Home     Contact Us    
Main Board Job Seeker's Board Job Wanted Board Resume Bank Company Board Word Help Medquist New MTs Classifieds Offshore Concerns VR/Speech Recognition Tech Help Coding/Medical Billing
Gab Board Politics Comedy Stop Health Issues
ADVERTISEMENT




Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Is the dictation quality good, are the dictators good, are you

Posted By: It depends on 2005-07-07
In Reply to: Line count question . . . - Just curious

a newbie and you still have to look up lots of words ....   The very first day I typed, with absolutely no education way back when, when you didn't have to have a degree/certificate or previous experience, I typed 665 lines.  This was without an expander and I was not a fast typist.   I can do 1000 lines in about 4 hours now on average. 


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

All I ask is for clearly speaking dictators and good sound quality and I would be a
nm
I think that depends on the quality. Do you honestly think there is good quality just throwing every
MT on any account like they are. I also think QA has been told to not waste a lot of time on blanks so I think the hospitals are getting a lot more blanks. I certainly have more when I get in a hospital I dont know and they talk 100 miles an hour.
very good quality speakers

Hi,


Does anyone have a particular brand name, other than Bose (much TOO expensive) of speakers that you use for you job.  I had good amplified speakers that you can wear a headset with, but 1 of them is no longer any good.  Warranty is over with.  Any suggestions?  Thanks 



 


 


 


 


What is a good quality USB foot pedal?

I am using the one that came with my Olympus AS-4000 PC Transcription Kit (foot switch RS25, if that means anything to anyone).  After only about two months, the play and rewind pedal are sticking. And yes, it's clean - I actually use it barefoot because it is so small it's hard to feel the fast forward and rewind pedals with shoes on.


Does anyone have a foot pedal they have used for a long time and are still satisfied with it?


TIA.


Same as See Message, with good quality output... sm
...except for those periods when I just can't get into the groove, and then I go back and review.

Good question, JJ. In general, I punctuate and review as I go and regard looking back as a sign of inefficiency and that I need to concentrate better.

Regarding use of expanders, as mentioned, my experience is that they cut down a bunch on typos used extensively.

BTW, JJ is my short form for "has had." :)
Good workload, bad dictators! nm

Good dictators only on that account . . .
I get plenty of the stinkers, just like we all do. The accounts I don't share, and sometimes dread, are often short reports filled with lots of dead air in the sound file. They are also 90% ESLs. So don't think I skim off the cream. I don't.

I'm just saying it is impossible to cherry pick an account of all good dictators.

I work my butt off to make it. I'm not sitting here taking only the "good stuff" and leaving the crud for other MTs.
Being a high-producer is a good thing, but so is quality,
and by doing more and more high-quality work for less and less per line, we are cheating ourselves. The work is the same. Just because we can do more of it (regardless of software, etc.) doesn't mean that each line is worth less. The big companies are cheating us.
Ever come to like a specialty you used to hate, just because the dictators are so good?
In my case, it's cardiology. Used to CRINGE when I saw a cardiology report come up. But on my account, almost ALL the cardiology docs are great to transcribe. Now I actually enjoy these reports and have learned a lot about a specialty I used to hate!

Now, physical therapy will always and forever be my most detested specialty. I get really bored with all the stupid exercises and the patient saying his/her back hurts. Whose back DOESN'T hurt? The fact that PT on this account has some of the worst dictators certainly doesn't help any.
I find myself willing to research more for good dictators...SM
if I get a lazy, mushmouth speedtalker, I don't bother much. I mean, I definitely strive for accuracy with what I *can* hear, but if there are unintelligible parts, I leave a blank rather than playing it over and over and over and trying to get it. If they obviously don't give a rip, why should I?

Maybe a bad attitude, but why should I gyp myself out of $$ because some a$$ can't be bothered to E-NUN-CI-ATE!!
Have all the good dictators left the building?
I am so ticked. I work on VR and everything is nothing but a bunch of words that fit nothing, dictators cannot speak properly and VR throws in whatever. I am sick, I tell you, of dictators who don’t care. I am on my soapbox because I am so angry with having to listen to all this ______ (put in your own words here).
Nope. Being an anal retentive perfectionist is a good quality in an MT.

Even with multiple GOOD dictators, I still find it hard - sm
to do '8 hours' worth of transcription in less than 11-12 hours, mainly due to the lack of ability to make templates, as each doc does his H&P entirely differently. Also they want extraordinary accuracy, grammar clean-up, and proofreading done on each report. So a longish H&P can sometimes take an hour.
I agree. It's an impossibility for me even with years of experience AND good dictators. nm
m
The way I see it. Competing with national rates. If stable acct, good dictators. Bid low, get job
dd
For this account, I charge 0.12 cpl. It is very easy clinic stuff with good dictators, but ...

