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I wonder why the light above caps locked is so small.  With the constant need for capitalizing words in this industry, I am constantly backspacing to delete words mistakely capitalized or not capitalized, especially with IT.  Does anyone have a cure for this? 

Okay, aggravation.  Still have dail-up.  Had appt. to have cable hooked up tomorrow morining they just discovered today they don't run cable where I live, which incidentally is only about 3 miles out of the nearest town!

Typing in Meditech via Citrix metaframe.  Due to current with delay from dail up I am typing body of report in Word and pasting into Meditech which has speeded things up a great deal.

I was planning to have satellite hooked up next week.  Before I chunk out that money, I know satellite is very slow with a VPN and that the Citrix metaframe may work similarly. 

Anyone out there working in Meditech via Citrix Metaframe ON SATELLITE without problems.  I read that it can slow it down 50-75%?

Good afternoon Towanda,

I loved your post.

Regarding your statement about workflow coordinators "not knowing" or "not caring" about how you MTs get or don't get your work, I would like to take exception.  When I did workflow coordination as a supervisor at MedQuist in the late 1990s, I knew exactly what the TAT on every work type was and which MT could do what worktype and how fast.  There has to be a balance.  Also, the worktypes had different TAT, from 24-96 hours, which made it easier than the standard 24-hour TAT of today.  I believe that, while workflow management might seem like a completely boring and often mundane function, you either have "it" or you don't.  Never having done it before and not after, I don't know how I did it and when MTs would ask me how I did it I couldn't explain...maybe just a "gift" like each and everyone of us has.  And yes, there were monetary penalties for out-of-contract TATs.

I just love transcription and MTs and always will!  

Hello,

I have been a Pathology Transcriptionist for 2 years now (typing for about 4) and LOVE it.  I really want to find someone out there who can tell me they have the same pain and/or what it is that I am feeling.  Been to docs.....    I don't really have "pain" while typing, but I have pain when I reach for something after a long period of typing.  Just extending my arm shoots this electrical-type shock up my forearm.  Reaching for the phone or a paperclip.  To make a long story shorter - had nerve conduction studies and they concluded that I had a "mild case of carpal tunnel".  Well, I took this as the answer to my problems and went for the surgery.  No cure - had the sx about 2 months ago, still having the same pain / sensation.   Please!!!!  if there is anyone out there that has had similar pain let me know.   I love my job and need to keep it for a couple more years (if I can keep up the typing with pain) while getting myselft through school.  Thank you!!

Am in the market for a laptop and looking for suggestions.  Thanks.

Hi,

I have several questions: 

1) Deventure Health Partners (who has recently been swallowed by Transcend)--the platform used is eScription, correct? 

2)  If so, can anyome recommend an expander(s) compatible w/both ExText and eScription? 

3)  In Word Client's ExText:  What is an RPC error code 1727? 

Earlier this week, Iv'e gotten it and it's affected my ability to save/access the most recent update/copy of Expander entries. 

My company techs didn't know how to deal with it and referred me to a Dictaphone tech who seemed to know even less. 

He rooted around in my 'puter for the better part of 2 hours and had me log in to WClient to try to access reports ad nauseum.  After saying yes to ESP,  this error code came up and the transcription menu, etc., promptly disappeared. 

I finally took matters into my own hands, saying "No" to ESP on one log in attempt w/the player, etc., loading just fine and I could access reports and ESP entries. 

I logged out and re-logged in, said No, and got in just fine. 

The third time, I said Yes to ESP, got in, and was able to access reports. and get down to work. 

This situation has recurred all week now in betw. work sessions, with my having to say No once or twice before getting into Word Client and accessing ESP and getting to work. 

So, what the heck is this error code about and can it be addressed?  It's been a real bear remembering to copy/back up ESP before I log out after a work session. 

And, I've been screaming bloody murder when I get thrown or freezed out of the system, have to reboot or re-log in only to discover that I've lost my most recent entries.  

If I get an expander system, what are the chances that I'll have the same problems? 

Thanks so much. 

about Dictaphone EXSpeech, my wave volume on my pc's master volume controls kept turning down automatically after each VR job and I couldn't figure out why.  Well, after much research, having both the tech people at the hospital where I work and the Dictaphone/Nuance tech support people telling they had never heard of that problem, I figured it out. 

And since someone on here had told me it was a quirk with Dictaphone, I wanted to share because I thought it my help her out too.  When you are in a document in Word Client Correction Editor, you hit F2 and that is your volume control, make sure you turn it all the way up, click okay and bingo it's fixed.  Apparently, that particular volume setting in Word Client is connected to the master wave volume control on your PC.  If it it is at the lowest setting, then your master volume control will reset after each job.  If it is turned all the way up, that is your master volume control will stay. 

Excuse my excitement, but it was driving me nuts having to manually turn up my volume with each job.  As many MTs know, one little annoyance can wreck a whole day!

