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My adult child passed away 6+ months ago.  She had in her possession a motorcycle with a title that was just in her name, no lein holder.  She had a receipt that says she paid $x for this motorcycle.  She had been separated from her DH at the time of her death.  My wife and I cleaned out her home at the time of her death, including said vehicle.  Since that time the person who previously owned the bike has been calling sporadically and saying that money was owed on the bike.  We've essentially not responded, don't know the person, have the clear title in my hand, what am I to think???  Now he's treatening legal action....against me I presume, although I don't even know this guy, have never met him or anything.  What legal course do you think he could have with me?  I'm not going to just hand him $$ or the bike, it's not worth as much as he says is owed to him and I have a receipt that does not say anything about more money owed. 

Anyone ever have something like this happen?  I'd listen to any opinion.

thanks

Patient refers to an once-a-month injection for calcium, but it sounds like "DayQuil." 

Any ideas on what this could be would be appreciated.

anyone know?  Just went from straight line count to DQS...

used to type 500 lph, now barely 150 lph....

AND NO COUNT FOR SPACES....

DAMMIT, THAT'S A KEY STROKE

There are few doctors with British or Australian accents compared to Indian, Middle Eastern, Hispanic, East Asian etc....but perhaps because I don't hear them as often I am sometimes really thrown off by them..  not ESL! But I find myself relistening before I get some of the words.   Also difficult are some of the other European dictators...do not get as many of those either. Used to get a guy - I looked him up on the hospital web site - it said he spoke about 6 different European languages - he had a very unusual accent.

when I have been working for national company for 15 years and cannot, obviously, list my immediate supervisor or any QA people I have encountered?  The references I have are from several years ago.  Are they still valid?

I'm really confused and upset about this. Do companies expect a list of 3-4 references with names and numbers?

Thank you.

I would like to know why companies/MTSOs don't hire QA people and pay a decent hourly wage and let them be the ones to plug in all these physicians' addresses for the reports. I, as a transcriptionist, spend precious transcription time hunting for names, some of which are impossible to understand, before sending it to QA (because, I'm sure that is what is expected of me). I really dislike having to send a report back without the name, but sometimes it's impossible. I have to search by how I think the name is spelled, or by the city (if given) the doctor is in and search through the whole city trying to find something that resembles this name. I even search by first names if I can't understand last name, and there is the issue of how the names are spelled.... some impossible! I know I could turn out many more lines for the company/MTSO if I were not having to look for these doctors addresses and a QA person paid an hourly rate wouldn't mind the searching. I guess the bottom line is the companies/MTSOs don't care if the Transcriptionist spends hours looking for these addresses because they aren't paying them for it anyway!  Someone tell me if I am wrong, please! 

company before.  Have always had my own clients but lost 3 last year so went with a company.    Has anyony ever had a pay per line decrease for not meeting the required daily limit?  I started at 10 line for 1600 lpd.  Just was told that I dropped to 1345 and would now be making 9 per line.  Jobs were extremely low from Nov-now and there were just no jobs to be had.  Is this normal procedure?

Several years ago the husband of a friend of mine made a pass at me.  When I was married we would get together with my friend and her husband to play cards and stuff like that.  Her husband made a blatant pass at me, basically called me one night and asked me if I wanted to.... well you get the idea.  After that I basically avoided going over to their house to play cards and we stopped getting together so often.  I never told my friend because she is one of those who thinks the sun rises and sets on her husband's behind.  Women have called her in the past and claimed to have slept with him and she has basically said they were liars and believed everything her husband said.  I figured she wouldn't believe me and it would basically ruin our friendship.

Long story short, I ended up moving to another state and so the issue became a nonissue.  Recently, I have separated from my husband and have moved back to the area where I'm from and where my friend and her husband live.  She has basically started calling me and wanting me to come over again and stuff.  Now, because I'm basically single, I am REALLY uncomfortable going over to her house.  I've accepted her invitation a couple of times, but I just can't stand to be in the same room as her husband.  It just makes me angry to look at him, so smug and just full of himself, like he's gotten away with something.

