Have only done radiology before...was wondering if, with this background, would it be possible to break into working for local chiro's or if totally different type of work.  Anybody having done this type of transcription before with any ideas/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!
Chiropractic care...sm

Hi there!


Just wondering if anyone has had any positive benefits from chiropractic care?  I have pins and needles in my face and arms for about two weeks every since the "pickle jar" incident...yes, I somehow managed to hurt my neck by opening a pickle jar!!!  Since then, the pain is pretty much gone, but I still have the nagging pins and needles feeling, so I scheduled myself an appt. for x-rays and treatment with a chiropractor for the first time and I'm a bit nervous.  Any advice?  TIA.


chiropractic work
I work strictly for chiropractors only and I charge all of them $2.50 per page.  One of the accounts I do only S.O.A.P. notes and they want them on labels, so they provide the labels, so it is just ink.  I use an ink jet.  I have been with them many years.  Hope this helps.
Need input on chiropractic account rate
Does anyone do a chiropractic account?  I am wondering what is a proper rate to charge.  The account is basically patient SOAP notes, fairly easy.  He has just started dictating his notes.  I don't want to overcharge him, but I want a decent rate too.  I don't want to charge separate for paper and toner, just add it in to my line rate.  Have to take into account the cost of gas for pickup and delivery as well, which is about 10 miles one-way for me usually once a week, but I do try to run other errands when I deliver work as well.  I am in Michigan.  I have no idea what the going rate is in my area, as I don't know of any local MTs here.  I am sure there must be some here, but in my 10 years in this area, I have yet to run across another local MT, nor have any of the numerous people I've met been aware of any as well.  I have made between .10 and .13, be it 65-char. or gross line, for at least several years now as a subcontractor.  I have 15 years of experience, mostly in acute care, so am not well versed in the going rate for clinic notes. Any input is greatly appreciated!
Soft tissue work with chiropractic care
Moving/manipulating the skeletal system without addressing muscle/tendons/ligaments is useless because the bones will misalign again if adhesions, etc. in muscles (from previous injuries, bad biomechanics, gravity's effects on our up-right postures,etc.) are not dealt with. I'm in my late 40's so I speak from experience. Muscles are often the culprits that pull bones out of proper alignment. Stretching muscles with adhesions is moot. Consider most of the time we are bending forward in our daily lives; psoas muscles get stronger but back muscles (S.I. ligaments) do not.
Soft-tissue work is essential. Chiropractic care alone doesn't complete the job, hence, need for repeated visits over months/years.
Hope this helps.
Slow day for me. Typed two reports in two hours. Anyone else having unusually slow day?
dd
Buy local. The local stores pay taxes to support your city and state. (SM)
Using online and catalogues does nothing to promote the local economy.  We complain about outsourcing and about the big companies gobbling up all the work so the jobs at local hospitals are gone, yet we do the same thing when we buy on ebay, catalog, and these web sites that may be located any place in the world as their primary business location. 
I went local. Great local tech support, they know what I do and were able to set it up just for me
:)
stop and full stop
that reminds me of a doctor who had his own very unique word for period...he called it a "perikat".  All through the report...Perikat... perikat.... LOL
Call your doctor - this is not a doctor forum! nm
x
You know the difference between God and a doctor? God doesn't think he's a doctor. nm
X
Offices are different.
Your supervisor should be able to email you a rundown.  My office has many different incentives, in fact, I have a hard time keeping track of them!
Why are all offices not ran the same?
x
One of the Ohio offices
I'd rather not say which. Been there years.... it's gotten worse, not better!
How do you change offices?
?
it seems to be all offices, have you signed
up for IPAY? I have not gotten a check yet either, but there is a statement there for 09/02 which obviously is not a regular paycheck
incompetent offices
Geez Mandy, you must work for the same place I did before I left LOL.
Offices need not comply .. but
we find that most do for the continuity in care issues that any practitioner faces.
Can anyone tell me how they like working for the NE Region of MQ as all offices in the NE are
going there one by one as the local offices close down. What are the people like to work for there and the QA people as far as feedback on things. Thanks
So they are consolidating offices, big deal.. it's a
c
Doctors' offices, not hospitals
Sounds like the OP is referring to doctors' offices and not hospitals. If we took the initiative and talked to local doctors in our area, perhaps they might be interested in having their work done in a more "personalized" fashion. We don't know unless we try.

I think the hospitals might be a "lost cause" in this regard because they are run by financial people and not the physicians themselves, but I think I will start making some appointments (which I need to do, anyway!) and query my physicians about who does their work. I think the office managers might brush me off, but I do not believe the physicians would.

I do agree with the OP that we all need to try to take back the medical transcription field ourselves and get it out of the hands of big business.
Small doctors' offices do!
My second job is for a small (3-physician) specialty office. I am paid by the hour at a nice hourly rate. I was also paid hourly when I worked in-house last year at a specialty practice. I got this job initially by asking the doctor personally who did their transcription when my daughter had a check-up appointment there.

Really, your best bet is to do some networking and research on local offices in your own community. A lot of small doctors' offices do not want to mess with big nationals and prefer a local dependable transcriptionist. As a poster below had suggested, offer to do a SMALL portion of their work for free on a trial basis.

I know what you mean about being burned out, though! I hope you find what you are looking for.
I think the MDs that care in their offices or clinics sm
keep their trans in-house. My personal MD does and overseas every last little detail and she is tough! The ones who dont want to mess with it go to a service and let the service take responsibility. So neither will care....IMHO
My experiences with home offices...
I used to have my office in the living room. It was really difficult for me and my family.

I moved it into the dining room ... again, was just a bad fit and crowded/cramped everything.

