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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Transcriptions, you are saying, are unskilled workers?

Posted By: Julie on 2007-06-04
In Reply to: Wrong - not everyone needs to concentrate. - Some people are brighter than that.

I spent over a year training for this job. It took my total attention, I spent so much time in books be it the regular dictionary or medical books. I thought I could go right into transcribing because after all, I had worked in hospitals, medical offices and the like and if I were not a trained professional then, I do not know what it was. Very, very hard for me to understand the ESL physicians and most of the hospital dictators just that, training hospital. I was glad I kept it up but I in no way demean the profession I choose for myself but putting a slant on it like you have. I feel sorry for anyone thinking in this day and time they will be able to make a liveable salary because it would take more than 1 job to do that, a full and a part I would think. Our jobs started being outsourced and that is why the really lousy salaries now, I do not think has to do with being unskilled.


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Unions may be good for workers short-term, but look what has happened to American car union workers.
They priced themselves out of the market while making an inferior product. Ford and GM are now junk bonds. I'm driving a Toyota. So if that's un-American just like shopping at a non-union store like Walmart, well you can talk to whoever is in charge of wages and taxes who have created this monster where even middle-class has very little extra money to support a union store where the employees are paid well and you pay the price in the product they sell. I can't afford it.
This is ridiculous. Get an education and become more than an unskilled laborer.
The price of everything will go up if you unionize everyone.

BTW, those "filthy rich" ranch owners had to work hard to position themselves where they are. It's kind of a natural selection thing. People who are smarter eventually succeed and work less hard, while people who aren't so smart break their backs and are poor working harder and harder.

It's life.
Unskilled labor doesn't make much more than minimum wage anywhere.
How they can afford to work for minimum wage or purchase health insurance is a whole different issue. I don't want to subsidize unskilled workers benefits by paying higher prices at Walmart or anywhere else. And my dear poster, that's what it comes down to. If you force any company to pay "benefits" (health insurance is not an entitlement) the consumer will absorb the cost or the business will fail. Same with minimum wage going up or taxes. The prices go up to cover the business expenses. I go to Walmart for bargains. If I don't get bargains because the prices are high, I don't shop there. Walmart knows they need to keep prices low and they cannot afford to subsidize unskilled workers health insurance. My company doesn't and I understand the reason.
Transcriptions, Ltd
I worked for a company called Transcriptions Lts from 1984 until the mid 90's when another company took them over. I thought TL had dissolved. If it is the same company, it was a great, small company to work for.
ANP Transcriptions
Michelle,
Thank you for your question. My name is Errol Stryker and I am the Production Manager at ANP.

We are a fast paced, consistently growing company, that prides itself on delivering high-quality transcripts that are turned around quickly. We accomplish this through good organization skills and cutting edge file access technology.

It is preferred that our contractors turn around about 1 hour of recorded audio within a 24 hour time frame. If your skills and needs can accommodate it, then we can provide more audio than that on a regular basis. Our main focus is to make sure that we know what your needs are, and what we can expect from you. With that information, we assign work that fits your schedule/workload needs and fulfills the turn-around expectations of our clients.

Since we have such a large range of clients, the projects our transcribers work on change constantly.

Our clients range from world wide medical and pharma companies to small research groups, police departments, to churches. And everything else in between.

Some of these projects are rush jobs, most are not. I would be lying if I said that we provide perfect audio each time. I would love that for our team, but the reality is that we have to work with whatever our clients give us.

What is nice about the variety of work we get is that we can offer a healthy mix of content and quality.

All audio can be downloaded from a personalized online folders. In that folder one can access all necessary templates, guidelines and sample documents.

In addition to having easy access to your audio, we provide large amounts of support. We have a dedicated email account that fowards all "help" issues to everyone in the production department. If your issue is time-sensitive and critical to your project, we will get back to you, even if it's 11 at night. Also, our proofers are available to answer all of your formatting questions during the course of a project.

We only ask that you practice healthy communication habits and submit good work by the agreed upon deadlines.

I hope I have answered all your questions.

If you have any questions that I have not addressed please do not hesitate to contact me.


