Home Contact Us

Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Medical Transcription Discussion Forums:

General Discussion Forums:

Recently Viewed Messages: (An archive of over 1 million messages related to medical transcription industry)

bringin it up..you know you're an MT when...you finish your dr's sentence.. - Posted By: poopie

s

Come on GUYS!!! - Posted By: Lolabug

Please, please, please help me out here!!! I need some advice.

Ok, so I work in-house at my local hospital. I get paid a decent wage by the hour. We get annual raises and cost of living raises. However, I have been put in charge of transitioning all of our clinics to a new dictation/transcription system and have been meeting with all of the doctors, setting up templates, meeting with the product vendors and deciding how we want to go about implementing the new system. In addition to this I have been making my minimum line count EVERY DAY. My question is...Should I ask for a raise in pay since I am doing all of this extra work for the hospital even when I have been getting annual and cost of living raises anyway? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys!

Why does VR editing pay less when - Posted By: fluff

in my experience, it takes so much longer to go over with a fine-tooth comb to catch all the ridiculous errors & always have to reformat & rearrange everything. I could transcribe the whole thing from scratch way faster, yet they want to pay so much less for VR! The quality is awful, it's way more time-consuming, & the pay is worse. Is VR really the wave of the future because I find that hard to believe?!

');>

QA Audits - Posted By: ZippyMT

Would like to vent a bit about QA audits. I understand the need for QA but to ding people for leaving out a word that does not make or break a report and then allowing whole paragraphs to be deleted because that is the "form" the company prefers is hypocritical to me.

Mouse - Posted By: MTTomb

I'm really technologically deprived, so forgive me. I was wondering if anyone knew the typical "life" of a mouse? I just replaced mine about 6-10 months ago, and it's starting to go out already. It's like the little ball thing (see my tech terms?) isn't working, and it's a pain to try to get the cursor to move. The one before I had for about 5 years, and before that, it was eons. Did I get a bad deal, or is this average? Thanks for any help! (I use it daily, working, if that helps determine the life expectancy!)

Word help - Posted By: Tabatha

Transcribing notes for urgent care center. Physician states "plasms perox". How would that be spelled? I cannot find it in my word book, online med dictionary, and there are various spellings on Google. Can anyone help me?

TIA,

Tabatha in Charleston, SC

Local radio station is giving away American Idol concer tickets. sm - Posted By: Need Help

They're running a contest for 2 free tickets. With the entry, you have to list what you would be willing to do in exchange for these tickets. The best/most original idea will win the tickets. Any suggestions? It has to be something the person would really be willing to do. I really want these tickets!!

Spheris - Posted By: X MQ

Does anyone have any experience with Spheris.

Teenage eating disorders question...sm - Posted By: Teen mom

Hello,

I'm convinced that my stepdaughter is developing an eating disorder but am having a hard time convincing my husband of the same. The 15-year-old girl has lost I think at least 30 pounds in the past few weeks and refuses to eat more than a few bites and wants to just drink prune juice to help her poop. She won't listen to me that you have to eat in order to have something to poop and is obsessed that she's not pooping every day but also says she's not going to eat.

She was previously overweight but now is what I think is a weight that she looks good. I'm concerned that she's going to end up ill if she doesn't start eating consistently. My husband seems to think this is just a fad she's going through.

Any ideas, suggestions, etc?

trouble with heel pain using foot pedal? - Posted By: sm

I took my bead-filled wrist pillow and put it under my heel -- wow, what relief! Just thought i might not be the only one, so wanted to share!

Is it too much to ask... - Posted By: Not appreciated....

Family has been having financial troubles the past few months so I took on more work. As I am the only one in the family that is able to find extra work to pay off debts, is it too much to ask if the rest of the family (teenage daughter and preteen son and husband) pick up the slack on the household duties. I have never asked them to do much other than their own messes. I usually do all the major cleaning and all the major cooking (even baking for THEM to give as gifts this Christmas). Since I took on extra, my house is falling apart. I have no relaxation time, even if I try to just sit down, I can't relax if I have to look at the mess. Has anyone ever been able to just sit back for a week and let family and house fend for themselves in hopes they would have some awakening as to the stress I'm under. All of this and the holidays are stressing me out.

