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will allow you to chose gross lines BUT also let you say that no line can be longer than a set amount of characters?  So in other words if my clients lines are set so long and small  that 95 char are on each line but my contract reads a line shall be no more than 65 characters, the software can pick up both gross lines over 5 characters and gross lines no longer than 65 characters??? 

Am I being clear?  Anyone know of invoicing/counting software that can do that?

Thank you.

i'm thinking of getting an electronic spell checker, where it will automatically correct your words as you type.  is there such a program?

thanks

Hi I've been using ShortHand for a couple months now but I just downloaded the trial of SpeedType to check it out.  It seems that the two are EXACTLY the same!  How is it possible for two different manufacturers to have the exact same program?  It looks the same, all the functions appear to be the same.  This is really bizarre.

I must be missing something.  Are there ANY differences between Shorthand and SpeedType?  If so, what are they?  Why would someone pay twice the price for SpeedType if it is exactly the same??  Thanks.

Does anyone have any experience using a c-phone on dialup internet?  Any glitches or drawbacks?  Thanks.

I don't usually post anything on the internet but I was hoping to maybe get some positive feedback.

I started as an MT in 1990.  I worked for Kaiser in So CA for 15 years.  I transcribed all work types and all specialties for hundreds of doctors.  I took pride in my work and found it challenging on how to find ways to get the reports done faster.  I had a very good job - $22.00 per hour when I left - (they are union.)  I had to leave because I had to have a subacromial decompression for impingement syndrome on my right and left shoulder.  I still have flare-ups from pain.  It was due to my job, and they could not honor my work restrictions when it was time to go back (I could only work 4 hurs a day) so I had to leave.  That was okay with me - I had been commuting 100 miles round trip for years and I was burned out.  I started a small transcription business of my own and had a few accounts - (I did them all myself.)  I also have worked for a few transcription services throughout the years.  I am not bragging by any means but I was always told that I did a very good job and I had very particular doctors. 

About a year ago my husband's contracting business took off and he told me I did not have to work anymore.  That was fine with me.  Only now, due to the economy, the contracting business is down.  Anyway, I have to go back to transcribing as we have no money.  I mean NO money, and we owe a lot.  I have never been in this situation in my life and I am very scared.

My point being - as you all know when you stop transcribing hospital transcription for a time you lose a lot of your skills I guess you would say.  My confidence is way down.  I have failed a few tests.  I am 51 years old and I am scared to death.  I have to find a job.  Why can't I pass the tests?  I am so down and I thought maybe some of you had been through this before.  I did not mean to tell my life story, but when I explain to my husband or my friends they don't really get it because you have to do this kind of work to know how it is. 

Anyway thanks for listening....

I am interested in becoming an MTSO, specifically for Radiology reports.  My question is for an MTSO or anyone who would have the knowlege that I need for getting started in this business.   I have decided to start with very small hospitals, but have  questions.  Here goes..... How would you connect to their computer system in order to do their work? Please be very detailed.  What questions regarding this should I ask them ?  Should I expect to spend money on my end or is this something they provide? Is this something I should be very knowlegeable about  beforehand and if so where would I get that information as I am not computer savvy outside of working for someone else.   Also, are there specific kinds of contracts that I should use for hospitals?  Should I get an attorney to do the contract?  I would like to be extremely professional in aspect of my business and any information I could get would be very helpful.  Thank you.

I was always under the impression that cats had to be at least 6 months old before they could be "fixed".  I was on the SPCA website for our area last evening reading their info and it said kittens older than 6 weeks must be spade or neutered within 6 weeks of adoption.  Isn't that a little young?

Just curious.

He's about 3 or 4 months old.  He is a very playful kitty.  Usually attacking my ankles or feet when I work, attacking the dog's tail, etc.  A couple of days ago he just wasn't himself.  Laying around, not playful at all.  Yesterday and last night, he threw up three times, and today he basically laid in the same spot all day long sleeping and barely moving.  I'm not sure when was the last time he used the litter box.  I took him to the vet and they are keeping him overnight.  They indicated he was pretty sick because he didn't resist having his blood taken or being poked on and he didn't try to groom himself after they were done.  We haven't had him long.  We adopted from the animal shelter.  He was the only survivor of his litter and the momma cat was killed by a car. 

I am really bummed for my kids.  We just lost our cat and dog this past winter in a house fire and I just don't know how my kids are going to react if something is wrong with our new kitty.

Express Scribe?  I was just curious. 

Thank you again~

Tonight we are having one of our traditional comfort foods:  Pasta and Prego (hey, it's pretty good!), a huge salad, garlic bread and hopefully dessert if I can get hubby to run out and get it.. heh.

I am looking for a good pot roast recipe for the crock pot.  I know I can Google one but I remember there are a lot of good cooks on this board. (Haven't been here in a while.)  We plan to use the leftover beef for shredded beef tacos the next day.. which my son, home from college for a couple of weeks, has been craving.

Anything will be appreciated!  Thanks.

I am currently a Transcriptionist at a hospital and I am really interested in getting into the coding business.  I was just wondering if there are any of you out there who have made this transition and if you have any tips or warnings for me.  Any advice is appreciated. 

Does anyone know how to add to the shortcuts in RadNet F9. 

You know how sometimes there are strange postings on the job board?  This MT feels like (but won't do it, just suggesting it) putting an ad on the job board which reads the following. Thank you in advance, by the way for your time in reading this. Time is money, after all, and this MT is appreciative of any and all of your time.