Errol Stryker
Production Manager
ANP Transcriptions Production Department
P:845.369.8492
F:845.369.7234

www.anptranscriptions.com
"Where Precision Counts"

JLG Transcriptions

 


Hi!  Has anyone heard of this company and have an opinion?  I am looking for a position at home (preferrably Radiology but I can do acute care "kinda") and I am nervous about all the national companies.  I don't know who to trust. I don't know what equipment I must purchase or even  how to set it up!  I worked from home for a local hospital for many years and also 3 years for a service who provided all equipment.  Any advice would be appreciated!


 


 


transcriptions have a skill also
as far as looking up addresses go!
It was Dependable Transcriptions, I think
Just so we all know where NOT to look for work! LOL
canned transcriptions
I think I would ask the company if I can correct all the errors. I have done that with my employer and he is happy that I have fixed things. I can't stand to have things be wrong and have my name on them.
disabled transcriptions
Thanks to all of you that gave me an answer.  It is for my friend and I will pass on the information as this is something that she really wants to do as being disabled it is much easier working from home than trying to use public transportation in our little rural town.   I will certain pass on you sugestions.
Same Day Transcriptions IS a US Company
You people don't know what you're talking about. I've been working for Same Day Transcriptions for three years. The company is owned by a young couple who live and work in New Jersey.

I do know that they have a facility in Manila because the wife (I will leave names out of this) is from there, but they live in New Jersey. I also know that they have - like me - transcriptionists around America too and they are very good to us.

It's one thing to bash a company that is bad, but these are good, honest people. That article was very unfair, not to mention inaccurate.

I think we should all rememebr that just because it's written in a newspaper doesn't make it true. I am really tired of seeing these threads of false rumors hurt good people. Please have more responsiblity about what you post.

Megan Teaghan

legal transcriptions...sm
Cold you please explain a little further why you hated legal transcriptions?
Does one also go through a training for that and needs a certificate for that?
Also ASR?
I guess payment is equal to MT?
Thanks


California Transcriptions Unlimited...SM
No schedule, no line commitment.  They presently have an ad on the Job Seeker's Board.  All radiology. 
Transcriptions Unlimited Denver?sm
In Vegas now, but from Colorado Springs. Miss Colorado too.
Same Day Transcriptions IS a US Company - I work for them
I would like to clear the record for a good company that I have been working for for over two years now - Same Day Transcriptions.

Same Day Transcriptions is an American company. I know this because I have been working for them for over two years now. The owners are a young couple who live in New Jersey. She is Filipoino and it is my understanding that her family also works for them in Manila. I know that they employ many people like myself right here in the US.

I get very irritated with people (reporters) who spread gossip without checking the facts first. These are good, honest people who don't deserve that kind of slander.

Anyone looking for a good company to work for, I highly recommend talking to Same Day Transcriptions. They always have a lot of work and they are very fair people.

Rochelle Patrick, CMT
When I was an IC, I just used my initials like this: "XXX Transcriptions, Inc"

NM means "no message," so why are you looking? 


Same Day Transcriptions is based in New Jersey
The people who own Same Day live in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. I used to work for them and will again if I can find the time. Nice people. They pay well and on time.
I agree with Megan.
Any current info on X-press Transcriptions?
I was told that I passed their test and was sent an IC contract out, but just wondering about any good/bad experiences before I sign for sure.  Also, how are the pay and accounts?  Thanks! 
Curious question about overseas transcriptions...sm
Do companies that outsouce work overseas have to pay taxes on the money they pay to the companies overseas or do the overseas companies have to pay taxes on work they do for the US? TIA.
Just curious if MQ/TL in your message meant Transcriptions Limited, Nashville, TN, bought by MQ?..nm
nm
Like most of the MQ workers lately.

