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To be fair, history and other sections are composed, SM

Posted By: MissIndigo on 2009-01-04
In Reply to: What is it with these dictators..sm - Bayou MT

analyzing and gathering in the process, with sometimes additional legal and political issues to consider, and the labs are mostly just read.


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C-sections
I had one delivery with C-section, worked at home, went back 2 weeks after, was uncomfortable, not my idea of easy delivery, best was natural, back to work in several days. Be sure to get plenty of rest, sleep when your baby does if you can. If you are not tired it will be easier to work. Hope your recovery is fast. Everyone is different, just my experience. I would take natural birth, no drugs over anything else. Feel better soon and congratulations on your new baby.
Juniors sections!!!
x
I've been typing C-sections all day, and -s/m-

every time I get to the phrase, "the infant was then handed off to the waiting pediatricians", I get this mental picture that cracks me up: 


I picture the surgeons with football padding and helmets.  The baby is extracted, they wipe it off, and then one team starts running.  They block and dodge and tackle, etc., all the while avoiding obstacles in the O.R., and then in the midst of all that, a handoff is made to the pediatrician, who now blocks & runs his way through other pediatricians trying to snatch the baby from him, which he has tucked under his arm like a little pink football.  He runs, he reaches the door to the neonatal unit, and plops the infant into a waiting bed.  TOUCHDOWN!   


Fair is fair -- relative or not, 1 house or 100.
She's earning income and the only fair, right, just, ethical and LEGAL behavior is to report it wholly.


MT is history.
After doing this for 10 years, 3+ in house, I'm on the brink of hanging it up and forgetting it. The pay keeps getting worse for the MTs (and better for the corporatists), the platforms keep getting slower and more cumbersome, the quality of the dictation does not get any better and tends to get worse overall as the old masters of English retire and more ESLs move in to replace them.

I would strongly advise anyone who is young enough to find something with a future.
CPL History
Just a thought here.  It seems we're all so consumed with making lines and working faster and faster, has anyone stopped to wonder about how the 8-10 cpl rate was devised??  It seems that with the amazing fund of knowledge we have to possess to function in this profession, I feel ridiculously underpaid and overworked.  The companies are constantly begging for us to do extra work with no incentives - just the statement that "here's a chance to get extra lines".   I realize that this is a production-based business, but COME ON!!   Am I the only one who feels like the companies are profiting big-time from our skill and knowledge??   There's so much we have to know as well -- A&P, meds, extensive terminology, hardware, equipment, and on and on.  Please tell me if I'm overlooking something obvious, because I'm getting really burned out.   Thanks guys for listening. 
Nothing like making up history
There are in fact many Hispanics who died and continue to die for this country. I am the daughter of a WWII veteran whose mail was confiscated because he wrote letters to his mother in Spanish. While my dad was literate in both English and Spanish, his mother could only read in Spanish, as was the primary language of New Mexico, Colorado, etc. 50+ years before the Mayflower landed. Also, my brother is a Sgt.Major who retired after 25 years in the army and 3 of his sons are also currently in the army (including Iraq). But as I said before, you can ignore all that 'cause you make up your own history....and telling Native Americans to get over it only displays your ignorance.
Learn from history

and think very carefully about this person and his sob story. Boo hoo! 


His child is cruel toward animals, chances are this child is being mistreated in some way by someone. This is a red flag that something in not right in this child's life regarding the adults. Children are NOT naturally violent--it is learned behavior.


Be friendly, but takes things very, very slow and think of the safety of yourself, your children, and your pet (s). Better safe than sorry.


Click on history
It states that in Nov. 2004 Warburg Pincus and Soros Private Equity Partners acquired Spheris. It is right on their history page.
Family history
You bring up a great question. Personally, I don't think any of that is their business - it doesn't affect how they will educate their child. I would not answer any of that - just put family medical history unknown.

Where do you live? I have taught in 3 states and none of the school districts I taught in, or the private school where I worked, asked.

