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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Need Opinions--Sorry, it's long.

Posted By: Amy on 2006-02-28
In Reply to:

I'm a new graduate, and I just received my IC contract, manual, etc. yesterday morning from a particular company. I got an email from my QA stating I should remember that my doctor [only account thus far] is on a trial basis with this company, so I should impress him with my work. I was to receive some files yesterday via the website. Well, I have checked repeatedly from yesterday morning up until five minutes ago. Also, the intranet messaging system gives me an error notice, so I can't even see who my team members are. Same with client resources list. It's showing on my screen that there are no files in any doctor's section. To give some background, this QA told me the company just took back their medical transcription from an overseas source who tried to steal their clients. They are very busy trying to get things straightened out right now with a new system, new hires, and reassuring clients, which I can understand. My problem lies with my newness to the profession. How long are we supposed to sit around waiting on a darn file to type? I'm finding all sorts of glitches with the website and got no response to the email I sent yesterday to ask about it all. I'm already nervous due to this doctor being on a trial basis and my never having transcribed medical legal reports for worker's compensation suits. Should I relax and see what happens, or should I bug the QA guy to find out what the heck's going on? As I stated, he hasn't answered my email from yesterday. I'm doubting my decision to go with this company already and haven't even begun. I thought it would be interesting since it's law suits. Any advice?


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It's been a long, long time since I've used a C-phone, sm
but I do think jobs can be paused.
Need opinions

Does anyone use software for transcription that has the automatic faxing and e-mailing so the doctor's office doesn't have to pay staff to do this? 


Was it expensive for you to buy - does the vendor charge you a per line fee or any fee for this - is it easy for you to use - and do you feel that the doctors like this kind of software and its faxing and emailing of transcripts to referring physicians functions?  Also, do you have names of companies you could give so that I could possibly check into this?  I am currently using a phone-in system but I thought an automatic faxing software would draw in prospective doctor clients. 


Any opinions, good and bad, are welcomed.   Thank you. 


Need opinions please

Does anyone use software for transcription that has the automatic faxing and e-mailing so the doctor's office doesn't have to pay staff to do this? 



Was it expensive for you to buy - does the vendor charge you a per line fee or any fee for this - is it easy for you to use - and do you feel that the doctors like this kind of software and its faxing and emailing of transcripts to referring physicians functions?  Also, do you have names of companies you could give so that I could possibly check into this?  I am currently using a phone-in system but I thought an automatic faxing software would draw in prospective doctor clients. 



Any opinions, good and bad, are welcomed.   Thank you.


Thanks for the opinions. sm

I'm still firmly of the opinion that it does suck.  I hate it.  The poster who said it's just a mess to clean up, is absolutely correct.  That's the whole problem.  Some doctors are great,  others are so-so, and many are just a mess.  You waste more time backing up and correcting, and could have typed it by hand in the first place with less grief and frustration.


Yes, maybe it is the wave of the future, but as many bad dictators as there are, there are always going to be people needed for them.   Let the ones who love speech rec go for it.  It might help some, saving some people's hands, and boosting production somewhat, but I'd really like to talk to the people themselves who love it and supposedly have great production, rather than just seeing a generic sheet of numbers that the supervisors wave around for show. 


No, it was not the Dragon program, and not a national company. 


This is not on just a few providers, it's about 70% of them in a quite large facility, ESLs included right along with the stumblers and mumblers.


Correct, the supervisors are pushing this program so hard, to save money. Yes, it can be a great help to some, but not to all. 


Medical reports can be extremely complicated, and are in no way comparable to social work reports.  One person, consistently dictating all the time, compared to an assortment of 20-30 dictators/speech patterns at random, with different types of reports?  No, there's no comparison. 


All in all, it does suck to work with.  And if I'm not taken off the program at the end of three months, then I will probably quit.  It might help me somewhat, but I doubt it's going to boost my production that much.  We'll see what happens.  To me, it's not worth the stress and frustration. 