One of my co-workers had a (sm)
similar situation, only it involved her entire family. She was adopted as an infant by these people and they never let her forget it. It finally got to the point that she told a dear friend that she was planning to cut off all contact because she couldn't see putting herself or her children through it anymore. That dear friend and his wife adopted her at the age of 40!!
Indian workers
I was obvious they were Indian workers from Indian..Every one of them that I talked to had an Indian accent..I have nothing wrong with American workers with accents..but I called at least eight people to get my internet account straightened out and all had Indian accents..Come on now, I cannot believe eight people are of Indian descent all working at the billing department of my internet account..If you are American of first descent and working IN America, more power to you..if the account is sent overseas, I have a major problem with that..and if you dont have a problem with that, contact me in a few years when our jobs are overseas.
MTs/factory workers
I'm sure many younger and maybe even older MTs might not agree with this, so if you do, I'll be pleasantly surprised. The "how many lines per hour can you do?" mentality so prevalent in medical transcription today is not a good thing for this profession. This belittles the professionalism of the job we do, a profession which requires immense medical knowledge and skill, a fact which, sadly, no one in hospital administration or other positions of management have a clue about and really don't want to know about, else they would have to monetarily compensate us for the professionals we really are. The sad fact is that like a frog being killed by slowly upping the temperature of the water in which he is immersed, without his being aware of the change in temperature, we have by an analagous method slowly but surely become no more than skilled factory workers. X-ray techs, nurses, physical therapists, and other professionals are not evaluated on the basis of the number of patients they take care of each day but on how well they take care of these patients, so why are we evaluated on the basis of how many lines of transcription we can do per hour or day rather than the quality and accuracy of the reports we transcribe? It used to be our responsibility as MTs to put the patient first, to give the appropriate time to research any questions we have regarding the physician's dictation on a particular patient and to make sure we get it right for the sake of the patient, but now it has become the focus of our profession to see many lines per hour we can transcribe. This mentality leads to just trying to produce lines rather than trying to transcribe accurate medical reports. It is my firm opinion that we should not be paid by the line but by the hour, and unfortuantely, AAMT has not been there to represent us in this very relevant issue. If we are so professional as they espouse, then why don't they try to get on track and reverse this trend? In my opinion, AAMT has failed us. They have been so focused on style issues, which are of far less significance than medical accuracy and have caused many of us to boil inside because of the attention given to these really mostly irrelevant issues, that the crux of our problems has escaped them. They have been in absentia and have not been focusing on the issue of getting health care facilities and transcription companies to recognize us for the professionals we are and elevating our pay scale to the level it should be. I have been an MT for over 20 years, so I've seen the negative changes as they've slowly but surely transpired through the years. Perhaps it's time for me to leave the profession altogether because I just can't deal with this "factory productivity" mentality.
MTs/factory workers

There are many ways of sifting the chaff from the wheat.  It doesn't take long to figure out those who are goofing off versus the ones who are researching to transcribe accurate medical reports.  There also other means of monitoring MTs at home if one feels the necessity to be monitored.  Also, there are ways to clock in and out on a pay-per-hour basis. One is via dial-up method and entering one's ID number into a designated system. 


As for being paid for the amount one does versus being paid hourly I would only ask, would you want someone rushing through your H&P, your child's H&P,  or the H&P or other report of any loved one just to get a certain number of lines a day, possibly listing an allergy to the wrong medication or listing the wrong extremity or wrong eye designated for a surgical procedure?  I have transcribed for many, many years and there have been innumerable times that I have had to correct mistakes by physicians who have dictated the wrong extremity, the wrong eye, the wrong medication, the wrong drug allergies, etc., etc.  I for one wouldn't want someone transcribing that I'm allergic to Namenda when I'm really allergic to Augmentin, and it's easy to see how these two medications could be misunderstood if the physician dictating isn't articulate enough, if the quality of the dictation system is poor, or if one is in just too big a hurry to produce lines to care.  I do pray if I am ever a patient in a hospital that the MT who does my report gets it right.  With such emphasis on line counts, it's no wonder we have patients who have had their only "good eye" or "good extremity" removed surgically.


Not true. And they pay their workers well &
http://www.snopes.com/business/alliance/costco.asp
Workers Compensation
Have any of you who are employees of a national company ever had to file for WC due to hands that just won't work anymore?  I need to get carpal tunnel surgery but can't afford to make zero dollars while I'm off.  I don't want to start accumulating medical bills or alert my company until I've done my research.
Workers Compensation
I did workers' compensation claims in my pre MT life.  If MD says it is work related, should be no problem being covered.  Depending on what state you live in, there is probably a waiting period that you would not be paid for until you are off for a certain number of days.  State laws dictates the % you are paid of your average weekly wage based on a minimum and maximum rate.  Do not wait too long to get your CTS taken care of.  You could cause more problems with your hands if you wait too long. 
Workers' Compensation and the ER
I thought the correct order of things would be for him to be seen regardless of where or how it happened, and the Workers' Compensation part handled after the fact. What would they have done if he'd been hurt more severely? I thought they'd (WC) reimburse whatever out-of-pocket expenses you have once the insurance claim is settled. The boss was definitely trying to set him up, which is disgusting. The funny part is that he actually gave your husband ammunition for an even more complicated lawsuit, should it come to that.
problens with co-workers