You know, in this country it is illegal to ask someone for their national origin - how can they get by with asking about such personal information as your family Hx?
This patient with a history of
Aids is status post Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.
Criminal History?

Can a person with a criminal history, felonies within the last 7 years, still work as an MT?


Chucky, you're history
k
You want the history of how a line is defined?

I have a feeling you're going to need it.

Sheet of paper = 8-1/2 x 11 inches.
Courier font = 10 Keystrokes per inch

Type in Courier font from the left edge to the right edge (no margins) and you'll get 85 keystrokes. Create 1" margins on left and right side and you deduct 10 keystrokes per side. Therefore, 85 keystrokes less 10 keystrokes for left margin and 10 keystrokes for right margin leaves you 65 keystrokes a 1" left margin to a 1" right margin. That is considered a "real line," as opposed to a gross line where "anything on a line is a line." It doesn't matter if you type a whole sentence or just word. If it's on a line, it's counted as a line.

When we started using computers, people switched from Courier font to other fonts, but Times Roman 12 pt was the favored. So, to calculate a line when it's not running from left margin to right margin (Times Roman 12 pt is a smaller font than Courier (see below), you simply follow the rule:  65 keystrokes equals a line. This way, it doesn't matter what font you use, you're rate of pay will be the same. So, if you're getting 6 cents a line for a 65 char line (presuming that includes spaces), you'll be paid the same no matter if your font is:


My dog has fleas and he scratches his head. (Arial)
My dog has fleas and he scratches his head. (Courier)
My dog has fleas and he scratches his head. (Times Roman)
My dog has fleas and he scratches his head. (Verdana)

All of the lines are different lengths, but you will be paid the same no matter which font you use. You don't have to worry if the person who hires you wants you to use Gothic (huge font) and Mary Contrary to use Arial Narrow (very thin font). You will both be paid the same - 65 char/line.

You also need to do is find out if spaces are included. If spaces are included then every KEYSTROKE is counted. If not, then only what you actually see (the letters) are counted. So, be sure to ask if spaces are included.

But, as far as getting 6 cents for a 65-char line ... I'm going to presume you're new to the business (what they call a newbie). As such, 6 cents per line is decent. Just make sure you get raises over time.

However, if you have at least 2 years of experience doing acute care and they offered you 6 cents per line, you really should refuse the offer ... unless it's either that or the bread lines.


Unusual clinical history...
"The patient is status post gunshot wound to the head now complaining of headaches." Yes, bullets tend to cause headaches, I'm sure!
AI - I think Elliott is history tonight-NM
NM
"No history of TB exposure"? nm
x
I agree with AnnuderMT because of the history....sm
of professional abuse suffered by the original poster...I mean, this young woman who has worked for such an indifferent company for 10 years without even any benefits....GEEZ! Even in these hard times, her professional skills and personal integrity are worth more than that. For heaven's sake get another job! There are still better jobs out there. If it were not for my extremely painful lower back, I'd find some PT work to do, just to keep my hand in, and even a retired MT could surely find a job with say, Medquist or some huge MTSO like that. I know what it's like to have one's professional self-esteem eroded and destroyed. Not worth it, not at all. Exit ASAP!

Any tip less than $1 is considered a cheap slight nowadays, and that is just for a piece of pie!
Interesting history of Christmas Trees
Christmas Trees

How it All Got Started | Trees Around the World | Rockefeller Center
Related Links | Tree Trivia

How it All Got Started
Long before the advent of Christianity, plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter. Just as people today decorate their homes during the festive season with pine, spruce, and fir trees, ancient peoples hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. In many countries it was believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness.

In the Northern hemisphere, the shortest day and longest night of the year falls on December 21 or December 22 and is called the winter solstice. Many ancient people believed that the sun was a god and that winter came every year because the sun god had become sick and weak. They celebrated the solstice because it meant that at last the sun god would begin to get well. Evergreen boughs reminded them of all the green plants that would grow again when the sun god was strong and summer would return.