My opinions (which is what they are - opinions)
are just as worthy as yours!

You need not worry about my work production. It is still steady. I'm on here when I have time. Took the day off today to relax and rest.

I hope you enjoy your day! :)

need some opinions, please
I applied at 2 companies on Friday evening - heard back from both of them the same day - one wanted a questionnaire filled out, the other said they were very interested in talking to me and asked me when I was available to speak to them M-W of this week - I wrote back and gave times, etc.  Haven't heard anything yet.  If I don't hear by this evening, should I call them?  I'm very anxious to get another job! 
Opinions PLEASE!

I am SO sorry for reposting this. If I knew how to remove my other post from the pressure valve, I would... I do not want to get in trouble for multiple postings, so PLEASE forgive that mistake. I just don't think that the PV gets as much traffic as this board, and I really need some help right now! 


Can I get an opinion from someone who is experienced in this business?  I am a relatively new MT...  I have only been doing this job since March 2005, so less than a year. 


I work as an independent contractor at .08 per line.  My employer is a really nice person, but she will frequently need help over the weekend.  I have always said sure because I want to make myself valuable to her.  However, I have always done as much as I can do comfortably and still have time with my family over the weekend. 


I did an extra 1000 lines this weekend, which takes me about 6 hours because I am still new and research everything if I am not totally familiar with the terms.  I got an email this morning saying that, basically, I had not done enough to help her and she ended up doing "most of it" herself.


My feeling is that she is the owner of this business.  If she overextends herself as far as taking on work and she has to work all weekend to get it done, that's what she has to do as the owner of this business.  If she wants to pay a weekend differential to me, then sure... I will make plans with my husband to take the kids on his own and I will work all weekend now and then.  But if I am working for the same rate, I am not willing to work all week and then work all weekend too and miss out on my husband and children.  Isn't it customary and expected to offer a differential for working weekends and holidays?


I am a bit miffed because I gave up most of my Saturday and an hour or so on Sunday to help her out, and now I am criticized for not doing more for the same pay. Any input from you experienced MTs?


I am sitting on my email reply, but it does have this in it:


"I am happy to help as much as I can over a weekend without a differential, but I will need to do so around my family's schedule."


I need to reply to her email, but am not sure what to say. Thank you in advance for your help.  


 


Opinions please!
Have any of you worked at home for a long length of time and then had to go out to work in the public for any reason? I have been a home MT for a long, long time, 10++ years. I work for a big national, but find that I can no longer sit here and wait for work! I have applied for an in hospital job doing rehab! Is this type of work difficult? Any opinions greatly appreciated. I would really like to have your input!
TIA
Opinions please!!!!!!
It's not PT the add just said Rehab MT. So, this had me confused! What do you all think? TIA
Need Opinions-OP
I got things straightened out, but thanks for your replies. I ended up with a 13-page report right after posting. LOL He spoke clearly, too! It's for a psychiatrist, so it should be interesting to hear those cases.
You know what they say about opinions!
8>)
Need opinions

Yesterday, I received an announcement in the mail regarding the graduation of a long-time ex-friend's daughter's graduation...wheew!


My question to y'all is...the last time this ex-friend and I spoke, we were not on good terms..and actually, she wasn't really a friend.  She was an MTSO that I worked for for about a year.  Turned out (and long story short) she was a crazy person!!!  Anyway, I was very surprised to receive this announcement.


What would y'all do? Send the girl money?...I have nothing against her, though I don't really know her that well...trash the announcement and forget about it, or what? I am by no means going to attend the ceremony, but should I even acknowledge the receipt of the announcement?


I feel like the "friend" just...like my daughter said...went through her address book and sent everyone in it an announcement...probably just for gifts...your help would be so appreciated!


LOL! No wonder you have so many opinions on here!!!!
You are not allowed to have them at home :)
Thanks for all the opinions....sm

I don't believe I am looking for acceptance or any such thing from my mother, but rather I truly care about my father and aunt's health.  I think sometimes people are very close to a situation and may not be able to see outside of themselves. 