Does anyone know of a good way to get my co-workers to be quiet?  I swear there is this one who if something sets her off we hear about it for the next 4 hours (no kidding).  Then others get involved and come into the office and try to say their piece.  It is so hard to concentrate and get a decent line count.  The quality of my work is suffering.  I got a report back the other day with some embarrassing typos in it.  I don't get paid hourly I get paid on production.  I need to make more than 1003 lines a day to make it worth my trip up there.  I was making 1300 lines a day when working from home but then they pulled me in house because they didn't like my internet connection.  Complaining to the supervisor  doesn't do any good as there was a girl that did that and it just made everyone mad and they talk ugly about her.  help!


Workers' comp for IC? Where to get?
I am an IC and have just been told I need to have WC Insurance. Where do I get it? Thanks for your help. suzq
Any MTs out there w/Workers' Comp. (sm)
eval transcription experience in Ortho, Neurology and/or Neurosurgery?   How many years' experience do you have, and for which state?  I'm wondering if it's a hard transition for someone with non-Workers' Comp Rad experience to transition to Ortho, etc. in WC.
ILLEGAL WORKERS
Good for you, glad your experience worked out. Mine didn't. I got a bid for our lawn, which is huge, from a local landscaper, it (the bid) was huge. Unbeknownst to me, my dh had ordered sod and had a delivery date. Someone called from the landscaper with a revised bid ($400.00 cheaper) and I said okay, and took it because the sod was on its way the following day, no cancellations allowed (it was a whop-load, like four truck trailers). I cold not afford to lose all that money. I took the bid, not knowing what else to do and low and behold a mass of people showed up with the truck and guess who they were? Right! I was totally out of my element and just backed up out of the way as huge machine things sent the sod rolling off the trucks and these guys all grabbed some and started rolling it out. Four hours later, the foreman from the landscape company showed up and these evidently were "his men" who showed up (complete with children and dogs and yes, they did want beverages, etc). These kids ran rampant all over the place with little to no supervision. Seems the foreman was stabbing his employer in the back and did this frequently. He is a citizen, but his workers are not. Most ended up being his relatives. Never again! This is my one personal experience with this and I know that it goes on all the time from a neighbor who is a contractor. So, I still blame illegals and people who foster illegals. They need to go home and leave us to ours. I was railroaded that day and others are too. Be careful who you talk to at landcaping companies.
IC Workers Compensation
Having come from being a workers compensation claim represenatative in my prior life, unfortunately you do need to carry your own coverage as an IC. 
This is what happens to workers when companies
If we just sit on our rears and let them, they'll happily keep on doing it. If all U.S. MTs (AND the editors who fix the Indians' stuff) were to stop work for just ONE week, do you think the offshores alone, without us to do the hard stuff and clean up their messes, could cut it and keep the hospitals happy? I think not. Food for thought.
The construction workers are not all

People in the construction business do require certain licenses.  They are not all uneducated making $30.00 an hour. 


New MTs should be on this board so they can get a reality check.  If you plan to stay in this field, just be cautioned that will not make more unless you transcribe more lines and put in more hours.  That's the bottom line and I'm speaking from 20 years of experience and I'm in my late 30s still raising two children along with my husband.


It's not the foreign workers who are at fault sm

The fault lies with the big US corporations who are the greedy SOBs that have outsourced the jobs so they can save billions over what they would pay workers in the US. 


So, to be rude to and cuss out these working people is not going to get us anywhere.  What we should do is boycott the corporations who are sending the work overseas.  Maybe if they lose enough business they will get smart to themselves and bring the jobs back to the US workers. 


But how many female construction workers??
nm
I was a workers' comp historian in a
hand surgeon's office for two years. He and the hand therapist always said that regular breaks from the keyboard were important to prevent overuse injuries. I saw many cases of permanent disability in computer users who overdid it, and it's not worth it.
Workers' comp can be interesting
depending on the doctor's speciality, but you could get bored very quickly if it's orthopedics. However, you'll never know if they don't send you any work. I would start looking again. Good luck.
question for statutory workers
What percentage would you recommend setting aside from each check to cover your taxes?  thanks.
Question for night workers.....