Anyway, my friend invited me to dinner this weekend and I decided to say no.  She just called me and I told her that I have to plan my daughter's birthday party (which is true) and maybe some other time.  Well, she was very short with me on the phone and basically hung up on me.  Telling me that if I don't want to be friends, I should at least tell her to her face.

So now I don't know what to do or say.  I want to be her friend, but I loathe her husband.  What should I do?  Asking her to do stuff without her husband doesn't work because she does EVERYTHING with him.  She can't go to the grocery store without taking him with her.  I feel very guilty right now, like I've hurt her feelings and I don't know what to do.

I need to change a USB pedal into a 9-pin.  I've seen adapters to change a 9-pin to a USB but not the opposite. Any suggestions?  I need it work with EditScript.

thanks!

nm

I got a new keyboard a couple of months ago (a Microsoft Comfort Curve).  While I mostly like it, I can't seem to consistently get my hands back on the home keys correctly (I guess I lift them off when using short-cut keys) and will usually end up with my right index finger on the K.  I also have issues with the right pinky finger upper keys (mainly P & [).  I think it might be spread out just a bit long for me or something.  I'm not quite sure what to do about it.  When I get my plain old straight keyboard out and pretend I am typing on that, that doesn't feel right anymore either.

Any ideas on the best way to go here?    I struggle with speed issues as it is, so to clear this up would be a big help.

What if you were typing reports for the local clinic and low and behold the patient being dictated on was your own family physician and she is being worked up for CA.  Would you stop in your tracks and ask that another MT type it?  Or just type it and keep my mouth shut?

Just curious here.

Well, I did it!  I start with SoftScript at the end of the month.  Although there are fears and all that, I have done the right thing getting out of the unhappy in-house job I was in.  It's a big gamble, but I feel right about it.

I'm posting here to tell you if you want an in-house job, check the job board at a certain hospital in Central Illinois, near Morton, IL.  A big, Catholic hospital.  I think there are actually 2 Transcription jobs open.  The benefist are great.  The rest of it is OK to absolutely unbearable.  You'll see.  I don't think I'm allowed to name the hospital.  But the job is on the job board of the hospital web site.  Good luck, I guess.  Pray for me, as I will for everyone who gave me advice. 

I need to buy a new stove (and frig) and was wondering if you guys could tell me what brands you prefer and why.  I don't need bells and whistles just something that's going to last.  Thanks for sharing

I see a lot of posts complaining about hospitals with many specialties and many different dictators and not wanting to do ESLs etc.  I have got to voice my opinion about this.

While most folks don't like to do ESLs/bad dictators (myself included) it is a PART of the job!  If you have many different departments/specialties/ESLs you are probably doing a teaching hospital.  If you are doing a large teaching hospital usually that is the "bread and butter" of the company that you work for.  Being in this business for so many years, I hear MTs, new and long time MTs, complain about their accounts.  When I get complaints about large teaching hospitals, if possible I take that person off that account, BUT I also warn them that while I can NEVER guarantee the workload it makes it harder when folks don't want to do certain accounts or certain dictators.  It is a part of the job.  Most of the ti these same people are the ones who are screaming first if the work is slow.

After almost 30 years, there are dictators I despise just like anybody else, but I take the good with the bad.  My opinon is that any MT should make it their plan to learn how to do every type of MT, not just certain kinds of reports or dictators.  It saddens me when I hear folks who do not know how to do operative reports or some other kind of dictation and don't want to learn.  You will never be a successful MT or feel completely comfortable if you are not willing to learn everything you can.  Besides if you are willing to learn everything and can do any type of transcription you make yourself a more valuable MT!  To do that it takes years of experience.

MT is a continuous learning experience.  No one EVER knows EVERYTHING  about this profession as medicine changes at an unbelievable rate.  MTs should be continuously learning.  In my opinion, a good MT always wants to be learning.

This is my opinion and I hope I didn't get anyone ticked off.

This is a helpful, interesting site: 

Whonamedit.com is a biographical dictionary of medical eponyms. It is our ambition to present a complete survey of all medical phenomena named for a person, with a biography of that person. Eventually, this will include more than 15.000 eponyms and more than 6.000 persons.

