Medical Transcription Discussion Forums:

• Main Board
• Job Seekers Board
• Company Board
• Word Help Board
• Classifieds
• Medquist
• New MTs / Students

General Discussion Forums:

• Gab Board
• Politics Board

New to profession, and wondering if radiology MTs make most of the money ?  I heard that they usually do because it is so repetitive.

Hi everyone. I am new here but not new to medical transcription. Very happy I stumbled upon this board.  I am always looking to compare notes with other MTs. 

Now, I know this question has probably been asked a million times on the site arleady, but since I am new and don't know my way around very much, forgive me for repeating.  

Now my question/situation:  I was asked to submit a proposal to a clinic yesterday. I found out that their current company figures lines based on bytes/65= 1 line, not my typical characters/65= 1 line. It has been a very, very long time since I have dealt with byte count - can someone refresh my memory and help me with ideas on how to address the difference with the new clinic?  

Thanks in advance for your assistance, and I look forward to reading more posts on the site.  Hope you all have a great day.

I was talking to one of the veterinarians I take my oldest dog to.  It's a small specialty clinic, and we've been going there for almost 2 years now, not long after they first opened up. 

They are all very caring, highly professional people there.  They value quality over quantity, and they really go above and beyond in their care and in spending time with each patient and owner.  (I've actually joked that if I need surgery, I want to go there.  LOL)  Because of that, they don't see a large number of patients and plan to keep it that way, but their business is definitely thriving. 

There are 2 full-time vets there, and 1 who is part-time.  Their problem is that they are drowning in paperwork.  They're all very meticulous and detail oriented, so they don't just scribble something down on a chart or dash off a letter or home care instructions and call it good.  They like to document everything thoroughly, but it's becoming very time consuming for them. 

They tried a speech recognition program, but it was terrible.  They know I do MT, so we started talking.  They're interested in whether I might want to do their reports and letters, *if* they were to start dictating this stuff (we were just talking, nothing has been decided). 

The thing is, I've spent the last 10 years working for a national (the infamous, pay-cutting "Q" as a matter of fact), so I'm not at all set up to just jump right in.  I have no idea what I would charge, whether I would work there or at home, what the work volume would be, what software I would use, whether I'd be an employee or IC, etc.  And, of course, there are some differences between human vs. veterinary medicine. 

I don't know.  My head is kind of spinning right now.  I think it would be such interesting work that I would love.  It could be such a great opportunity, but I feel a little overwhelmed at the thought of all of it.  Any thoughts, advice, recommendations...? 

I have 6000 phrases in my PRD which I am about to transfer to the DQS expansion program (I won't start for a couple of weeks).  The tech says anything more than a few hundred might cause expansions to be sluggish while I'm transcribing :(.  Has anyone been having this problem?

Also, is it better to use my own Window-based glossary program instead of the one DQS provides?  The tech says he can't advise me on that and the techs won't provide assistance on it. 

For longtime comfort which is best - split keyboard mounted on chair arms or split keyboard to be used on the desk?

Also, why the preference over split keyboards that come totally apart versus split keyboards that are permanently connected at the top?

I want to revamp my office and there are so many different options.

Great article on new VA security breach.  Down at the bottom they tie it in with Obama's hope for EMR, with a "whoops, not so fast!" slant.  I'd love to know what MT company had this on their watch also. 

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/13/va.records.security/index.html

As an IC, would you reduce your line rate if the clinic you transcribe for uses a LOT of macros? 

I got this new neurology account 2.5 weeks ago and what a cash cow!  Everything's a macro, so all I basically do is click,click, click and the transcript's done. 

I feel a little guilty for charging them my normal line rate, but then I remind myself they use macros to same them time so they can see more patients so they can make more $$$. 

What would you do?  Give them a break or charge the regular rate.  (Mine is is 11.5 cents/gross line).  

 - here goes, anyway!   ----  "How funny would THIS be?"  

I know it would be impossible to ever get MTs to stick together on anything, let alone a work-stoppage kind of strike.  But can you imagine the hilarity (at least on OUR end, anyway), if for just one week.  Heck - one DAY, even -- we all decided to transcribe everything verbatim?  And I mean, VERBATIM, not the 'fixed-up' kind of verbatim most of us are expected to do.  I mean verbatim, as in if they don't punctuate anywhere in a 3-page letter, they get a 3-page unpunctuated letter.  They screw up the 'copy-to' addresses, then instead of spending OUR time looking up the correct address or spelling of the recipient, let it go as-is.  If they say "left" and MEANT "right", they get "left".  When they bounce back and forth between calling the patient a "he" and a "she", and don't clarify it, then that will be come a report on the world's first simultaneously dual-gender individual.  All the little checks and balances, and save-their-@ss type of transcription we do automatically, doesn't get done for one day.  Unfortunately, it would probably cause every Editor in the country to simultaneously call in sick with killer migraines.  But that's okay, at least it would be FUNNY.  And lord knows, this profession could sure use a laugh now and then, couldn't it? 

I have Stedman's Medical Dictionary and QuickLook Drug in my programs, but they apparently haven't been activated (if that's the right word). 

Any technically-minded reader that can tell me step by step how to open these files and "launch" them so I can create my short-cuts and start utilizing them?

TIA for any much-appreciated info!!!

About India take on offshoring.  I don't think they are worried about loss of American jobs.

http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/10/17/1548054.aspx

I am searching myself for a clear definition, but I did find this site.  I wonder if there are other sites that specifically state what an independent contractor really is especially in this field. 

http://jobsearchtech.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.nolo.com/lawcenter/ency/article.cfm/objectid/4A2EDAAE%2D21E0%2D458D%2DB0099737751F4CA1/catID/0D973BC0%2D3287%2D4CA1%2D944DC75DE82DC59F

I know I am probably one of the last few, but have had all clients using word97 so never tried any other version.  Now upgrading to 2003, but I can not figure out how to stop that pesky "getting started" menu from opening with it each time I open 2003.  I tried searching but cant seem to find a way to close it off.  Any one know how to make this stop so tht when I open word2003 it is not there?

Thanx..

old dog, new tricks : - )

Wendy

A doctor called and left a message on my voice mail stating that she needed help with transcription.  I mailed out letters about a year or so ago.  Evidently, she kept my letter after all of this time. 

I'm a little nervous since I wasn't expecting this.  I plan to call her back within the next couple of hours.  How should I handle the call?  Should I give a price over the phone?  Or, should I find out what she is looking for and what type of services she needs and then send her a letter with a quote, what services I offer, etc.?

Thanks!

can anyone tell me what are the function keys for Meditech.  I hit F6 and lost a report.  My lead Transcriptionist only "knows" the F keys we use, not any of the others. Shift F6 moves up a line, but what if just plain F6?  Thanks

Am I the only one who finds it very difficult to transcribe using hot keys instead of the foot pedal?  I guess I'm just not coordinated enough.  I recently was about to accept a job with a company who uses Emdat.  I have used Emdat before and used Express Scribe with my foot pedal, no problems.  However, this company told me that I was not allowed to do that with them and that I had to use the hot keys or buy a foot pedal especially designed for Emdat.  I told the recruiter "no way."  She acted as if I was crazy for not being able to do it that way. 

How in the world do you control the dictation with your keyboard and try to be productive at the same time?  I just see it as being impossible.

How do I get control of this white cat fur on my forest green furniture and stop him from clawing it up?