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Motivated Production

Posted By: Wise.MT on 2008-12-10
In Reply to: Need some help - here...

When I first started working by the line, as I got closer to where I wanted to quit for the day, I would tell myself "I can do 5 more reports." Don't think about the lines, only the reports, let the dictation flow through your mind. You can use this technique per time period (every 2 hours, 4 hours, whatever works for you). If you can't face the prospect of 5 reports, make it 3. Once you have been doing this for a few days you WILL see a big increase. Those reports are the BONUS you are giving yourself. Don't think about who is paying you at this point, think about what you are paying yourself. I know you can do it. You can e-mail me if you want some encouragement, I have been at this full time since 1976.


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okay now i'm motivated but

The most I can get is about 1700 lines and thats on a very rare occasion, without some sort of hand, arm, wrist, finger pain making me stop.  And if for some reason I do not have pain, I get distracted (my own darn fault), but I find it hard to stay focused for a consecutive two day stretch, ill have one good day, then throw it all away the next day.  As far as the pain, if youre only  getting the numbness, and with the lines youre typing, maybe i'm sitting wrong or using the wrong keyboard.


Need to get motivated
Ok, here's my situation.  I've been working as an MT from home for 10 years.  I have loved it for the most but it does have its negatives.  I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.  I have decided to apply for an MT position with a hospital and I would still be able to work at home.  They require 60 minutes of dictation to be transcribed each day.  At first I thought - no problem - but now that I've thought about it I am getting kinda worried.  I have lots of experience as an MT but I'm getting cold feet now!  Can I do this? What if I can't (how embarrassing!)  I'm starting to realize that I would really have to buckle down and stay incredibly focused!  In other words, I'd have to get rid of all my bad habits like surfing the web, stopping to do a load of laundry, etc.  I do not normally do 60 minutes a day.  So can an old, somewhat unfocused MT learn to become focused and extremely productive again?  That's the question.  I am not a lazy person but I do know that over the years I have become a bit slack in my work habits.  Now that I have this chance to work at a great place making good money, I want to shape up my act and go for it - but part of me wants to just stay status quo.  Maybe I am lazy!  Grrr.... Not sure how to pick myself up and self myself to an employer and get seriously motivated but I know there is a part of me that says - go for it!  Any suggestions?  Any comments? I guess I'm looking for some support here and a dose of confidence too!  Thanks.
How do you stay motivated?

 


I have been transcribing for years - feeling burned out - can't concentrate and keep on typing enough to make much money.  Does anyone have any tricks for staying motivated??


Yes, it is hard to get motivated that way.
I've had my own clients and worked for MTSO like the one you're describing and had similar problems with both. Gave up my own clients because I was tired of the hassle, then ended up with an MTSO that started great but always had some excuse why pay wasn't on time, and never their fault. I found another MTSO to work for, only I made sure this one had direct deposit. Now check is there every time, on time, and they use a platform so no "lost" files because you can track everything. I wanted you to say there are better MTSOs and MT situations out there in case you decide not to go with the new job, but I have to say, the new career path sounds like a great opportunity. I hope it works out well for you! I've often thought it'd be nice to find a legit FT at-home job NOT in MT so let us know how it goes.
You must be self-motivated to be a good MT anyway. If you couldn't SM
do well with the self-study program, you probably wouldn't be a very productive MT. I think this is the first bad word I've ever heard about these companies. I'd hire a graduate in a heartbeat because I would know they were competent or they wouldn't have graduated.
No. MTs who are not motivated end up talking and we did all the work
dd
Seems to help me... Keeps me motivated, energy up... et cetera. NM
:)
So what do you do to keep motivated to type during the work day? Sometimes I find it so hard to...

stay focused.  When you're working at home it is soooo easy to turn on the TV, take frequent breaks to answer the phone, talk to hubbie, play with the kids, take a hot bath, play solitaire on the PC, surf the net, post on a message board, etc.


I just wondered if anyone had any miracle cure for the wandering mind?


I'm having a hart time lately staying motivated and getting a good count,
x
It wasn't a high schooler that motivated HIPAA's invention
of a well-known, well liked and now deceased tennis player at the beginning of the acknowledgement of the disease and cost the career of that man.

Makes me wonder what other misinformation you distribute.
Just enough to cut into my production. nm
:+
production
Don't "P" off your coordinator! lol
production
 I have been transcribing for over a year now and I STILL cannot produce 1200 lines a day.  Sometimes I have to work 8 hours to do 900.  What is my problem?  My account manager says most transcriptionists can do 1200 lines in 6 hours.  Please tell me how you do it!!!  I have developed a good Expander vocabulary...
production
There are a lot of variables in this issue.  I know when I have op notes or certain ESL dictators and lots of discharge summaries, my line count drops tremendously.  If I have ER notes which I love, I can do a lot more.  What are your report types?
production
I have two accts that i can type at least 500 lines per hour!
Production QA
I was looking into a QA/editor position being paid per line.  (5 cpl)  Does anyone have any suggestions on whether to look into this more?  I've been a Transcriptionist for 10 years and I am interested in a different position than typing now.  Any advice would be very helpful.  From what I understand (??) it is US-based MTs with 100% read throughs on average ESL accounts.
production pay

I'm sure with your 15+ years of experience and your speed you will do very well pay-wise.  Be sure your internet research skills are honed and this will make you even more successful.  You may want to try and find an account that is all cardiology or all operative notes if you really want to hit the ground running.  Good luck to you! 