Has anyone ever been to Saint Simons.  If so, please share the place you enjoyed staying at.  We are going the last week in September and can't figure out where we want to stay. The places on the beach are either too high or one, Sea Gate Inn, has some pretty bad reviews.  We don't know whether we want to try it anyway or stay in the village.  The prob is since we won't actually be getting in the beach that time of year, I would sort of like to stay on the beach so we could walk on it at night, etc.  Thanks.

Does anyone have a doctor who is already using something like this:  http://www.mdtablet.com/demo.asp

I have such mixed feelings about this (EMR).  On one hand, I think the technology is awesome, and I think it makes so much of sense to have our medical info. available electronically (pretty much immediately) instead of a doctor having to request a hard copy and wait for it to be mailed or whatever (like when you change PCP doctors or go to a specialist or whatever). 

On the other hand, is every doctor going to be running around with one of these handheld devices in his/her pocket, with all this medical info. on people?  What if they lose it?  How secure and accurate is the info. really?  And of course I won't even go into the effect EMR will have on our jobs as MTs. 

BTW, I saw this "MD Tablet" thing in the background when I was watching a story on Nightline.  The story was about how the super rich in America are pretty much oblivious to the state of the economy, and still carry on with their usual lifestyle, spending money lavishly.  No cutbacks for them to worry about.  The one rich guy they were showing is involved in this MD Tablet product. Ever feel like, as MTs, we are sooo on the wrong side of things?  LOL

I responded to an ad in my local paper for a PT poss. FT Transcriptionist for GI group.  I've been MTing for about 4 mos now with a smaller national (not one of the better ones).  My accuracy is good but I find it hard to get any decent lines with the crap dictation I always get, not to mention the crappy newbie cpl I make.  Have also been hired by a big national but have been in limbo in their onboarding process for way too long.  While I don't need big money to survive, I'm going broke pretty fast between low cpl and crap work.  Forget about benefits.

I do need benefits (was hoping to get them with the big national).  While I love working at home, it seems like it's always going to be the chasing lines game and also having your benefits contingent on making lines.  This may all be moot once I call the GI practice back and see what the deal is, but does anyone have anyone have any pointers as to what to look out for in a practice?  I'm just wondering if there would be too much work for 1 person or if the job would seque into some kind of secretarial thing, which I really don't want.

On the other hand, I'm also thinking if I took an inhouse job now, that would ruin me for future acute care work for nationals, if I really needed to work at home again.

Comments and advice appreciated.  Thanks.

What do you do when MTSO does not pay you and you are owed thousands of dollars?  Is there any legal option?  What/who is available to help those who have slaved days and nights all for not??? 

I wonder how she sleeps at night knowing that I have to stand in line at the Food Bank tomorrow at 1pm just to get food to feed my kids.  If she doesn't pay me soon I will have to get on welfare just to survive until I get another job.  I don't have the cushion of another income or family who can help me.  I busted my rear and now she can't pay me???  Where are the MTSOs who value the CORE of their company?  If there was no MT typing for your business then there would be NO business...right?  Makes sense to me.

Does anyone use Express Scribe?  I am a newbie and would appreciate any advice.

It seems the postal service is selling employee information including information to access the employee's health records?  The article stated that they did it because they "needed revenue."  I can't believe I saw this. 

 Link below:

http://www.charter.net/news/read.php?id=13890624&ps=1011&cat=&cps=0&lang=en

Incorrect, right? Am getting immense heat that this is "just fine" per old school transcription, cause I'm under 30 and "don't know".  Grade 3/VI??  Comments please! I'll be glad to admit if I'm wrong, but I just cannot see how this could be correct.

Yes, I know there are lots of questions and answers about one or more of these issues most of which I've read, but I need to make sure before I end up signing something that I can't deliver.

I have a Sierra air card in the middle of nowhere.  Will I be able to link to Meditech specifically and receive Fusion voice files through a VPN in a timely manner or will one or the other or both be so slow as to be inoperative?  I've worked with it doing FTPs and photo downloads and it's slow but not glacial.

Has anyone had specific Meditech related problems going over the 5 gig limit with their carrier?

Thanks and lots of hugs in advance. f

I am typing a letter on EMDAT that needs to be addressed to two doctors.  How do I make sure the second doctor listed in the cc box gets the dictation in the form of a letter and not just a cc?  Thanks in advance.

I use the dvorak keyboard for typing.  The keys are in different places from the 'querty' keyboard.  All the most used keys are on the home row.  This requires about 10 times less hand movement.  However, it makes you look like an idiot when you try to hunt and peck on someone else's querty keyboard!!

