Home     Contact Us    
Main Board Job Seeker's Board Job Wanted Board Resume Bank Company Board Word Help Medquist New MTs Classifieds Offshore Concerns VR/Speech Recognition Tech Help Coding/Medical Billing
Gab Board Politics Comedy Stop Health Issues
ADVERTISEMENT




Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Your company will dictate whether working off line via recorded work is even

Posted By: feasible depending on TAT. nm on 2007-04-07
In Reply to: Usually work "live" on a Cphone, while connected. There are ways to record & work off line, bu - sound quality will suffer. nm

s


Complete Discussion Below: marks the location of current message within thread

The messages you are viewing are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select the boards given in left menu


Other related messages found in our database

I kept getting a recorded message to call some company..
I had never heard of, sometimes twice a day. So, finally I called it and it obviously went to India.  I told him, not very politely, that I was tired of getting their recordings and they needed to remove me from whatever list I was on.  He was still sputtering and stammering when I hung up.  Grrrrr!
I would charge more per line for working holidays or if asked to work scheduled days off. SM
But did you address that in your contract? 
Yep, they dictate in noisy nursing stations, dictate in the ER, dictate in the OR when they are
cleaning up banging around and we are supposed to hear them. So much for HIPPA.
Do PA's get paid to dictate by the line? SM
I am doing a 25 minute preop of a patient admitted for removal of two lipomas.
I don't see how any company can dictate what you send to QA
That is preposterous to think that you can have say how many to send to QA!! At any given time, ANY doctor can dictate something that you would question or something you have no idea what it is. Noise, ESLs, mumbling.. just to name a few factors involved. All that does is tend to make the MT quess in order to keep down a QA count. The company I work for has NO limits on what goes to QA. They would rather it go to QA than guess. Under no circumstance, would they say to NOT send something to QA. You can't control the doctors, PA-C, NP, etc. to make them dictated where all could understand every word!
If this is your only job and the dictate when you work - sm
then by the IRS definition you are an employee, though it does not sound like you are having taxes taken out. I take care of this problem myself by having another IC job that all I have is a deadline and I must have my work in by then, they could care less when I do it, as long as it is done on time. I have another IC job, where they asked when I would be working, a schedule of sorts, sort of what you are doing, but I do not firmly stick to it. I think it is more to give them an idea of what days you plan to work and what time of day. They do not chew on me if I vary my schedule as long as I log in and do the work. They know as an IC they cannot dictate the hours I work. I don't/cannot write off my home office as it is in my bedroom, but I write off everything else I can. If you need clarification call the company you work for and tell them of your dilemma and how your tax person says the IRS considers you an employee and since they require "set" hours then they should start taking taxes out, etc. from your pay, and see how they backpedal on the set hours issue.
Well, some companies want to categorize you as an IC, but dictate what hours you work. sm
That is illegal. If you are an IC, companies can not tell you what hours to work; however, they can tell you we need these hours covered on such and such day. You can either agree or disagree.

Personally, I will not commit to any set hours. I am an IC solely for that reason. I will give you 2000 lines a day in a 12 or 14 hour period or whatever period you need it in, but I will not tell them I will sit at my keyboard from 9-5.

Companies want you as an IC but they want employee schedules. Most companies are trying to do that nowadays. It is up to you, the individual MT, to accept or decline. Everyone's needs, including companies and MTs, are different.

Quite frankly, you really do need to ask the company what they expect from you, the IC MT, to really make informed decisions and choices.

I hope this helps a little bit. Good luck!
It worked; I remembered to download the work into E-Dictate
nm
I agree. I work for an exceptionally difficult university and those people dictate on cell phones in
trains, in cars, everywhere and they cut out and they just have an exceptional amount of residents dictating on anything imaginable. My blanks are never for words I dont know they are for crappy dictators or those that simply dont know what they are talking about.
You need to watch your line count. I was working for them and got reports that had line count of 0
You need to watch your line count. I was working for them and got reports that had line count of 0 in them. They did not pay for templates, they would deduct the template even if it was not used and deleted. I notified them and said they could not change it.

So I asked to be put on another account and they refused. I quit.

I was also promised they would have an incentive plan going into place if you type a certain # of lines. Two years went by and nothing.

I was really disappointed in OSI.

They also offered to pay half on joint AAMT, which they failed to do.

I am glad I am no longer there.
Where are these recorded to
platform, file extension?  Send e-mail if you want to, and maybe I can help you.
Yep, it is re-recorded
and you're right, it is not always when the doctors dictate. Sometimes they seem to be trying to punish me (after I've had a particularly difficult time keeping up with their erratic assignments) by greatly reducing the work they send me, and then I will receive work that includes some dictations that are days old. Little do they know, I consider it more of a punishment to assign the work the way they do and expect me to keep up than to reduce my work (a welcome break because of their workflow issues).

