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Shorthand types 62%, I type 38%. nm

Posted By: anon on 2009-01-19
In Reply to: Thanks ... anyone else - Shortstop

nm


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Does anyone here type other types of transcription?
If so what type of transcription is it and how did you go about getting that type of work?
Shorthand users: Is there a way to type a word, use a slash and then type another word..sm

immediately following the slash and have it expand.  For example if I needed to transcribe mass/sebaceous cyst, is there a way to use my expanded sebaceous cyst without having to back space after I type the slash mark?  TIA


Shorthand ? When I type the word I the

first letter in the next word is capped.   There is no period so don't know why it caps.  Anyone know how to fix it. I'm new to ShortHand and I really HATE it.   My company offers a short class in it, but they want me to have more experience with it before I take the class. 


If Smart Type is the same as Shorthand, I think it is, there should.....
not be a problem using it with any program, it works outside programs, meaning it should not interfere. I have used ShortHand for years and it has never interfered with any and I mean any program I have ever used. Hope this helps.
I think Speed type is the same as Shorthand, if so......
I have to use this formula for each heading. Example:

This is your text: {@KEY ctrl+b}CHEST{@KEY ctrl+b} the keyword is chestbx. Then it types out bolded.

What I do is save this formula for the next one, say chief complaint (you can always pull up an already done bolded text, like chestbx, my personal use, and copy it if you are typing along and want to put another one in) .

{@KEY ctrl+b}CHEST{@KEY ctrl+b} take out chest and put CHIEF COMPLAINT, then save. I use the as the keyword chestbx, the b is for bold and the x is just for protection.

if you need to bold and underline:

{@KEY ctrl+b}{@KEY ctrl+u}CHIEF COMPLAINT{@KEY ctrl+b}{@KEY ctrl+u} you have to COPY this, put it in text to type like this and save. Your keyword (as I said, mine is chestbx for just bold and I use chestbux, bold for bold, u for underline and x).

then when I type it out with the ccbx it types CHIEF COMPLAINT bolded or bolded and underlined.

Hope this helps.
aneurysm... love shorthand - just type anu and there it is...(NM)
xx
for Shorthand use a semi-colon with yo... ;yo so when you type 50;yo it will become
/
Paste this into your Shorthand "text to type" box
x{@KEY Shift+Ctrl+-}ray

This code will give you a nonbreaking hyphen. You can give it whatever keyword you want (I just use xr).

You can copy and paste the code between the {} into any shortcut where you want a nonbreaking hyphen. HTH! :)
Is there a Shorthand for dummies type of book?

I have ShortHand 10.0 through my company.   I'm reading the instruction file on the computer and it makes no sense at all to me and I find reading it on the computer is hard because I can't see the full page.   My company will not allow me to install a printer and I guess I could transfer the file to another computer using my flash drive, but it is 136 pages and I really would rather buy a book if there is such a thing.


I've spent about 2 hours browing Productivity Talk and there wasn't much information that was helpful and no mention of a book. 


It is an older DOS-type environment - works well with Shorthand. sm
Lots of menus, especially in radiology, but ShortHand helps you get through them very quickly is you write macros to just stop where you need to.

It can be very productive with good line counts if you are paid by the line.

Personally, I loved it, but that was because I did very well with our incentive program on it.

Smart Type, versus InstanText and ShortHand, etc.
I have used all of these. I hated ShortHand. Shortcut was not much of a short cut. Smart Type allowed me to type the most in the shortest length of time, end of the story. HOWEVER, Smart Type will limit your career since you can't use it in Windows and all these strange platforms that are out there.

InstanText versus Smart Type with the same library...only very slightly less production and I am not proficient with IT at all, not yet. I almost like IT better than ST because the order of expansions is static. ST for Word will rearrange it all for you each and every time you open it. I liked the DOS program a lot better and I can never have that back. As I am learning IT I am again becoming familiar with my shortcuts. I had gotten "sloppy" about typing my actual abbreviations because ST will let you type a couple of letters and you see the word in the line, space bar and it drops in. I am working more than one job so I have enough work and I use ST for one and IT for the other. The more I use IT the faster I am getting in both IT and ST. I am thinking that once I have adjusted the IT to the best possible fit for my needs I'll switch completely to IT.