Have not heard a single peep about what is current on the big MQ lawsuit.  Still being pursued?  This is too big not to hear from anyone about updates .... anybody?   I followed this for a long time in November/December/Jan, then POOF!  Realize that the wheels spin slowing in legal-ville, but sure would like it if somebody could throw us some crumbs of information. 

And if it has just fizzled out ... SAY IT AIN'T SO!!!!!

Unless you are quite computer savvy, it does not pay to just blindly follow advice you may see from MTs who are also computer gurus as to configuring your computer for efficiency.  These so-called efficient programs are not always easily compatible with the platforms services use.  Always call your company's IT help department and ask before making a change.   

For instance, my company uses ExText, and I was not too smart to switch over Mozilla Foxfire.  I'm sure it is a great program for independent MTs who can set up whole systems with their eyes closed, but it has caused some headaches for me in my fairly computer ignorant state. 

Then when my computer got slow I figured it was a virus, so I downloaded this "highly recommended" software, PC Doctor.  Again, I'm sure it's an excellent program, but it disabled all sorts of things on my computer that I need.  And it wasn't even a free program.  Grr.  My IT person told me they use a free program.  Wish I'd done that one instead. 

And to think I do these things to speed my computer up!  I'm such an id-iot.

I can't help but vent. I was at a family picnic last weekend and YET AGAIN someone approached me about "doing what you do at home".  Uh, you mean my JOB?!?!?!?!?!?!

She said she is trying to get some family member of hers to "do what you do at home". I gave her a bit of a blank stare at first and then as NICELY AS I COULD I explained to her that it is a great job but anyone considering it should know that working from home isn't as easy as the advertisements make it sound. (this is someone who I don't know well, picnic was at my sister-in-laws and she had her side of the family there as well). Anyway, I explained to this lady that I have been doing this for 20 years and I went to school first, then worked in doc office 6 years, then hospital 4 years, then home.  I told her that companies want people to have at least 2 years hospital experience before working at home.  AND, most hospitals want someone to have some MT experience before hiring them.  So I told her not to think that it is easy for someone to just starting ~typing at home~ right away

She then *explained* to me that her sister lives near Cleveland (we are from a small town) and that she would probably have a better chance to work from home being from a bigger city.  I then tried to explain that I work for a national company and that is the standard for the entire country.  She didn't say a word.

HONESTLY I think people really think that we have a nonskilled job, like anyone can put a desk and computer in their home and sit down and start doing this.  UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.  I just wish people would understand that it is a real job!!!!!!

I would really love to learn how to stenotype when doing medical transcription.  Can anyone recommend a good on-line course or website to get me started?  Also, if there are any of you here that are medical stenographers, would you mind telling me what kind of productivity I can expect once I learn the keyboard?

I took ShortHand in highschool, but I won't say how long ago that was.  LOL

Thank you!

How much faster would you say an Expander can make you when transcribing?

Abby

Hi everyone,

Do any of you have other types of jobs besides MT, QA, Editing, etc. like me?? I just started another type of job for evenings to help out financially, and I like doing so.  I still do my main MT thing, but the other one is actually fun for me, and not just slaving away all day at a computer!! 

Anyone ever had a wave pedal start to go bad? I have a USB pedal that is just three years old, and it's starting to flake on me. It will stop on it's own or jump in the audio without me propting it. Maybe there are loose wires?

I'm tempted to open the thing up and see what I can do (though I'm totally clueless). Just wondering if anyone knows about this stuff or has had the issue and fixed it. If nothing else, I'll buy a new one (or ebay one).

Aren't pedals supposed to last longer than three years?!

This is just to funny not to share:

"The patient may have had a decrease in weight due to a decrease in appetite and weight loss."

Really!  I never would have figured that weight loss would result in decrease in weight!  How about that?!

Is anyone familiar with a platform called Medquist Cquence?  The service I work for has a client who uses this.  I am having a particularly difficult time learning this system.  Would you care to share what you think of it.  Is it worth the time spent in learning it, and once you do learn it, do you get a decent line count?

TIA