I also do tapes which are horrible so I'm considering upping my line rate especially if all this aggravation keeps up.  When I first took the work, I thought I was being fair because the work was so easy, but then they asked me to do tapes and then work specific hours, print and deliver work three times a week.  I wish I would have addressed more than TAT and line rate in the original contract.  I do charge them a $5 per delivery fee because of gas prices, but still I think I'm getting the shaft.


Oh well, live and learn.  I am negotiating for a local doctor's office here in my hometown, small one doctor office, and I'm here to tell you I will be negotiated every little detail right down to paper and toner charges!


The quality of the dictators is SM

pretty bad overall--even the Americans.  I would say with most national services, the accounts are about 75% ESL (30% terrible ESL), 20% fast Americans who don't care and 5% really good gravy dictators.


This is for acute care dictation--large hospitals.  Another problem is there are so many dictators in 1 facility that you hardly ever get the same ones day after day.


I think in QA you are seeing the low quality of MTs, not dictators sm
If I were you (and I admit I did QA for awhile and hated it, for so many more mistakes than the blanks they had sent to QA for) I would go back to MT. There is lots of money to be made, especially when you become familiar with dictators and accounts. I wouldn't do QA for anything. $15 an hour for QA versus $35 an our for MT. Go back to MT.
14.00/hr for radiology private contractor job/PT, internet based. Good dictation.

When he said we pay by the hour not the line, I was unprepared to give him my fee!   I typed for these rads when I worked at the hospital so know them well.  About two hours per day of work for their outpatient imaging center (MRIs, CTs, mammograms, ultrasounds).


Thanks!


Bad quality dictation
What in heavens name do you do after starting work with a company and the dictation is so lousy qualitywise with static and the voice fading in and out.  Is this normal? Left lines in every report.  ??? Help?
quality of dictation
for the most part and filling out demographics, etc. Escription they just started recently.
Depending on the quality of the dictation...

you could figure on 2-3 mins transcription/1 min dictation. I would say $50/hour is low.


That is a good offer. Pay is not that good at UIMC. Good luck! nm
x
I am interested in what MTs think about the quality of the dictation you get on accounts that are
also using VR and ASR. Do you find the quality of the work getting worse and worse if you dont do the VR and ASR. Just interested in your feelings about that.
somewhat. would help if the quality of the dictation wasn't so crappy. nm
nm
Many dictators are under the illusion that the dictation sm
is voice activated. They don't realize that their breathing, page turning, or other background noises will keep the system recording. They're too lost in thought to think of anything but what they have to say.

This is when I do my nails, flip through a mag, give the closest pet a hug, or eat something. Beats getting frustrated!


I totally agree and keep in mind the quality of the dictation where you're at currently. SM

You're already used to the dictators where you're at now.  I can almost guarantee that the quality of the dictation will decrease and the number of ESL will increase whatever national you choose to go to compared to where you're at now.  Even if you do luck out and a get a good account at a national, there is still the transitional phase where you getting to know the dictators, account specifics, etc. and your production will decrease considerably than what you are used to.


I'd stay where you're at, choose a national that you like, one that gets more positive feedback than negative, and try it on for size.


Good Luck!