The ancient Egyptians worshipped a god called Ra, who had the head of a hawk and wore the sun as a blazing disk in his crown. At the solstice, when Ra began to recover from the illness, the Egyptians filled their homes with green palm rushes which symbolized for them the triumph of life over death.

Early Romans marked the solstice with a feast called the Saturnalia in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture. The Romans knew that the solstice meant that soon farms and orchards would be green and fruitful. To mark the occasion, they decorated their homes and temples with evergreen boughs.

In Northern Europe the mysterious Druids, the priests of the ancient Celts, also decorated their temples with evergreen boughs as a symbol of everlasting life. The fierce Vikings in Scandinavia thought that evergreens were the special plant of the sun god, Balder.

Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. Some built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles if wood was scarce. It is a widely held belief that Martin Luther, the 16th-century Protestant reformer, first added lighted candles to a tree. Walking toward his home one winter evening, composing a sermon, he was awed by the brilliance of stars twinkling amidst evergreens. To recapture the scene for his family, he erected a tree in the main room and wired its branches with lighted candles.

Most 19th-century Americans found Christmas trees an oddity. The first record of one being on display was in the 1830s by the German settlers of Pennsylvania, although trees had been a tradition in many German homes much earlier. The Pennsylvania German settlements had community trees as early as 1747. But, as late as the 1840s Christmas trees were seen as pagan symbols and not accepted by most Americans.

It is not surprising that, like many other festive Christmas customs, the tree was adopted so late in America. To the New England Puritans, Christmas was sacred. The pilgrims's second governor, William Bradford, wrote that he tried hard to stamp out "pagan mockery" of the observance, penalizing any frivolity. The influential Oliver Cromwell preached against "the heathen traditions" of Christmas carols, decorated trees, and any joyful expression that desecrated "that sacred event." In 1659, the General Court of Massachusetts enacted a law making any observance of December 25 (other than a church service) a penal offense; people were fined for hanging decorations. That stern solemnity continued until the 19th century, when the influx of German and Irish immigrants undermined the Puritan legacy.

In 1846, the popular royals, Queen Victoria and her German Prince, Albert, were sketched in the Illustrated London News standing with their children around a Christmas tree. Unlike the previous royal family, Victoria was very popular with her subjects, and what was done at court immediately became fashionable—not only in Britain, but with fashion-conscious East Coast American Society. The Christmas tree had arrived.

By the 1890s Christmas ornaments were arriving from Germany and Christmas tree popularity was on the rise around the U.S. It was noted that Europeans used small trees about four feet in height, while Americans liked their Christmas trees to reach from floor to ceiling.

The early 20th century saw Americans decorating their trees mainly with homemade ornaments, while the German-American sect continued to use apples, nuts, and marzipan cookies. Popcorn joined in after being dyed bright colors and interlaced with berries and nuts. Electricity brought about Christmas lights, making it possible for Christmas trees to glow for days on end. With this, Christmas trees began to appear in town squares across the country and having a Christmas tree in the home became an American tradition.

http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/holidays/christmas/trees.html
Allergies would be the child's own medical history sm

Not the family medical history.


As far as juvenile diabetes or similar diseases, genetically transmitted or otherwise, if the child is being taken to the ER the parents should have already been notified and be on their way. If the child's family physician is on record with the school (a legitimate request), then medical records can be sent to the ER. I still do not see any necessity of the school having anything other than the child's OWN medical history - allergies, shot records, current state of health, etc.


...The content stays the same - history, symptoms,
s
If the ESL doctor cannot understand English enough to get a history..sm
he does NOT need to be practicing medicine in the United States. I understood the OP to say that the patient was a white American female, so I assume she speaks pretty good English!
If you check the ownership history of the site

You're joking, right? That was WWII, read your history books.
fdfd
HEADERS....as in what? The things like HISTORY AND PHYSICAL headings?

or the heading at the top of the page that we don't type?


and do you find it a little offputting that they can't put in writing that they pay for spaces?  it makes me think all is not kosher. 