Also, I never said, nor do I believe, that an MT has anything on a NP.  I only believe that we do have some medical knowledge and can sometimes pick up on things.  Years ago my dad had a constant cough.  His doctors (IM, card, pulm) or my mother couldn't figure it out.  I asked if he had started any new medications and he had started an ACE.  He changed meds and his cough was gone. 


I have to think a little more about this, but I do appreciate all the help.


Would like some QA opinions...
I am very frustrated with inability of some of my IC's to punctuate and construct sentences correctly.  Is this a common problem, or am I just being too particular?  Do others correct this kind of thing and inform the MT or just let it go?
QA opinions
Well said sm! Well said!
Opinions please
I have been working for a small MTSO for over 3 years.  My current pay scale is .0675 per gross line.  This company recently merged with another company and I just received a new contract to sign changing the pay scale to .08 per 70 character line.  Can some of you math experts out there tell me if this is actually a *raise* as they say, or if this is a cut in pay?  and also, would you sign the contract and stay???  I may need to reconsider my options. 
I am asking for opinions here first
I can ask the doctor at any time what he pays and he'll tell me. I just wanted some other peoples thoughts before I start asking the doctor questions and trying to sell him the idea of keeping the work in the US.
I'm asking for opinions
I wasn't expecting an accurate answer. I just wanted to get some QA opinions. If you read my post, it says "do you think....," not do you KNOW.

Thank you to those of you who took time to share your kind opinions with me. The rest...I'll just take with a grain of salt.
Opinions please
Just curious, what do most MTs think about built in headings, would you rather have to take out the ones not used or put in your own?  Would you rather have a physician's list on line or a printed copy in front of you?  Just wondering because I seem to have a real hard time with all the built in headings as most of them are never used.  When you do have the headings, if the accounts specifics do not indicate specific ones to be used, do you change the wordings, such as from history to history of present illness if, in fact that is what the dictator dictates?  Thanks for the opinions in advance.
Opinions please!

I am considering filing harassment charges against an MTSO for which I used to work.  I left the company 3-1/2 years ago to start my own company with another Transcriptionist (who also worked for the same MTSO).  We had both signed a non-compete contract and had no intention of violating that agreement.  When we were contacted by three of the MTSO's former clients, we consulted an attorney who advised us that while we could not solicit the work we were free to accept the work being offered (in the contract, the MTSO had not only attempted to prevent us from soliciting its clients, it also attempted to prevent us from accepting work from its clients if offered).


Two years after we had both left the MTSO, we both received a visit from the local authorities who had received a complaint from the MTSO stating that we were operating a business out of our homes without a license.  This was proven to be unfounded as we had closed our company the year before (we both went to work for other transcription companies).  A couple of months after the complaints were filed, the MTSO then filed a lawsuit against us (as well as three other former transcriptionists who had worked for the same MTSO) for breach of contract. The judge ruled in our favor and the lawsuit was over.


Fast forward to now:  I received yet another visit recently from the local authorities stating that another complaint had been filed against me by the MTSO for operating a business out of my home without a license.  Again, this was proven to be unfounded as the company no longer exists and I am now considered an employee, not an independent contractor. 


If I file harassment charges, would I just be adding fuel to the fire or stamping it out, as is my intent.


Thanks for any and all advice!


opinions
I was wondering if anyone here know much about Trans America Associates, or if it is a good company to work for.  Thanks.
More opinions please....
Thanks.
Thanks for opinions

I had doubts myself, guess that's why I asked.  I will continue to brainstorm for a new name.  Thanks to all that replied!   


Thanks for your opinions...

My brother-in-law is a very sensible, smart and  hard-working man, and my sister has always so cautious, especially when it comes to her children. But somehow, the past couple years she is able to turn and look the other way with her son. And my brother-in-law will not tell his son  to get his head out of the clouds.  Their philosophy is, they survived the "hippie" years, so they know their son will be "fine".   Perhaps it is just to hard for them to deal, so they are too easy on him.  I know it is not my business, but I love them and sometimes I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut.  I need to learn to keep quiet.