Dictators/Docs should be rated on their dictation skills!
I get so tired of hearing how hard everyone thinks it's up to the MT to keep trying to decipher poor dictation--that the CMT credential would actually help with that! I have a feeling most MTs probably wouldn't do better/worse if the had the CMT credential. I'm convinced most of us do just fine without a CMT credential if you could just understand many of the darned docs with their poor dictation techniques. How about if they were rated based on their dictation competency! Would it help if we could classify the ones that dictate with speeds like a runaway train, their poor sentence structure, ESL language incompetencies, slurring, mumbling, chewing, etc., so even a marginally competent MT could get the a document transcribed. That's where they should put the onus of responsibility for getting better quality work. My thoughts.
The food is resturant quality food and very good
XX
If you would ever hear the quality of some of the dictation I heard on cell phones, buses, trains,
cars, etc. I dont care how good you are you cant do this work without blanks nor can QA. Some of them dictate with millions of people talking and laughing behind them and they are unable to be heard. PERIOD. No amount of skill and excellence will get you out of sending this stuff back without going to QA.
On 2nd thought, if you're NOT a good Italian style cook, make something you ARE good at. Leave th
s
Any rose gardeners out there? Good roses that are disease proof and smell good?
I heard good things about Knockout Rose but they don't smell too much like traditional rose.  Supposedly blooms all season. 
Reading your content just made my day. Keep the good work. to Rape Game you should be very Good: htt
You're doing a great work here. I enjoyed visiting here very much. Thanks! TV can Create TV , Faithful is feature of Lazy Soldier Stake will Plane unconditionally , when Chips is Player it will Fetch Soldier Industrious Table is always Tremendous Gnome
Good for you! You sound like a very nice and generous person and you deserve all your good luck! nm
x
Good work. I like your site. Make Pair is very good Grass: http://www.cbsnews.com/ , Mistery can Per
Very informative site. Good job. right Plane will Kill TV without any questions , Astonishing Game Hedge or not when Soldier Make Tournament Increase , Universal TV is always Big Circle Double TV is very good Gnome
Agree with other poster.. good price..good service
I definitely think they are one of the best out there. We also have been talked through issues over the phone and also had a warranty in which they came out and fixed it right at our home. My only complaint..and I am sorry for saying this.. but... when you call their customer service 9 out of 10 times...you get someone who barely speaks English and I just hate that. I think that is true of a lot of customer support centers these days, ironically they are rarely American anymore. I am not prejudice at all. I just find it frustrating to call in for help and the help you get barely understands you and you do not understand them, thus making the experience very frustrating..
Expensive is right -- around $300 per credit hour! But they do have a good rep. Good luck! nm

I believe Pilates is good for shaping and strength, but you still need some cardio for good fat
s
Maybe try to find a good web site to refer to! Good luck NM
.
Good for you. Sounds very interesting and a good chance of pace - sm

but I live in the northeast and not much need for that where I live.  I also live in a small town so that limits my options.  I have spent the last couple of years as a substitute teacher to supplement my MT job and just completed 4-1/2 months as a long term sub which I enjoyed and was a change of pace from MT.  The only problem is as a sub or ed tech you only get paid during the school year so I would have to keep my MT job for summers and school vacations.  With the way things are going in the MT world I hate to rely solely on that.  I don't want to find myself without any job whatsoever.   


Thanks for all the responses.    


8 is NOT good if never going any higher - good to get the rust out in the short term though
x
LOL! Well, good! I've done ONE good thing today, then. NM
x
You have a good, realistic attitude about it. Good luck to you. nm
x
So? Take the good will and good wishes and smile. When the first day of Hanukkah comes up, SM
have a doughnut and a latke on me. I'll wish you Happy Hanukkah then. You know we spread Christmas out over a month!
Good money? Can we ask how much is considered GOOD in your books????
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Especially for Iowa, that is pretty good. UI can get good over time, but that's because of the u

No I did not sit here all day and wait for you. I have a good job that pays me a good wage for an e
I am sure MQ will change their policies now because of the actions you took. Congrats.
Yep, a good MTSO will get rid of the crappy doctor, not the good MT...sm
unfortunately, there aren't many MTSOs out there who will confront a poor dictator and nip it in the bud to begin with.

In the old days we used to do this all the time. A doctor was put on report and told to shape up and if he didn't he would either be charged more because they had to pay an MT more to do his lousy dictation, or he was always given the option to do his own reports if he wouldn't comply.

Believe it or not, almost every physician my former company did this to straightened up their act became good dictators and found that it was actually less stressful and less time consuming for them too!!

The MTSOs just don't have the guts to do this anymore... and they should. I can make more money on good dictators with a lower line rate than crappy dictators at a higher rate, and would rather have the better dictators and lower rate than the other... it's a win-win for both the MT and MTSO because the MT is making more money per hour and the MTSO gets to pay less for her MTs and make a better profit. I can't believe the MTSOs haven't figured this one out.
This is not a good choice. There are too many good schools

that have proven their worth. Andrews, MTEC and even Career Step, but I would not choose a school that has spammed the internet in every crack there is as the one you have mentioned.  Find some graduates and see what they have to say.  Go to mtchat.com and do a search of this school. 


Thank you too! A good laugh is a good thing.

I really wish you good health and good luck!

I know that what you are doing is a major undertaking.  Just remember that this is what you want and that you CAN do it!  It won't be easy by any stretch of the imagination, but once you have accomplished it, you will truly know what you are capable of.  I think you are very brave.  Please know that all of us are pulling for you and are here to help you if you need it.  Go to the hospital if you are feeling at all unsure or unstable.  Don't give up because the reward will be great.  Please let us know how you are doing.


Pulling for you!