Please try doing more ops. Your production SM
will increase because the doctors dictate faster and some will say the same thing over and over. You can make samples of their standard reports.

Speaking of samples, can your supervisor send you some? Ask to be sent specific op reports such as ob and ortho. Those are the ones the doctors say the same stuff all the time. Try mastering one specialty at a time.

You will be doing yourself a favor by learning to do more report types.

I know this isn't answering your original question, but I would really like to encourage you to try them. I know you can do it! :)
I am on production too s/m

does anyone ever think of that?  Everyone keeps saying we are paid to fill in their work, but does anyone ever consider that I get paid by how many jobs I do in a day?  Filling in 20 blanks on 1 report versus filling in 1 blank on 20 reports makes a difference to me.  Nobody ever thinks a lot of us get paid just like you do, by how much work we produce.


Production
How long does it take to get up to 1200 lines?  I've been reading the posts on cafemt.com and I can't believe some of those people get 2000 lines.  How do they do that?  Any suggestions would be great.  thanks.
production...
i average 12-1400 L/day but that is on a 6-7 hr workday. I do acute care, lots of chunk-type expanders, very few 'normals', mostly decent dictators. On days with more diffi dictators, too many short reports, etc, its good if i average 170/lph. i'm not that fast but i get up to 260 lph at times, yet average 200/lph. i've been at this several decades, but take more time than many (probably) to research something or verify accuracy too. i take lots of breaks too, so it stretches my day out. On the other hand, i have, in my years, seen some extremely fast typists, and people who can stay put in the chair a long time. if you have the knowledge, stay put and build momentum and are naturally fast, i can see being able to do 2000-2500 a day with quality. but maybe you burn out or stress your arm nerves too much in a shorter time.
Production/Pay
Okay, you might have some good points but how come the majority of us, who loved our jobs and made great $$ on any and all of our accts are having the exact same problems, the exact same worries at the same time? 
Production
500 lines an hour are 12.5 pages! A page has usually 40 lines.
There are people who cannot even read so fast.
I bet all is Expanders and mormals.

LOT more to MT than just production. sm

Maybe you worked at one of those very rare places where they compensated a MT for her knowledge and expertise and not just her production.   


Also regarding production
None of us can compare ourselves anyway because there are so many factors involved in determining how many lines get done. Within my own accounts, mine vary up to 70 lph, and I swear I am working harder on the slow days!!
VR Production
Does anyone consistently edit 450 lines per hour on EXT VR? That is what I need to do to keep my salary the same and so far I am not even up to 300 lines per hour. Any suggestions to improve my line count would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Much better for me on production

I worked in house for about four months last year and went back home.  Hated the office politics crap, but I made significantly more per hour at home than I did in the office.  I was considered a newbie and so wasn't paid as much  hourly as the women who had been doing it for years.  Because I'm MUCH faster than they are, though, I make more than they do working from my home.


It all depends on your line rate and your speed, and what you think good money is.


Oh, is that so? We get production bonuses, but none for
xx
ASR production increase?!?!
Anyone want to know how MQ came up with the figures to say we have a PRODUCTION increase because of ASR?  It will surprise you!
p.s. ASR production up.............. I forgot
to mention that even though my production is up a bit with ASR, it only makes up for being down on production with DQS in general, finally back to getting my lines in an eight hour day instead of 10 hours.
DNS and line production

>>>I have wondered if Dragon Naturally Speaking for Medical Transcription is a way to increase overall line count.


1.  It takes several months to reach a good production level.
2.  You need to listen to the dictator *AND* dictate at the exact same time. However, if the dictator is one what requires a lot of mental editing, you're better off using the keyboard.


>>>I seriously want to know how is it that some MTs can type up to 2000 lines a day!  That is phenomenal!  Is there a secret?  Please share!


I used to transcribe 250 lph (gross lines) back in the days of using a typewriter (no Expanders and time spent erasing carbons), plus I was only typing around 90 wpm, which isn't all that wonderful. So, my suggestions are:


1.  Stay focused.
2.  Make the best use of your Expander as you can.
3.  Don't treat the BOS like a bible.


Oh foeey on production
Well, you are hearing right then honey.

I do run a great company and I am overwhelmed with some of my girls' abilities. They never cease to amaze me. There are only a handful that really mean something to me and to be honest with you they are not big producers (of lines that is) but that is okay with me.

Our turn-around-time still beats any competitor. Go ahead Spheris, SoftScript, or anyone and try to beat a 3 minutes turn-around-time. Sorry, but it won't happen. My girls are trained to know what happens when they make me happy, and for that reason, and that reason only, I run the best business.