 


opinions, please

Do the majority here think that our supervisors and managers are out of touch?  Before you laugh, this is a serious question.


As we type all these crappy soundfiles, static, ESLs, Christmas carols in August, and on and on, do you think that our managers who were MTs x years ago would really be able to produce as much as they expect us to do day in and day out? What they did in the past isn't an apples-to-apples comparison any more than if we do that.  This is a "today" survey of sorts.


The main reason I ask this is naturally as above (the out of touch/too far removed thing), but beyond that, now that we have all the "perks" of the digital age, why do we still have all these audio problems and everything else we endure on a daily basis?  Why have those problems yet to be resolved, seriously?


I thought about this over the weekend as I had an entire shift of one doc, who always uses a horrible phone or something. The end result is always leaving quite a few blanks--and that's after QA goes over it. 


This isn't a diss session.  It's more a fact-finding one.


Thanks for reading this and adding comments.


Need opinions Please sm

Employee salaried position, 52K year, at home with benefits for QA specialist doing full edits, feedback and monthly QA audits.   Do you think this is a reasonable salary?


This is salaried, not hourly! 


 


Thank you in advance for all opinions!


Need opinions QA job
I would love to make that type of salary as QA.  I am working 1 FT job as QA, 1 PT job QA as well as just started transcribing PT to boost my income.  Money is good but I would like to just work one job, even 10 hours a day for that money rather than the way I'm working now.  I say go for it and let us know the company or how you found such a job once you accept the position (or not).  Good luck!  Work so much cuz....2 kids in college.  I feel fortunate to work in an industry where I can make as much as I possibly can and take on extra if need be.
Thanks for opinions s/m

I visited a school yesterday.  I can't justify paying almost $12,000 to go to school to get a $10/hour job.  I'm going to take the advice I've gotten, get a book and study, and take the certification exam on my own, and then start pestering pharmacies.


Thanks, everyone!


Don't ask for opinions if you don't really want

them. 


I have a feeling you think the money we b*$ches are all ponying up is going to let you live in the lap of luxury with your new bundle of joy, but you should really consider whether you will be happy living with almost enough, but never plenty. 


You are at a crossroads in your life really.  You have abilities and skills that can lead you to success, or you can choose to live off the hard work of others.  Choose carefully and live with your choice.


opinions please regarding VR. SM
Looking for opinions on the best way to become familiar with VR. MT for over years, experience in almost every medical specialty, acute care, clinical, etc. Over the years, I've had my own clients, worked in hospitals, and now work for a MTSO. I have always been fortunate to have a good job in the MT profession, however with the age of VR, I worry that I have absolutely no experience in this area. I have only done straight transcription over the years, and continue to do so at present. What is the best way to familiarize myself with some of the well-known VR platforms out there. I would appreciate any opinions from others who have been in my position. I'm not looking for a job, but rather opinions on how to educate myself with VR. I would consider myself very computer literate, and not afraid of the inevitable changes with VR, but I just don't know where to begin. Thanks in advance.
Can I please get opinions?

Please tell me if I'm wrong here.  I will try and make it short.  Okay, so I work as an LPN for a doctor and I also do his transcription AT HOME for an extra check (IC status) and I work for another company doing transcription on the weekends.  So, out of the blue he and his wife (office manager) decide that they no longer can "afford" transcription, so they want me to do the transcription during my 8-hour nursing shift.  They don't want to take away any of my duties, they just want me to work harder I suppose, and they said I could do transcription in between patients and things such as that.


I told them that I didn't feel that was fair and that I do make a considerable larger amount doing transcription than my nursing pay and it's really not fair to double my work and keep my ONE pay.  Well, the wife explained it to me and she said that even if they asked me to sweep the floor, as long as I was getting my salary that was required for that 8 hours, then I would be required to do so.  Okay, so I get that........BUT.......everybody working in the office knows how to sweep the floor and that would be fair.  I am the ONLY person that knows how to do transcription, so if EVERYONE can't do the transcription, then why should I be required to?  It is like they are using an extra "talent" that I have, for lack of a better word, to profit on it. 