To the new MTs / MENTOREE - Posted By: SecretaryPlus

Hello. If you have very little experience, you must be trained. If someone hires you for on the job training, make sure they train you before throwing you to an editor. An editor, like you, is paid by the line only. They do not have time to walk you through all the training materials you didn't feel like reading. Some companies are so desperate for cheap labor that they take advantage of people wanting to work from home. They give them the easiest dictators and the new MT still can't handle it. The editors are left with a mess. I will tell you, I am quitting. I'd rather type than retype someone's work and get half the pay.

COBRA QUESTION - Posted By: Siren

I have been covered by COBRA since September 2007 with dental coverage. I just received my new card today and I do not have dental, and my last dental appointment and treatment are not being paid. Can they do this? Drop coverage that I already have. To top it off they are charging me $20.00 more a month.

My husband is covered under AARP; however, I cannot get on his insurance even though I will be 50 in one month due to being overweight. They say I have to lose at least 70 pounds.

Does anyone know of an insurance company that would insure me for less than what I am paying COBRA?

Instructions for physician dictation - Posted By: smile

1. At the beginning of the dictation, take the deepest breath you possibly can and then try to dictate the entire report before you have to inhale again.

2. When dictating a particularly difficult word or phrase, please turn your head and speak directly into your armpit.

3. If you have to sneeze or cough suddenly, please remove your head from your armpit and sneeze or cough directly into the microphone.

4. If you must eat while you dictate, please stay away from foods such as marshmallows, bananas, and pudding; apples, pretzels, and celery are much better choices.

5. Please do not stop dictating when you yawn; it throws off our rhythm.

6. Do not stop dictating in the event of a minor background noise such as an office party, the janitor�s vacuum cleaner, a screaming infant, etc.; again, it throws off our rhythm.

7. Talk as fast as you possibly can. Fair is fair, after all, and we type as fast as we can!

8. Dates of admission and discharge are not important for old H&Ps or discharge summaries.

9. Abbreviate whenever possible. Everyone loves a mystery and we are trying to learn new skills, such as mind-reading.

10. Finally, be sure to wait until the end to tell us what kind of report you are dictating, or to "scratch" this dictation since it was already dictated.

need help fast! Is 8 per 65 character line a "good' rate for an - Posted By: LynnC-Ohio

MT with 10 years of exp? Was offered a position yesterday with a company and right now I make 9.25 - I know I will be losing, but right now I am on DQS and am so sloooowww.. What would you do? Not take it/ Tell them it's just too low? What?!

Silent Type - Posted By: nana

This company left an E-mail on my computer...never heard of them. They are promising everything and more, of course.

Any thoughts about them or experience with them?

Thanks

Does DTS America treat their people well? - Posted By: Carla

I was thinking of testing with DTS America in Nashville and just wondering what anyone knew about them.

Thanks

Anyone out there live in Habersham County, Georgia ? sm - Posted By: Relocating

If so I'd like to e-mail with you about the area as we're considering moving to that area. Thanks!

Need ER or Clinic Work - Posted By: Brenda G., Indiana

Does anyone know of a reputable company who is hiring for ER or clinic work and pays fairly well? I've just about had it with Medquist and my 23 different accounts.

Thanks much,

Brenda

HELP with long distance!!! - Posted By: Babe

Anyone else with this problem? Was with MCI. Had 13,000 minutes for month. Said it was a fax line. NOT!!! Said it was internet. NOT!!!!. I am in North Carolina calling Illinois for my work. AT&T says anything over 5000 minutes is excessive and will not get service for business line. Any ideas? Desperate.

