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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

they no longer pay for proofing

Posted By: : 0 on 2007-08-08
In Reply to: Okay... do they no longer teach proofing your document before you send it?? (sm) - Amazed

Just kidding.
I know, I know...
Proofing is very important. Patient care is at stake.
And so are our jobs.





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Okay... do they no longer teach proofing your document before you send it?? (sm)
PRINCIPAL DIAGNOSIS(ES): Left food wet gangrene, status post above-knee amputation on.

Actual copy and paste..... I have no words for this at all.
Okay... do they no longer teach proofing your document before you send it??
Maybe some few isolated case...
proofing
I don't always but I probably should. Just got feedback from QA that I had chosen wrong account number for date of service. OOPS! 
Proofing
The problem is typing faster and faster, you have more potential for typos, etc.  If you reread everything, you make less money.  I would rather work hourly so I could put out a much better product, but  not possible.  So I don't proof, except as I go along, and briefly glance over my finished report.  Otherwise my production would be cut in half. 
proofing
15. per hour without benefits.  Still looking for a company with benefits.  For VR, I wouldn't take anything less than 6 cpl as they nearly have to be retyped.
proofing
Sorry, that should have been docs are dictating, not transcribing. Whew! Eyes are tired!
proofing
The biggest significance for proofing/reading is that when someone uses a macro/expander and it expands out to another group of words than what was intended and the MT not catching it. I know of this happening at a local clinic, and the doctor was furious when it came back to his office obviously wrong because the MT didn't take the time to check over what her macro expanded to!
proofing
I proof as I go. However, it takes a long time to be comfortable with that. You could try to test yourself and do a lot of reports in one day proofing as you go. If you have a way to put them on hold you could go back and check behind yourself just to see how you did. Big time saver but you have to be really focused and really sure of yourself.
Proofing
I was just proofing and caught where I had typed "acing" instead of "aching" The spell checker did not pick that up. I'm not here to pick apart what you do, but I would certainly recommend proofing your reports. Good luck to you
Proofing
Tinks: I do pay attention as I type, but I always go back and proof. I guess I am too anal! Also, I think it depends on the person and the account. I just don't feel confident enough (even after over 15 years!) to let mine go without giving them a once over. I do agree too that MTs in the hospital setting are not scrutinized as much as those of us working for MTSOs. So much for my 2cents worth!
proofing
I have over 30 years experience, and I still proofread everything I do after it is completed. Having done QC for many years, it is easy to spot those of you who think you can proofread while you are transcribing - the quality just isn't there. Please remember that this not only puts your job in jeopardy but also the jobs of many others as if your employer loses a client, everyone who does that client is now also losing work. More emphasis on quality, less on quantity. If you can't make enough money, try another job; don't complain about, sacrifice quality and make transcription profession look bad.
RE: MDmt and proofing
I agree with you 100%. I spellcheck and then visually proof. My QA ratings are 99-100% on a high-ESL account. I want to say to people who are too lazy to proof: IF YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO DO IT RIGHT, WHEN WILL YOU HAVE TIME TO DO IT OVER?
Proofing as you go...as in looking at what you typed?
Doesn't everyone? Or do some MTs watch TV or look up in the air while typing? LOL! That is not proofreading - proofreading is double-checking a finished document.
I have just started proofing as I go...

and yes, it does mean no more watching TV while I type ,but I am so pleased with the increase in my production per hour.  There is actually life outside my computer room....


I did have to change some of my Expanders that I consistently type incorrectly, i.e. "or" and "ro" for rule out, but after watching it for a couple weeks and not having any of my reports returned, I am pretty confident that I must be on the right track.


I also keep working on refining my templates to add every possible phrase that the doctor uses so some reports are almost an editing process rather than typing.