I feel like what they are asking me to do would be in comparison to if I was also a hair stylist and they REQUIRED me to style everyone's hair at work for no extra money.  I mean doing transcription is a whole extra craft, but they feel it is the same as if they asked me to take out the garbage or sweep the floor.


Am I wrong?  TIA for your opinions.


opinions
I do not blame you for being angry. I would be too. I have worked in those types of situations where I was office manager and they expected everything to be done even if I had to come back in the evening. It did not profit me one bit and I ended up leaving anyway. Besides that the wife RN asked me to come to their home and cut her hair and her mother's which I did. Stupid me.

I would probably try to do the transcription between patients (would be very difficult if you have lots of patients) and I would take my time but look for something better. I have never worked where I could do transcription between patients. I am also a paramedic and did a lot of office nursing. How would he feel if they suddenly asked him to do extra for the patients without pay?

I would NOT SIGN any new work description. That is not what you agreed to. In that instance, I believe you could draw unemployment if you have to leave before you can find something else. Of course it would not be nearly as much as you make plus the loss of the transcription.

Good luck. Only you can decide if it is worth it. I will bet they won't get the next one to do it. One place I worked, they had to hire three people to do what I had been doing and that cost them. I just laughed and laughed. Served them right. I would not tell the next employer I could transcribe. Get a professional name so if you did do work on the side, they would not necessarily know it was you. I got a business name for my transcription because of the conflict of interest.
HELP! I need your opinions...
I currently type for a wonderful company, which I really enjoy working with...the account is great, and the editors are wonderful, but I am only making 0.65 CPL.  Their line rate consists of 11 words, not by 65 characters.  So, my question to you is this:  I was offered a job paying me .08 cpl per 65 characters including spaces.  Is this a big enough increase to make it worth while leaving a company that I am essentially very happy with other than the low pay?    Thanks very much for your help!  
I had a problem with this for a long, long time sm
I have always worked days, like from 6-3. Over the last few years, it didn't matter how much sleep I got, I became real groggy between 7 and 11. Really shoots the day. Talked to my doctor and he said my blood pressure pills were the culprit but he refused to change me to another brand or dosage since I have multiple aneurysms (2 in the brain). My BP has been stable for a long time and he wants to "keep it on the low side". I tried taking them before I went to bed instead of early in the morning, but then I had headaches all day. So, I am changing to a night shift for a few months so I can sleep when those pills kick in and so far it is working pretty good. I stay mostly awake during my shift and die when I hit the bed from 6 am to 10 am, then I lay down again later in the afternoon for 2-3 hours. I still get 6-7 hours of sleep, it's just split up during the day, plus I am mostly awake now when I sit down to type. I don't have to deal with the heat in my office, either. It tends to warm up real fast in here with the south sun on the house and 2 pc's running all day, even with the air conditioner on.
Way back when, a long, long time
ago and in a galaxy far, far away, I had my own accounts also and some years cleared $75,000.  Yes it can be done, but you need to have your own accounts.  Also lots of delivery, and other duties involved.  I work for a large national now and make much less, but I got tired of accountants, having to deal with hardware problems, deadlines, driving deliveries, printing, printers, etc.  So I decided to simplify my taxes and stay home and just type.  Don't have to worry about computers either, because the company will just send me a new one. 
Long, long files. Seemed like they'd never end! I'd never go back to VA again. nm
s
I've been doing this a long, long time...

I used to make $70,000 and up a year and did so for most of the late 80s and 90s (one girl used to make six figures a year working 7 days a week!)  Because we were making more money than the supervisors and Medical Records Directors in hospitals, they began to switch to transcription services which were sprouting up all over the place.  Plus AAMT came into existence and even though in the beginning it claimed it was to fight for transcriptionists (although assured us it was NOT a union), they eventually morphed into an organization that was more management friendly.  They developed the "guidelines" and the 65-char line.  That was the beginning of the end for those high-end wages.  Then all those mickey mouse transcription schools popped up, and now outsourcing overseas.  YES, we're complaining. 