FAKE POSTING (do not attempt this at home, this is done by a professional, albeit uncredentialed MT)

MT-At-YOUR-Service.... MTSOs: Sign up now! This MT cannot be beat!

She will cook, clean, AND type any and all medical language specialty work you have AT THE SAME TIME.  Grab this offer now. Just send your name, phone number, and 3 personal and professional references and a resume of your MTSO proving that you will provide: Free food (because she is cooking for you); Free cleaning supplies (she cannot afford her own garbage bags), and a decent line rate, just because when she types, she needs to send the whole check to her family, not overseas, but to her starving family here in the USA.  Act now... the first 10 responses will be given Immediate consideration!  And if you call in the next 15 minutes, you will be given twice as much free cooking and cleaning, and this MT will even type at half the going line rate. Act now! Offshores need not apply.

I am totally new to the at home transcription profession.  I found someone to type for but when she sent me the file, .dss, it didn't play on Express Scribe.  Now, I have been on their forums and tried ALL of the suggestions and nothing worked.  Apparently it has something to do with the way the new version of ES interacts with XP or something.  So I found a DSS Player Lite at Olympus and it played the file, but ofcourse there wasn't any foot controls or speed, et cetera.  I was just wondering if there are possibly other, preferablly free or cheap, software programs that I can use to play these DSS files.  I have another person I will be transcribing for as well but I guess she uses a different file format so I am hoping that it will play with ES. I am just so frustrated and don't know what to do to get started making some money.  Can anybody help me??       

Thanks!!

Did any of you watch the special the other night on identity theft?  I think it was maybe on Dateline.  If so, you heard them say the identity theft ring reaches far beyond the shores of the US.  It involves many of the countries that are receiving outsourced transcription work. 

The first thought that came to mind when watching that was our medical records.  I often have dictation that gives me a SSN and DOB.  I also often have dictation on a new patient giving me other details, such as where the individual works, how many children they have, etc.  I always get their height, weight and race.  With these details, the individuals being outsourced to have everything they need to supply a terrorist or identity theft ring information to enable them to pose as someone else.  This is very frightening to me!

What do we do?  How do we wake America up to what we're facing?  Sure, we can write our elected officials, but you all know as well as I do that such correspondence falls upon deaf ears.  Does anyone have any suggestions on where we go from here?  At this point, it isn't only about losing our jobs, its about national security.

Getting my terms straight here   I did my research and the software used to 'play' the dictation is called Professional Digital Transcription Playback Software -  DTPS.

The few I've worked with always have that annoying feature where you can't modify the voice speed.  Are they all like that?

I'm just wondering what the PDTPS is like at a company I've applied for.  BTW - I made up that abbreviation - may not be accurate!

Right now I'm on C-phone. I'm okay with a C-phone.  I'm not real keen on the sound quality experience I've had with playback software.  Can you not slow them down?

Thanks for letting me pick your brain!!!

ok ladies, I applied for a job at a hospital as a medical Transcriptionist (job was listed on their website and at the employment agency)  I updated my resume, typed up a cover letter and hand delivered it to the HR person.  She said she would put it in their system and I would be hearing from them, the job is open until filled. Great!  I completed their lengthy application and sent that it to the same HR person.  I did not hear anything and assumed with the holidays and all......patience...

Yesterday I received a call from them.  But get this - it was from a person who runs the dietary department.  They gave her the application.  She said since their is no MT job opening would I be interested in working as a dishwasher on weekends?  I was stunned to say the least.  She repeated that there was no MT opening but they really needed help.

I cannot make this stuff up!  What in the world?

The job is still posted on their website and at the employment agency.   Is this just too weird or what?

Have any of you come up with some not well know deductions we can take on our taxes?  As you all know, in transcription our overhead is very low and we get SOCKED on the self-employment tax.

I already do the percentage of house on taxes, utilities, phone, gabage, etc.  Full on cell phone, meager supplies, meager mileage, internet.  Might have gotten yard care deducted last year, I forget. 

Let me know if any of you have other areas of deductions!!

I need helping deciding...I'm looking for a keyboard that feels like a laptap's keys do. I hate the clickety-clack sound! Sometimes it's so loud I've got to turn my volume up on my headphones!

I've been looking at "quiet" keyboards but they still make too much noise for me. Someone suggested a gaming keyboard one time but I have no use for all those extra function buttons and LCD screens, so why pay ($100+) for something I'm never going to use??!!

I've been looking at Macally's IceKey and from what I've read, even though it's made for Mac's you can still use it on a PC (just the volume controls on the keyboard won't work, no biggie to me). The only thing (and this is a big thing) that's keeping me from buying this one is that it's USB.

I don't have anymore USB ports available on my PC!

Does anyone know of a keyboard similar to the IceKey but is PS/2? Or perhaps can I just use an adapter with it?

If anyone knows, or can suggest another keyboard, please help me out.

I would love to use MT Stars FlashCount for invoicing, although I cannot seem to find a solution on how to get the typed reports to the program without having to click on each one by the patients last name.  It would just be too time consuming and not worth it if that is how it needs to be done.  Is there a trick to this?  I do about 300 reports a week for 4 doctors (and I save all reports for about a month on my computer), so I am looking for the quickest and most dependable way to invoice. 

Thanks for any and all advice.