Ladies, it is not really about the expander, it is about the library/glossary. If you only have a few hundred entries you are working way too hard. You need thousands of entries to maximize your efforts (I have about 22,000 of them). This is one of those times when it is different strokes for different folks.

There are many libraries/glossaries out there, some you can put into more than one program, some are program specific. Some are free and some you have to pay for (I give mine away). Get a good one, learn to use it, "think" in it and stick with it. That is how about any of them will pay off.
SpeedType and Shorthand are the exact same program. Shorthand is lots cheaper and also has a trial.
.
{@KEY BkSp}-pack-per-year is for Shorthand. Using the semicolon works with both Shorthand and

;yo = -year-old


;py= -pack-year


etc...


Shorthand and SpeedType are exact same program. Shorthand will cost you lots less.
you can import your autocorrect into Shorthand.
I took shorthand too. But it sure comes in helpful for my expanders. I view words in shorthand for
i did use shorthand once in a job but i was so nervous the "boss" took pity and dictated the report on dictaphone.
If it is Shorthand, save the SPF file to a disk, then if you buy Shorthand yourself....
you can just drop the SPF file into it. That is not dishonest since you are the one who put the macros in. I am sure is it is another Expander there is a way to save the macro file and then drop it in the expander you buy on your own.
I'm 45 and have done all types (sm)
of transcription. I did formal training for MT in 1998, after my training I was doing pretty well. Now that I am getting nothing but leftover, terrible dictators doing medical transcription, I make more money doing general transcription.
NOT planning on taking on anymore medical dictation since the offshoring got going. It has been a nightmare to find decent accounts, companies and decent dictators in the last year or so.
How come whenever someone types a lot of

lines in a day it is considered cherrypicking? I just finished my shift for the day and had 3897 lines. Did I cherrypick? No! I can't see what work I'm getting until it shows up on my screen. I worked a total of 11 hours with my 3 breaks figured in. Yes, I did work 2 hours OT but they asked for OT so I sat and worked. I can work steadily for 3-4 hours and then get up and stretch. I had no normals except the ones that I put in myself for the doctors. I've been doing the same accounts for about 8 years and have tons of "normals" for a lot of the doctors. Once in a while they will change their wording to throw you off course. The only doctors that slow me down nowadays are the new residents who must talk for no less than 30 minutes for each patient. Out of the 132 charts I transcribed, I had about 65% ESLs. Just because some people type a lot of lines in a day does not mean that they are a cherrypicker.


That's one of the things I hate about some nationals. You should NOT be allowed to see the other line counts of your fellow workers because all these accusations happens. If you see someone with a constantly high line count, you automatically assume they are getting all the "good" doctors when it is not the case with a lot of people. It may be true in some cases but you're lumping everyone with a high line count into one group.


There are these types in QA and in MT, too.
NM
don't type double spaces. Type single. Then no one will be cheated.
x
so who types it? they only way around that would be to outsource
and that seems ridiculous.
Report types.

Easiest-family practice.  Hardest-OB/GYN.


skin types
It does depend on the skin type and the type of laser machine they used. Many of them do not do darker skin. They all do tend to work better on lighter skins. I have dark hair due to a hormone imbalance my whole life since childhood. Dark hair on my arms, etc. Some laser brands of machine are better than others. Let me know if you decide you want information on the one I work for or I can give you the name of the top selling laser brand out there that I would recommend from what I know.
you can ask these types of questions
such as laborlawtalk.com

There are different types of USB pedals

There is Olympus, VEC, Infinity, many, many.  Look at the bottom of your pedal to get the code.  If it is an Infinity, you will see something like IN-USB1, or IN9B (for 9 pin) or IN-DVIUSB.  All the Infinity foot pedals work with ExpressScribe EXCEPT the DVI because it is a higher technology than is compatable with ES.  Run the foot control wizard on ExpressScribe to help it locate the foot pedal and recognize it so you can use it.  You may have to try all the COM ports on the wizard before you hit the right COM port and the foot pedal is recognized.  My Infinity foot pedal USB1 is recognized in ES as the _VEC_ if that helps you.