Looking back a couple of weeks ago, I reviewed my invoices for the first four months of the year and realized that my work had basically doubled in the third and four months from what it was the first two months. During the same period of time, I had scheduled several outpatient surgeries and did not request any time off because I thought that I could handle the work despite the surgeries. Even though they doubled my work I was able to do it, but it nearly killed me. Had I known they would be doubling my workload, I would have been able to plan better and would have asked for a day off here and there to make it easier to get through without killing myself or missing deadlines.

That is just one example of how I try to plan things outside of work, and I do not want to take time off as I do not want to lose pay, but they always seem to know when I have something planned and the workload increases and they begin overlapping the deadlines. I have two other work sources besides this group, and the others do not have the same problem. Always know when the work is coming and communicate well about any changes.

Sorry this is so long, I guess I just needed to get it out. It drives me crazy. Thanks for your response.
Hey, she's the one working for that company
not me.

Birdie, dear, no company (even well organized ones) can put all expectations up front. Feedback is how that is conveyed.

Obviously, the changes they want are not "petty" or they wouldn't want them.

Did you ever think about that?
I'm new to working for a company (m)
as opposed to for myself where I set my own schedule and TAT.  When a company tells you that you work from 9-5, etc. what exactly do they mean?  Do you literally have to be at your desk transcribing for those hours?  Or once you meet any line count requirements are you done for the day whether you worked 2 hours or 8 hours? I'm just trying to decide what avenue to go.  I have a certain amount of freedom that I enjoy right now as in I can work until noon, go on a field trip with one of my kids, and come back and work at 5 and complete my work, etc.  Or I can work at 10 at night if I want/need to.  I just wonder what to expect from working for a company and would appreciate any insight!
Working for more than one company...
I've always worked for more than one company. I encourage people to not put all their eggs in one basket.
Working for company, not my own
accounts. I appreciate the information. Guess for a trip in July, now is not too early to tell them what days I will be gone. Thanks!
For those of you working for more than one company...

I am looking to move some of my eggs into another basket, if you know what I'm saying...  I'm wondering how those of you who work for more than one company juggle the work load.  I am talking part-time, IC work here. 


The company I work with now is great, but like I said, I would just like to have a little something in my back pocket.  They do call me and email me all the time asking if I can pick up this job or that job.  What if I'm bogged down with other work?


Do companies look down on IC's that have other companies they work for, or do they kind of expect that? 


Thanks for any advice.


Working for a company or IC

For those of you who are ICs, have you regreted  taking that giant leap of working for a national company versus working as an IC?  I know there would days of feast or famine, but at this point I need the flexibility.  I am in my late 50s and do not yet qualify for Medicare.  


The other problem is too that I will  have to buy my own health insurance.   Would anyone recommend a good national insurance company for getting medical/surgical benefits for myself and spouce that do not charge a fortunate? 


I still get to type hospital dictation since I am an acute-care MT with 29 years exp. 


So undecided. 


 


 


 


 


What company are you working for?...sm
I have also found it hard to make any money on VR and asked to be taken off of it.
what company are you working
Your company may give you instructions on the basic use of it.
You probably are working for a company that
has oodles of employees working on ASR, right? I work on Escription and probably not as many on my account but it is almost perfect. You cannot teach the computer IF you have lots of people who type in things differently, just will not LEARN. What system do you use and how many working on same acct?
Recorded statement -- think about it before you do it
My attorney has always advised against doing a recorded statement.  Sometimes it is the way that the question is asked as to how the answer comes out.  Also, we all know that errors can happen in recorded statements and they are not given to you to verify and sign off on, and the tape is erased so what do you do if there is an error in it?   So I would not do it again, I did and it did not help my case.  Took a lot of attorney time and money to get everything cleared up and then rule in my favor.  If it is a black and white of a rear end, might not be a problem, but if there is any question at all, do not do it unless you type up what you want to say and a recorded "statement to them" and do not answer their questions.   Just my 2 cents worth
Most likely they are being recorded as raw .wav files...sm
...which are huge. Sony does have a proprietary audio format (can't remember now what the three-letter file extension is) that compresses the files, and I'm sure the user manual for the recorder will have instructions on how to switch back and forth.

Jay
It all depends on the company you are working for. sm
If you are the only recruiter for a company, you are not competing with anyone in the same company, but you are competing with the other companies out there.  You have to know the way to sell your company hopefully that your company has something to sell, you have to have strong people skills, be able to administer whatever kind of test is appropriate, and I think it is imperative that you have experience as a medical Transcriptionist as well as a QA specialist.  I think both of those positions go along with making a strong recruiter. 
Until you know which company you are interested in working for, sm
or will be working for, it is useless to worry about equipment. Many companies have specific equipment they require. Either they will provide this, or ask you to buy/rent it. It is impossible to buy equipment for a job you do not have. Some companies use transcribers, but most of them use internet platforms, often provided by the company. This platform will determine which pedal you need. Unless you have a lot of money to throw away, get a job first, then be prepared to buy/rent the equipment. MTs that have been working awhile usually have equipment sitting around, but they don't buy it hoping to get a job; it is usually left over from a former job. My advice is save your money until you get a job. Good luck.