Exactly, really can't catch when proofing as you go.
Think about it, you are thinking, listening, typing, foot pedaling, etc., too much going on at once. Not to mention other distractions. Really can't proof as you go, just doesn't work. You have to stop at the end to concentrate and re-read it to catch all the errors. Trust me, I do audits and find errors in probably 8 out of every 10 reports, some very small but still errors. These are most likely from MTs who proof as they go. I totally understand MTs are paid on production and don't blame them one bit for not proofing at the end! But then also should not expect a perfect report or state that proofing as they go works, cause it really doesn't. Ever hear of a writer say oh you don't have to proofread or edit my book before publishing because I proof as I go?!?! Just some food for thought. ; )
Trained someone by proofing (sm)
She listened to every report, word for word, and she is now one of the best MT's I know.  That would be an excellent way to train.
Proofing Problem

Lately when I proof my work, I don't remember typing things near the beginning of the report and thinks it is something I forgot to remove from a macro.  Then I have to re-listen to that part to verify; wasting time.


I didn't use to do this and don't know how to stop. - Any tips? 


Anyone have any good proofing tips?

Does anyone have any proofing tips/ideas that they use when going over their own reports?


I always, always go over my reports at least once after typing them. Sometimes, though, I will read the sentence like it should be, instead of noticing that I left a simple small word out or something simple like that. I type a lot (and I mean A LOT) of 20-30 second reports a day  lol..and towards the end of the day is when I notice it happening.


I do this on VERY rare occasion and but am just looking for some suggestions.


 


Thanks!


I forgot to mention proofing
You're right! I forgot to mention that proofing takes less time. You'll have less to correct, and you should be able to proof as you transcribe.

You can take advantage of those annoying pauses in the dictation if you use them to proof the line above the one you're working on. Even in a tiny pause, you can proof a little bit.

Good luck with this! Let me know how it goes for you.
Per minute editing/proofing rate
Can anyone give me some good numbers here?  For editing, if you are paid by the minute of dictation, what would be a high and low pay rate per minute?  Thanks for any help on this!
Proofing Help Pleeeez! (long post)

I am 53, divorcee with 1 child in college,  been MTing for 32 years. When I started out I was one of the best in my field, accurate, at my peak was making close to 50,000 a year, only one job and only 40 hours a week.  Now, here I am going through menopause, working 12 hours a day (1 full-time and 1 part-time) and barely making ends meet.  My production is at an all-time low, and I'm working on my 3rd or 4th job this year- I forget, it's been so many, for various reasons why they didn't work out.  But, now I find myself, going into my third week of employment with this company, still in QA, making stupid grammatical errors, and leaving out words, that I am not aware of. I would like to say one of my problems is that this is a huge Children's Hospital with a lot of procedures, diseases, and terminology I have never heard of, but I cannot really say that, as most of my errors are gramatical, i.e. not putting comma or semi-colon where it belongs, leaving out it, and, but and they.  I am beginning to feel they may not keep me.  I am 1 pay check from being homeless, now jobless, already uninsured, as I could not afford the Cobra.  I have applied for jobs completely out of the MT field, so far with no luck of being hired.  I put in an application last week for a State Job with excellent benefits, paid by company, and although the salary is 22,000 to 36,000, if they call me, I am definitely going to take it.  I figure I have 15 more years before retirement, and if I can tap into the retirement for the next 15 years, that would be a help, as I don't have any 401K to fall back on.  Anyways, if you guys can give me some proofreading tips that will not take away from my production, I would greatly appreciate it.  Most companies don't offer a training pay that would last at least 2 weeks, which would be a help.  So here I am trying to make money, which is virtually impossible when you're training on a new account, new company, new software and everything.  Help Guys. 


Out of her dress today (instead of out of her dressing) but I caught it when proofing.
.
The people proofing are human. Humans make mistakes daily.
nm
Click the office button and then click word options. It's under proofing.
nm
The longer
you are in the business and have more expanders, the less errors you tend to make. You are then able to do more scan proofing (mostly to make sure you typed the expansion properly and didn't cause something bizarre to pop into the report).

I am still pretty green. I try to notice what I can while I type and always go back through it (and find something more to correct).