My autotext entries are gone!!!! - Posted By: Can anybody help me? sm

I use a program called iType. When I add an autotext entry it is there until I shut down and open program again. I know that I have to add autotext entries outside of the actual iType program - I open word and add them there but they are being deleted somehow. Any help would be appreciated. Oh, I use Word 2003.

Thank you.

Dollar - Posted By: Rickey

With the dollar depreciating against all major currecies including Asian currencies is it true that outsourcing will slow down and ultimately stop as the cost advantage is becoming a ?

Doc-Q-Scribe Hard to Learn? - Posted By: Curious

How easy is Doc-Q-Scribe to learn and can you have good line counts with it?

Sanyo Memo-scriber's still in production? - Posted By: foob

My office manager told me she found they aren't making Sanyo Memo-scribers anymore and we picked out a Panasonic transcriber, which I think sucks. I just looked up the Sanyo online and it's there on the Sanyo site. Are they still making them and my manager is uninformed or is it just because it's not in the Corporate Express office catalog we use and she didn't look beyond her nose?

My Norton's just blocked a browser exploit with a high security risk... - Posted By: SM

just now when I entered the main board forum here on MTSTars. I would like to know what that is all about!

What are your thoughts on VR? - Posted By: Is it easier to make lines?

Or does it make it more difficult to get lines? Ive been offered a job that is a little bit of straight typing and VR combined...what do you think about this scenario?

I have 2 jobs. - Posted By: what do you do when they run into each other.

What do you do when 2 jobs run into each other.

I work for a place that says we must work OT today. It is an in-house position that is backed up big time. We have been backed up for the last several months and they picked a very nice holiday weekend to tell us mandatory OT Saturday 8 hours. We don�t get an incentive just the more you type the more you make. I have been working for a small online transcription company since Christmas because I wanted to be at home. I need to put in 20 hours for this little national but it is not possible to do if I have mandatory OT at another place. I told my OM at the hospital that she needs to figure out what she needs to do with me whether she is going to let me work from home or not. I told her that if she has me drive in house again that I was going to have to leave because I liked to have lost my shirt the last time I did it. To clarify, the hospital set me up at home temporary back in January because the roads were icy but they are trying to pull me back in house. The computer does not run well at home. They have several people also working from home who have computer problems and I don�t remember how they worded the problem but it is something about the distance and the large volume coming through that messes things up. I live even further from the MTSO and all their programs run real smooth. The small national treats me better. They do have incentives for their FT MTs and they do offer OT quite often. The pay is not as high though and the benefits are more costly but they way they treat their MTs compared to the way this hospital treats their MTs is like night and day.

Office Update!! - Posted By: Who me?

Just letting everyone know who uses MS Office. There is an update on the MS update site for Office and I downloaded mine last night. It is a Service Pak. I also want to let everyone know that it wiped out my Stedman's Spellchecker and I had to re-install it this morning when I started working. So keep a heads up.

Any info on TransHealth - Posted By: ks

I am considering a position with this company and would appreciate any info you might have. Thanks.

I have a chance to get an account but I need a VPN. - Posted By: Is it really that simple

I googled and found some information and from what I understand it is very simple to setup and basically like setting up any connection to the internet. Is it really that easy?

Not a "real" job - Posted By: Mom-CMT

I was talking at dinner last night about how expensive the braces will be for my son. My mother-in-law was over for dinner and she said, "Well, you can always go get you a little job at the diner." She knows I work at home. I think she knows I am a medical transcriptionist. I don't think she really has a clue what I do! Maybe, it was her way of complementing my lasagna? LOL.

Any suggestions for cleaning stainless steel appliances? sm - Posted By: SuzyHomemaker

Everything I use seems to leave streaks. Any ideas appreciated.

Is there a way to get a read receipt back from someone who has web mail? - Posted By: lucky lass

I seem to only be able to see if someone has actually opened up a mail I have sent with a read receipt attached if they have certain types of e-mail accounts. Is there a universal way I can do this from my Outlook Express? Thank you for any input here!