I have had to do the hand control thing and it is very frustrating and can make the test take 4 times longer than with a foot pedal.


There is a whole list of these types
of things I got through my MT training classes. To make the ' over the e in debride, you would do Alt + 233 on your number pad. Let me know if it works. good luck.
Others have other types of jobs?

Hi everyone,


Do any of you have other types of jobs besides MT, QA, Editing, etc. like me?? I just started another type of job for evenings to help out financially, and I like doing so.  I still do my main MT thing, but the other one is actually fun for me, and not just slaving away all day at a computer!! 


Work types
Has anyone ever quit a position because you get work types you were assured you would not have to do?  I absolutely despise discharge summaries and was told upon hire that I would not have to do them, there were plenty of other reports I could do, now I get big chunks of DS throughout the day, I never have liked them, I lose about 75-100 lines/hour doing them.  Does anyone else have this problem?  I am not a newbie, I just do not like discharges and get a real mental block, I think mainly because I get so tired of sitting while the dictator is trying to figure out what to say.
Work types
Yes, they all have to get done but I used to work for a company that you were given a certain work type all day long, and it either rotated or if there was one person who liked ds or op, they were routed to them - the work got done, the MT had more production, thus the company benefitted also, why take an MT who can do 300+ lines on everything but DS and put them on DS when you have people who do 150 on everything, including DS
work types
Most won't allow that.. Especially the ones that pay well. The one I work for requires you to be skilled in all ares, even radiology.. It is a great job.. Have them for 20 years and 10 years in the MT department working from home. Hospitals are the way to go.
other types of transcription

I have been doing medical transcription for about 5 years now and I am very interested in getting into other areas such as auto insurance claims, police reports, interviews, etc.


 


I was wondering if anyone has ventured into this area  -I would like to try something new but do not even know where to start.


Thanks for any advice!


I have had many different types of jobs s/m

from the lowliest to corporate level, and I take pride in all work that I do.  I do not find this profession in any way boring -- there is always something new to be learned and every case (usually) is different and fascinating to me.  Sometimes they make me laugh, sometimes they make me cry, but it is never boring!!.  I just get so frustrated with the regard that everyone else looks at this profession -- that because I work from home, it is not a "real" job, or that what we do is not important or significant.  This job requires a myriad of language and technical skills that I believe an "average" person could simply not do. I have done brain-numbing data entry, and this work is far, far more involved than simply transferring numbers or names into a format. 


Anyone who types enough lines
to survive on these days cannot be called a 'slacker'. No way.
What types of reports were they?

Did you leave a lot of blanks or guess?  Were you familiar with those work types?  Were the accents difficult?  Did you follow the BOS (BS)?


Of the 10 years' exp you have, is it well-rounded (including acute care and clinic).  Have you ever worked in house (in a hospital or clinic)?


Just some things to consider.  I wouldn't throw in the towel just because some national didn't like your test.  Consider a local service with specialties you are familiar with and ask the owner/QA person to help you with learning new ones.


types of keyboards
I just recently purchased a Logitech wave computer, switched from the ergonomic ones I have used for years.  This one was easy to adjust to, my spend is just as fast and yet the rest of the family can use it, they were so confused by the ergonomic ones.  I just want to know who makes a keyboard that the letters do not wear off, have had this one only a month or two and the L is just about gone along with the S, E and N almost unrecognizible.
Do you get choice of which report types are sent to you?
>>
There are all types of cherry picking

Sometimes it's like the game of Monopoly - I'll trade you St Charles Place for Marvin Gardens. You take a couple of choice dictatators in exchange for doing a couple that other people have trouble doing.

Another example is giving a "good show." By that I mean ... there are 20 reports on the system - Two of them are 10 minutes each and the rest are 2 minutes each. You've got two hours to get the work done, so, you do all the small reports. Changes are it'll be the same amount of lines either way, but it's psychological for the client. They think they're getting more work back.

I remember years ago when I worked in a hospital. There was one doctor who sent me screaming from the room (he sounded like a deranged chipmunk). They hired a new gal who had no trouble doing him (she also had a lot more experience than me). She knew I hated him and said, "I'll go him if you let me down so-and-so." You betcha!! We were happy as clams. I got rid of the worst one, and she got to do her favorite one.

