The platform is slow and they run out of work.

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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? 

Any info appreciated.  I have never worked on this platform.  TIA

If a MTSO advertises that the MT works in MS Word and sends dictation by FTP, does this usually mean there will be no demographic/doctor database and the demographics will not be autopopulated?

I got into a mess with a small company (got out real quickly too).  I was required to print out daily email copies of the doctors' office patient schedules (which were barely legible) and type in all information.  I spent more time hunting for the correct patient through pages and pages of these schedules.  Then I had about 25 pages worth of doctor's names that I would have to go through to find the attending, referring, etc.  A total waste of time as I didn’t get paid for that. 

I wish MTSO would give more information as to what platform they use (if any).  Proprietary software is such a generic, totally useless description.  Would they buy a new car that listed, "Car has gasoline operated motor?" 

And for Pete's sakes, why so secretive about the pay?  Give a ballpark figure.  Just say, pay is between 7-12 cpl depending on skill, testing, etc. Tell me if you pay for spaces, headers, etc.  It would save them time because I wouldn’t even apply for a 7 cpl job. 

Before I spend an hour or two testing, I need more information from a company to be sure it is compatible for my needs.  If the MTSO would spend a little time on their website detailing their platform, how they send/receive files, pay rates,  how line rate is determined (spaces/no spaces) employee/IC/SE status, minimal line count, whether work pools consist of 100s of doctors, or smaller pools with 25-50 doctors etc.   Having all this information on their website would save them time and the MTs time.   Phoenix Medcom has a really good layout describing pretty much everything an MT would want to know before testing with them.  I am just tired of testing with a company and then finding out the job wasn’t exactly suited to my needs. 

I've been working for MTSOs for years now, using their templates which sometimes cause productivity problems (macro issues, etc). I'm wondering if productivity is increased when working on a structured platform, such as one that a national company provides for its transcriptionists?  I've never used a platform, but it would seem that all one needs to do is straight type onto the screen and the platform program takes care of margins, page breaks, etc?

Any thoughts (as well as companies who are hiring who use platforms) would be appreciated.  Thanks

I wish I was fast enough to be able to meet my line count and relax a little. Maybe in another year or so.

I have had this doc for a while now, but I am so slow with him. I noticed that I have to stop the dictation at least once every sentence, sometimes more, and it just took me ten minutes to do a 2:50 dictation.

He talkes very fast and quiet but other than that he is great. Although he talks fast, he is pretty clear and I rarely have to look things up with him, other than to CC at the end of the dictation which is almost every report.

I do not have this problem with any of my other docs, and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions? I have his favorite sayings in my expander, but just cannot seem to get faster at his reports. Thanks! 

Is anyone else finding it to be really slow lately?  I have had very little work since shortly after Thanksgiving. 

Rhode Island, the smallest state, was bumper to bumper, took 4+ hours for a normal 30 minute commute Some ran out of gas and had to abandon their vehicles. Tempers flared and school kids didn't get home on buses for hours, no snacks, bathroom breaks, etc., it was very poorly prepared for, although there was plenty of warning. If I had young children in the house (as I did when younger) I would always make sure they had some kind of energy bar with them if they left for school on a day a storm was forecast (or not send them at all). Girl Scout motto: Be prepared! A clue for me is always the birds. Sounds silly, but if you see the birds flocking, noisier than usual, etc., they are getting ready for a big storm. In the blizzard of '78, I was more prepared than anyone else and I have the birds to thank for that. I saw their frenzy, prepared for a big one and had all my work done in a timely fashion and enough food for a week (which it took to get back to normal.) (Showing my age.) Birds are great predictors of a storm if you watch and listen.