Just sad and needing to vent. - Posted By: paulette

I just needed to come here and vent to you guys. I don't post here much, but I do come and read a lot of the posts. I think there are a lot of wonderful people on this board. I just needed to come and express myself somewhere other than my husband and friends.

To start with my mother has COPD and has been unable to work since March of 2005. She is not on disability yet, because we were both naive and kept waiting for someone to contact us after filling out the paperwork online. Anyway, I have been working at a casino job for 12 years and I have let her have my pay checks for the last 3 years to help her out with bills and other things. I also work full-time with Spheris. I work 60-65 hours a week. I also try to do her grocery shopping and do errands for her on my off days. I don't mind doing this, and if I had to work 3 jobs just to keep her here on this earth with me, I would. We have always been close. She doesn't have any insurance, so she doesn't get to go to the doctor as much as she needs to be going.

The thing that is really bothering me is the fact that I am the youngest of 4 children. I am the ONLY one who calls her every day and asks her if she needs anything. I have told my siblings that I cannot do it alone anymore. My older brother did start helping somewhat over this past year with the prescriptions and going to the store on occasion. But he will only do those things if I call or my mom calls him. My middle brother, about 2 years ago, won 50,000 dollars at a casino, called my mom to brag to her about it and never did one thing for her!!! He also about a year ago won 30,000 total in one night, and NEVER called her, and never came by to see her or anything. Last week, he wins ANOTHER 54,000, and yet, again, the very same thing.

In 1997, my mother and I took out a 15,000 mortage on our house to do remodeling. We ended up being taken advantage of by a guy that we had known for many years. We didn't have a contract drawn up, so there was nothing we could do. He came out and tore out a wall and concreted the add-on area, made a concrete porch, and then left everything else torn up. She has squirrels that get in her house from time to time from some hole somewhere. I absolutely kills me to see my mom in the terrible health that she is in. I try so hard to help her. I can't afford to get her house fixed up, but it kills me to think of her passing on without seeing her house fixed up. She deserves so much more. She and my father were married for 32 years when they divorced--due to his infidelity. I have tried talking to my siblings and it just doesn't work. How can a child be so cold to their mother??? I told my sister that I hoped that some day when they becamed aged, that their kids didn't do the same thing to them; also, I hoped that they didn't get in that type of health.

My sister has a gambling problem and doesn't do anything to help her either. She will call her and tell her that she will bring her something down, and then never shows up. I am just so tired. I have a 4-year-old son and a husband, 2 jobs, and the rest of my family JUST DON"T GET IT~!

I am sorry this was so long, but I just can't take it anymore. Thank you for listening.

Paulette

Keyboard problem - Posted By: Peeps

I hope someone can help me. There are many times I will be typing along and I hit a key or keys mistakenly that causes my , and . keys to print the upper case which is < and >. I can't get it to change back unless I shut down the program or reboot my machine. Does anyone know what I am hitting and how I can change it back? This is driving me crazy!

Thanks!

Can we have a MQ board so I can see posts about other things insstea of this nonsense - Posted By: no name

This is not a Medquist board. It is being monopolized by MQ complaints again. Cant you go to MQ and complain instead of coming here where no one cares?

This has been going on and on and on and no one is getting the point. GET A NEW JOB WITH SOMEONE OTHER THAN MQ

Do most of you work with some noise on or do you like total quiet? - Posted By: SM

I go between working with just silence to working with a light radio in the background. Love the radio but wonder as far as being productive is that a good or bad thing. I know music can stimulate your brain and all that to be productive, but in MT I wonder about it since it's such a concentration-requiring job.

Is anyone missing a good reality TV show right about now? - Posted By: Curious

I'm so bored with TV right about now. I used to look forward to Survivor, the Apprentice and even Martha Apprentice. Am I the only one who thinks Desperate Housewives is just plain goofy and most of the sit coms with canned laughter fall flat? Help. Find me a good show this is not concocted to appeal to the lowest common denominator watching TV.

