yer welcome. with the advent of computers, it's MUCH easier here in Iowa to get a coding job at

• Coding sm - 27 year MT
  • bringing to the top - diddles
    • Diddles, thank you! Major information on a fog-enshrouded highway. - Thx!
  • AHIMA is the best course to take - best school
  • Andrews has a coding program, & its reputation is as good as their MT course. - nm
  • Coding - mtmom
    • Medical coding - diddles
    • Supposedly more dfficult to find work as coder, than as MT. - Good luck.
      • Heck, coding is complex, but definitely FINITE and physically non-demanding. sm - di
        • I totally disagree -- politely :) - diddles
        • I agree with you. When I first started sm - 27 year MT
          • yer welcome. with the advent of computers, it's MUCH easier here in Iowa to get a coding job at - than it is to get an MT job at home.
            • My 2 cents - coder/mt

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background and anatomy and physiology knowledge, a transition into coding wouldn't be hard at all.  From what I can tell by looking through my husband's books, an MT would have to learn insurance regulations and legalities.  We've basically got all the medical background down or we should be if we're worth our salt as an MT.

I even contacted AHIMA and found that the qualifications for taking the CCS or CCP coding exams are completion of the a coding program, RHIT program, or RHIA or related work experience.  Transcription is part of HIM, albeit the red-headed stepchild of the HIM department, but a part nonetheless and so satisfies the qualification of having work experience.

The test is tough though.  My husband didn't pass it his first time out and I think I read something like only 20% or so pass it the first time.  So it would probably be best to take some sort of formal coding class, in my opinion.

It's kinda like Survivor in that people get voted off...  I think it's called America's Next Great Cooking Show Host or something.   and the guy from Iowa (reminds me of Dudley Do-Right) stayed in there!   WOOHOO!

inhouse experience was awful.  Not only was I transcribing for $15 an hour, I had to make copies and go down 2 flights and stuff their mailboxes with copies.

I so much prefer working at home of a national, where all I do is transcribe, and they take care of the distribution of the records.  I just push send.  Plus I find the dictators a lot more doable than at that hospital.  They were a mess.  They didn't even have a standard format.  It was just, whatever.

My youngest sister came by this late night after getting off work.  She works 2nd shift at a local factory.  It has provided an okay and steady living for her and her family but it has taken its toll on her.

Her beautiful young face is worn and tired.  Her clothes are nasty from the oil and sweat and metal shavings.  Her poor little hands are literally worn out, muscular, rough with callus.  Her back hurts all the time from all the standing.  Some of the attitudes she works with keep her humble little soul in discomfort. 

She gets in trouble by management and by every line worker if she has to miss.  She has no opportunity to move anywhere really within that plant.

We don't always have the work we want in this business and sometimes we have to really take a stand to get where we need to be.  All said and done, though, we have it easy. 

I don't have to wear my self out physically.  I can get up and stretch and take a break.  I can be somewhat flexible with my time.  I don't have to put up with people who try to control or intimidate me.  I have a marketable skill, though that market is changing rapidly ... it is still a skill that I can adapt and use.  There are so many ads on this very board that I can explore if I need a change or additional employment ... all those opportunities and I don't have to move anywhere, I don't have to uproot my life .. just go to work for someone else.

We have it easier than we think. 

I have found that many transcriptions who say they want to work for me have one of three issues:

1. They embellish on their experience/quality.

2. Time off--they want more time off than I get and they usually wait until they're walking out the door to say they're not available. Deadlines are seen a "negotiable".

3. They are asking for more per line than I am able to pay (usually they want .12-.14/line--I only charge .12/line on my accounts because that's all the market will bear)

Many of these are newcomers to the field who have somewhere gotten the idea that they can get away with all of these behaviors. (I would bet more than one of them are some of the criers on these boards as well.)

I would LOVE to find someone who is dependable and experienced, who knows how to work and is not looking to take my accounts on a permanent basis; someone who would do as good a job for me as they would want someone else to do for them if they needed some time off. Apparently, they're all working for other companies and are happy, which is great for them.

I think this is why EMR has become popular.  My daughter has been typing on the computer since she was 4-years-old.  My son is a pretty quick typist at 12 years of age. 

My PCP uses his computer, but a lot of times PCPs do not use transcriptionists at least in my state/experience.  It is mostly specialists.  I have noticed the bigger the practice/facility, the larger the transcription company.

Part of an ortho practice I transcribed for went with C-Bay because they wanted to go digital and have 24-hour TAT; however, three out of seven physicians were older and still used tapes.  It all depends on the circumstance and preference.

To work a split shift, example 6-10 n then 3-7, OR would it be less painful to get it all done at once so you have more time to rest fully?  My hands kill me constantly.  I've tried everything.  Don't want to be in more pain if the split would end up being worse.  Thanks.

I love ASR (automated speech recognition) aka editing as it's easier on the hands for some (me!!).  It does pay 20% less per line but I'm very fast with editing.  I like it a lot but to each his/her own opinion on it.

Good luck!!

I'm using Word 2003 with Instant Text as my Expander software.  I have been trying to figure out how to insert *stop codes* literally for months using Instant Text.  I finally gave up and here's what I do.  There may be easier ways around it, but I just learned today. lol

I transcribed the report,, which is a pain center report. I get the same doc everyday who has a style that he sticks with pretty much.  After I was finished, I copied the report and went into a new document to tweak it up.  I left in basically all of his  repetitive phrases along with the exam, and all of the headings.  Anywhere I wanted a stop code or field as MS Word calls it, I pressed the combination of ctrl+ F9.  When I  was  finished I highlighted the document and clicked on Autotext.  If you've never used autotext, when you want to retrieve an entry you've created, you start typing the name you've assigned to it, and either press F3 or enter and BAMM there it is.  The stop/field codes look like this {  }, but you can shade them gray.  To access each field you simply press F11 and it takes you right to the next stop. I hope I didn't confuse you.

I just bought a book that is truly a MUST HAVE for MTs working with Word.  It's called Tips N Techniques to boost the productivity of the medical transcriptionist.  It was put together by an MT.  I think you can find it under www.cherylflanders.com.

Good luck!

Rin