Some reports are much easier to proof than others. The long detailed ones that are harder to type are more difficult to proof as well. I have a hard time keeping my mind from wandering to personal issues, etc. while proofing those.
Lots longer
I don't know - I've been an MT over 25 years, am a super fast typist, use expanders, and have a great platform and accounts, and it takes me a good 5-6 hours, with a 15 minute stretch break here and there, to make 1000 lines.  Bad dictators - a good 8 hour shift to make 1000.
*a little longer than usual...
nm
then that vet would no longer be my VET!! unbelievable. NM
z
If her first initial was J, they are no longer in
business. She went into nursing, pediatric intensive care I believe.
Don't wait any longer...sm
contact an attorney.  You don't have to pay the attorney until he gets your money, then it's a certain percentage.  I know it's a killer to have to pay, but if you don't you're probably not going to ever be paid.  I had to sue a client for 3K.  I still walked away with a good hunk of the money and my pride.  It was well worth what I had to give the attorney. 
WC does not cover CPS any longer. They sm
have determined that it is not caused by typing. Can you believe that?????
oh goodie - we no longer have to see her!!
              
Working probably longer than you have
been on this earth. I have worked over 30 years in this. I do work for an agency as have been outsourced twice from hospital work, always at a lower rate than the hospital. The first hospital I made nearly 60 thousand a year, outsourced, dropped 20 thousand in the new hospital, outsourced and now my salary per year in the 20s. I do operative notes, discharge summaries, history and physicals, consultations and my pay is about yours, 7 cents a line- most of the time you are just expected to produce more- we used to have production (incentive)- some might still have but probably few and far between. If I had to raise a family now, would have to work more than 1 job to do. This is me- I am not speaking for others even though my speed is extremely high. I put my all into my job, have answering machine, no interference, have office set up in my home, have fax (because I need 1 just for my own use), printers, phones, my own computer and a backup in case this 1 goes. Your tapes definitely sound like the real McCoy. That is what we hear day in and day out. I started out with a hospital almost 70% ESL, oh, so hard, well even the English were also and even now after all these years still grit my teeth sometimes just to do a certain dictator. Good luck!
I no longer use satellite, but used
DirecWay when I had it.  Service was about $70/mo.  Download speed is not consistent.  Most of the time it was fast, but sometimes as slow as dial-up.  It depends on if it is raining, snowing, wind blowing and tree may be blowing in front of the dish, if it is real cloudy, etc.   Upload speed is much slower than download, but upload files are usually much smaller so it doesn't take long.    I had trouble with e-mail, though they have upgraded equipment and supposedly the equipment comes with the software installed and configured already so basically you just plug it in and you're ready.   I paid $800 for my equipment  years ago - that included dish and 2 modems.   The newer modems are a lot more expensive.  
Delete them.........esp if you no longer do them...

For private MDs, I only keep their diskettes 6 months, since ALL the work and an additional diskette has been provided when I returned the work.........


If you worked for a national, you need to send the diskettes to them I would think.........that is, IF you worked for a national MT company.  If not, I'd just delete them..........keeping the floppies for myself.........for future....(yep, I still use floppy disks...*LOL*).........


 


I have been MTing longer than you and get this
When starting VR was also told I should be using the function keys. My "new"(outsourced) job of years even went so far as to show us where we were using the mouse as opposed to the keys. I have never used the function keys and do over 3000 per day, my lines have increased since VR and have worked NOT using the function keys now for several years and it works ok for me. Did they threaten you with not using the function keys???
No longer confused
Now, that makes sense to me!
No longer so frustrated..
I've been reading with interest the comments my venting inspired.. both here and in my email .. and some of the assumptions are amusing.

I've been a Transcriptionist for 36 years, an MTSO a couple of times during those year, a manager with a national company or two, transcription manager, QA manager - basically just about every job possible in this field. I know how important it is for a transcriptionist to be respected for our skills and to be paid for the work we do.

We actually flew to a central location in California to train transcriptionists within a 10 mile radius of the central location, so there was no cost to the transcriptionist. We wouldn't have made the trip had we received only one or two applicants. It isn't that difficult to train someone remotely, but since we had several positions to fill and several applicants, we decided it would be beneficial to make the trip and meet the new ICs.

We have 35 very good transcriptionists, all on IC status, working at different levels of competence, on different accounts, with all of the flexibility they can use. Some started as trainees right out of school, others came to us experienced with one or more specialty. All have been cross-trained to some degree to cover each other when someone has a family emergency or just wants to take a vacation.

We have work, plenty of it, and our pay scale is competitive with other services. We've even done work share programs with other services for short term.

