ESLs
Posted By: sm on 2006-03-31
In Reply to: how to deal - with ESLs
ESLs are probably the most difficult dictators we must deal with as MTs aside from mush mouths or those who like to dictate while eating or using the bathroom! Unfortunately, there is no fool-proof way to "get them" it takes a lot of patience. I have found that sometimes speeding up the dictation just a tad can help...sometimes. And, sometimes repeating what they say in the same accent can help you get it. It may sound silly, but actually saying it out loud can help. I really wish that ESL docs would have an English speaking doctor do their dictation for them, but that is never going to happen. You just have to try to keep your sanity and not tear out all your hair. Just know that eventually you will become more proficient at doing ESLs, but there are always going to be those that are just really difficult that you can't understand. I usually have a number...say 10 times. If I back up and listen to the same word or phrase 10 times and I can't get it, it gets a blank and I move on and let QA have it. Good luck!
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As to the ESLs, nope, you can't. They're everywhere, especially as
v
Even if you so happened to start out with no ESLs,
That can change overnight. The fact is that more likely than not in this business you are going to have to get used to them. :-(
You have to retrain your ears for ESLs and it takes
some time. If you tend to have the same ones regularly it really helps. What I do is, if I have blanks I just mark a blank and continue the report. When I finish the report I go back and relisten and I am usually able to get the blanks because I have figured out the accent. If you get QA back make copies of the reports for future reference. If you have a couple of reports by the same doctor and don't have to send them in immediately, sometimes you can pick up something in one report you didn't in another and you can go back and fill in. Getting up for a short break does help, also taking a deep breath and closing your eyes while you replay the dictation helps. I have dictators that I just cringe when I see them come up, but I just take a deep breath and just jump in. If I have the right frame of mind I find that even the difficult ones tend to go better. If I'm tired and frustrated I chose another dictator that isn't so bad and come back to the bad ones. I download via internet so I know who I have and I can do them in any order - I'm not cherrypicking.
I have had new ESL dictators and I swear they aren't speaking English and it can take me a couple of sentences to figure anything out and then I go back to the beginning and I can do it better then.
No ESLs on my account, but they're not hiring.
If the test file has such difficult ESLs, you don't want to work there anyway! It would be
s
Biggest thing ESLs do is put accent on the wrong syllable.
Like "sub SEE quent lee" instead of the way most people say it, "sub see QUENT lee"
Because of the pronunciation of "diabetes" my doctor says the patient is "dia BEET ic" instead of diabetic.
Remembering this can often help you figure out a word - and you'll probably laugh when you do!
Don't know TTS, but if the program has errors due to lots of ESLs, sloppy docs, etc. you'll ha
s
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