 


 


 


the history? nothing.. he is just advertising an Indian MT company and board
x
I tell a complete stranger my whole life history practically.
I'm suddenly realizing that I have isolated myself and that I have no real friends and the only adult conversation I have is with my DH.  While I love by DH dearly and he is my bestest friend, sometimes you need other conversations/relationships. 
Rad is dictating what is written on requisition for History is why I would have left it along.
NM
Probably old question..history and physical plural or singular?

A history and physical was done OR A history and physical were done. 


27-year-old born with no past medical history
I had that the other day. Is anyone actually born with a past medical history?
No offense, but you were unaware of the history of AAMT/AHDI
I would suggest that you learn more about the history and realities of these subjects before calling for a big strike or walkout. Credibility is an issue here.
Well, Pattie, think about this. All that family medical history you happily handed over? (sm)
When that information listing family medical history ends up in numerous computer databases, you've effectively hampered your child's future ability to obtain medical insurance, life insurance, and who knows what. Although they may not know anything about the identities of parents and grandparents, they sure do know what medical predisposition insurance companies may think are just too risky to sell a policy. Think about that.
Does Dave Navarro have the biggest head in history. So out of proportion. Smart guy though.

His piercings and tattoes are somewhat distracting but........ he's okay.  Bruce?  Back in the day.


Crash, The Chronicles of Narnia, War of the Worlds, Derailed, A History of Violence,
Brokeback Mountain, and Dreamer. All of them were good, although I think Brokeback Mountain would be on the bottom of the list for me. Crash and The Chronicles of Narnia were very good in my opinion.
Hospital work - history and physicals, op notes, discharge summaries,
s
Global warming my Aunt Fannie... Check history, there have been numerous cycles like this
x
blood tests aren't bullet proof either. Must be matched up with history and sx. But you knew that
x
I don't know but I try to be fair, but I can tell you
that I have had some management jobs that required 25 years of experience plus QA experience and MTs with less than 15 have applied and I had to tell them that it was not enough experience. That was hard, but they did not know what all was involved. I have had people get bent out of shape about it, but to be honest, I had my orders specifically from a company and nothing less would suffice, plus it was posted clear as day.

Also, there have been situations where people did not have resumes--yes, can you believe that? They said they had less experience yet they did not have it in a resume.

I think many do not understand what a recruiter has to look at and what we deal with.


still not fair

I understand how you feel, I too am in the same position.  Its like you want to do a good job with quality work and once you prove that to whatever company you might be working for instead of appreciating your high skills they treat you like a door mat and start sending you all the work that none of the others want to do.  We lose time doing bad reports/dictators just like any other MT and just because we can get through it with no blanks or it having to go to QA is no reason to give us all of the bad dictators/reports because its not fair and it doesn't make me feel appreciated what it makes me feel is used.  I get no extra for doing these type of reports back to back to back even though we are supposedly working from a pool and the MTs who don't want to do these bad reports/dictators just keep zipping along.  ITS LIKE THE BETTER YOU ARE THE WORST DEAL YOU GET AND ITS NOT THAT I MIND DOING IT (because I do want to keep my job) BUT WE HAVE TO DO IT JUST BECAUSE ITS TOO DIFFICULT FOR SOMEONE ELSE WHO MAKES THE SAME cpl BUT THEN END UP MAKING A HIGHER LINE COUNT BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THE BAD REPORTS/DICTATORS. 


There should be some kind of way to be compensated when you are put in that kind of position but right now there isn't and you just do it because its your job.  I have been in a situation lately where 95% of my work is from the list of bad dictators to be aware of and I am so frustrated.  If there was some kind of compensation for say a multi-specialist Transcriptionist or ESL transcriptionist then it would make the situation so much better and there would be less resentment all the way around, I think that is something most companies should think about. 


