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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Thoughts on snail's pace feeling/dizziness w/IT

Posted By: tnmt on 2007-01-06
In Reply to: let's talk expanders - Snow Bunny

I'm not sure there's a solution for your dizzy feeling looking at both the lines and the advisories. My own advice to the people I trained to use IT was that (a) you have get used to it, so use it first day maybe an hour at most, then go on with your day, doing a little more each day and (b) don't think of the advisories as static, but rather fluid. The program is asking you "Do you want fries with that?" so don't stress out over the choices. if you don't choose one of the options, no biggie, kwim?

Also in my own experience and that of what others have told me, at first you feel like you are absolutely crawling along, losing speed and time, and yet if you stick with it, gradually advancing your time with it and trying to relax into its phrase system, eventually you find that you are doing more.

The first couple days with the IT, the advisories really stressed me out, but thinking of the "you want fries..." question helped me to relax about it some. I look down when I feel like it, and not when I don't or if I'm feeling rushed or something.


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Dizziness/vertigo -- sm

When I went to my doctor for dizziness/vertigo he told me that one of the most common indicators of heart attacks in women was a symptom of dizziness.   It did not turn out to be that but it alerted me to watch for simple symptoms that could indicate a larger problem.  I did have some fluid behind my TM's caused by allergies and Rhinocort Aqua nasal spray used at night helps me  a lot as the dizziness was the worse in the morning.  When in question check with the doctor. 


 


Does this act like a metronome to help you keep up a good pace?? nm
s
I've never even hit this, so I'm top snail here! :) nm
s
Familiar work and keeping a pace
When I was put on work I knew well and could get a pace or rhythm going, I made very good money and got done in a reasonable amount of time and had a life. Now, I'm jerked around from one style to another, unfamiliar doctors, etc. The result is I make considerably less money and work too many hours or sometimes just stop working for awhile out of a feeling of hopelessness.

My pace has really slowed down since I've gotten older...
Sorry to tell you that - I know it is not good news. It has definitely not been for me. I hate having to work longer hours to make the same money just because my fingers won't move right all the time. I am only 40 and have been doing this for almost 17 years. Have had to learn to use Expanders like crazy!

Also, I am going to school now so that I can get out of transcription before time to retire so that I can have some kind of future in my old age instead of sitting in front of a screen all day.
That is great! My best so far is about 1600 but I am a snail compared to most - nm
xxx
Snail Mail Holiday Cards

Do you send Christmas cards or other holiday cards?  About how many do you send out?



Any cruise! No phones, no email, no snail mail NM
NM
I thought only snail mail letters were noticed?
I've emailed the govenor's office to check out our food stamp application before..but I thought for a petition/protest type of thing it had to be a phone call or snail mail letter to be noticed?

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.    


I'm so sorry you are feeling like this! I truly believe it is because
of your illness right now that this is all happening - the way you are feeling. About a week before any kind of sickness is starting in my body I go through the same exact thing. You must be paid hourly or salary because no one should have to cover for "free" and not get paid overtime! The phone co. tried to do that with my DH and other salaried workers and there's been a federal law passed that any unpaid overtime MUST be paid from Oct. of last year until now. You must gaid paid overtime even if you are salaried. Look it up and see if that is not correct.
Anyhow, good luck. LIke another poster said, get plenty of rest and I promise, next week you will be doing better.
Been there.. know the feeling
I think we start them so you and they school sports are SOOO competitive nowdays, that the kids give it all they have and then finally burn out. My son did. He played everything from tennis, golf, football, soccer to basketball. He did finish playing through high school (had finally limited it to only basketball), but did not want to play when it came to college. It broke my heart. For one thing, I was not ready to not get to see him play anymore and, secondly, how to pay for college now?  However, I didn't want to push him into something he did not want to do. We have survived college so far (he's in his third year), but now he plays sports only on a recreational basis and is very happy. He is even pursuing a degree in Sports Management and wants to be a sports agent, so he still has the love of the game. I'm just glad he didn't lose that through it all.
Feeling Up Mom...

This is simply too funny!


http://www.askmen.com/video/current/index.html


thank you, feeling better.

I know the feeling
I tell them up front what work types I like and that I don't want the very high rates for the crappy accounts. My company, Etransplus, lets you choose what work types you want to do and I bet you I don't get an ESL but maybe twice a month. I had also checked with them for a friend of mine and they do need ops people only.