The truth of the matter is, I would speak with those in charge and explain the situation. Tell them how you feel (very frustrated). See what they can do/say. If they won't ... personally ... I update my resume and look elsewhere.

Then again, maybe I just have a lower tolerance level than others. 


The transcription manager types it.
x
Is my post about different types of glossaries
nm
I agree - there are those types in every profession - SM
I was just making the point that we can't expect to make the same amount of money that a doctor does when he has gone to school for at least 8 years of his life to be an expert at what he does.........
Realistically with all work types
and various dictators, I average about 17.5 minutes per hour at the end of the day.  But the first few hours I'm still working with my coffee buzz, so it is a little more, maye 22-25.  I get a lot of 10-15 minute reports with a lot of dead air time, then will get a 2-minute report that is two pages long.  I could never go by minutes unless it is the same thing over and over again.
I think there are two types are care/discussions going on here(sm)

On the one hand there are the elder parents who are still very functional but maybe not able to live alone.  In that case I feel they should move in with the middle-aged children or vice versa. 


However, on the other hand, there are those elder parents who are no longer able to function and require 24-hour nursing care.  In this case, I think it would be better if they were in a nursing home setting where they could get the around-the-clock care rather than the children having to pay a private-duty nurse.   Yes, the elder parents, when they are young, provided for and took care of the children.  However, we're talking nursing care at this point.   And the other argument is:  How far do the middle-aged kids take the nursing care?  Do they get to the point where they're having to sell their house and belongings in order to keep the elder parents at home?  JMO


What types of procedures? I love doing

cardiac caths because most docs will say the same thing over and over, same for bypass grafting, just different grafts and locations.  All in all the procedures stay basically the same.  This also works for cardioverting, just change the joules where appropriate.  When I do a cath or other procedure for the first time. I will make a normal for it then make changes as they come along.  These procedures can be good for the line count!.  Also, in your short keys, make short cuts for left and right anterior descending, ejection fraction, end diastolic pressure, etc., you get the picture.  They will use these a lot. 


I have found that most of the time the more difficult dictators are the ones that will basically go word for word in dictating their reports.  Good luck! 


Talk to the doc about what types of screens are
time on the PC.  Also I was told that stigmatism is a common thing to have but a lot of people do not know they have it.  I wear glasses now, but I think my eyesight is getting worse from the looking at the screen as well.  You should probably take more breaks from the PC. 
Rate differential for job types
so, is it just me or are operative reports on the whole more difficult/time consuming than other types, like ERs or discharge reports?  Seems like a more thorough knowledge of anatomy, not to mention surgical equipment, is needed for ops...
Basic 4 isn't one report, it's 4 different types. sm
H&P's, discharge summaries, op reports, and ....i'm blanking on the 4th, sorry.
I can type with wine, can't type with coffee, though...too jittery.
x
That is, type the code above before and after what you want bolded in the text-to-type box. nm
nm
Different types of errors are weighted differently ...
so more serious errors count more, less serious count less. I have 8 reports a month QA'd. My QA person listens to the dictation while reading my transcribed report and marks errors and classifies each error. The total is weighted on a percentage.

Last month on my 8 QA'd reports, I had only 1 error and it was a style format error (I used a "dash" as the physician dictated but the BOS2 says to use 2 dashes if dashes are being used and BOS2 prefers using semi-colons). That was the only error of any kind I had and it was not serious. My monthly QA score (because of how this type of error was weighted) was 99.9%. I have had a few times of 100% but I have never had below 99%. My QA person gives me a full explanation of why it is an error and sometimes marks information that is not counted against me but is given as "information only". Noncritical errors are only counted once in a document and critical errors are counted as often as you have them (ex: if you used perineal instead of peroneal --that is a critical error).
I agree 100% especially with reading as one types (I do also) and if a company sm

constantly have no woek or constantly runs out of work.  At least half of the MTs on MTstars need to follow this advice.  This would stop the majority of the whining on this board.


Well, I have 25 years experience also in all work types
and only do acute care with a line rate of 10.5 cpl M-F and 11 cpl on the weekends.

You can negotiate it a little harder, and you will get it depending on their needs, I guess.

It is MDI-Maryland.