I will try to make a long story short(er)... I'm an IC.  I have been doing transcription for Dr. X over five years.  His wife is the OM.  His former Transcriptionist worked in his office until she and her sister (who also worked there as an insurance clerk) got mad one day and walked out.   Last year, the sister that did insurance returned to his staff.  At that time, I wondered since they had "kissed and made up" if my job might be in jeopardy, but I said nothing and kept up my usual routine.  A couple of months ago, the sister who did transcription had a baby and decided to quit her job to be a stay at home mom.  Shortly thereafter, the OM (wife) became rather unfriendly to me, but I carried on with the attitude that the money was good as long as it lasted.  Now, to try to make this shorter -- I took vacation time last week (which my contract allows me to do) and I returned to their office promptly on Monday morning to pick up tapes to start catching up on work.  (This OM has always been antsy about getting work back and filed in a timely manner.)  On Tuesday morning, I received a phone call asking how many tapes I had done, to which I replied that I had completed all of them and would be returning them shortly.  I was told by a staff employee that the OM said to "break them up" and only bring two days back since it would "bog them down."  Since this office is 56  miles away roundtrip, I wasn't pleased with the request but did honor it without saying anything.  This morning I received another phone call from the staff and the girl asked if the OM had called me.  I replied, "No, I've been right here at the computer by my phone and you win for the first call of the day."  She responded, "I kind of felt like she was lying to me when she said she had called and you wouldn't answer."  She then said she had been instructed to tell me not to bring any more dictation back this week.  I asked why and she said she didn't know.  She then asked if I knew the doc and his wife were going on vacation next week, which I didn't.  I thought about it a few minutes and realized that payday is the 1st and 15th, so I wondered about bringing my bill over.  I called back and asked the staff girl if the doc was in.  I spoke to him and he knew nothing about any of this.  He called his wife, then called me back and said his wife said they didn't have the money to pay me, so they didn't want me bringing back work. 

Now I'm wondering if this is a farce to try to get me to quit so the former transcriptionist can resume doing their work.  Never before in five years have they not had the money to pay me.  I've never gone up on my rates to them in five years, so they're really getting a bargain for our area.  If the thought of that doesn't bother me enough, I'm now thinking about how my budget is blown for the rest of this month.  This doc and his wife have no children living at home -- I have three with two of them in college and one in tutoring for severe dyslexia (which they are aware of).  When I took last week off, we stayed at home because we couldn't afford to go anywhere this year after paying bills.  Now I'm irate that I've still got bills to pay and I'm not getting paid while they're going on a vacation.  If they truly cannot afford to pay me, the wife knew that on Monday when I came over.  Why did she let me burn my gas (a luxury these days) on Tuesday driving over there?     By the way, I asked the doc today if everything is okay on my end and he reassured me that he is still very pleased with my work and even asked why I was asking.  I didn't say anything further because I didn't want to sound paranoid; however, his wife "owns" the practice with everything in her name, not to mention the fact that she is a very controlling person.  Therefore, he would be "out of the loop" if she wants her old transcriptionist back.   Something smells fishy.  Am I right in feeling she is trying to get me to quit?  Do I quit or do I make her get some gumption and discharge me?  Thanks for your time.

I just read your posts and they are really bothersome.  Why just because someone asks how to achieve 1000 lines in 3 or 4  hours would you flame them like that?  Why would you assume that person would want to work less than 8 hours just because they asked that question?

Most people, especially MTs, want to make the most of their time whether it be 3 hours or 8 hours.  Most MTs want to be productive since that is how we make our living.  Why wouldn't anyone with a brain want to increase their line count from 1000 lines in 8 hours to 2000 lines in 8 hours if they could? 

I think it is a shame that so many get mad and become rude to others because they are doing more than them.  They are sharing their advice on how to become quicker and I wish that you would just let them do it for the rest of us! 

I mean, if you want to work 8 hours and make squat go ahead.  The rest of us would like to bring in the cash and double our speed and work the same amount of time thank you!

I had to install WordPerfect 6.1 for a new client's work.  I already have WordPerfect Suite 12 on my computer, but now WP 6.1 is apparently set up as the default WP program and any time I open a WP document from the Documents menu instead of with WP 12 running, it opens as a WP 6.1 document.

How do I re-set WP 12 as the default WP program?? I have a ton of personal documents in there (I don't currently use it for a client).  I wouldn't mind so much, except that one document I use all the time, my telephone list, opens in WP 6.1 (instead of WP 12, where I originally created it) and then when I try to scroll down it says "insufficient memory" and the program closes.   HELP!!!!

TIA.

I have been working for a company for 15 years doing it the old way - i.e., tapes and printing, that has just been sold to an online company. We have a meeting with them - what questions should I ask? Terms like "platform", "expanders", etc., are Greek to me. Thanks.

Got no help on word board.  Running out of time.

Thanks in advance

Which sentence is correct:    20 units of Pitocin WERE given - or 20 units of Pitocin WAS given????

also - I thought regarding dangerous abbreviations that in an op report  under anesthesia/meds  - correct would be   Demerol 10 mg intravenously and not Demerol 10 mg IV.

I'm either getting old or just sick of this. 

I would really LOVE to work on a Mac, but there have always been compatibility issues in the past.  Anyone out there using a MAC and if so with what platforms?