Been in this biz a long, long time, 30+ years and....sm
I love/loved MTing. However, things have changed so much during these years. The job definitely gets easier; don't have to look up much, can decipher ESLs much easier, in other words, you get pretty comfortable with things and you have confidence in yourself. The more experience you have the easier the job, but....

I actually made more money 10 years ago!! We didn't have speech recognition and you actually got paid for headers/footers, demographics, carbon copies, etc., you got paid for what you did fairly; today, I am not so sure.

You will feel burned out at times, but that passes and you find you like your job again.

Good luck to you!!
Nobody said he doesn't have a right to his opinions.

We said he's a MORON and we're not giving him any of our hard-earned money.  He has a right to his opinion.  However, I'm not giving him one red cent of my money because I don't agree with his private opinions that he's been so publicly vocal about.  My opinions is that he's not good looking, he's not a great actor, and his personal beliefs are such that I don't want to contribute to his material wealth.  I merely tolerated him before because he was in the movie I happened to be watching.  Now, forget it.  I won't watch Woody Allen movies either because the nasty old pervert married his stepdaughter.  That's just wrong on so many levels.  And that's my opinion that I'm entitled to.


Threads change as conversations evolve.  We don't have to stay on topic either.  Besides, refusing to pay money to see a Tom Cruise movie was on topic to the thread.  However, the discussions on this board have gotten completely off topic from transcription.  I liked it better when all these current events were on a separate board or the politics board.  Life's too short to worry about what all the rich and famous are doing.


Plus, your generalization about people who vote according to their favorite celebs but don't seek help for depression was way off base.  That was such a completely asinine statement that I would really love to see your facts and research to support such a theory. 


Any opinions regarding TransformMT

Just wondering if anyone out there has had any expierences with TransformMT (good or bad)?


Those are not facts. Those are your opinions.
The fact is that most people here who own trailers, whether the trailer is in a park or not, OWN their trailer.  It has nothing to do with education level or skills.  The real scuzzy part of town is the lower south side with all the decrepit apartment buildings and homeless people wandering around from the shelter.  Sorry, but the "facts" and "statistics" you are spouting simply do not hold water.
Opinions needed
My son (18) works for a professional tree service.  He travels daily to the boss's house to load up and travel to the work site.  He's been doing this for a little over 2 months.  He goes on the clock to be paid (I didn't know this until yesterday) from the time they reach the destination where they work.  I just found this out and looked up the state's labor law concerning being paid for travel time.  I find that since he is required to meet at the boss's location to load up that his time for payment should start when he starts there and he should be paid for the travel time as well.  Okay, now we know this.  How would you handle this?  I know what I would do, but am looking for other opinions to share the whole picture with my son.  Thanks.
Need to get a new PC monitor, need opinions
Anyone with flat panels, how do you like them?  Any problems with them? 
We were asked for opinions.
I gave mine.
Way off subject, but I need opinions...

What, in your opinion of course, do you consider being unfaithful to your spouse? I know this is a LOADED question, with many different opinions.


Is it having a full-blown affair (you know what I mean...we are adults here)?


Is it simply talking to/seeing someone without your spouse knowing, but not being intimate? Kissing, talking, becoming emotionally involved?


Do you think one must *go all the way*, to us a teenager's term, before it would be considered an affair?


I really need some help here...I'm going through a very hard time right now and need some support. I don't want to go into my personal details here, but just need opinions...thanks everyone!


Need opinions now! IC questions.
Hey, I'm being offered an IC job for a company, but I've never done this before.  I'm not worried about the taxes, but I just don't know what I'll be getting in to with this.  No benefits.  Minimum of 500 lines a day, but they say there's enough work to go around.  Help!  Opinions?