My plea is simply on behalf of other service owners - don't apply if you aren't serious about work. It is a waste of time, both yours and theirs.

Thanks for all of your comments. I'm getting back involved on the board a little more and find how much I've missed the exchange of opinions and ideas.

T.




Where have you been, this board is no longer -sm

***Removed by Moderator***


Hi. I no longer use this program...

also the job I worked using this program couldn't help me.  So I guess I would have to hire someone.


Can't imagine what would be in conflict with it.  I just want to remove it from my computer.


Thanks for suggestions.


I no longer use one, but on the back where the
cord comes in is a cover that I believe has screws.  Unscrew it and see if the plug has come unplugged from the machine.   If that doesn't work I don't have any idea.
In NYS I was told they no longer have
that particular program (I was lucky enough in the early 1990s to go to school for 6 months totally 100% FREE for MT, books paid for, gas mileage, everything) because I was laid my medical record clerk position at the hospital.

In checking now I find no such help at all because of funding being so low.

you would think is this great, rich country there should be plenty of money for those of us who put a huge percent of our earnings into the government for times like this when our jobs disappear yet alas I could find no such help. Displaced homemaker only applies to a specific group of people now, like those with children who are single I believe. Maybe other states are different...

Even losing your job to overseas outsourcing, pretty much only a few professions can claim that, and I think it was airline employees and tech type jobs.

Again, if we are all rich and educated, we probably could get some kind of help/benefits...but then who would need the help right?

sometimes I feel I am in debtors prison because my credit is falling because of the economic times and the company I work for just keeps somehow lowering my pay all the time as my bills are skyrocketing.

In my state anyway there are a lot of jobs you cannot even get without good credit (?) so I guess you have to not need to job in order to get one.

Funny I don't remember this growing up...I always believed if I just worked hard I would be okay...

not so much now
I have done this longer that 35 years now
and have a job, thanks anyway, what makes you think people are kept out of this field by the way we think or believe? I have paid my dues and others. You, my younger peer, get a grip.
Have been with this profession probably longer
that most of you have been on this earth. I, too, have paid my so called dues. I care not if the retired person hangs out with foreigners, that is her life. I do not have to have tea with someone that I would have to grit my teeth to listen to and that would be the case with me. I specifically tell any dealer I call if someone from another country trying to speak to me there is a language barrier and I would like to have someone who speaks not broken English. Having said that, I do not like to listen all day long to foreigners. I did not start out this way, hardly any in fact and now we are completely up to our necks in people who cannot speak correct English. I care less what people think about me, I can be politically incorrect if I like, try not to even have a PCP of my own, hear too much of that every day. Just the way I feel and my previous husband said if you think it, might as well say it.
Having just had a large pay cut, I no longer do
x
Have done this years longer than you and
when I first started in the 70s of course some then. I am still working but I get fed up, has nothing to do with whether you like or dislike doing this work, with ESLs dictating who cannot pronounce words, I really think more than VR that ESLs really compromise this profession. There are much more now than in the 80s, by the way and they are not getting any better, just worst. No one takes up for the MTers here, not being asked to spell a person they want a CC to, cannot ask to spell physician's name attending who is out of state, things are not good.
Why do some MTs try and cause problems when they are no longer with a company?
I just don't get it. 
it would take WAY longer than 6 weeks for mine! nm
nm
Me, too, but getting pregnant is no longer an option.
I wish I'd never started up again after 8 years without smoking.
When you can no longer handle what life gives you

you get on your knees and pray. Just surrender every care to God and ask Him to help because you can't do any more.  Just saw something on Oprah when she had Faith Hill as a guest and she said she was depressed and fat and wanted a role in a movie and she just fell on the ground and remembered the words to a hymm, I surrender all.  Faith Hill sang it and it brought tears to my eyes.  (Oprah got the role she wanted in Deep Purple.)  Anyway, I was in the same position and literally didn't want to go on and suddenly after my prayer things started happening for the good which I really believed was an answer to my desperate prayer.


PS:  Hope this post doesn't get dinged or offend anyone.


 


Maybe this will help. 


 


Yup, and Paula is no longer clapping like
Thankfully on both!