Finally I moved it to my bedroom. Now at first, I had my desk sitting out in the open and it became depressing. While I enjoyed the privacy and quiet (I could actually shut my door), it was all I saw when I was in my bedroom. That blank monitor staring at me, either making me feel guilty by not working more or making me dread going to work.

Soooo, then I got creative and I've been thrilled every since.

I pulled all of my clothes out of my closet and bought a beautiful armoire with drawers and a rod in the top to hang clothes. Beautiful asset to my bedroom.

I purchased a smaller but very nice desk and fit it right inside my closet. I have a lovely little lamp on my desk, streamlined all my paperwork to a minimum and put as much as I could live without (in tangible form) on the computer. Have a small vase I keep fresh but cheap flowers in. All I have is in the closet and I can close it up out of sight when I am done. I can store my books up on the shelf above plus I have a small CD player up there to play soft music while I work.

I did not want an ugly office chair anymore. I really liked my upholstered chair in my bedroom. So I had my son put rollers on it and now it is my chair. When I'm not working, I just turn it and angle it into the corner like it has always been...when I need to work, I just sit and slide right under my desk.

I could not be happier with this set up and it has been this way just over a year now.

I get copies of the schedule from the offices. sm
you are an IC, so you can call the shots. You can let them know that if you don't receive the work by a certain time, you will assume there is none, something of that sort. If you need a day off, give them advance notice and don't "ask" them for it, because you are an IC so you set your own schedule per IRS rules. You do not need their permission, per se. Obviously, we accommodate the docs as much as possible to keep the accounts, but only to a certain extent. We shouldn't be on call for them 24/7, either. They wouldn't wait all day for a patient that may or may not show (and sometimes even charge if the patient is a no-show!!) If you wait and wait for work, play their game and put it in writing that you will charge for your time -- and then DO it. A few extra charges on the old invoice will likely bring about a change. ;)

Even with the schedules provided, the docs can and do change them at the last minute, so there's no way you can ever know for sure, but at least you can have SOME idea what's going on if they provide them. The way I see it, if he tells you he will be out, then that's what you go by. Even if the staff can't verify it (strange, since most docs are highly reachable by staff), you've heard it straight from the horse's mouth so if you want to take that opportunity to have a day off, let the staff know you'll be off that day, period.

If the doc changes his mind and comes in that day, well, I'd still take the day off if I made plans. Keep that saying in mind that poor planning on their part does not constitute an emergency on your part. If they don't like it, then maybe they'll make better future efforts to keep you in the loop.


Whether hospitals or independent offices,
I'm speaking from experience.
MQ offices- If there is an MQ office in your city/state, is it possible to

apply for an MQ job outside of your state?   I think I have been blacklisted from the MQ here in Birmingham, AL.  I worked part-time for them when they first setup an office here, and they were named Transcription Limited, I believe. They only paid 6-7 cpl at that time.  Well I worked for them a couple years and then opportunity came where I could work for another transcription company, and I am assuming was a competitor to them in the Birmingham market.   Mind you, I left in good standing (so I thought), two-weeks notice and all, and was an exceptional employee, but years later, every time I have tried to apply through them, I get turned down.   So I am wondering if I could work for another MQ office outside of Alabama, or will they refer me to the Birmingham office?


How much do most people charge for doing IC work for doc offices, just

What program is good to use for line counting?


I was thinking 13/cents a line?  Is that undercharging?  I have to remember that I have to pay my overhead so even though 13 sounds high, I have to pay equipment,  equipment, equipment.


help


go solicit medical buildings/offices...nm

So tired of dealing with incompetent offices...

they just emailed me for the upteenth time for a stat report that I already sent to them 40 minutes ago.  Wouldn't you think they'd check to see if they had it first!?!  Constantly emailing me questioning what they've sent me and when.  Why can't she keep logs like I do!?!  Doesn't take a rocket scientist!  Can't remember from day to day to send me patient lists.  Don't know what the heck she does with incomplete reports I've sent because doc doesn't give a name of messes up his dictation and cuts half of it off.  I'll get a call a couple of weeks later saying doc insists he dictated on so and so, but they never got the report.  I'm the one who has to go back and search for the nameless reports and match up the the patient they're missing with diagnoses, age etc., then tell her that's the one I sent you on that date that was incomplete.  Why can't she figure that out!!!  If I functioned like they do, I wouldn't last a week!  Sorry, had to vent.....


Start by calling your personal doc offices. Probably
s
There are so much better accounts out there. Start calling offices sm
to get new accounts, let this one go, and don't look back.

I have in this situation many years ago. Believe me, I learned along the way. There are dream clients out there and there are these type.

I have found in my 25 years experience in MT, 18 of those working as an IC, that as one door closes, another one opens.

Most doctors offices are like that because they are not open on the weekend...
and work doesn't start trickling in until late monday afternoon/evening so why bother waiting around, just take the day off!!!
They are and that is why we dont have work then. They bring in other offices and run your office out
of work because too many people are on the account then. Make sense. Nope.
I, too, work for MQ out of one of their CA offices - 7 years now. Steady workflow sm
I wouldn't say I don't run out of work, but maybe 3 times a year I do. Just depends. Around school time beginning I do. May pay is probably above average because the company I worked for that MQ bought paid really well.
I have had absolutely no problems with MQ, though the things I keep hearing and seeing do bother me that I belong to a co. like this. But personally, they've been too good to me.

I guess not all offices are the same, for sure!
DH and I used to clean lawyers' offices for supplemental income. sm

Made good money.  They were very appreciative folks and even gave us a $100 tip at XMAS time.  Mind you, we were working for a contractor.  Would have made more if we were the contractor.  No shame here.