I always tell companies that big line rates don't pay off in the long run when the accounts are so bad.
i had the same feeling..
I really had admired his class throught the whole show and he certainly came down a peg or 2 then
I'm feeling old!
I worked for a doctor in high school so had a tiny bit of training, first job for transcription company was on an IBM selectric.  I worked in our dining room and it almost drowned out the t.v. in the next room.  My daughter, who was in junior high at that time, tore my perforated pages for me when i was finished.  Funny thing, money didn't seem so tight back then, did it?  Now I have to beat my fingers to the bone to get 2000 lines a day!
I'm feeling down
I work for a clinic making about $13.00 hr to work for 5 doctors and 2 nurse practioners. I have to transcribe the dictation, file all that I type into the charts (and charts are scattered anywhere and everywhere), send out all the referring physician copies (which sometimes can be 3-4 a report), and be anybody's "typist" that wants me to type whatever. Also have several other "clerical" duties the boss thinks that I should do. This is a very busy practice with around 200 patients a day. I have 30 years experience and am a CMT. I have been reduced to what I feel is "clerical" staff and my pay certainly reflects that. They constantly come in and wonder why the work is behind. I forgot to add that 4 of the 5 are "TERRIBLE" dictators that could do better but won't. I'm constantly having to find the referring physicians to type on to the report because they won't give it to me but want it typed on the note. I feel that I am giving these people their money's worth. The management will not listen to anything suggestions to make things run smoother and just want done what they want done, no matter what it means to me to do it... then they wonder why it gets behind. This is just the tip of the iceberg, but today I'm wondering, "WHY DO I DO THIS?"  Is it for the retirement plan, cause not many of the services I have checked into even give benefits. I just want to get my purse and walk out and never look back. Ever felt that way??  I feel I am a wasted talent here and always have been, but I feel that the MT field has suffered many disappointing changes over these last 30 years. I've been here at this clinic almost 20 years. Before that I worked at a hospital where I was top producer for the 11 years that I worked there. I have no one else to tell this to who would remotely understand my feelings and I appreciate your letting me sound off on this board.I just don't know what to do next and was feeling down. Thanks for listening!
Feeling like we might be getting somewhere.
UPDATE:  We got our tax money back and beginning to pay off bills so I won't have to take them with me.  Only the ones in my name though, his credit is ruined, so he says he's not worried about them.  Also, he paid off my dresser and is getting me some things to set up my home office.  He is really taking this well.  I'm so excited.  Keep those good vibes coming.  They must be doing something.  Thanks, Jodi Lynn
I know the feeling
They take a set amount out of our checking twice a month. We should have all of our credit card debt taken care of in 4 years. The credit card companies lowered the interest rates on our cards substantially once we enrolled with CCCS, and I feel as if we now have a handle on our credit card debt. I believe it does go on your credit report, but the fact that you are trying to find a way to pay your bills and not just ignoring them looks good.
I know the feeling
same thing happended with my largest account. My group of doctors went to EMR, most of them are sticking to struggling by to fill in templates, etc, but they do dictate also, but very little. The office basically needs only one Transcriptionist now, where was before there were four. The doctors really are not as satisfied with the EMR as they thought they would be, but they have invested such big $$$, they will stick with it. The system they have is point and click using templates, etc and the transcriptionist also does alot of that, they fill in the blanks, etc. I worked on it a few times and find it very, very different from transcribing, you cannot get any "flow", therefore if you were paid by the line, way less $$$ than I can make transcribing. Since the system is just getting up and running they needed people to input data into it (scanning documents, etc), not difficult but time consuming. I did that temporarily too, but unfortunately the pay would not compare to transcribing either. I know on their system they could set up a transcriptionist from home, but they never got around to that part partly because they really did not have enough work to justify that expense. Of course the data entry would have to be done there as it required scanning multiple charts daily into the system and the office did not want to be without their charts for any period of time, etc. Of course each EMR system is different and each doctor uses it somewhat differently, if you previous physicians really dislike it, they may just dictate as in the past, but I would look for them to try to use the EMR as much as possible because of the $$$ invested into it. Keep in contact with them and keep your foot in the door, so to speak, they may tire more and more of it, but it will probably take awhile, then again after time they may adjust to it more and more. It's a gamble either way.
exactly my feeling too -- and to OP,
feel free to e/m me for my thoughts and experiences relating to your question.
That's how I took it, and I know the feeling
since we just moved and my son will be going to a new school with new friends, and this will be my daughter's first year too.
I know the feeling!
We have custody of our daughter's 2-year-old son; what a difference between boys and girls!! He is SOOOO active, and it's really hard to get my hours in at work, but I'm trying! Congrats to you and God bless!!
I'm feeling so much better
So many positive responses ! Thank you all so much for the encouraging feedback. I am the type who "likes my own company" so hopefully I'll get used to the quiet pretty quickly, but I am so close to my kids too - I'm going to really miss them.
Know the Feeling
I worked for a top criminal attorney in my area for 14 years and made great money, but I went back for a visit a few weeks ago, and boy, am I glad I'm home as an MT now. He was giving the secretary orders to do this and that by tomorrow, etc. and I thought to myself, boy I don't miss this at all. I make less money now, but to me it's worth it to be at home doing MT.
Ahh..someone who knows what Im feeling!
Thank you for your nice post. I certainly don't see why some got ruffled, everything I have said is valid.