Instant Text and Bayscribe - Posted By: Julia

I have downloaded Instant Text onto my laptop. I have been able to link the Instant Text to Word and it works perfectly. I have linked IT to Bayscribe and while it says it is linked, it is not. Does anyone know how to fix this?

Rate to charge as IC? - Posted By: mt47mtm

Wouild anyone feel comfortable in saying what they would charge for work as an IC? I have been contacted by a medium-sized group of ENT specialists about doing their MT. I need to get an FTP site, which are very reasonable monthly rates. But, I'm not sure what to quote as a line rate in my prospectus. I was thinking 12 to 14 cpl, but is this too low?

Thanks for any input. BTW, the group are located in the upper Midwest in a very large metropolitan area.

Which would YOU choose? - Posted By: Hanging on as long as I can!

Hi, MT's!

I'm trying to make a decision about my job, and thought maybe your input would help me put it into perspective. I'm thinking about changing my MT job. I have gone over a long list of the pros & cons, and still am up in the air about it, and hope to make the most informed decision possible. Here's the situation:

I have transcribed since 1975. I have been at my current job for roughly 29 years. Still, I am a long, long way from retirement, if ever. Most likely the earliest that could happen is 2025, but I'll believe it when and if it happens! I have always worked in-house, initially for services, then for a hospital, and for the last 29 I've been at a multispecialty clinic. 20 or more years ago or more, it was a decent place to work, but that has all changed and now it's very stressful. We get blamed for every mistake the doctors make, management communicates with us very little, and what they pay us has not even begun to keep up with the cost of living. Still, on the plus side, my commute isn't too bad, I enjoy the variety of specialties to type, and I have the most seniority. Although our pay isn't so great, we do have paid time off and fairly decent healthcare, though it must be at our own clinic. We have a 401K retirement savings account through work. Our pay is by the hour, with no overtime offered, so we have no opportunities to increase our earnings. I've been saving to buy a condo, but at this rate it's always out of reach.

I have had my eye on a national service lately that seems to be much better than most of what you see offering jobs out there. I have a couple friends who work at home for this service, and they recommend it very highly. The service pays on production, and when I tally my daily work that I'm currently doing and convert it to the service's way of paying the best I can, it at least SEEMS like I could make a lot more money. The service also has a 401K, health insurance, and paid time off. The hours are very flexible, which for me is a huge plus. As long as you do a set minimum amount of lines per pay period, it's all good as far as they're concerned.

Lately I've been so stressed and unhappy in my current job situation that I'm almost ready to take a cut in pay, if that's what it takes, to be able to work at home, where I can control my environment (heat, air-conditioning, light brightness, office ergonomics, etc.) Working at home for a national would also free me up to be able to move to a less expensive area. That would help if the pay WAS less, but if the pay was equal to or more than I'm making now, then I could be socking a lot more of it away towards a down payment on a first home. And if I finally did get to buy that home, being able to take short, "meaningful" breaks from typing (instead of pigging out at the candy-machine) would make it possible to take care of that home, as well.

As it stands now, my list of "pros" for taking the at-home job is quite a bit longer than the "cons". And just the opposite for my current job. My biggest concern is the longevity of either position. I am reasonably sure that bit by bit, MT work in the US is going to diminish. The question is, which one is likely to fold first? Our clinic already sends extra work out to a service, rather than pay us overtime to do it. Over the years our MT Dept. has shrunk considerably. The more it shrinks, the more work gets sent out. Although we are told otherwise, my gut feeling tells me that it will continue in this manner until the department is eventually closed, and all the work gets sent out.

But, when I read all the message boards here, and people working for MT services talk about how much of their company's work is being sent to India, or being partially transcribed with VR, I have to wonder how much longer "live" MTs are going to be around in the service venue, as well. And I don't think being an Editor wouldn't be an option for me, either. Not only would I be bored to tears, but instead of paying more than MT, which it should be, it appears to pay quite a bit less.