How do you get your sleep?  I generally get to bed around 3:00 a.m., and need at least 8 or 9 good hours of sleep in order to function the next day.  I set my alarm clock for 11:30, but generally am awake before I ever have to turn it off due to some kind of noise outside.  I sleep with my TV on low and a fan on.  Over the last year or so I have noticed more and more noise in the neighborhood, owners renting out their houses to young people who love LOUD music in their homes and cars, televisions loud enough I could be watching the movie if I could see their screen, things like that.  It used to be kids outside on weekends playing ball and what not, but now it is actually adults making all the noise, very unneccesary noise.  Do they think they don't have neighbors?  Or that the rest of us are as deaf as they are going to end up?  Why is it people just don't care anymore? 


I live in a house, not an apartment.  One of the reasons I bought a house is to escape the noise of the neighbors.  My question is, would any of you actually resort to calling the police on a neighbor if they were constantly disturbing your peace?  There is a noise ordinance where I live, and the police are great at taking care of it, it's just the feeling I would have of actually calling the police on a neighbor.  But at the same time, the neighbors are not respecting me, right? 


Last summer I did go door to door trying to see if people wanted to get together a neighborhood watch, told each person about my concerns with kids tearing down mail boxes, the noise, etc., so from that respect I gathered they all knew that people could hear their noise.  Not one person called to confirm they would be at the meeting, and it was cancelled.  Everyone just wants to do what they want to do.  I'm not going to resort to wearing ear plugs. What if the smoke alarm went off, or my emergency phone? 


I guess I'm just asking for opinions or similar stories to help me out.  Thanks for listening.


it is totally sad that garment workers
among others have already gone through this - I am not happy with any of it, but Chinese imports are starting to show some major problems that may end up costing us much more than they have saved us.  It is one thing to wear clothes from Taiwan - entirely another to have our medical records and personal information shipped to countries that are killing our soldiers and would (and have) use the information for monetary gain.  I try to buy local produce to support local farmers.  Why can't others do the same with us?  P.S.  I could make sure the T-shirts were made in America - there are a few places.
IC Workers Comp Ins. Required?
thought i posted this earlier, cant find it, sorry if its redundant.  Im an IC, have been for 8+ years with the same company in MASS.  I live in WV.  I was contacted last week and was told that the company had been audited and all IC's were required to have Workers Comp insurance.  the policy costs $655 a year.  anyone have this same requirement?  I have other insurance, Aetna major medical, additional accidental death and dismemberment, long-term disability through my husband's employer, AEP.  So, is it necessary for me to carry comp ins? 
Google domestic workers sue US
xx
Workers' comp insurance for IC

Does anyone know if there is a law in NY state that you have to have Workers' comp insurance as an IC?  I was told by one company that you do and they will not hire me until I have the insurance, but I also saw on this website


http://www.ins.state.ny.us/ogco2005/rg050315.htm that you only need insurance if you have employees, which I do not.  They company says that is incorrect.  Anyone have any idea?

 

Thanks

Unfortunately, this company has no shortage of workers.
I know they hired a few new grads after I turned down their offer. As long as someone will work for that, they have no incentive to raise rates. Companies now don't seem to care about experience and quality, only concerned with the $$$. They didn't care that I can transcribe 2000 lines a day with 99% accuracy. They would rather stick to their cpl and hire new grads. Well, good luck to them.
It's Workers' Comp - they changed it about five years ago, maybe more nm
:
Unions protected workers from exploitation
It seems me that had the unions had a watch dog group, abuse of that system would not have occurred. And there was abuse. A small percentage of people always seem to look for loop holes and then milk something good as long as they can until they ruin it for everybody.

But please, unions are good. If there were unions in Calif for the field workers, conditions would be improved and these unemployed workers across America who have lost their jobs to outsourcing could actually make a decent living at them without work that puts you into a chiropractors' office in ten years.

Of course, the price of food would have to go up or perhaps all of those filthy rich ranch owners would, instead, have to take a cut in income (now there is a possible answer).
BUt I like not being the boss and dealing with the headaches and I like having co-workers to help
:+
Evidently someone is satisfied. They have workers and are still in business. Don't YOU
:+