These work at home jobs are supposed to be marketed for women with small children, but if you set the job up with unfair expectations like typing 8 hours, then you diminish the whole reason for women working at home in the first place...FLEXIBILITY!

It's really hard, but I'm trying. I just know if I had a better way to work my hours, this could work out for me.

Thanks for all your advice and it feels good to know I'm not alone!
I know the feeling!
Some days I just don't feel like working. It's so boring and monotonous. I have to challenge myself by setting dollar amount goals or line count goals. Just like the other posters, I type for an hour and then take a break to do housework or something. I set up rewards for myself. Get this done, and THEN I can surf the Internet or go shopping. I've even gone as far as blocking my favorite Internet sites from my work computer so I don't surf while I'm working. The other thing that helps is looking at my bills and setting up payoff goals. Now if only I could find a J-O-B so I could set some goals.
hah, me too. My cat is feeling
disenfranchised now that i've got this keyboard in my lap, she was used to snuggling inbetween my belly and the keyboard :) Both my cats like to be up here with me while i work too!
I have a feeling that we should either

be working with a company we love right now, or look quickly.  I do believe that whatever happens to our MQ friends has a lot to do with the rest of us.  There are what, 8000 to 10,000 MTs there? If something were to happen and there were a lot of resumes going out to all of the companies and hospitals out there, odds are the influx of great candidates versus the jobs would become a supply and demand issue.  This may be happening already, as there were 500 people surfing this board the last few days since the MQ platform has been suffering problems. Does anyone have this feeling too? I don't think we should panic, but I am making sure to do my job with my present employer (personally) and hold onto my job security.  If anything should happen to this giant employer, the few companies out there which are really good to their employees will have their pick of thousands, and I for one do not want to worry about my benefits and my job.  Any comments on this? Thinking it would make for interesting conversation, seeing the balance of the MT workforce does depend on what this failing giant (MQ) happens to do.


 


 


I know the feeling

I'd done MT for approx. 20 years too - tired of the pay going down instead of up & tired of crappy ESLs/sloppy English speakers that only got worse.  My solution?  Do MT part-time to "keep an iron in the fire" just in case.  I'm now work full-time in the quality systems program for a small medical device company.  I'm SO much happier, have a 401K, benefits, vacation/sick pay and am SALARIED.  No more sweating for pennies on the line and I am actually respected for what I do.



I know the feeling...sm
When I have a lot of work which hasn't been that often lately, but when I do, it seems that my mother who lives next door will come in or my daddy will drop by. You don't want to be rude but sometimes I just have to say I have a lot of work and just not get up and go in there and they will get the hint and leave.
My feeling also
We all know the story of the golden parachutes these guys get even in the face of the companys going bankrupt. They take their millions and run not giving the employees a second thought. No one wants to be a victim of this type of scenario but it may start unfolding in the next few months to a year. We need to be prepared and aware of what is going on.
Oh, I'm feeling ya.... :) nm
nm
Here's my thoughts....sm

While I feel empathy for her family wondering what happened and wanting closure, frankly I'm tired of hearing about the case on the news, and that we have tied up FBI and even the military resources to look for her.  We have people that go missing in the US every day... and people visiting countries disappear - and you only hear about the ones who have families that are rich or well connected with the media. 


In my town there's a college girl who has been missing for over a week and it finally made the newspaper in a small blurb today.  This girl missed a flight to visit her family for a vacation and hasn't been seen or heard from since then, and her family says this isn't like her and that she was excited about the vacation.  Are they getting the attention this chick in Aruba is getting?  No.... because they're an average middle classed family.


Some thoughts on that...

I do know how you feel.  There are a few things I've done to cut that type of sress down...