Are you doing this fulltime and you working for more than 1 company?n/m
x
I think she is working for a company that provides insurance.
Sounds to me like she can't afford the premium thru her employer -- the place I'm leaving in a few days, for my daughter and myself it cost over $300 a month.  I guess to some that's reasonable but I have had a very hard time with it.  I'd prefer to eat.
I started out working for a company ...sm
that gave you everyone who worked there's IM and then the company who bought them out isn't that way. They don't encourage contacting other MTs working there. Which has not stopped me. I still have managed to get email addresses and then get their IM. It does help tremendously when you are able to talk to others on the same account as you.
You don't want to work for this company. Call your current company and
tell them that you have decided against the new position and tell them that you would like to stay. It is cheaper for them to let you stay than to train someone new. A company who could be so tacky as the one you just spoke of is one you do not want to work for. You can rescind your resignation. If you are a good MT, they will be glad you did.
You could always decline the recorded statement and
send them a written statement instead.
$50 per hour of recorded transcription...sm
is a very low rate. Think of it this way, how many minutes can you transcribe in an hour? Subtract that number from 60 and you'll see how many hours it will take you to transcribe, then divide the $50 by the number of hours it will take you to do the 60 minutes. I believe that there used to be a "standard" of 1 min of dictation = 4 minutes of transcription time. So, basically you'll make $50 for four hours (or more)work!
9 cents/line, plus a 20% bonus for working

Please tell me you are not working for .07-.08 per line with 15+ years experience. SM
Sweetie, I would rather work at Walmart than settle for this. Not sure if you were referring to yourself; however, this is what is driving our payscale down. Speaking for myself only, I will not even consider working for a national who pays under .10 line (bare minimum). I have many years of experience and truly appreciate and understand the need to have a job in this field, but there is a fine line to draw. Let's avoid desperation and take back our pride.
Do you have a specific company you'll be working for?
They should be able to give you specs.
If you are working for a company that totals your daily sm
lines for you then I wouldn't worry about keep track of it on word. The characters must be basing it on something else - like no spaces, spaces, 65 characters, no characters...that kind of thing.

I would just look on your company statistic board and keep track of it that way. That way it is not as confusing.
Not sour grapes - We recorded the game
and have watched those plays more than a few times.

Especially the one where he was CLEARLY NOT over the line with the ball, only his shoulders and HE KNEW IT. He looked RIGHT at the camera as if to say, "Am I gonna get away with this"?

The ball was far too low underneath him to be even close to his head. Watch the replay and see for yourself.

I will admit it. I cried. Cried like a baby! I (sniff) still (sniff) can't.... talk about it much. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
What is your annual salary working at 8 cents per line? nm
s
Have a hospital I work for and they consistently change work types and do line counts. (sm)
Management just doesn't understand in order to crank out the work you need to be proficient by typing the same accounts. Go figure, they just don't get it ??
Usually work "live" on a Cphone, while connected. There are ways to record & work off line, bu
s
Sounds like total opposite of the company I am working for...
My pay is quite good, rarely talk to my manager, been very flexible with me. Goodness, sure you are talking about the same Medware?
Should clarify, I was an IC for a company working a split shift. nm
d
What about benefits? I make 50k a year working for a company
out of my home full time. No gas money, no traveling, no printing, faxing, and I get full benefits. How is making 50000 as an MTSO good money? I really just don't get it!
Just started working as an IC for a company, found out something I had been transcribing for
years was wrong. When I questioned it, they explained it to me, but for 20+ yearse no one else had seemed to care. You learn something every day in this business.
I'm working too, get double line count for today, but reports are
zz
Made 11-12 cents a line working for a service in 1989
sucks
Just read whole thread. Yes. Working for a service is okay because line rates
actually have gone down. Just make sure they pay for spaces, headers, footers.
Hmmm...my line count has gone way up since I am no longer working on ExText.
nm
All I know is it caused the company I work for to be unable to do all work due today and the rest
:+
I don't make 0.08/line.. I work for no less than .13/line. nm
.
So, are you working for the same company. I have worked for 2 companies and I have noticed a huge
difference in the lines I got from each company. The accounts were similar. I never ever got what your talking about but I would average 600-700 lph at one company and the other one  I was lucky to get 400 lph so then I figured out they didnt pay for spaces, footers, headers etc.. and that does factor into your line counts on that platform.
i used to work for a company that divided the work types up and i loved it. sm
there were only 4 of us working a major teaching hospital. someone was assigned surgery, different assigned discharges, different admits, etc. we all had the backup work type in case the original assignee wasn't available and were cross trained. it made us much more efficient, ability to get used to dictators, set macros, and in the long run we were all much happier.