Of note I am not complaining, not whining, and not venting but just saying. 


That is not really fair -
It is not as easy for some of us. I have gained 30 pounds in the past year from just sitting and emotional eating. Once you get down on yourself about it - well that makes it worse. A terrible cycle. Has anyone tried hypnotism?
Fair enough. I see what you mean.
I didn't mean to imply going straight for .12--lol! And I see what you mean by "demanding." I didn't mean that either, but I should have been clearer about what I DID mean. I do mean that the OP has SOME control over the situation--maybe not total control, but some control. As ICs we need to remember that we are in business for ourselves. We ARE a business, and we need to act accordingly. I'd be looking for another client as well. No need to put up with that!
I can't say I do, very fair here.....
No sideburns, no moustache, a few hairs under arms and not much leg hair either. I'm a freak! LOL!
3 cpl isn't fair for ANYTHING!
k
Seems more than fair, to me! nm
.
fair
I think that your employer is being harsh, but I do believe that by the end of a year 1200 lines a day should be possible, especially with your background. Of course, if you are working with extremely difficult doctors that may be different. I have what I consider to be a very good account with few ESL and most doctors are very clear, and was able to produce up to 1600 lines a day with relative ease if I actually typed 8 full hours at about 6-8 months. I had no medical experience, but I did have writing and editing experience, along with two college degrees. In part, I think it's the ability to use Expanders as tools efficiently that makes that possible. Are you able to use online resources well? Do you have a good drug reference on your computer with a flexible search tool? Do you have an Expander that you are using to advantage? In order to be productive at the rates people expect these days, I think all of the above are a necessity. I also think that even with experience as a medical secretary some training is needed in order to get up to speed as an MT. In fairness, it sounds like you just jumped right into the job, and that must be difficult. Good luck!
fair
There is a world of difference between a good Expander and using auto correct. An expander will show the possibilities with a few keystrokes, whether you know the words or not, and often as soon as you see a new word you will know it is what the doctor is saying, even in a new specialty. They usually include a very complete medical dictionary, some give the possible words with any letters typed in order, not necessarily having to spell it correctly at the outset, like a mini wild-card search function. With auto correct you are only able to get what you put in yourself for expansions. I would say that using an expander during my training was what made it possible to become proficient quickly, above all else. If you can, try one of the commercially available products before leaving. It can make life SO much easier as you learn.
what is fair
I worked for a small rural hospital and we (3) were on call 24/7/365 and rotated carrying a pager on weekends plus working on Sundays.
That isn't being fair
Whoa there - my husband has a terminal disease and we usually end up hitting a 0 tax bracket because of medical expenses (we file long-form and itemize). We spend well over $700 per month on co-pays for drugs every month and then when he has to get certain IV drugs as out outpatient, our drug bill hits over $2000 for that month. Why should my family be penalized when I work my butt off seven days a week, 365-days a year? I pay in a huge amount of FICA and Medicare taxes each year. Until my husband became ill, we paid in a huge amount of federal income taxes every year. We also have two chldren in college and we are allowed to deduct some of their expenses we pay out of pocket. And, yes, we usually qualify for some Earned Income Credit, but not near what you mention. My family can use the extra money just as much as any other family and I don't think we should be penalized because of exorbitant medical bills that place us in a 0 tax bracket.
That's not fair --
I never said I have common sense!
Seriously, sometimes the most obvious things can be right in front of me, and I miss them completely. I might be slow to get some things (although I am highly intelligent; doesn't make sense to me), but once I do 'get' something, then that's a completely different story. Some day I'll tell y'all about all the other common sense things I shouldn't have needed help with --- but did.
{;-)
Is if fair to ask
a company what the average line counts of other MTs on same the account are?  I know there are others who feel this particular account is hard to make a decent line count, so I would like to know what the average is.  Otherwise, how do we know if their expectations of us are fair? 
Seems fair to me. sm
As long as accounts are consistent 1200 is a very reasonable expectation.