I'm not sure what your company is like, but for mine, we have a primary account, and many people also have secondaries (mine is so busy that I don't usually need back-up work, so I have one major account).  It pulls from several clinics, but with a pool of about 20 or 30 dictators, after awhile, you get the hang of even the hardest ones.  There are some dictators that are just really bad, and I struggle with.  When I can't figure something out, rather than spending 10 hours searching and struggling, I use blanks.  I give it a good faith effort, as best as I can, and then I move on.  Since I usually clip along at a good pace and am pretty confident in 99% of the work I do, I don't let myself feel bad for sending something to an editor, if I truly don't know what it is.  Of course, I do the research, but if I'm looking for something for more than a few minutes, it's been too long.


You may need to look for a different account/specialty or even a new company, if you think that is the problem.  I know that, at one point, I ended up moving from a difficult but high-paying account to an account that paid less, but I was more comfortable with.  I ended up making more with the lower-paying account, because I wasn't having to stop every 2 seconds, and I wasn't tearing my hair out, and ending up in tears at the end of the day.  Of course, people should move up as they feel ready for that, but perhaps you need a workload that doesn't create so much extra work for you.


Those are just some thoughts, but you CAN do it.  Be proactive in finding a situation that works for you.  You are more of an asset to your job when you are comfortable and not stressing and struggling.


Hang in there!


but here are my thoughts
If your son cried, the coach tried something with him.  Why didn't anyone press charges or have the coach fired?  You don't let pedophiles coach kids.
My thoughts
For obvious reasons, I hope it is not true. But it kind of makes sense. I was working on Monday the 5th and was transcribing work from the 2nd, when within an hour, the work was 100% gone! Perhaps they routed all the work from Amherst to Ohio and then offered them unbelievable incentives to get it done. Not sure if that is what they did or not. All I know is the work was gone awfully quick and it has yet to return.
My thoughts
Direct deposit is definitely the way to go! Never a worry when and if the mailman is coming today!
I second your thoughts
Aren't these people that CONSTANTLY complain so darn frustrating? I am right here with you that MQ is a good place to work. Well, better get back to work - LOTS OF WORK THIS MORNING - YIPPEEE!!!!!!
My thoughts exactly
Great minds think alike, and I agree with you 100%!!!!!

Well said!
My thoughts-LM

  


 I would want to know what type of docs run the clinic - whether anesthesiologists, physiatrists, ortho, neurology, etc, as this will guide the typical direction of the dictation.   Because pain med Rx writing is always under scrutiny, there will probably be a fair amount of repetition for every pt on medicolegal issues.  Most, but not all, of my experience is with neuro/physiatry-based pain management.   For both these, I found the doc more likely to do further workup, which leads to much longer and involved reports. In the middle would be those docs who do extensive review of the patient's history and only minimal further testing.   The extreme other side of the coin are those, what I call, in/out pain clinics where the pt shows up every 30 days, re-signs their drug contract, has their BP checked and leaves with a new Rx.   I would always expect the initial H/P to be extensive and the f/u notes relatively brief.  Typically lots of phone call documentation and referral/followup letters or information.   Anesthesiologists lean more toward a lot of injectable therapies, blocks, epidurals, etc., at least initially, putting more of an op bent on their practices. 


As far as interesting, pain patients are very repetitive in their complaints and their needs.  Typically,  by the time a pt gets to a pain management practice, the cause of their pain has already been extensively worked up.  There are true chronic pain sufferers and those who are drug-seeking only.  Things do get interesting with the latter because they are very creative when it comes to trying to con or manipulate the docs.   If I were in your shoes, my first question would be what speciality of docs run the clinic.  As far as job security, it is way up there for legit practices.  More often than not, the average family doc is not willing to prescribe pain meds beyond a certain amount of time/quantity and feel forced to refer the pt to a pain  management practice in order to protect themselves from the medicolegal aspects of the business.    Hope something here helps - best of luck to you. 