My production went in the toilet....
x
None - pay is on production - per line. nm
x
Has anyone increased their production with

traffic/production mgr
and an awesome hubby!
QA pointers in regards to production
I am trying so hard to stay above the 98.5 QA requirement but I find my production has lowered to practically 1000 lines in a 9-10 hour period.  My problem is not misspelling terms so much as missing words such as "an, a, the," etc, and then of course I am re-reading every report, which slows me considerably.  I am on a heavily accented teaching hospital account, and sometimes the sound quality is bad, but I am losing money big time.  Also if I fall below 98.5, my line rate goes down also.   Help!  Any and all appreciated!
Production e-mails
Sounds like we work for the same company!  I wonder if the whole company is doing that or just particular team managers? I really don't mind it that much, it kind of keeps me on my toes - but I can understand your frustration.
Hourly/Production
If an MT is paid hourly, then the law states that OT is mandatory.  But, "certain computer related occupations" per the Department of Labor, are considered exempt.  I tried to find the right web page for it, but I couldn't find it.  I know that even my husband, who works by production, does not get paid OT.  Most times they will offer an incentive when they want the work to get done faster, but no OT.  If anyone finds the link, let us know! 
production & baby
My suggestion is that you to hire a sitter. Breastfed babies, generally speaking, do not sleep as long as bottle fed ones; they have to feed more often and are used to being closer to mom. I would get a sitter, because your current method is not working. Right now, you can't give your full attention to your baby or to your work. Believe me, the baby knows this too.
per my accountant - and being on production

being on production, you don't know what you're going to make - so it doesn't apply to us.  In the beginning, I used to pay quarterly.  I now pay annually and the IRS just returned $3700 in overpayment to me for this year.  Yep, I just recently received a check back for overpaying my 2005 taxes!!!  As long as you pay and on time, the IRS lets us do this.  Been doing it this way for years now and I have no IRS problems *thank goodness*


Better get a better CPA/accountant if they don't tell you these things......or maybe different strokes for different states, but I don't think so.



work production
In my experience it's any work that has repetitive information, normals/macros etc that you can insert into the reports over and over again.  A lot of my docs have pretty much the same physical exam for example, so I'm not retyping it over and over again.
Production is my paycheck
I work in 1 of my bedrooms with a big window facing the driveway. I have done this work for 30+ years. The office also has my husband's computer in it. I have absolutely no problem in keeping my mind on my work, the pay alone is the answer, no work, no pay and the more lines the better I feel when I get that check. I never see things I should do around the house because I have a housekeeper that comes every other week and takes care of things like that for me. Housework is about the last thing I want to do!!
production and time

I am so frustrated with how long it is taking me to get my quota every day.  Today is going to be rough because all the kids are home from school, but on most days, it is just myself and my 4-year-old son.  I do about 1000 lines per day and it takes at least 7 hours.  Is this normal or should I producing way more in this time frame?  I have been in this field for 16+ years now.   I work for a great company and most of the accounts I have are terrific with excellent dictators.  I am up and down a lot, but it just seems like forever! 


Oh - and I do not spend a lot of time on this board during my working day.  In fact, I haven't posted here in a long time!!


I'm just curious how long it takes other experienced MTs with normal work-day interruptions to complete about 1000 lines of transcription each day?


I went from production MT to QA and back to
I, personally, found that the QA cons outweighed the pros, and I was making about $20 per hour as QA.  Went back to production MT and have not regretted it at all.  I have had offers to QA, for $18 to $20 per hour but politely refused.  If there were a specific reason I could not transcribe (carpal tunnel, arthritis, etc.) then I would go back to QA or possibly VR.
MT production incentives
I'm doing an MT class project and need to know this:  when a Transcriptionist is paid and hourly wage plus production incentive, HOW MUCH is the incentive (generally)?  I've had trouble getting this info so far.  BTW, the project concerns an in-house transcription department.  I appreciate any help - even educated guesses! :)
Production incentive

The last hospital I worked at paid an hourly wage, no incentive, and had a minimum line requirement per day of 1200. 


The problem with this scenario is that there is no incentive to produce more - thus the term * incentive *.  If work became backed up, we were offered overtime.


When I worked in-house for a service, we had a line per day requirement of 1200 and anything over 1200 lines per day was paid at 6 cents per line.


I have not worked on production before, only

converting my typing speed into an idea on how many lines per hour I could expect of myself.  I've done acute care MT for over 15 years and am considering going to work at home on production pay.


I type a very solid 127-130 words per minute.  So, how does that relate to lines per hour that everyone talks about? 


Thanks.


Doing some figuring on your production

If you do 3000 lines per day as you say you do and for example it's all VR at 0.03 cents  per line that's $90 for a day's work.  So you would make a little over $11.00 an hour.  It would be $15.00 an hour paid at 0.04 cents a line.


Not so hot.  I predict VR will cause MT wages to decline at current pay.  I've been doing VR for over 2 years and it is not over twice as fast as typing in general.


 


Wow, I would too for that kind of production! - nm
ss
Rethinking production pay...
I used to be paid like that years ago at an in-house job. I made $10 an hour and was required to do 1200 lines a day. Anything over that, I made 3 or 4 cpl a line. It was typing 1800 to 2200 lines a day. So I made good money.