So, if you knew you weren't going to be retiring in the next 5-10 years, and you wanted to continue being an MT (it's the only thing I know how to do), do you think there is more security in staying with a long-term employer that not only very callous towards its employees, but is slowly but surely whittling away at their transcription department? Or would you take the "unknown road", and go with what is currently a very viable and successful national company that would let you work at home, but may already be offshoring extra work? (I haven't been able to find out if they actually do or not.) I don't relish the idea of having to "start over" as a new employee, but the idea of having less stress and more freedom also appeals to me quite a bit.

If you were in my shoes, how would you base your decision?

Thanks in advance for any ideas you can throw my way!

Photo contest..is this a scam?..sm - Posted By: jusme

Entered a photo contest and got an email congratulating me on it being chosen to publish in their book ($59+shipping) for a copy with a plaque eligibility for $5000 prize. Seems like a lot to pay for the entry??? Contest by "Cirle of Photographers". Is this the norm for these contests? I've never entered one before. Thanks for your advice.

Informatix - Posted By: Deb

A doctor's office is using Informatix program for their electronic record program. Does any IC use this program and how is the pay rate determined? Thanks!

Yellowfin stirrups - Posted By: pnkns

In an archived post there was a question about "Yellowfin" stirrups that referenced the manufacturer's catalog. According to that catalog the spelling is "Yellofin", not yellow.

My 10 yo dog has lost ability to use hind legs - Posted By: following surgery

She was put under anesthesia to have a large mass removed from her chest. What I thought might be a malignant lump turned out to be lipoma. She had hip dysplasia all her life and was arthritic but never thought she would lose use of hind legs. Surgery was today. Picked her up at 5:00 and now, 4 hours later, I am truly concerned. She is a weinaraner. I am to give her 10 mg of prednisone daily.

Geesh, I wondered why the vet didn't bring the dog with her when she talked to me. And when we discussed surgery, I mentioend that anesthesia was hard on senior dogs (it was hard on me and I am healthy adult).

Just wondering here if she will recover. Maybe smeone here knows something about this. Thank you

What's for supper tonight? nm - Posted By: A

x

Time for ex-company to upgrade. - Posted By: Time to update.

My previous employers are unfortunately still in the stone age of using all dial up equipment and word perfect, etc. I loved the job and would still be there if the work was steady. The problem is that they do still need p.r.n. help on occasion but I am not willing to pay the 50.00 a month (I would need unlimited LD) for the second line for p.r.n. work, nor do I want to set up another ancient computer on my already cluttered desk. I've done that for 10 years and done with it.

I've talked to another Transcriptionist and it sounds like it wouldn't be that difficult for them to upgrade in order to use internet capabilities. Knowing these people for a very long time, they will listen if it is easy and cost effective but I'm clueless where to point them. Any ideas?

Right now they use all Lanier and Dictaphone and almost all their equipment is due to be repaired (which I expensive and sometimes can't be done) or replaced.

Radiology question - Posted By: romey

I have had a job offer from a radiology company with their own clinics, so no middle man, and they are offering 2.25 per report (no I do not know what the ratio of plain bone x-rays to say lengthy MRIs is). Do you think this is good pay coming directly from the source or not based on this limited information. Thanks in advance.

Feedback on SPI Healthcare Documentation - Posted By: Terry

Does anybody know anything good or bad about this company? I am looking for a good MT employment position, and I have been burned before (by Voice Systems--they don't pay!).

SPI Healthcare Documentation
Contact: Barb Batchelder
417 Welshwood Drive, Suite 201, Nashville, Tennessee 37211
SPI_MTUS@spitech.com
Telephone: 866-624-7672, Fax: 615-301-8423

help - Posted By: kristi stallings

I need help picking out a name for my transcription services. Please help me. Thanks!!