My thoughts
I have worked for the same company for six years and my best friend also works for the same company but has different accounts. It seems that things seem to go in waves and becomes either feast or famine and seems to be this way for both of us at pretty much at the same time so I wonder if it is just kind of natural for things to go up and down. This time of year seems to slow down for me and I have come to think it is because of Christmas, seems maybe people aren't wanting to go to the doctor and have the bill due to Christmas coming up. I don't think there is some conspiracy or things are being shipped out of the country, I think it's just the natural flow of things, at least for myself and my accounts. After the new year things always pick back up for me and have for the last six years.  
My thoughts
What exactly is difficult about it?  The IC's charging a fair line rate.  The doctors use a lot of macros to save time and because if they're like most doctors, they hate dictating, and they get to see more patients so get to charge the insurance companies more plus collect co-pays.  I just don't see anything difficult about it.  
My thoughts .....
I think EVERY new driver should have a nice Rambler for their first car, then a Pacer .... it'll make 'em appreciate anything more LOLOLOL
my thoughts
your m-i-law's 'not telling you the whole story' in my book is akin to lying -- at the very least, deceit. Maybe it wasn't her place to tell you, but she could have insisted her son did (or else she would). For her to keep in touch with this other woman is inappropriate in my book, unless she is scheming to put her back in the picture. Of course you have the right to feel angry and betrayed. You always have the right to feel what you feel. i'd be sorely inclined to put some geographic distance (a lot of it) between you/hubby and her. i'd be civil, but never feel i could trust her under these circumstances.
I'm so sorry. Here are my thoughts.
I'm so sorry to hear about your dad. I can't say I know how you feel because my parents are still alive but I can say I'm so sorry. I think a death of a parent is something you NEVER get over, you just learn to live with it. I think if you feel the need to cry every day, then cry every day. But also, try to think about the good things....the things you learned from him...the things you did together. I bet your dad would not want you to feel this down over his death. He would want you to remember the happy times and focus on the future. Take each day at a time. You are only six months into the griefing process so I would think it is completely normal to shed a tear over your beloved father. He sounded like a great dad and he thought the world of you. Hang in there. You're going to make it through this.
My thoughts
Well, being a country music lover, I liked last nights show. However, besides Kelly and Bucky being in their genre, it was definitely an off night.

I LOVE CHRIS! I think he could sing an autopsy report and make it sound beautiful! He definitely rocks and I can see him winning it all!

Kellie was great! Yes, her "dumb act" is a tad annoying but there is no doubt she could be a country star.

I think Ace might be going home tonight, or perhaps that is wishful thinking. He just annoys the crap out of me.

I must laugh at the one poster below that mentions Kenny Rogers. I must say he looks pretty darn good. Actually, I think he looks younger than he did 20 years ago.

can't wait until tonight. My prediction is that Ace is going home.
my thoughts on it

Homosexuals as well as other "minorites" have been treated as second class citizens for so long now.  Let them be proud of it!  Do I think they go a bit far sometimes?  I sure do!  But I don't have a problem with it.  If a same sex couple wants to hold hands on the street then let them.  We don't need to stare in disgust and shield our eyes.  They are just trying to have the same freedoms as we have.  Discrimination is alive and well even today.  I know this because I have gay friends and hear about it all the time.  I feel that as long as you are happy and living your own lives then then let them be.  I know many "straight" people who are living in dead-end marriages,  completely unhappy and not doing a darn thing about it.  But their union is so much more sacred?  I think it's hogwash.  We are all different.  Let's celebrate those differences, not put others down because they aren't "fitting the mold" of what's acceptable.


I'm looking forward to Rosie being on The View.  I don't think she'll slam her sexual orientation down our throats at all.  She has very precise views, yes.  And she will talk about them.  She's VERY political and I feel that has nothing to do with her orientation.  SHe's given and helped raise MILLIONS for children and others who are less fortunate than her.  So why is it any time Rosie comes up people automatically make fun of her being gay?  Get over it people.  SHe's a person just like you and me.  jeesh!!!


My thoughts
I did feel that the fact that she had a REAL JOB on top of her Mom job was downplayed. Sigh....as it always is, I guess TV is no different than real life :-(

I would imagine they set up the other Mom and the husband to "work" doing the medical transcriptoin by just giving them really easy stuff and having someone go over it (probably just re-do it) before it went to the doc/hospital. But both the Exec Mom and the husband couldn't handle the MTing so I think that said a lot.

I felt she got respect at the end. Again I watched this months ago so I am trying to remember exactly, but it did stick in my memory that she was valued at the end. Love the show!


thank you. I appreciate your thoughts..sm
and yes, today WAS difficult, when I know my children are hurting inside and there is nothing I can do or say to make it any better. I DID over react to someone's words, and I have apologized, but I did not need to be called a nit wit. I did not deserve to be called anything just because I was trying to be as flip as she was. I became defensive, and that is wrong. I hope she gets her computer problems fixed, but it does not sound hopeful. thank you again for your good wishes. Tomorrow will be better.